Mac Mini and Samsung 43" DLP HDTV gets Black Screen Only

Just bought a new Mac Mini with great anticipation for some large screen viewing.
After numerous attempts the Mini has yet to produce anything but a black image with the occasional red or white horizontal line on my 43" Samsung DLP TV. Not even a brief grey start up screen. Just permanently black.
Here's the kicker: I do get a great computer screen image on this 43" DLP TV in Mac OS 8.6 off my ten year old Macintosh PowerPC. (The trouble is it's a noisy older computer and has no bluetooth for wireless mouse & keyboard: and no Front Row with remote control)
I have the VGA cable connected to the "computer in" port on the back of the Samsung DLP TV .
This is with the exact same cable and connection that refuses to work with the Mini.
Earlier attempts at using the DVI port were unsuccessful so for now I am staying with what works on the older Mac.
Some other things I've tried:
-with my Mini hooked up to a 17" CRT Samsung monitor I have tried all available resolution settings at 60 Hz, reconnecting to my large screen Samsung each time, producing nothing but the black screen.
I've tried turning the TV on before the Mini and vice versa
I always check to make sure the PC connection is selected on the TV
As well, I have re-installed the OS onto the Mini to eliminate any possibility of a sofware conflict from data transferred from my Emac
After consulting an Apple technical page (article 303406) regarding Black Screen issues and Mac Mini on large screen HDTVs, I went into single user mode and changed some text as specified. That did't help either
So far I have never seen a grey startup screen at all, only a totally black screen.
Someone in a recent post here or on MacMini.com touched on impedence issues with signals into VGA or DVI ports. The Mac Mini operates on low voltage. Could there be some connection to how strong a signal it produces compared to my old PowerPC with its ATI graphics card?? And just why would that make a difference
I haven't seem my particular issue addressed in this forum or on MacMini.com
Thanks for any help
Mac Mini 1.83 Intel Core Duo 512 Mb Ram Mac OS X (10.4.7) Emac; 604e PPC with G3 Upgrade & ATI Video Card

Just finished testing the Mini remotely with the use of the Redstone software recommended by BSteely in a previous post. Fun Stuff.
I saw the Mini "desktop" on my Emac screen and could control it remotely, even though the mini was connected to the large screen Samsung.
But the "fix" did not progress from there. When I called Apple for further help they were not able to help me tweak my Mini. Apparently there was nothing to tweak.
A second level Apple technician finally told me (after a few calls to both Apple support and Samsung) that this Mac Mini is likely not capable of producing a screen image on my large screen Samsung.
He said the Mini supports "Coherent Displays up to 154 Megahertz and Non Coherent displays up to 135 Megahertz". On his recommendation I checked with Samsung (second tier) and they are not sure exactly what that means. Same here.
Samsung did reply that the "pixel clock (of this HDTV) is 74.2 Megahertz". Again, too technical for me.
The latest second tier Apple guy just told me said that my Samsung 43" DLP is probably not compatible with the output capability of my Mac Mini.
Bottom line
It's all about the output capabilities of the Mini's "Intel Extreme Graphics GMA
The Mini's video output is not upgradeable like the other mac which works with this HDTV.

Similar Messages

HT201210 I updated my ipad 1 to 5.1.1 and after that, my ipad shows black screen only, no more

I updated my ipad 1 to 5.1.1 and after that, my ipad shows black screen only, no more screens, what can i do to fix it,a already tried to recover several times, on three different computers nothing happens

1. Turn off iPad
2. Connect USB cable to computer
3. Press and hold the Home button down and connect the docking end of cable to iPad
4. Continue holding the Home button until you see the "Connect To iTune" screen
5. Release the Home button
6. Open iTune
7. You should see "iTunes has detected an iPad in recovery mode"
8. Use iTune to restore iPad
Note: You need to be patient and repeat the above many times.

