TV app on the Mac plays back all library items with a black screen - Apple TV+ shows just fine

I keep reading about HDMI cables being the culprit. This doesn't make sense to me because I have the same type of HDMI cable hooked to by Apple TV (that plays just fine). Further, the ATV+ streaming works fine on the Mac as well.

Is it possible that DRM is blocking the movies? Wouldn't the ATV+ content also be blocked IF the HDMI cable didn't support HCDP?



[Edited by Moderator]

MacBook Pro (M2, 2022)

Posted on Aug 31, 2025 5:51 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 1, 2025 9:16 AM

TV app on the Mac plays back all library items with a black screen - Apple TV+ shows just fine
I keep reading about HDMI cables being the culprit. This doesn't make sense to me because I have the same type of HDMI cable hooked to by Apple TV (that plays just fine). Further, the ATV+ streaming works fine on the Mac as well.

Do you have your Mac connected to an external screen or TV (please specify) by HDMI?

Does playback work okay when only using the MacBook Pro’s built-in screen?

What type of HDMI cable do you have? What bandwidth does it support (5/10/18/48 Gbps)?

Are there any adapters involved?


Is it possible that DRM is blocking the movies?

What kind of movies? Movies from the Apple Media Store? Movies from a different streaming service? Movies from another source? What happens for DRM-free videos?


Wouldn't the ATV+ content also be blocked IF the HDMI cable didn't support HCDP?

All HDMI cables support HDCP, but … HDCP comes in versions. HDCP versioning is set by the HDMI ports, not the HDMI cable. Commercial 720p/1080p HD video requires HDCP 1.4. Commercial 4K video requires HDCP 2.2 or later.

HDMI cables come in various bandwidth versions (5/10/18/48 Gbps), to accommodate for modern video and modern formats (4K HDR, etc.). 4K video should be used with 18 or 48 Gbps rated HDMI cables.


If Apple TV+ content is streaming okay, then the issue is not HDCP. Apple TV+ content wouldn’t stream without HDCP support.

1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 1, 2025 9:16 AM in response to Adam06

TV app on the Mac plays back all library items with a black screen - Apple TV+ shows just fine
I keep reading about HDMI cables being the culprit. This doesn't make sense to me because I have the same type of HDMI cable hooked to by Apple TV (that plays just fine). Further, the ATV+ streaming works fine on the Mac as well.

Do you have your Mac connected to an external screen or TV (please specify) by HDMI?

Does playback work okay when only using the MacBook Pro’s built-in screen?

What type of HDMI cable do you have? What bandwidth does it support (5/10/18/48 Gbps)?

Are there any adapters involved?


Is it possible that DRM is blocking the movies?

What kind of movies? Movies from the Apple Media Store? Movies from a different streaming service? Movies from another source? What happens for DRM-free videos?


Wouldn't the ATV+ content also be blocked IF the HDMI cable didn't support HCDP?

All HDMI cables support HDCP, but … HDCP comes in versions. HDCP versioning is set by the HDMI ports, not the HDMI cable. Commercial 720p/1080p HD video requires HDCP 1.4. Commercial 4K video requires HDCP 2.2 or later.

HDMI cables come in various bandwidth versions (5/10/18/48 Gbps), to accommodate for modern video and modern formats (4K HDR, etc.). 4K video should be used with 18 or 48 Gbps rated HDMI cables.


If Apple TV+ content is streaming okay, then the issue is not HDCP. Apple TV+ content wouldn’t stream without HDCP support.

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TV app on the Mac plays back all library items with a black screen - Apple TV+ shows just fine

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