patch-edid.rb

#!/usr/bin/ruby
# Create display override file to force Mac OS X to use RGB mode for Display
# see http://embdev.net/topic/284710

require 'base64'

data=`ioreg -l -d0 -w 0 -r -c AppleDisplay`

edids=data.scan(/IODisplayEDID.*?<([a-z0-9]+)>/i).flatten
vendorids=data.scan(/DisplayVendorID.*?([0-9]+)/i).flatten
productids=data.scan(/DisplayProductID.*?([0-9]+)/i).flatten

displays = []
edids.each_with_index do |edid, i|
    disp = { "edid_hex"=>edid, "vendorid"=>vendorids[i].to_i, "productid"=>productids[i].to_i }
    displays.push(disp)
end

# Process all displays
if displays.length > 1
    puts "Found %d displays!  You should only install the override file for the one which" % displays.length
    puts "is giving you problems.","\n"
end
displays.each do |disp|
# Retrieve monitor model from EDID data
monitor_name=[disp["edid_hex"].match(/000000fc00(.*?)0a/){|m|m[1]}].pack("H*")
if monitor_name.empty?
    monitor_name = "Display"
end

puts "found display '#{monitor_name}': vendorid #{disp["vendorid"]}, productid #{disp["productid"]}, EDID:\n#{disp["edid_hex"]}"

bytes=disp["edid_hex"].scan(/../).map{|x|Integer("0x#{x}")}.flatten

puts "Setting color support to RGB 4:4:4 only"
bytes[24] &= ~(0b11000)

puts "Number of extension blocks: #{bytes[126]}"
puts "removing extension block"
bytes = bytes[0..127]
bytes[126] = 0

bytes[127] = (0x100-(bytes[0..126].reduce(:+) % 256)) % 256
puts
puts "Recalculated checksum: 0x%x" % bytes[127]
puts "new EDID:\n#{bytes.map{|b|"%02X"%b}.join}"

Dir.mkdir("DisplayVendorID-%x" % disp["vendorid"]) rescue nil
f = File.open("DisplayVendorID-%x/DisplayProductID-%x" % [disp["vendorid"], disp["productid"]], 'w')
f.write '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">'
f.write "
<dict>
  <key>DisplayProductName</key>
  <string>#{monitor_name} - forced RGB mode (EDID override)</string>
  <key>IODisplayEDID</key>
  <data>#{Base64.encode64(bytes.pack('C*'))}</data>
  <key>DisplayVendorID</key>
  <integer>#{disp["vendorid"]}</integer>
  <key>DisplayProductID</key>
  <integer>#{disp["productid"]}</integer>
</dict>
</plist>"
f.close
puts "\n"
end		# displays.each

How to use

1. Download the patch-edid.rb script from the forums thread above and put it in your home directory.
2. Connect only the external monitor(s) in question (I closed my MacBook lid, for example). The script will make override files for any connected monitor.
3. Type “ruby patch-edid.rb” in Terminal.
4. A new folder will be created in your home directory. Move it into the “/System/Library/Displays/Overrides” folder. If Finder tells you that you are overwriting an existing folder, consider backing it up first.
5. Restart your computer, enjoy your monitor.

To undo the changes, either delete the folder you had copied to the Overrides folder (if it didn’t already exist) or replace it with the folder you had backed up.