MDD Auto-on when monitor turns on?

[Slix]

Hey guys!

I just brought my MDD to my dorm room to replace my previously brought 500 MHz graphite G4. I've got it hooked up to an LG 19" TV to use for my Apple TV, my G4, and my Wii here. I noticed nearly right away, though, that when the TV is turned off, and then I turn it on, the G4 powers on (either from sleep, or booting up), even when the display input is set to the AV or HDMI. If it matters at all, I'm using a DVI to VGA adapter on the G4, and the VGA cable is going directly into the TV.

Any ideas why it would do this? I don't see a setting anywhere to change this, either on the TV or in Mac OS X system preferences. Thanks!

 

[DeltaMac]

Hmm...
I think it is not too likely that a VGA connection could be somehow passing a power-switching signal.
Are the TV and the MDD plugged into the same power strip?
Try moving the power cord on either one to another AC receptacle not on that power strip.

 

[1042686]

That is very weird. My MDD is connected via DVI to a non apple monitor and does nothing when fiddling with it (Viewsonic VG2728wm). I switched to an old gateway (FPD2185W) using both DVI and DVI to VGA adapter with same result. For ships n grits, I tried the same with my PMG5 (connected to an acrylic apple cinema display via ADC to DVI adapter M8661LL/B) and again, nothing.

Now when my QS is connected via its ADC port to my apple acrylic cinema display, that is when it boots my QS or awakens it by touching the ACDisplay function keys. From this incomplete and anecdotal experience, it seems that the ADC port specifically allows the ACDisplay monitor function keys to turn on/off/wake the quicksilver powermacG4 it is connected to. Unfortunately I don't have a newer DVI ACDisplay to test it with my PMG5.

Perhaps, your MDD thinks that your non apple monitor is in-fact an apple cinema display (like a DVI ACDisplay M9177LL/A) and is allowing the non-apple function keys to control the state of the MDD. Twilight zone

 

[Slix]

Thanks for the responses!

I tried plugging the G4 into another power outlet that isn't on the power strip that the TV is on, and it does the same thing.

I'm wondering if the ADC twilight zone idea is possible! Or... The other thing could be that the adapter is somehow flaky. I can try another one when I get another one from home sometime.

Just checked too, it boots up my PowerBook G4 when plugged into the TV as well. Weird!

 

[DeltaMac]

This is not too challenging.
Don't plug in your Mac to the TV, unless you are using it.

Anyway - I find it hard to believe that the TV would provide some signal that the Mac (two very different Macs!) would respond to for power on. The built-in capability to respond to a power on from an external device was removed early on in the G4s. The older keyboards came with power buttons, which could turn a Mac on without touching the power button on the Mac. That capability was part of the old ADB bus. The signal was still usable when Apple changed over to USB keyboards, but was removed during the 2nd gen G3 iMac, and in the PowerMac G4 (AGP or Gigabit G4?)

Consider what is common in both your test setups.
The video cable (and video adapter), and the TV.

I would definitely try a different video cable. Try a one-piece cable (DVI to VGA with no adapter) if you have one available.

 

[Slix]

I was thinking the same thing about not plugging it in (and have been since this started! Don't want to turn on my TV to use my Apple TV and have a loud "BONG" happen at midnight!), but obviously that's not ideal.

I thought the power button on the older keyboards still worked on some newer Macs, but I could be wrong. The only difference in the MDD and the PowerBook G4 and the older G4 is the fact that the DVI to VGA adapter is being used and the fact that they are using the DVI port, not a VGA like the graphite G4. I'll definitely try another adapter and see, but unfortunately I don't have a DVI to DVI cable anywhere, and the TV doesn't have a DVI port on it anyway.

 

[0248294]

Don't you have a spare HDMI port? DVI to HDMI plugs are cheap and have no quality loss, unlike DVI to VGA adapters.

 

[Slix]

I do not, this TV has only one HDMI port and one VGA.

 

[0248294]

Maybe get an HDMI switch? It might be useful if you ever want to hook more HDMI stuff to the TV, plus in this case. I found this pretty cheap 5 port switch (To mods: I have no affiliation with this seller at all, just came across it when searching for cheap HDMI switches).

 

[Slix]

I'd rather not spend any extra money if I don't need to, hence why I asked here (plus, it's super weird, and I wanted to figure it out!).

Anyway, I got the extra 2 DVI to VGA adapters, and lo and behold, they all do the same thing with this setup, each making the MDD turn on when the TV is turned on. However, I also have access to an ADC to VGA adapter, and that one for whatever reason does not make the MDD turn on when the TV is turned on. Strange, considering that the ADC port is the one that provides the option to turn on the Mac using the hardware buttons on the Apple Displays with ADC.

So, I guess I didn't find a reason per say, but I found a solution.