MP2008, new 5770, how to get audio over MDP/HDMI?

[aqwhiteh]

Hi all,

Just installed an Apple 5770 (not flashed) in my Mac Pro 3,1 octo 2.8. No problems.

I was already running 10.6.5, so install went without a hitch. Just had to switch my primary display from the TV back to the monitor, so very smooth.

I have a 27" Samsung SyncMaster 275T monitor and also a Samsung 32" LCD TV. I connected the 275T to the DVI port on the video card. I bought a MDP-to-HDMI adapter from my local apple store (Moshi brand, about $35Cdn, box says it supports audio output for mid-2010 MB/MBP and 27" iMac), and used this with an HDMI cable to connect my TV to a MDP port on the video card.

Ideally I would like to get audio through MDP/HDMI to the TV, so I can watch video without turning on separate speakers/stereo receiver.

Can anyone suggest anything I can try to get OS X to detect a new MDP audio device?


Update 1: Switching MDP connection from "nearest to DVI" over to "furthest from DVI" worsens the situation - the TV remains black with "no signal" message on screen, even with restart. (All OK when I move it back.)

Update 2: Resetting NVRAM/PRAM has no effect. Wondering if reinstalling 10.6.5, this time as combo update, would have an impact. I doubt the MDP-HDMI adapter is the issue, my thinking is the audio device would need to be detected/available before the adapter becomes a potential issue.

Update 3: Installing 10.6.5. combo update overtop of 10.6.5 originally done through software update, has had no effect.

Update 4: I have a bootcamp installation of Windows 7. After rebooting and installing the latest ATI Catalyst drivers, the HDMI audio device is recognized and *works beautifully*, so my hardware configuration is confirmed to work, it is just OS X that is the problem. Maybe 10.6.6 or 10.7 will detect/enable the 5770 as an audio device in the future. :-(

 

[aqwhiteh]

Does anybody know of way to "force" a re-discovery of installed hardware other than what has been tried above?

 

[Manzanito]

I have the same problem, though I suspect the problem is with my adapter, not with the graphics card.

In system profiler, in built-in audio you should have HDMI out/ Displayport, right under Optical audio in, which you don't seem to have. Wish I could be of more help.

 

[Cindori]

you can not do this in osx.

 

[aqwhiteh]

you can not do this in osx.

Cindori you would know better than just about anyone, so I am sorry to see this.

Others may find it interesting to know that I rebooted into my Windows 7 bootcamp installation and installed the ATI Catalyst drivers. Audio plays through MDP->HDMI to the TV perfectly...

 

[toddat]

Did you find a solution?

aqwhiteh did you find a solution to your problem? I'm having the same issue.

 

[jeanlain]

you can not do this in osx.

You can if you have a recent Mac Pro.

The Mini DisplayPort outputs provide both video and audio output. For example, using a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter and an HDMI cable, you can connect your computer to an HDTV or AV receiver that has an HDMI connector and play both audio and video. You must use the Sound panel in System Preferences to select the connected device for audio output. For more information about connecting an HDMI device, search for “HDMI” on the Mac Pro Support page at www.apple.com/support/macpro.

Page 14.
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/Mac_Pro_Mid2010_UG_5686.pdf

 

[toddat]

You can if you have a recent Mac Pro.

Page 14.
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/Mac_Pro_Mid2010_UG_5686.pdf

I have a MacPro3,1 with a 5770 and a MacPro4,1 with a 5870 and neither list HDMI/Display Port audio in system profiler under built-in audio. Both machines were upgraded to 10.6.6 from a 10.5.8 base install.

What would cause the audio hardware on the cards to not be recognized?

 

[Cindori]

Cindori you would know better than just about anyone, so I am sorry to see this.

Others may find it interesting to know that I rebooted into my Windows 7 bootcamp installation and installed the ATI Catalyst drivers. Audio plays through MDP->HDMI to the TV perfectly...

ok, old thread
at the time no one had reported it working, only contrary

 

[jeanlain]

I have a MacPro3,1 with a 5770 and a MacPro4,1 with a 5870 and neither list HDMI/Display Port audio in system profiler under built-in audio. Both machines were upgraded to 10.6.6 from a 10.5.8 base install.

