Game Mode causes intermittent black screen dropouts (1-2 sec) when connected to MacBook via USB-C to HDMI — Samsung The Frame 55" QN55LS03FAFXZC (2025)

[Bashu]

TL;DR: Game Mode forces Input Signal Plus on, which triggers HDMI 2.1 enhanced negotiation that macOS can't comply with (Apple caps USB-C HDMI output at 2.0 level). Result: 1-2 sec black screen dropouts every few minutes. Tried multiple cables/adapters, all TV-side settings, BetterDisplay color mode override — nothing fixes it. Looking for anyone who's gotten Game Mode working with a MacBook on a 2025 Frame TV without dropouts.

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Hi everyone,

I'm experiencing intermittent 1-2 second black screen dropouts (video and audio both cut out) when Game Mode is enabled on my 2025 Frame TV. The issue does NOT occur when Game Mode is off.

I could just not use Game Mode, but when I do I get 250-500ms of input lag - I'm playing Expedition 33 and trust me, you don't want that much input lag if you're trying to play this game.

**Setup:**
- TV: Samsung The Frame 55" 2025 (QN55LS03FAFXZC)
- Source: MacBook connected via USB-C to HDMI
- Use case: GeForce Now cloud gaming at 1080p 60Hz
- TV Firmware: Up to date as of March 29 2026

**The core problem:**
Game Mode forces Input Signal Plus on, and it cannot be disabled independently. macOS caps HDMI output over USB-C/Thunderbolt at HDMI 2.0 level signaling. I believe the TV's Input Signal Plus is requesting HDMI 2.1 enhanced features that the Mac cannot provide, causing periodic handshake failures.

**What I've tried (none of these fix the dropout):**
- Cable Matters USB-C to HDMI 2.0 adapter (model 201028) — dropouts
- Cable Matters USB-C to HDMI 2.1 cable (model 201392, 48Gbps) — same dropouts
- VRR / FreeSync OFF
- Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) OFF
- Input Signal Plus toggled (cannot turn off while Game Mode is on)
- Tried multiple HDMI ports
- Resolution locked to 1080p 60Hz on Mac
- HDR confirmed off
- BetterDisplay color mode forced to YCbCr 4:2:0 8-bit — still drops out
- TV firmware fully up to date
- Cold boot (hold power 10 sec)

**What works but has trade-offs:**
- Game Mode OFF = no dropouts, but ~100ms+ additional input lag from TV processing, which makes timing-based gameplay (parry/dodge in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) very difficult

**My questions for the community:**
1. Is there any way to use Game Mode on the 2025 Frame TV without Input Signal Plus being forced on?
2. Has anyone successfully used a MacBook with Game Mode on a Frame TV without dropouts?
3. Would an HDMI EDID emulator (like the Lindy one) resolve this by stabilizing the handshake?
4. Has anyone used the Cable Matters firmware flash (VMM7100 custom firmware for 4K 120Hz on Mac) and found it also fixes handshake stability at 1080p 60Hz?
5. Are all HDMI ports on the 2025 Frame TV HDMI 2.1, or are some 2.0? (The 2022 model had only port 4 as 2.1)

Any help is greatly appreciated. Happy to provide more details if needed.

Thanks!