Color profiles not working

Why do you think that's a joke? Yes, HDMI will put out a single to a standard computer monitor, and you will see an image, but it's not meant for RGB color. Completely different color model.

HDMI used to work in OS X as a monitor connection, but somewhere back around Mavericks, Apple changed HDMI to behave as it's supposed to - as a TV signal. It's a benefit for users who do video editing to have a computer monitor on a DisplayPort or DVI connection for apps such as Premiere Pro where all of your editing panels are, and a separate flat screen TV on an HDMI output. The TV becomes your reference monitor for how the final video will appear on an actual TV. Something the view panel in the editing software can't display accurately.

Yes, they are. But that still doesn't change the problem. Cheap monitors only have HDMI connections. Monitors made by companies who understand HDMI is not a computer interface have multiple connectors so you can use the correct one for the purpose the panel is being used for.

You are not being helpful, Kurt. You are being academic. Who said these were cheap monitors? Let's focus on the question. As long as the macbook has an HDMI port, and the monitor has an HDMI input, it should be possible to switch profiles. It was possible until recently.

I'm trying to be as helpful as I can regarding the Mac OS.

As I mentioned earlier, sometime back the Mac OS recognized HDMI as "any ol' signal" the way Windows still does. If you used HDMI, the OS just worked with it.

Then someone at Apple made the decision to make HDMI behave correctly only as what it is - a digital HDTV signal. Lots of upset people who suddenly couldn't select the resolution their monitor was capable of. The OS instead limited them to standard HD resolutions such as 1920x1080, even though the monitor's native resolution was higher.

There are a pretty fair number of such posts in these forums from that point on. Why did Apple do that? Got me. I just know HDMI is an issue for folks trying to use it as a computer monitor connection. There likely aren't more because most users don't understand profiles, or how to use them. They plugged in their new monitor to their Mac via HDMI, turned it on and got a picture. Everything must be good.

It does somewhat depend on how good of a monitor you bought. HDMI will work if the firmware in it will correctly negotiate with the OS what resolutions and sync speeds the monitor supports, and what its true native resolution is. Cheaper panels won't.

I have this problem as well, and cannot get display profiles working. I tried resetting PRAM and SMC but still does not work. This started sometime in the past week or so.

HDMI is not meant for computer monitor RGB. It's intended for broadcast TV using YCbCr color output.

Use a DisplayPort or DVI connection.

Kurt, HDMI interface is the standard now used in nearly every display in every conference room I find myself in lately.

THAT was really helpful Kurt!! Thank you. I'll do some experimenting. I have a ViewSonic monitor (not sure but if it is a cheapo or not) that has a DVI Input. But I have a cable with an HDMI connector one one end and a DVI connector on the other. Wow - that suddenly sounds really bad. I'll get a DVI lightning cable and see if it makes a difference and report back.

It definitely can be frustrating.

TVs are the same. We have an older Sony Bravia that was one of the first full HD 1920x1080 progressive scan units they offered (there was no way I'd spend that kind of money on an interleave set). It has a slew of picture and color controls. You can fix and set just about everything. White and black detail level. Gray balance (five choices from cool to warm gray) and lots of other settings. My in-laws also have a Bravia that is only a year old. They paid much less for it, and got much less. There is very little in the way of picture control on it.

Kind of like those Black Friday TVs they sell every year. Lots of folks don't know it, but those TVs are made specifically, and only for Black Friday. And they're cheap because they really are CHEAP! Made from the lowest priced components possible. My brother-in-law bought one a few years back. Yup. Got it cheap. $150 for a 50" HDTV. Lasted 8 months and crapped out. Cost to fix it? Almost three times more than he paid for it. Into the garbage it went.

Same case here: I use 2 different external monitor at home and studio, one connected via mDP and one via DVI (then thunderbolt 2).

Every time I connect my external display it just automatically select one random sRGB IEC61966-2.1 profile instead of the correct one. Also if I try to change this setting, nothing happen and the colo gamut doesn't change.

I use custom profiles created with Spyder calibrator.

I use my laptop to produce graphics so this issue is a pain in the *** for me.

How can I reset display profiles and make them work correctly as they always did before?

Thanks in advance