Mac mini and samsung tv

attached mini to my samsung 23" LCD hdtv via DVI cable.
I get a picture but there is a black margin around the display.
On boot up the display is full screen but reduces when OS is loaded.
Display is currently 1280*860 (I think - I'm at work at the moment) at 60h
Tried switchres to change to TV to its native 1360x760 (60h) but the resolution never appears in the active column.
Any ideas?
intel mac mini core duo Mac OS X (10.4.8)

I'm using the same type of TV, and I had the same problems with DVI. VGA is the way to go, particularly now that I'm using HDMI for hi-def TV (so I just press the "input" button to swap between sources).
However, my full screen display started failing 2 weeks ago. That was when I installed the EFI firmware update.
Now my screen has "shifted" up a little. The top of the screen image is chopped off (about a quarter of the menu bar) and a thin strip at the bottom of the screen now has random dots on it. It looks like the wrong part of RAM is being sent to the video output! I'd recommend against this upgrade if you don't already have it.
PowerBook G4 1.33 Mac OS X (10.4.7)

New Mac mini and Samsung Tv

Dear all,
A little help please. I have just purchased a mac and mac mini. I would like the I Mac to run as the master and the mac mini to work on the tv downstairs.
The mac mini works when connected to a monitor however when I try to connect it to my tv my screen is black.
I am currenlty trying to connect via pc connector lead as there was nothing else in the store so I am connecting via mini dvi adapter to DVI cable to female connector to pc slot in the back of the tv!
And its not working.
I have downloaded chicken of the VNC onto the I Mac and have installed some program called Display config X. however whenever I plug it in it doesnt seem to want to play.
Any thoughts or should I abandon the pc connection on the tv!

I have a mini connected to my Samsung.
I have a miniDVI to DVI adapter that came with the computer linked to a DVI to HDMI cable.
I've since learned you can buy a miniDVI to HDMI cable, thus eliminating the need to the connection, which is probably a good thing.
In any case, if you can go into the HDMI slot instead of the PC slot, you will likely have better results.
This is my second Samsung TV. The first one actually had a DVI in to begin with. But it was smaller than my iMac screen, and I needed binoculars to read it from across the room.
I also had to do an adjustment to get the menu bar to display properly. It was a rescan or something. Search the forums for my name and Samsung and you will find it.

Mac Mini and Samsung 42" Plasmas

I'll be purchasing a Samsung HP-T4234 plasma soon and have noticed it will handle a PC signal of 1024x768. I realize it's not a very sharp resolution, but will it fill the entire widescreen? IT won't need to be stretched, will it? I'm not too sure of these types of things, so any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I am using the Samsung 204B, not sure if this is similar. I have an XP Pro machine (older) and my Mac Mini (current version) on a DVI KVM switch. I noticed if you loose the connection to the Windows PC I have to restart the computer to get the display back.
My video for the Mini would drop out every so often. I had to download SwitchResX and set up a custom setting of 1600x1200 with a 135MHz pixel clock for the monitor to work well with the Mini.

Trouble with Mac mini and samsung 5 series tv

Hi there, have just bought a second hand mini and trying to hook it up to my samsung 5 serties tv!!! easy or so i thought!! iget the apple loading screen (grey one!) and then it goes blank and nothing else happens! has anyone got any suggestions? thanks in advance!

If you look through the threads here you'll find that this sort of issue has come up quite often, both with TVs and even with some monitors. Typically the problem is that once the system has booted to the point that the screen changed from the grey one with Apple logo, it's loading the preferences previously set in MacOS. When that happens, if the system has display preferences set that the display itself can't work with, the screen will generally go blank, or show a very distorted or rolling image. If your mini had previously been used with a relatively high resolution or refresh rate setting which your TV can't cope with, it means you need to reset the mini's preferences to something more basic, at least to get you going.
You can do this in a number of ways, but the easiest is probably to go ahead and connect the system to a computer monitor and boot it up, then set the display preferences to something very basic such as 800x600. If you don't have a computer monitor to connect to, then instead, boot the system into safe mode by holding the shift key down as the system boots. This should set it to a basic resolution the TV can manage. Open the display preference pane and set a 800x600 resolution.
If that still doesn't help, boot again (to computer monitor or into safe mode) and in the Finder's Edit menu, use the Find command to search for all instances of 'windowserver' (no quotes) and drag all instances found (there should be 3 or 4) to the trash. These are the files that tell MacOS what settings to use for the display, so trashing them will prevent the system using previously settings. After that, reboot normally. With those files missing, the Mac will create new ones when it boots and loads MacOS, giving you a usable display at low resolution. You should be able to work from there to get the correct resolution set for your TV.