What would cause the audio hardware on the cards to not be recognized?

Apparentely you need a Mac Pro 5,1.
We don't know what prevents this from working on older models (since it works on Windows). Probably a limitation imposed by Apple.

 

[goMac]

Apparentely you need a Mac Pro 5,1.
We don't know what prevents this from working on older models (since it works on Windows). Probably a limitation imposed by Apple.

My best guess is it has something to do with the EFI ROM on the card, and the machine needing to do some sort of magic in it's EFI firmware to enable this behavior. It's the only thing that makes sense.

 

[jeanlain]

My best guess is it has something to do with the EFI ROM on the card, and the machine needing to do some sort of magic in it's EFI firmware to enable this behavior. It's the only thing that makes sense.

It's not just a software thing because an older Mac Pro won't output audio via dp even if it's booted from a 2010 Mac Pro OS X image.
Since it works on Windows (which doesn't use the EFI), I suspect OS X has some hardware check going on, which prevent this from working on older hardware. That won't be unexpected, they had 2 security checks initially preventing the 5770/5870 EFI from being used in PC cards. Thankfully, Netkas solved this little problem.
Gotta love Apple these days.

 

[goMac]

It's not just a software thing because an older Mac Pro won't output audio via dp even if it's booted from a 2010 Mac Pro OS X image.

That doesn't give you the 2010/2011 Mac Pro firmware, which I mentioned.

Macs do initial interfacing with audio devices usually through the firmware. That's why I suspect it's firmware related.

That won't be unexpected, they had 2 security checks initially preventing the 5770/5870 EFI from being used in PC cards. Thankfully, Netkas solved this little problem.
Gotta love Apple these days.

Actually, I know ATI added those checks themselves.

 

[ActionableMango]

Third party solutions.

http://www.hdcable.co.uk/kanex-iadapt-51-mini-displayport-to-hdmi-converter-with-5-1-audio.html

http://www.hdcable.co.uk/kanex-iadapt20-mini-displayport-to-hdmi-converter-with-audio.html

 

[jeanlain]

That doesn't give you the 2010/2011 Mac Pro firmware, which I mentioned.

Macs do initial interfacing with audio devices usually through the firmware. That's why I suspect it's firmware related.

That's interesting.
I'm quite sure that hackintoshers have failed to get mdp audio working with radeons 5770/5870 (I might be wrong though).
OTOH, I'm also fairly sure they got this working with recent Nvidia cards (Geforce GTX 4xx), using the recent Quadro drivers. So OS X can use the graphics card for audio even on a hackintosh.

 

[goMac]

That's interesting.
I'm quite sure that hackintoshers have failed to get mdp audio working with radeons 5770/5870 (I might be wrong though).
OTOH, I'm also fairly sure they got this working with recent Nvidia cards (Geforce GTX 4xx), using the recent Quadro drivers. So OS X can use the graphics card for audio even on a hackintosh.

The audio driver might not be triggering without some sort of EFI handshake at startup, which would never happen on a Hackintosh. The Windows driver wouldn't be looking for this handshake because it's not EFI Mac specific...

This is mostly speculation, but I know back in the PPC days the firmware was responsible for initializing audio devices in most cases (which is why you got audio before the drivers loaded.) I wouldn't be surprised if something similar was put into EFI.

 

[jeanlain]

On a PPC Mac, you could get the startup chime on your speaker connected to the headphone jack. On intel Mac, I think that the startup chime is always through the internal speakers.

 

[initialsBB]

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If it is EFI related, what are the chances of seeing a hack come about ?

 

[toleda]

An easy way to check for HDMI audio capability on OS X is to run IORegistryExplorer (Optional Install/Developer/Applications/Utilities). Search for HDAU. If that device is present, the firmware is capable of HDMI audio. Plug in a MDP to HDMI (audio capable) adapter and a HDMI receiver or TV, check System Preferences/Sound/Output, select your receiver/TV and you could have HDMI audio. The IOReg/HDAU screen shot is a HD5870 with HDMI audio working and the Sys_Prefs/Sound/Output on the same system. The Color LCD is an iMac (target display mode) and the DTR-40.2 is a receiver connected to a TV.