MP 1,1-5,1 MacPro2,1 + Radeon 5770 + 27" LED Cinema Display in El Capitan: Do audio and iSight/FaceTime work?

[EugW]

Hello there. I have a MacPro2,1 and a MacPro1,1 patched to 2,1 and I can put a Radeon 5770 in either of them. It has DVI + mini-DisplayPort.

I was considering buying an old 27" LED Cinema Display which has built-in audio over mini-DisplayPort and an iSight camera which I presume runs on USB 2. It also has a microphone.

Would both the audio output, microphone, and iSight camera work in El Capitan with those Mac Pros 2,1 with Radeon HD 5770? For the iSight Camera, I'd be interested in using it for FaceTime.

 

[EugW]

I'm told only later Macs support this. I tried connecting my 2009 MacBook Pro and my MacPro2,1 over mini-DisplayPort to my iMac 2010 with the latter in Target Display Mode. Video works fine for both, but neither support audio output, whereas my 2017 iMac and 2017 MacBook support audio output that way.

OK, so one of my questions is answered: No audio output over mini-DisplayPort with MacPro2,1.

What about the iSight camera and microphone on the 27" LED Cinema Display? I note that the monitor comes with a USB port. I assume the USB connection is not only for the USB hub on the monitor, but is also for iSight. I'm not sure about the microphone though.

 

[tpivette89]

I used to have this combination (Mac Pro 1,1 flashed to 2,1 with dual quad-core 3.0... and a HD 4870 Apple Card), and have a pair of 24" Apple LED Cinema Displays. However, I never hooked this specific combination up. Always had the 2,1 paired to the older Cinema Displays (23" versions with no speakers or camera).

I still have the pair of 24" LED Cinema displays, but no 1,1 or 2,1 to test it with. There are a few for sale locally to me that I may pick up just to see if this combo works.

Stupid question, but did you change your sound output settings when connecting the iMac to your 2,1? I know all my 4,1/5,1s have been supported with this through mini display port with the LED Cinema Display. I could FaceTime with video/audio all day with just the monitor and the HD 4870. Lion (10.7) was still relevant (and useable for the 1,1/2,1s) when the LED displays came out, and I would think they would be supported.

 

[EugW]

I used to have this combination (Mac Pro 1,1 flashed to 2,1 with dual quad-core 3.0... and a HD 4870 Apple Card), and have a pair of 24" Apple LED Cinema Displays. However, I never hooked this specific combination up. Always had the 2,1 paired to the older Cinema Displays (23" versions with no speakers or camera).

I still have the pair of 24" LED Cinema displays, but no 1,1 or 2,1 to test it with. There are a few for sale locally to me that I may pick up just to see if this combo works.

Stupid question, but did you change your sound output settings when connecting the iMac to your 2,1? I know all my 4,1/5,1s have been supported with this through mini display port with the LED Cinema Display. I could FaceTime with video/audio all day with just the monitor and the HD 4870. Lion (10.7) was still relevant (and useable for the 1,1/2,1s) when the LED displays came out, and I would think they would be supported.

I did check the sound output settings. It wasn't listed.

No matter though, since I decided not to buy an 27" LED Cinema Display. I ended up buying a 30" Cinema HD Display instead. As you say, no speakers or camera to worry about.

Also, it works better with my 2017 12" MacBook, through the Apple mini-DisplayPort adapter. Since I can't easily plug in mini-DisplayPort and USB at the same time (since the MacBook only has one USB-C port), I lose the brightness controls from within macOS. But with the older model screens, it's OK, since there are brightness buttons on the side.

 

[tpivette89]

Very nice... always wanted one of those. Imagine if you could afford it in the early - mid 2000s when they were first released... 1600p! Would have been a game changer back then!

I always use external speakers anyway, so the only thing lacking from such a setup would be an iSight camera. But to be honest with you, I don't usually FaceTime from my computers much.

 

[EugW]

Very nice... always wanted one of those. Imagine if you could afford it in the early - mid 2000s when they were first released... 1600p! Would have been a game changer back then!

I always use external speakers anyway, so the only thing lacking from such a setup would be an iSight camera. But to be honest with you, I don't usually FaceTime from my computers much.

Yes, it wasn't a big concern. I have several Macs and iDevices with FaceTime already, and I prefer using my iPad Pro or iPhone anyway. I'll just have to pick up some decent speakers. I have one that sounds OK, but looks like crap. I need something that matches the aesthetics.