macOS 14 external display shows green tint on HDR video only after recent macOS update

Environment

MacBook Pro M2 Pro, macOS 14.0.1, connected via Thunderbolt 4 to a 4K HDR external monitor (DisplayPort over USB-C) using manufacturer's USB-C cable; monitor supports HDR10 and has its own color/profile settings.

Symptoms

HDR content (e.g., HDR10 video in Safari and Apple TV app) displays with a noticeable green cast on external monitor only; same content on internal display looks correct. SDR content appears normal on both displays. Color reproduction returns to normal when disabling HDR in macOS display settings or on monitor.

Observations

When HDR is enabled, ColorSync profile for the external display shows 'Generic HDR' and the system reports 'HDR: Enabled'. Switching to a different cable (HDMI via adapter) reduces but does not eliminate tint. External monitor firmware is up-to-date. Running macOS color profile calibration shows different results for SDR vs HDR. No kernel panics or GPU crashes reported in system logs.

Already attempted

Reset SMC/NVRAM equivalent (shutdown and power-on); toggled 'High Dynamic Range' in Display settings; tried different user account (issue persists); tested with another external monitor (no tint on that monitor) and with same monitor connecting to a Windows laptop (no tint). Reinstalled macOS display drivers by applying system update (no change).

Question

What steps can I take to confirm whether this is a macOS HDR color management regression, a specific monitor compatibility bug, or a cable/EDID negotiation issue, and what reversible mitigations can I apply until a permanent fix is available?

Post timeline

COMMUNITY RESPONSES

Verified community troubleshooting

0 replies

No answers yet..

Showing 0 of 0 community responses

AI DIAGNOSTICS

Incident analysis

Updated 1w ago• Trouble ID

Most likely causes

macOS HDR color pipeline regression or change in color primaries handling on macOS 14 85%

EDID/HDMI/DisplayPort HDR metadata negotiation mismatch causing incorrect color space selection (e.g., treating BT.2020 as BT.709) 75%

Cable or adapter not fully passing HDR metadata (partial mitigation with different cable observed) 60%

Summary

The problem is limited to HDR path and a particular monitor when connected to the MacBook, suggesting an HDR color management or EDID/metadata handshake issue between macOS HDR pipeline and that display. SDR path working and other hosts not showing the problem point away from monitor hardware failure. Diagnostics should capture EDID/metadata, verify color profiles, and test alternate handshake methods (different cable, different DP mode). Reversible mitigations include disabling HDR or forcing a custom color profile.

Suggested Fixes

Diagnostic step 1

Collect EDID and HDR metadata: use 'system_profiler SPDisplaysDataType' and a display EDID tool (or the monitor's service menu) to dump reported color primaries and HDR metadata; save these logs before changes.

Diagnostic step 2

Test with a direct certified DisplayPort/USB-C cable and with an HDMI 2.1 connection via a known-good adapter to see whether handshake differs; document differences.

Diagnostic step 3

Create and apply a custom ColorSync profile for the external monitor (Profile Editor) to correct the green tint as a temporary workaround; keep copies of original profiles.