Barco color issues with Mac

[Tadd Good]

We have a Barco SP2K-9S with GDC SR-1000 server.
We have no issues hooking PCs up to it. Every macbook we've tried has a very pink hue. We've tried every color mode, adjusting the white balance, nothing works. It doesn't matter if we use adapters, HDMI straight out, we can't seem to get a decent picture.
Any ideas?

[Sascha Roll]

Are you using the HDMI Input on the SR-1000?

[Marcel Birgelen]

Like Sasha indicated, let us know what input you're using.

That being said, I had issues with the M-series Macs before, where they were sending a YCbCr signal instead of RGB, which was what the input device expected. This also could explain the pink colors you're seeing. No white balance correction is going to fix that. There is a workaround for this on the Mac side, not very pretty but it worked for me.

[Ryan Gallagher]

The pink hue is usually a color space issue. Mac is "should" send RGB 4:4:4 but projector might be expecting YCbCr 4:4:4 (DVI common). Or mac is incorrectly sending YCbCr and Projector expects RGB on the HDMI.

On most broadcast gear there is a way to change the "expected" space... but I don't know the SR-1000 options. If you can't change it on the receiving end you have to figure out how to trick the mac into sending the right thing, or throw a decent scaler in between them that can translate.

Mac's are notoriously hard to do broadcast signals with... mostly I think because they don't seem to "honor" everything they see over display EDID. Things got better for a while but it seems the latest gens are struggling again. I can only get the two laptops SXSW sent to maintain sync at 1080p30, 1080p60 to our decimators had image blinking or other sync issues. Never had problems on the recent Mac OS versions/hardware, but all the sudden an issue again. (Separate issue from yours).

Hopefully we don't have to go back to using higher end scalers like ImagePros for all macs. My personal mac has zero problems, but it is an older intel mac on Monterey still.

[Carsten Kurz]

This might be an easier fix: https://gist.github.com/GetVladimir/...fee82fd0559098

YCbCr is the default transmission model for homecinema/HDMI.I don't have that issue with my older Intel based Macs, but the Apple 'M' machines still seem to have some weird quirks about their graphic hardware.

An EDID maintainer/programmer could also be a solution.

[Jason Raftery]

Check the PCF you are using in Communicator.

We've had success using "REC_709" for most devices over HDMI, but some Apple and DirecTV sources will have the pink hue you describe. One can address it by using the "HDTV" PCF with these problematic devices. This is with GDC SX-2000AR and SX-3000 IMBs, but I imagine the same may be true with SR-1000s.

[Magnus Eriksson]

Don't use HDMI at all. It's consumer s**t
Fill the input connectors with glue

[Leo Enticknap]

An EDID maintainer/programmer could also be a solution.

Admittedly it isn't cheap, but this little gizmo has always taken care of every Mac to DCI projector hookup problem I've ever encountered. It is also a scaler (though it cannot convert frame rates), and the app that comes with it allows EDID and HDCP settings to be manipulated manually if the automatic negotiation results in no picture at all, the wrong color space, embedded 2.0 audio when you want 7.1, etc. etc.

[Marcel Birgelen]

For everything up to 2K, the HD Fury Dr HDMI solution is a cheap solution to fix EDID issues. There is also a 4K version and an 8K version. We also have a Vertex and a Vertex 2 in our "tool chest", amazing Swiss-army knives for anything HDMI. I'm not sure how legal all of those devices are in the U.S. though, as some of them have the capability to do "stuff" to HDCP that allows you to capture the raw image stream, unencrypted.

[Leo Enticknap]

The documentation with my Vertex states that it can convert between HDCP version 1.X and 2.X (thus enabling a source that is fixed to 2.X to play into a sink that only supports 1.X), but not between either and no HDCP at all. It could well be that with a firmware version not available in the USA it can, and that this is easily available if you go looking for it, but I've never had reason to do that, and so I don't know. It has been a life saver for me in connecting HDCP 2 sources to the DVI inputs of Barco and NEC Series 2 projectors, which can only accept up to HDCP 1.4. The bottom line is that the HD Fury Integral 2 and Vertex boxes are pricey, but what they can do justifies the cost.

