Screen Savers broken on 2+ monitor system in macOS Sonoma 14.0

[xmddmx]

This is a follow-up thread to #1286

Initial testing with macOS Sonoma (first beta, 23a5257q) suggests the problem has worsened again:

• with 2 screens, I am seeing the same problem we saw back in early 13.3 betas: screen 1 is blank, screen 1's content is showing up mis-sized on screen 2. And, it is now back to happening 100% of the time (20 out of 20 failures, using Aerial, using HotCorner)
• similar problem with other third-party screensavers (such as https://iscreensaver.com ) so this is again not a bug in Aerial.
• I'm also seeing the same problem with first-party Apple screensavers (such as Message and Shifting Tiles)!

Conclusion: the first beta of Sonoma 14.0 is broken, and seems to be as broken as early betas of Ventura 13.3.

[glouel]

Can confirm all of the same FYI.

[glouel]

Also, side note, while they added some "video wallpapers" based on Aerial, there's no screensaver. When you get out of the screensaver (whatever it is), the lock screen plays a video for 3 seconds and stays still.

That's... not what they showed with fanfare during the presentation (seemless playback between screensaver and desktop background, which is definitely an impressive syncing effort).

[xmddmx]

FYI, I've re-submitted this as FB12240576, referencing my prior feedbacks FB12023530 and FB12179420, and also fixed the TItle of this Issue (it said macOS 13.4, but should obviously be 14.0)

[DSBlackHeart]

Version 14.0 Beta (23A5257q)

Aerial still does not function.

[x86txt]

I have also reported it to Apple via the Feedback Assistant. Even the stock included Aerial Video Wallpapers don't work, they just show up as still wallpaper images. Everyone should report it, as the more reports to Apple the more attention it will get. Use the Feedback Assistant that came with the Sonoma Beta. If you don't have it installed, here are instructions for it: https://support.apple.com/guide/feedback-assistant/intro-to-feedback-assistant-fba2e39e53f5/mac

[glouel]

Even the stock included Aerial Video Wallpapers don't work, they just show up as still wallpaper images.

But to be clear, that's how Apple implemented them. They are not video wallpapers as in, they are not intended to playback all the time (like with Companion). They just play when you login basically, then slowdown to "become" a fixed wallpaper. That's how Apple implemented them. There's not (at least not yet) a screensaver with those dynamic wallpapers... it's weird right now. You can animate them for like 5 seconds by going to your Apple menu top left and pressing "lock screen" (2nd option from the bottom).

Yet they clearly talk about screensavers here : https://www.apple.com/macos/sonoma-preview/

New slow-motion screen savers of breathtaking locations from around the world look beautiful on your large Mac display. When you log in, they seamlessly become your desktop wallpaper.

The log-in thing is here, as long as it's from boot up, or when you come back from display off (basically, a blank lock screen). If you somehow run any screen saver, the (traditional) lock screen will appear on top of the screensaver.

So it's - at the moment - a "lock screen screen saver". I doubt this is their full plan. If it is, I mean... I have a hard time processing this, not gonna lie !

[glouel]

I'll point to this update here for reference : #1286 (comment)

[RandyMacmini]

Can confirm all of the same FYI.

I am running 3 monitors and all 3 of mine are using screen savers. I have different ones on each screen.

[glouel]

I am running 3 monitors and all 3 of mine are using screen savers. I have different ones on each screen.

Do you mean different screensavers or different Aerial videos on each screen using Aerial ? Not sure I follow what you mean here.

[xmddmx]

Sonoma beta 2 is out, and the Screen Saver System Settings has changed a lot.

1. I am now seeing Apple's "Aerial" screensavers showing up in the Screen Saver settings - I was not seeing any of these in beta 1.
2. there is a new 'Show on all displays' option (which when Off, gives you a choice of which monitor to show the screensaver on.
3. behavior is superbly buggy, both with Apple screensavers and third party. I'm seeing new bugs where the legacyScreenSaver engine seems to get stuck running in the background, screensavers are not playing on 2 monitors correctly, etc.

Here's what the System Settings pane looks like now:

[xmddmx]

If you choose one of the Apple "Aerial" screen savers, you get a new Show as wallpaper option: