Mini display to HDMI. The TV only shows desktop background regardless of which window i have up on my macbook air?

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Mini display to HDMI. The TV only shows desktop background regardless of which window i have up on my macbook air?

Hi everyone! Strange issue with my macbook-TV connection! I have for some time been watching videos on my TV from my macbook air using a mini display to HDMI cable without any issues. However, now when i connect to the TV, with the safari, or quicktime player or any other program up on my Mac, the TV only shows my desktop wallpaper? I can hear the Audio. I have tried trying to switch between windows etc but i only get the desktop wallpaper displayed on the TV. I have tried another cable and still get the same outcome. Any suggestions/advice would be most welcome. Many thanks, Richard.

MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2011), OS X Mavericks (10.9.3)

Posted on Nov 4, 2014 3:47 PM

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Brett L

Community Specialist

Nov 6, 2014 2:47 PM in response to Richard87UK

Hi Richard87UK,

If you go to System Preferences (under the Apple Menu) > Displays > Arrangement, is the TV shown as a display? Is Mirror Displays checked?

Mirror Diplays will - unsurprisingly - make it so that the contents of both the TV and your MacBook Air's displays are the same.

Also, if Mirror Displays is not checked, you can see where the computer believes the displays are physically. You can drag windows from one display to the other in the Finder by moving the window to the edge of the display to the edge that it thinks is connected to the TV.

For reference, see this article -

OS X Yosemite: Connect multiple displays to your Mac

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.

Best,

Brett L

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