Lion update to 2010 hdmi Mac mini and Samsung TV via Pioneer receiver

Hi, having updated to lion a message appears on the screen of the TV that this resolution is not supported, but I have no screen to change. Ideas and solutions gratefully received before I return to snow leopard. Paul

Hello!
I have the exact same issue. Also with a Marantz (SR 6009). Can you tell me what settings you did change?
Thanks,
JC

Mac mini and Philips tv

hello. I bought the mac mini and philips tv, but I get pink screen. looking at various forums that this is a known issue between apple and philips.is there no solutions to this problem?

Hi, what all inputs does the Phillips have, & how is it conected now?

Cannot access adobe. Get black screen.

cannot access adobe. get black screen only.

Are you using Adobe Reader? If so, what version? What OS are you using? Do you get the black screen when you open the application from the start menu or from the Applications folder? Or does it happen with you double-click on a pdf file? Or while trying to use the Reader plug-in and viewing the pdf from within a web browser? With more information we can give you more help.

Intel mac mini & 46" samsung DLP

Any helpfull info on a new intel mac mini and a DLP? I would like to use it for a media center. What cable to buy? Hows the screen res? Any known problems?
Can anyone help?

I connected my mac mini core duo (intel) to a Samsung DLP. Works fine with one caveat (not mac specific - in fact, a problem with all TV type displays, I think, but I'm no expert).
When using a DVI cable (inexpensive online, expensive at radio shack, best buy, etc.), the monitor will give you a choice between PC and TV. When you choose "TV", you'll get a perfect dot-for-dot display on the monitor. However, you'll also have an "overscan" problem which I don't really understand but can describe -- the very outer edges of the image spill off the edge of the screen (my uneducated guess is that a portion of the screen is hidden by the frame). Unfortunately, on my screen the cutoff portion includes most of the menu bar. Setting the monitor to "PC" will modestly (5% or so) shrink the image to ensure it fits on the screen. However, this means the monitor is interpolating (no longer dot for dot - which seems to defeat the purpose of DVI) and things get slightly (and I mean very slightly) fuzzy. Not an issue at all with photos or even video. You can tell the difference on text though. I'm using my mini as a media center so don't care and the fuzziness is so slight it doesn't really bother me when I use Safari but you asked. Again, this isn't a mini issue. You'll get it on any set up using the DLP as a monitor (and that's why Samsung gives you the "PC" option).
On screen resolution, the mini identifies the samsung automatically and will set its resolution to match the native resolution. You'll want to go through the screen calibration preference panel (choose the advanced option) to get the colors just right - takes about 10 minutes. I'm happy with this set up, especially with wireless keyboard and mouse. Remote with FrontRow is great.
Finally, I'm considering using the VGA input. Given that DVI is already interpolating, maybe the VGA will actually be a little sharper.
MiniDuo; iBook G4; iMacG3 Mac OS X (10.4.5)
MiniDuo; iBook G4; iMacG3 Mac OS X (10.4.5)
MiniDuo; iBook G4; iMacG3 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

I have a Mac Mini and I can't get it to work with my Ricoh Aficio MP 161. Any ideas?

I have a Mac Mini and I can't get it to work with my Ricoh Aficio MP 161. Any ideas?

The latest Apple driver support begins with the MP 171.
Here is Ricoh's official driver download page specifically for the Afico MP 161. Note that new drivers for this device were released on Aug 2, and include Lion and Mountain Lion.
Hopefully, this will solve your device issues.

