HDMI Out of Range with benq mp625p...

[akj]

Hi folks.
I try to connect my projector Benq mp625p and MacBookPro(late 2008) via HDMI(adapter + cable).
And projector tells me(on the screen): HDMI Out of Range.
And, of course, MacOs doesn't see any external monitor.
I think it is because, by default, MacOs wants to make mirror on the second screen, but max. projector resolution is XGA(1024x768).
How can I turn off mirroring before the second monitor will be connected?
But maybe problem is't in just mirror display...I don't know for sure.
How can I resoles this problem?

Additional Info VGA, S-video, Composite connection works great. And HDMI cable with adapter are 100% good(I have tryed them before on two plasma pannels).

Additional Info I've tryed to connect this projector in BootCamp WinXP(on the same MakBook), and first time it did'n work, but when I set: Expand Desktop on the second screen everything began work properly!

 

[Makosuke]

I'm assuming you're running 10.5 or 10.6 here, but I think the instructions are the same with earlier OSes.

First, connect the projector. Once it's connected, open the Displays preference pane and click "Detect Displays"--this is to make sure the Mac is seeing the projector.

At this point it's possible it'll just start working. Assuming not, select the "Arrangement" tab in the Displays pref. If "Mirror Displays" down at the bottom is checked, uncheck it.

If the projector doesn't just kick in at this point, go back to the originial "Display" tab and clikc the "Gather Windows" button--this should bring the settings window for the projector over to your main screen. At this point, you can just use that window to change the resolution until you find one that works on the projector.

Note that if you have "Show displays in menu bar" checked, most of these things can be done from the little menu item, including selecting resolutions for the projector.


Now, if you don't see the Arrangement tab at all, that's indicating that your Mac isn't recognizing that anything is connected. In that case, there's some problem other than just the output resolution. You might try shutting down the computer completely, hooking it up to the projector, and only then turning on the computer. This shouldn't be necessary (that's what "Detect Displays" is supposed to do), but you never know.

If none of that works, I can only guess that the projector is somehow not telling the computer it exists--maybe it needs its input reconfigured or something--but hopefully that's not the case.

 

[akj]

Now, if you don't see the Arrangement tab...

Yes, unfortunately this is the problem.

In that case, there's some problem other than just the output resolution

But BootCamp WinXP can see it, and send right signal to the projector(in the Expand Desktop mode), so that's mean benq projector is ok, is'n it?
And the problem is in MacOs: probably it send wrong signal to the projector.

Finally I think, I just need to uncheck "Mirror Displays", but I have no chance to do that, cos MacOs doesn't allow me to do that BEFORE I connect any external output(And WinXP allows do it BEFORE).

 

[akj]

So, it seems there are no way to connect them via HDMI?
Maby there is a chance to edit any system file to block macbook working in mirror mode(that set by default)...

P.S. Benq support writes: "we have no experience with MacOS X".
I don't know is out a joke a just excuse?

 

[Makosuke]

No, "mirroring" has nothing to do with it if you don't see the Arrangement tab--as far as the MacOS is concerned, if you don't see that tab there is nothing to mirror. You can't turn off what's not on to begin with.

Nor will there ever be something to mirror (or not mirror) unless you can get the Mac to recognize the projector as attached. I'm assuming hooking it up with the Mac completely powered down and then booting it up with the projector connected and on didn't help?

Out of curiosity, what does the projector say when it's attached to the powered-off Mac?

Certainly a DVI-HDMI connection CAN work; I've used a variety of Macs connected to a couple of different TVs connected via HDMI, and they all reliably recognize and drive the attached devices (should even show what it is--mine, for example, shows the model number of my TV or home theater receiver, respectively, when they're attached).

One possibility I can think of is that if the projector isn't specifically "listening" to the HDMI port, the Mac won't know it's connected to anything (HDMI is two-way--the display device should acknowledge its existence to the computer). This happens to me when I hook it up to a TV that's off, for example. Are you sure that you've manually switched the projector's input to HDMI with the Mac attached?

I'm guessing the one time you got it working with Windows was because Windows (XP, anyway) can sometimes set an output even with no monitor attached to it--I see a "phantom" screen on laptops with a video out, for example. You might have somehow gotten that to send a signal even though it wasn't specifically recognizing anything as attached, which the projector then spotted and turned on.

 

[akj]

I'm assuming hooking it up with the Mac completely powered down and then booting it up with the projector connected and on didn't help?

No, it didn't help. =(

Out of curiosity, what does the projector say when it's attached to the powered-off Mac?

It says HDMI No signal. And when I turned on mac(2 minuteg before): HDMI Out of Range.

Certainly a DVI-HDMI connection CAN work; I've used a variety of Macs connected to a couple of different TVs connected via HDMI, and they all reliably recognize and drive the attached devices (should even show what it is--mine, for example, shows the model number of my TV or home theater receiver, respectively, when they're attached).

I tryed to connect my mac to plasma pannels via HDMI, and all worked fine.

Are you sure that you've manually switched the projector's input to HDMI with the Mac attached?

What do you mean? One point of cable I connect to projector's hdmi port, and the other point to hdmi-minidisplayport adapter(which is connected to mac). Mac is turned on. Then I turn on the projector. Projector says: Serching the signals... Macbook screen blinks one time. Then projector says: HDMI out of range.

I'm guessing the one time you got it working with Windows was because Windows (XP, anyway) can sometimes set an output even with no monitor attached to it--I see a "phantom" screen on laptops with a video out, for example. You might have somehow gotten that to send a signal even though it wasn't specifically recognizing anything as attached, which the projector then spotted and turned on.

Yes, in WinXP all works fine.

I heard that macOS has problems with some HDMI drivers in it. Maby problems is in that. Did you hear anything about this driver problem?

 

[akj]

Benq support writes me: Try to edit videocard's HDMI output to that resolutions: 576р, 720р, 1080р
How can I do that on mac?