Cable Question

[jasnw]

I have a 2018 Mini that's connected via HDMI to a Benq PD2700Q monitor. I bought an AZLink USB C to Mini DP cable to switch from HDMI and it won't work. I don't know if I have a bad cable (no other computer to try this out on) or if there's something else going on. I switched the input from HDMI to Mini DP on the monitor and the monitor complains that there's no cable connected. I've connected/disconnected both ends of the cable, switched the monitor on and off, and the same with the computer. No change. I'm going to return the cable, but I'm not sure what cable I should get (DP instead of Mini-DP) and from what vendor.

Also, does Benq not like Apple? All of the official manuals and website info is about connecting Benq monitors to Windows systems.

 

[toronado455]

I've been having similar HDMI issues with my new (2018) Mac mini and was just about to post a similar question. I'd like to try the Mac mini with my new monitor using display port but I don't have a cable that I can use and not sure what type of cable to get.

What has been happening for me using HDMI on my old HDMI monitors is that the initial Apple logo boot up image shows, and then shortly after the screen goes black and then will not come back on and the display reports no HDMI signal. Or it has like a purple image with messed up color. This same monitor works fine via HDMI with a PC.

 

[weaztek]

I can tell you I have a 2018 Mini and an 32" LG monitor that is running well (so far) with a 6.6 foot Warrky (brand) USB-C to DisplayPort cable on Catalina.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

Does the display have a menu choice for "auto select"?
You might try that (if you haven't tried it already).

Try this:
a. put display on "auto select"
b. boot Mini with cable attached
c. if display remains black, give Mini about 2 minutes
d. now, UNPLUG the cable from the USBc port on the Mini, then plug it back in.

Does this change anything?

 

[jasnw]

Nope, no "auto select" option. This monitor has HDMI, DP, and Mini-DP ports. No amount of changing the input port selection and turning things on/off had any impact to the situation.

One thing I find odd is the complete lack of anything about the display output port control on the Mini side. The Video panel in System Prefs doesn't "speak" of ports at all.

 

[toronado455]

Nope, no "auto select" option. This monitor has HDMI, DP, and Mini-DP ports. No amount of changing the input port selection and turning things on/off had any impact to the situation.

My monitors DO have the auto-select function, but what I've found in the past is that leaving that on can actually mess things up worse. No matter, whether I manually select the input on the monitor control panel or let it auto-select, the same issues occur with the Mac mini.

One thing I find odd is the complete lack of anything about the display output port control on the Mini side. The Video panel in System Prefs doesn't "speak" of ports at all.

Would be a nice feature, though I don't know of any computer I have used that has any sort of a software video output port control. As far as I know, ALL the output ports are always "ON". Unless of course you have a descrete GPU and you switch off integrated graphics in the BIOS. But that is not such a granular control, it just simply turns all the built in ports off.

 

[jasnw]

RE the lack of info on video-out ports, I just get antsy when things "just DON'T work" and I can find no way of getting information about what's going on.

 

[toronado455]

Yeah I get that. Being able to selectively choose an output port might be a way to help troubleshoot. Then again, I didn't anticipate that a brand new Mac mini was going to be my most troublesome computer purchase. ?

 

[shinji]

I got this USB-C->DP cable https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EZH7CKO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 yesterday after having Catalina-related HDMI->HDMI issues with my Dell P2415Q and 2018 Mini. Working great.

 

[toronado455]

I got this USB-C->DP cable https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EZH7CKO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 yesterday after having Catalina-related HDMI->HDMI issues with my Dell P2415Q and 2018 Mini. Working great.

Thanks. I ordered one, and I'll report back here with my findings.

 

[Ploki]

you can get more info about graphics in system profiler.

 

[toronado455]

I got the above linked StarTech USB-C to DP cable and I can confirm it is working with my 2018 Mac mini on Catalina with my LG 4K 24UD58-B monitor.