Acer Aspire Nitro VN7 via HDMI to Samsung LS32D850 - monitor does not wake up

hgmichna
hgmichna Member Posts: 22 New User

I must admit that I have little hope for the quick and perfect solution, but I will give it a try.

 

I just bought an Acer Aspire V Nitro Black Edition VN7-792G with Windows 10 and an external monitor for it, a Samsung LS32D850, and connected both with the HDMI cable that came with the monitor.

 

It worked extremely well. However, when the laptop switches off the monitor for any reason, like a reboot or an energy saving setting, then the monitor stays black.

 

I have tried many things, but the only ones that work seem to be these:

 

  1. Unplugging and re-plugging the HDMI cable. This works every time.
  2. Switching off the monitor for a long time, at least several minutes, then switching it on again.

Even disconnecting the monitor's power cord for a minute is not enough to make the laptop send an HDMI signal to the monitor.

 

All other attempts to wake up the monitor yield only spotty or no results, like switching the monitor configuration in Windows (Windows key + P or the equivalent Fn + F5). I can always activate the laptop's built-in display that way, but not the external monitor. I also tried changing the monitor input from HDMI to Auto and back, and various other actions, to no avail.

 

I checked the Windows Intel video driver, which turned out to be up to date.

 

I changed to another HDMI cable—same problem.

 

I have not yet tried to switch to the NVidia graphics adapter, because I'm not sure how to do that. If I could wake up the monitor that way, I could then switch back to the integrated Intel graphics, which I almost always use, and that might be a viable workaround while waiting for the defect to be repaired, perhaps in the video driver.

 

I have upgraded Windows 10 from Home to Professional, which made no difference to this problem.

 

Any ideas are welcome. I am pondering the thought of returning the monitor, but (a) I like it, and (b) it is quite possible that the defect is in the laptop and the next monitor would have the same problem. At first sight it is the laptop that causes the problem, because it is obviously not sending HDMI output to the monitor.

 

I am also pondering the thought of adding an HDMI switch to allow me to wake up the monitor by switching the HDMI line. For that I would have to identify and buy a pure HDMI pass-through switch, which I find difficult so far. It would be a stupid solution though.

 

I read that this is a widespread and long-lived problem. Intel has an ongoing discussion thread about it that has been running for several years, but no solution.

 

Any ideas are welcome.

 

A related question: I would like to try the DisplayPort output, hoping that it works better than HDMI, but that would occupy the USB-C socket, which I plan to use for other purposes. Is it possible to use that connector for multiple purposes at the same time? Is there a special external hub for that?

Answers

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    Have you tried to connect your laptop to another monitor or TV?

    just to be 100% sure it's a laptop issue.

     

    i'm not 100% sure but if i remember correctly display port is managed by nvidia card, HDMI is managed by Intel until your run a compatible 3D software (games or programs) that switch to nvidia card.

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • hgmichna
    hgmichna Member Posts: 22 New User

    Thank you for your very quick reply, and I apologize for my slow one. Too busy these days.

     

    First a more precise specification. The laptop is an Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro (VN7-592G-79U3) and the monitor is a Samsung S32D850T.

     

    I just tested the laptop on a Yamaha AV receiver connected to a projector, also through HDMI. The problems did not occur. I tried both rebooting and monitor timeout.

     

    It seems that either the monitor is defective (a bit unlikely) or we have a specific incompatibility between laptop computer and monitor (the more likely explanation).

     

    Any ideas? Any tricks to make the laptop issue an HDMI signal even if it does not like the monitor? I will try to make the Nvidia graphics module the default and test with that. If it works, I will report it here, but it would not be a good solution anyway.

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    can be a sort of compatibility issue between laptop and monitor or a monitor issue, to narrow the issue, i would connect the samsung to another PC and check wake up.

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • Nikthomas
    Nikthomas Member Posts: 2 New User

    I have just bought this laptop and have exactly the same issue with an LG monitor!

     

    We have tested the monitor with 2 other laptops via HDMI and it turns on 100% of the time with the others - even after turning them off, sleep, closing the lid etc. They even turn the LG monitor on when you plug the HDMI cable into them.

     

    Yet with the Acer laptop it doesn't do the handshake properly and just displays a blank screen.

    If you screenshare with someone they can see your 2 displays yet it doesn't actually output through the HDMI.

  • Nikthomas
    Nikthomas Member Posts: 2 New User

    My apologies. The laptop is a VN7-592G not 792G but it is the same problem.

    I have updated the BIOS to the latest versio (1.07) and have exactly the same issue.