Two major problems when connecting Macbooks to DCI cinema projectors are that (a) HDCP is forced on for the HDMI output at all times, even if it is not playing any content flagged as protected; and (b) that on some models with a direct HDMI output (no dongle needed), the voltage on the HDMI output is lower than typical, to maximize battery longevity, meaning that for a direct connection, a cable of longer than around 5ft will likely be NFG. Going through a powered intermediate device such as a Vertex (or a rack-installed scaler/switcher) fixes both. On one install, I encountered significant problems connecting Macbooks to Visionary Solutions HDMI over IP endpoints. A firmware update from Visionary Solutions fixed the HDCP issues, but we had to stick to 5ft cables to ensure a reliable video signal from the Mac into the encoder.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Why not just use a PC and move your content over to it? Would be interesting to see if the color space problem goes normal with the PC, or stays with the content.

[Randy Stankey]

Are you using the correct adapter?

The connection port on the side of the computer might look like a USB-C connector but it's not. It is a multi-purpose port that can handle USB data, video and can even charge the computer through the same cable.

You need to have the right adapter for the purpose you want or things might not work even though your connector fits into the computer.

https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-...ts-mh35952/mac

About the Thunderbolt ports on Mac

You can use the Thunderbolt port on your Mac to connect a display, TV, or a device, such as an external storage device. And with the appropriate adapter, you can connect your Mac to a display that uses DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, or VGA.

About Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), Thunderbolt / USB 4, and Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C)

The Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port is available on some newer Intel-based Mac computers. Mac computers with Apple silicon have either the Thunderbolt / USB 4 port or the Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) port , depending on the model. The ports allow data transfer, video output, and charging through the same cable. For information about which adapters work with these ports, see the Apple Support article Adapters for the Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, or USB-C port on your Mac.

About cables

• Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), Thunderbolt / USB 4, and Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C): Use only USB cables with USB devices. If you use the wrong cable, the device won’t work even though the cable’s connectors fit your device and your Mac. You can use either Thunderbolt or USB cables with Thunderbolt devices.
  See Use USB-C cables with your Mac.
• Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2: Use only Thunderbolt cables with Thunderbolt devices, and only Mini DisplayPort extension cables with Mini DisplayPort devices. If you use the wrong cable, the device won’t work even though the cable’s connectors fit your device and your Mac.

About power cords

The Thunderbolt port on a Mac can provide power to multiple connected Thunderbolt devices, so separate power cords from each device are usually not required. Check the documentation that came with your device to see if the device needs more power than the Thunderbolt port provides.

If you have a Mac laptop

Using a Thunderbolt device without its own power cord can cause the battery on your Mac laptop to become depleted faster. If you plan to use such a device for an extended period, it’s a good idea to connect your Mac laptop or your Thunderbolt device to a power source.
When connecting a Thunderbolt device to a power source, be sure to disconnect the device from your Mac first, connect the device to a power source, then reconnect the device to your Mac. Otherwise, the device continues to draw power from your Mac. See the Apple Support article Identify your Mac power adapter.

About connecting multiple Thunderbolt devices

Depending on your Mac, you may be able to connect multiple Thunderbolt devices to each other, then connect the chain of devices to the Thunderbolt port on your Mac. See Connect one or more external displays with your Mac.

See also

If a Thunderbolt device doesn’t work with MacCheck your device’s Thunderbolt connection to MacAbout the video ports on Mac

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[Tadd Good]

We’ve tried several adapters and have tried straight HDMI out straight into HDMI in.
We’ve tried 4 different MacBooks of varying makes/models.
PC has no issues but we are performing arts theater and several artists use a Mac only program to create their concert video displays.
I’ll have to go through the list of suggestions and give them a try to see if we can get it working.

[Randy Stankey]

I've been through this problem many times at Mercyhurst. It's not necessarily an Apple-centric issue. It occurs more frequently with Apple but there are others.

Regardless, we had plenty of troubles connecting computers of various ilk to our video system and, more than half the time, the problem was because of the lack of the correct adapter. Sometimes the adapter you use looks right and even fits into the data port but, depending on what arrangement the manufacturer used, it might not work.

We finally had to specify that we will supply the presenter an "XYZ-Cable" with "123-Connector" but take no responsibility for plugging that cable into their computer. We might have a selection of adapters that cover most situations but the user is ultimately responsible for supplying their own adapter.

Aside from the fact that this makes things easier to deal with, it gives us a little coverage in case somebody tries to claim that some piece of equipment somehow damaged their computer.

Others are right, however. If it's not the adapter it's obviously got to be a setting. As to whether the setting that needs to be changed is in the projector or the computer, I'm not certain. It could be either and I'd have to look at things in order to figure them out. I work more visually and practically. Besides, it's been a long time and I'm rusty.

[Emmanuel Nwokafor]

Is your colour space is correct ? IF YES . plug the HDMI from the MAC to the HDMI input of the projector and restart the projector