MacBook Pro freeze and restarts when connected with an external monitor while playing a video

Same problem here guys. I have been dealing with this for months and getting a bit more frustrated each time it happens. I'm a filmmaker, so when I'm working from my office I almost always have an external monitor (Dell) plugged in to the USB-C port as a mirrored display. In my situation this is where the problem occurs

• The freezing and restart only happens when connected to an external display USB-C or HDMI, it happens with both ports.
• Only when I playback video (QuickTime, VLC, YouTube) full screen.
• The screen freezes, I can move the mouse and the audio will continue, but I have to wait 15 seconds before it jumps to the lock screen. It does restart, because apps need to restart also.
• It happens at random, It's difficult to recreate, but at some point it will happen.
• It does NOT happen in Final Cut Pro when I'm playing back my timeline at full screen. This makes it still bearable, but as a read here, there doesn't seem to be a solution. I guess a replacement is the only real solution?

Let's keep this thread going, so more cases come forward!

I reproduced the exact same problem on a MacBook Air M1 running macOS 14.4.1.

The device was connected via HDMI to a Samsung TV using the Apple AV Multiport Adapter, playing a video on VLC. Every time I touched the trackpad, the image started to freeze while the sound continued to play. After about 2 minutes, the screen went black and I was logged out of my session.

The strange thing is, I use this device 5 days a week for work with an iiyama monitor (as an extended display, not mirroring) and this issue has never occurred.

Maybe it happens only when mirroring Macbook screen with HDMI ? I don't know, but it is very annoying.

Hello, I'm having similar issues with my MacBook Pro, M1, 2021, 32gb, Sonoma. It's mainly with QuickTime but has happened only once or twice with YouTube. I'm also using an external monitor, mostly in mirror. Running through a USB hub. I suppose I should try working without the monitor for awhile - or at least run it directly from the HDMI port. The only way out when this freezing happens is to hold the power button and restart. Force quit doesn't work. Thanks! Bob

Hi.. Got the same problem. And yes, i notice too. I use HDMI and connect my M1 pro macbook 512gb to LCD Projector and freeze after i open quick time. When i realized i always connect my Sony SRS-XB12 to my macbook pro and it freezed. But after looking at google some time, i found only a few people got this problem, or may be others didn't use hdmi at all or just lazy to complain. Waiting for Apple fix this too, i wish next MacOS update can cure this bug.

NB: You don't need to restart your mac, just close the lid and wait around 30 seconds, unplug HDMI. Open the lid, the Mac will be back to Lock screen and continue to replug the HDMI. Everything will be OK until it will freeze again after some hours.

Same here, MacBook Pro M1 Pro 16GB 2021, Sonoma 14.5 Works fine with external LG 4k Ultrafine via USB-C but adding Dell 4k external monitor via HDMI causes system crash. Only started doing this in the last few weeks

Same thing with my MacBook Pro M1, sonoma 14.3.1. Very unreliable. What can be done about it?