  • hgmichna
    hgmichna Member Posts: 22 New User

    IronFly wrote:

    can be a sort of compatibility issue between laptop and monitor or a monitor issue, to narrow the issue, i would connect the samsung to another PC and check wake up.


    Seems like it. Another computer did not have this problem with this monitor. (And, as already reported earlier, another monitor did not have this problem with this computer.)

     

    As a crude workaround I have now bought a little mechanical HDMI switch, so I do not have to pull the HDMI cable to make it work. But even this does not work reliably on the Windows welcome and login screens. A combination of Windows + P and the switch usually get it to work, but it is a truly poor showing.

     

    The nasty part of it is that I have no way to find out whose fault it is. Apparently at least one of the two devices does not follow the HDMI standard correctly.

     

    As usual, any new idea is welcome.

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    VGA drivers are from Intel or Acer website?

     

    can you report version too?

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • hgmichna
    hgmichna Member Posts: 22 New User

    Intel(R) HD Graphics 530

    Intel Corporation

    2015-08-24

    10.18.15.4279

     

    Probably installed by Acer support software. I ran it to try to get the latest for this computer.

     

    p.s. I just tried the Intel Driver Update Utility. It does not show any newer updates, so I guess I have the latest driver installed.

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/88345/Intel-HD-Graphics-530-for-6th-Generation-Intel-Core-Processors

     

    .300

    is the latest but not from Acer support; you can try to install it, uninstalling Acer's first but...windows 10 has the bad behaviour to re-install Acer's drivers.

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • przempo
    przempo Member Posts: 1 New User

    Try to change refresh rate to 59 (or less) Hz on conected monitor in HD Intel Control Panel.

  • hgmichna
    hgmichna Member Posts: 22 New User

    That did not make any difference, and why should it? It is a 60 Hz monitor.

     

    I wonder why a 59 Hz setting exists at all.

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    On some drivers, months ago, there was a bug that 59Hz would work better than 60Hz; not your issue by the way.

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • micael
    micael Member Posts: 11

    Tinkerer

    I had an issue not powering up the monitor (DELL U2415 HDMI port) after wake up (only the monitor in sleep mode), but with the latest bios update (1.08 for VN7-792G) it is solved

  • imbutien
    imbutien Member Posts: 2 New User

    Hello,

     

    I have the same problem as well with a VN7-792G. It looks like being a bug.

     

    Everytime the laptop is connected to an external display through the HDMI output and goes to sleep and wake up, the external screen stays black.

    As pointed out, the only workaround is to unplug and plug back the HDMI cable.

     

    Any answer from Acer ?

     

    By the way, i have also an issue with the HDMI output. When the laptop run on battery mode, the external screen is no more avalable and i cannot use it any more. I figured out that on battery mode, i just cannot plug an external screen. 

    that is just bad as i use my laptop for presentation to a public audience...

     

    The laptop is using windows 10 as installed by Acer with no tweaks.

  • micael
    micael Member Posts: 11

    Tinkerer

    Have you tried to upgrade the BIOS to latest version?

  • radeon7750
    radeon7750 Member Posts: 5 New User

    I have a VN7 592G 79FH, (bios 1.03) the specs are the same as yours. I have just tested the laptop with a Samsung LS23A700DS/ZN connected through hmdi. Everything is working ok. I have restarted the laptop and the Samsung monitor woke up correctly. 

    Did you select project to "Second screen only" in Windows??  windows (key) + P 

     

    Also mind that the latest driver for Intel hd 530 is version 20.19.15.4364.

     

     

  • imbutien
    imbutien Member Posts: 2 New User

    Hello,

     

    To let you know :

     

    I'updated my laptop to the last Bios. This is better but i still have sometimes when the 2nd screen does not wake up. Besides the acer support told me that we have to have the windows energy mode set to high performance to enforce HDMI output on.

     

  • hgmichna
    hgmichna Member Posts: 22 New User

    I have now tried a Cable Matters USB-3.1-to-HDMI adapter that supports solutions up to 4K, and this is a viable workaround.

     

    It is a pity that such a workaround is needed, but I have found no other good way, short of returning the laptop.

  • ronvin
    ronvin Member Posts: 2 New User

    Any new solutions to this annoying situation? I have an AOC 27" monitor which worked perfectly with my asus laptop but now with this upgrade it seems infuriating. I have the latest bios 1.11 latest drivers from acer the external drivers do not work with it they give constant BSOD. Also the letters are blurred like hell on several windows like device manager. Any solution anybody?