Retina Macbook Pro HDMI Output Issue - Discoloration
So about three minutes ago, for the first time since receiving it in the mail about three weeks ago, I connected my Retina Macbook Pro to my Samsung 42" LCD TV. The result I got was a quite disconcerting. The image refreshed on the retina display to the appropriate setting and the desktop appeared on my TV. However, everything on the TV screen had a terrible yellow/greenish tint. At first, I thought there could be something wrong with either the HDMI cable or the TV, so I moved the computer to another room where I have another TV of the same model. I experienced the same result.
I have an older 2010 Macbook Pro that I connect to the same TVs via a Display Port to HDMI adapter and everything works fine. What is causing this discoloration on the external display? Hopefully, someone on AI has an explanation/solution. Let's hear them! (Thanks in advance.)
Comments
In there you can choose the different settings needed to output the correct signal for your monitors.
Yes - none of the display settings in system preferences make any sort of difference in the coloring of the TV screen.
Maybe they haven't got to it yet for Mbpr. Sorry can't be of any help - I don't have a Mbpr I can test with :-)
Only thing I could suggest trying is to power off the tv. Reboot the computer and then try switching the tv back on.
Maybe someone else can test this.
cheers
The MBP never had HDMI before the Retina model though. The Mini is the only other Mac with HDMI output.
Are you using the same cable for both and one works fine, the other doesn't and are both running at 1080p? Also, is it a green/yellow tint or like there is no blue at all? Does the displayport adaptor work ok in the Retina model in the Thunderbolt port?
As far as the HDMI cables go, I tried several different cables on each TV.
The tint is greenish/yellow. There are blues that show up.
I hadn't thought about using the adapter on the Retina MBP, however, I just tried. The adapter works, though the problem is still the same. I suppose this means it's not necessarily the HDMI hardware on the computer.
Any other ideas as to what's wrong? Thanks for the continued support.
It could be the default display profile for the TV. Have you tried running through the calibration under the color tab or even just jumping to a different profile like sRGB if it's in the list? Check which color profile your other computer uses when it's plugged in. You can copy that profile over but you'd be as well just calibrating it if that's the issue.
Hi!
I am having exactly the same Issue. But the difference is that I just got a MacBook Air 13" (mid 2012).
I had the previous MBA, the one with mini display port, and still there my external LED monitor works just fine!
Doing some tests I went to the previous MBA and connected my monitor, calibrated again, then exported the color profile and copied/installed into my brand new MBAir; and after this, I've got a better looking colors! but still, very far from what it should be. So not sure... But, I am starting to blame Mountain Lion; some how it's not detecting the monitor specs or something?, because it cannot calibrate the monitor the same way the previous MBAir did....
Not sure, but this is driving me crazy...
I read they changed the default Gamma in Mountain Lion to 2.2 instead of 1.8 but the calibration process should give the same results. If you set both MBAs with the same built-in profile e.g Adobe RGB do they look the same when you plug them into the display? Also, how are you connecting them (mini-DP to HDMI)?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin
I read they changed the default Gamma in Mountain Lion to 2.2 instead of 1.8 but the calibration process should give the same results. If you set both MBAs with the same built-in profile e.g Adobe RGB do they look the same when you plug them into the display? Also, how are you connecting them (mini-DP to HDMI)?
Snow Leopard moved it to default 2.2, but the profile is native to the display, and its approximation to a target would be dictated by that profile. You set up that profile to hit a gamma 2.2 response. The OS doesn't interpret this back to 1.8. I'm not sure if this is a bug. If comparing two Airs, stand back somewhat. They have narrower viewing angles, so it's easier to compare from further away. Also turn off any lights if possible to minimize influence for the comparison.
Yeah. Tested Everything!!! I think it's all about the new graphic card HD4000... Also, last night found out this on Apple Forums:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4080525
So let's hope Apple fix this soon (and not in a new Mountain Lion Update)... :-S
What does it look like if you boot up into safe mode by holding shift?
Hi Marvin!
Yes, tested that too! and the result is the same, looks exactly the same
I think (and hope) it's a software issue. Apple has already patched (twice) MBAir+MBP Mid 2012 software, so I think this is not new for them. If it's only "random" people, then we're screwed and its a Hardware problem, I hope it's software (driver) based!!
Safe mode disables the GPU drivers so it's not the HD 4000. Mountain Lion has changes to the graphics system so it will have affected colour handling somewhere down the line. Some people here had colour issues after upgrading to Mountain Lion too:
http://www.brilliantthinking.net/2012/08/06/how-to-fix-screen-colour-changes-in-mountain-lion-osx/
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4173173?start=0&tstart=0
It could be that the Thunderbolt port is not working well with the Mini-DP to HDMI adaptor but it's probably ML. If you have a USB drive, you can clone the system from your old MBA using Carbon Copy Cloner and boot from the drive on the new MBA and check how it looks. If it looks fine under Lion with the old profiles, it's definitely just a software issue.
Got it working! I had to test something that someone pointed out (the only test I had left)...
DVI. I found this adapter, HDMI (female) to DVI (male), and then connected the HDMI cable (that comes out from the MDP > HDMI adapter), and surprise, it worked!
After a few tests, also with other monitors, I found out that directly over HDMI the OS is not detecting the monitor as it's supposed; only over DVI I've got it to recognise as supposed.
So looks like it's somehting about HDMI directly, the OS is not communicating correctly with the monitors over HDMI, I guess...
But well, it's a solution!
found this thread because I am having the same issue with my brand new 13" Macbook Pro. I bought the Mini DiplayPort to HDMI cable at the Apple store and using a 23" Acer and the colors are HORRIBLE.
So no one has found a work around? Will getting one of those HDMI to DVI adapters work for now?
@SMELTN: Hi! Yeah, there's a problem with the drivers looks like. You see my tests, and I only got it working when connecting to DVI, can't go directly to HDMI. Also, a new thing I found; HDMI works perfectly on Windows on the same machine! (crazy huh?) So, no doubts, it's software (Apple Driver I guess) in Mountain Lion...
so yeah I went out and bought the Apple MiniDisplay to DVI adapter and everything looks perfect.. Go figure.
So a little late, but I hit the problem on my 2013 MBP retina and sony Bravia TV.
On OSX Mavericks, on the TV display preferences, choose 'scaled' and select a supported resolution (in my case 1080i or 720p).
Problem fixed!