Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

miltomig

Cancelled
Original poster
Sep 19, 2021
7
1
I'm running M1 MBA hooked up to a Samsung UR55 IPS 4K UHD monitor through Satechi USB Type-C to HDMI Cable 4K 60Hz adapter. Samsung has HDMI Black Level option on their TVs and monitors to "compensate for the black level range of an HDMI input". My understanding is that the option is supposed to be grayed out since Macs and PCs output full (0-255) RGB range (modern monitors expecting to receive the same) and it is grayed out but only in extended mode. Once I close the lid on my MBA and use it in a clamshell mode, blacks on my UR55 start looking more like gray and it makes everything look washed out. HDMI Black Level option then reappears in the monitor settings. Setting it to Normal (from Low) resolves the issue. Once I open up the lid again, the option disappears again. It's as if the signal being outputted from my Mac is different in extended vs clamshell modes. Can anyone shed some light on this behavior?

On a tangential note, the manual also says:
The HDMI Black Level feature is only activated at a certain AV resolution, such as 720P @ 60 Hz and 1080P @ 60 Hz.
I'm not really sure how to interpret that. I'm using mine in PC mode and HDMI Black Level option appears in at least one mode of use (clamshell mode as explained above).

I'm pretty new to Mac peripherals so I apologize in advance for anything I might've left out.
 
Last edited:
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.