I have a new MAC MINI and I want to install a second monitor. I have one connected to the HDMI and it works. I can't get a signal to the other one. It is connected from the thunderbolt to its HDMI port. How can I make it work?

I have a new MAC MINI and I want to install a second monitor. I have one connected to the HDMI and it works. I can't get a signal to the other one. It is connected from the thunderbolt to its HDMI port. How can I make it work?

Could be a bad cable or bad Thunderbolt port.
You have 90 days of free telephone support on a new device. You can call them at 1-800-MY-APPLE. Have your Mini's serial number handy
You can also make an appointment at the Genius Bar of an Apple store.
Apple Retail Store - Genius Bar

Switched video settings on my Mac Mini and now the bloody thing shows "Invalid Format" on my TV (used as monitor for years) and I cannot get it to switch back.

Switched video settings on my Mac Mini and now the bloody thing shows "Invalid Format" on my TV (used as monitor for years) and I cannot get it to switch back.
What can I do to get it to work again as more than an overpriced paperweight?

Hello,
Safe Boot from the HD, (holding Shift key down at bootup), see if you can set a good resolution.

I just bought a new Mac mini and can't remember my password to get into the computer. Is there anyway I can unlock my computer without loosing all my files, especially all my photos?

I just bought a new Mac mini and can't remember my password to get into the computer. Is there anyway I can unlock my computer without loosing all my files, especially all my photos?

Hi Jeff,
Reset Password 10.7, 10.8...
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-20087723-263/how-to-run-the-password-reset- utility-in-os-x-10.7-lion/
Then Reset your Keychain...
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1544

Please help! We got a used Mac Mini and we don't have the former owner's password, so we can't install anything like flash player. Does anyone know how to get around this?

Please help! We got a used Mac Mini and we don't have the former owner's password, so we can't install anything like flash player. Does anyone know how to get around this? I don't know how to wipe the hard drive, and the support online doesn't seem to work.

As posted previously:
Reinstall OS X without erasing the drive
Do the following:
1. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
2. If the drive is OK then quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed with reinstalling OS X. Note that the Snow Leopard installer will not erase your drive or disturb your files. After installing a fresh copy of OS X the installer will move your Home folder, third-party applications, support items, and network preferences into the newly installed system.
If installing Leopard the process is similar in some respects. If you wish to begin anew then after selecting the target disk click on the Options button and select the Erase and Install option then click on the OK button. To install over an existing system do the following:
How to Perform an Archive and Install
An Archive and Install will NOT erase your hard drive, but you must have sufficient free space for a second OS X installation which could be from 3-9 GBs depending upon the version of OS X and selected installation options. The free space requirement is over and above normal free space requirements which should be at least 6-10 GBs. Read all the linked references carefully before proceeding.
1. Be sure to use Disk Utility first to repair the disk before performing the Archive and Install.
Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger, Leopard or Snow Leopard.) After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer. Now restart normally.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
2. Do not proceed with an Archive and Install if DU reports errors it cannot fix. In that case use Disk Warrior and/or TechTool Pro to repair the hard drive. If neither can repair the drive, then you will have to erase the drive and reinstall from scratch.
3. Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When you reach the screen to select a destination drive click once on the destination drive then click on the Option button. Select the Archive and Install option. You have an option to preserve users and network preferences. Only select this option if you are sure you have no corrupted files in your user accounts. Otherwise leave this option unchecked. Click on the OK button and continue with the OS X Installation.
4. Upon completion of the Archive and Install you will have a Previous System Folder in the root directory. You should retain the PSF until you are sure you do not need to manually transfer any items from the PSF to your newly installed system.
5. After moving any items you want to keep from the PSF you should delete it. You can back it up if you prefer, but you must delete it from the hard drive.
6. You can now download a Combo Updater directly from Apple's download site to update your new system to the desired version as well as install any security or other updates. You can also do this using Software Update.

Mac Mini and Samsung 43" DLP HDTV gets Black Screen Only

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for