[carmstro]

How can preview your multi-channel soundtrack in DVD Studio Pro? Does anyone know of a way to output Dolby Digital 5.1 sound from a G4? Any info on the new Soundblaster Card or the Roland card that has an optical out in regards to this would be appreciated.

[videoalex]

This is a good question. If one hooks up a USB device such as the rolland controller that has an optical out, will it pass that 5 channel mix from DVD studio pro to an amplifier (And on to a 5 channel surround sound system) ? Can the OS handle this? can the hardware handle this? or is that signal trunicated to a stereo mix? (or something else) What other options do users have for hearing 5 channel audio on their macs beyond the soundblaster card (and it's optional analog speakers)?

How can the Mac hope to compete in the new 5.1 channel world? Is this an issue at all?

---Any answers are apprecated,
---Alex Johnson

[graphixmaker]

As far as I know the only way to do it right now is to get a card from Wired. It may be possible when we get a Soundblaster for the mac, but until then I believe wired is the only choice. Keep an eye on 2-Pop as they have the most information on the subject in their DVD discussion.

Jim

As long as the mac is dependent upon it's soundmanager (which settles in the systemfolder) we wil not enjoy AC-3, DD 5.1 or even the upcoming 7.1. Not until Apple changes this soundmanger. If his piece of software has to do the decoding, then nothing else of he mac will be accessible. So. Decoding will have to be hardware decoding. So. No multichannel directly from Our Mac. A firewire interface for exporting audio (MIDI interface of decoding of multichannelaudio) seems to be Next step. (not onlogical since we'll all have DVD and 5.1 music center at home in the future) (hopefully whith a firewire interfac) (or I-link)