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Ramias

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 22, 2016
29
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I just learned about DDC/CI. I have the 2018 Mini and a Dell U3415W. (I want a 4k, but I like the width of this, so waiting for the right 5k).

I've come across a few DDC/CI apps. None seem to work. My monitor is supposed to support DDC/CI. I am connected via the HDMI port (though I have also tested the MHL port). I'm not sure if it is my monitor or if it is Mojave.

Has anybody had any luck with a DDC/CI app (ideally for brightness, contrast AND volume) on Mojave?
 
MonitorControl. I've used it on my UP2715k and on my current UP3216Q. Works like a charm. https://github.com/the0neyouseek/MonitorControl/releases
I've never been able to get this working on a Dell UP2715k and your post gives me hope. Did you have it connected with the dual MiniDP for 5k?

I'm using its USB 3 cable too. MonitorControl doesn't seem to be getting information from the display. Its brightness/volume sliders just show as being at their min level and adjusting them has no effect. In the monitor's OSD, under "Others", DDC/CI is enabled. I tried a different Dell monitor and that did work, but I was thinking it wasn't compatible with the UP2715k until seeing your post. Thanks for any suggestions.
 
I've never been able to get this working on a Dell UP2715k and your post gives me hope. Did you have it connected with the dual MiniDP for 5k?

I'm using its USB 3 cable too. MonitorControl doesn't seem to be getting information from the display. Its brightness/volume sliders just show as being at their min level and adjusting them has no effect. In the monitor's OSD, under "Others", DDC/CI is enabled. I tried a different Dell monitor and that did work, but I was thinking it wasn't compatible with the UP2715k until seeing your post. Thanks for any suggestions.
Yes, I connected it used the dual MiniDP method, when I still had my 5k iMac.
 
Not sure what to make of this.

Brought down my 2011 Mac mini (fresh install of High Sierra) and Monitor control works fine over HDMI.

Switched the same HDMI cable to my 2018 with Mojave and it does not work at all.

Strange
 
Not sure what to make of this.

Brought down my 2011 Mac mini (fresh install of High Sierra) and Monitor control works fine over HDMI.

Switched the same HDMI cable to my 2018 with Mojave and it does not work at all.

Strange


Thank you. Just tried on LG 27UK650, and works great.
 
Same issue. Mac Pro 2013 with the dell UP2715k and using monitorControl it doesnt work. All levels are at min. I also tried command line app ddcctl and no dice. Any suggestions???
 
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Any chance people got this working? I've got the Dell 5K UP2715K as well connected with 2 DisplayPort cables (into a thunderbolt eGPU) and have 0 control over brightness with any of these apps.

Would be life changing convenience if I could have that control from the keyboard!
 
Thanks for reviving this thread. I was completely unaware of DDC/CI or the Monitor Control app.

After switching my BenQ EW3270ZL from an HDMI->HDMI to a USBc->Display Port cable, installing Monitor Control, and fiddling with the BenQ’s video and audio settings — I am now able to control both screen brightness and sound volume with my keyboard :) Even better, Monitor Control also works with my antique DELL2407WFP.

Which made me wonder why Apple doesn’t provide this capability as part of macOS — until I realized that the Minis and Mac Pros are the only ones that don’t have a built in screen that already works with the keyboard :(

GetRealBro

p.s. the cable switch may not have been necessary, but I don’t trust the 2018 Mini’s HDMI port capabilities, since it doesn’t work at all with my DELL2407WFP.
 
Thanks for reviving this thread. I was completely unaware of DDC/CI or the Monitor Control app.

After switching my BenQ EW3270ZL from an HDMI->HDMI to a USBc->Display Port cable, installing Monitor Control, and fiddling with the BenQ’s video and audio settings — I am now able to control both screen brightness and sound volume with my keyboard :)

That's great news. I'd do anything to get it working on my UP2715K. I have it connected via USB & Displayport but no luck...
 
FWIW, brightness and volume work on both my two Dell S2719DM WQHD monitors attached to my 2014 mini (7,1) running Catalina. Each monitor is connected to a Thunderbolt 2 port via Microsoft Surface mDP to HDMI 2.0 adapters. These particular adapters I've found to be very reliable for everything and will reportedly support 4K@60Hz. Currently using 4 of these adapters (two on my Mac mini and two on my Surface Dock) all to the same two monitors.

I don't, however, have any actual use for Monitor Control app as I don't change the brightness and the audio is routed through a set of self-powered speakers connected to the headphone port on my mini, not through the monitors. But I installed the app to see if it worked, then removed it.
 
That's great news. I'd do anything to get it working on my UP2715K. I have it connected via USB & Displayport but no luck...
FWIW Control Monitor worked immediately on my DELL2407WFP (Brightness). But it took some serious fiddling with both video and audio settings on the BenQ to get Control Monitor working. SO you may want to just try some different settings on your monitor. You may get lucky yet :)

GetRealBro
 
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FWIW Control Monitor worked immediately on my DELL2407WFP (Brightness). But it took some serious fiddling with both video and audio settings on the BenQ to get Control Monitor working. SO you may want to just try some different settings on your monitor. You may get lucky yet :)

GetRealBro
Hey, I also have a BenQ EX2780Q and I can't make it work, how did you get yours to do so?
Mine doesn't heaven appear as compatible.
 
I am use this :


It works with DELL P2415Q and newer U2720Q in my test. I'm rebinding with Karabiner elements to brightness control keys into my wireless magic keyboards, so it's behave like native Mac brightness control. Don't be hindered it was not updated since four years ago, still works today.
 
For others like me fighting for DDC to work on Apple Silicon (M1) macs, it seems the framebuffer doesn't work the same way so DDC command apps don't work for now.
 
For others like me fighting for DDC to work on Apple Silicon (M1) macs, it seems the framebuffer doesn't work the same way so DDC command apps don't work for now.

Thanks for confirming that. What a pain! NativeDisplayBrightness has always worked well for me, most recently under Big Sur on an old MacBook Pro with an LG 27UL850-W monitor. But it fails to control the same monitor connected to an M1 Mac mini via either USB-C or HDMI.

Seems to be an issue for Apple.
 
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