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SpeedRacer · Jul 22, 2002, 02:37 PM

Given that the Jaguar builds demonstrated at MWNY did *not* appear to have an option for Dolby 5.1 output, are we Mac users still limited to standard stereo output when watching DVD players on our Macs? Or is the new Sonica device from M-Audio just the thing we need to get our Macs up to the level where OS 9 left off?

<a href="http://www.midiman.com/" target="_blank">http://www.midiman.com/</a>

Frankly i'm a bit concerned about the potential for an OS that (even after 18 months) still does not have basic 5.1 output capability.

Thoughts?

Speed

hmurchison2001 · Jul 22, 2002, 09:34 PM

Aren't there licensing fees to be paid even for basic AC3 and DTS Decoding. Perhaps Apple doesn't want to pay this. That's my only suggestion because Core Audio can easily handle them technically.

tr · Jul 22, 2002, 09:46 PM

that m-audio product looks pretty cool, and i'm sure it works great.

but personally, i don't give a rat's ass about 5.1 on my mac. i never understood why people are so adamant about having 5.1. i mean, if you are using the DVD capabilities of your mac to act as your home theater DVD player, here's a suggestion: BUY A STAND ALONE DVD PLAYER!

I mean, come on, decent DVD players are what? a couple hundred bucks?

don't get me wrong, DVD output from the mac is cool and all, and i use that capability, but i don't watch DVD's that much, and i don't have a surround setup. but i mean, if you really use your mac a lot for DVD's, just break down and buy a decent DVD player with digital out.

tr

CyberDave · Jul 22, 2002, 10:18 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by tr:
that m-audio product looks pretty cool, and i'm sure it works great.

but personally, i don't give a rat's ass about 5.1 on my mac. i never understood why people are so adamant about having 5.1. i mean, if you are using the DVD capabilities of your mac to act as your home theater DVD player, here's a suggestion: BUY A STAND ALONE DVD PLAYER!

I mean, come on, decent DVD players are what? a couple hundred bucks?

don't get me wrong, DVD output from the mac is cool and all, and i use that capability, but i don't watch DVD's that much, and i don't have a surround setup. but i mean, if you really use your mac a lot for DVD's, just break down and buy a decent DVD player with digital out.

tr<hr /></blockquote>Yeah, decent DVD players can be had for a couple Benjamins, but to get 5.1 audio with that setup, you also need to shell out more dough for a decent receiver (preferably Dolby DTS capable) and some more $$$ for the speakers to go with the receiver. I for one don't particularly feel like spending all that money. Being a college student, the ability to watch DVDs on my computer (and TV with my tuner card) just means there's less stuff to take up space in my already-cramped dorm room. Being able to get cheap 5.1 audio and one of the 5.1 speaker sets from Altec-Lansing or Creative Labs would be cool and I think a lot of people would go for it (even those like me that don't really mind 2-channel stereo for their movies).

(I think there was a point this post, but it seems to have gotten lost in the Sub-Etha.)

CyberDave

CyberDave · Jul 22, 2002, 10:27 PM

Personally, I would be happy if Creative ever released drivers for their SoundBlaster Live! Mac card that supported 5.1 audio. There was a note on XLR8YourMac the other day to the effect that Creative's head Mac guy was building something of a rogue team to build Mac OS X drivers and got basic audio out working in a relatively short period of time. Would be nice to pick one of those things up.

Also, it seems to me that the Sonica requires the use of an external receiver of some sort to get true 5.1 sound, in which case getting a stand-alone DVD player might make more sense, since the receiver would be needed anyway.

And then there's the whole issue of whether Apple's DVD software can pass multi-channel audio from the DVD to the decoder (whether it be on a sound card or a USB device or whatever). Anyone know if it currently can do this or would we be waiting on Apple for an update?

CyberDave

dmoore · Jul 22, 2002, 11:23 PM

I picked a Sonica this weekend. Sweet.... OS X is already supported (10.1.3 and up) but additional support will arrive with 10.2. Then its up to Apple to provide us with a DVD player that supports 5.1 audio. Jaguar seems amazing and I'm looking forward to it; however, given Apple's seeming ineptitude in regards to its DVD player in the last rev and the fact that they were promoting all of Jaguar's "150" features and we never heard one word about a new DVD player -- my guess is that the DVD software won't show up until around October or so (after much wailing and gnashing of teeth on our part).

SpeedRacer · Jul 22, 2002, 11:34 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by dmoore:
...additional support will arrive with 10.2. Then its up to Apple to provide us with a DVD player that supports 5.1 audio. Jaguar seems amazing and I'm looking forward to it; however, given Apple's seeming ineptitude in regards to its DVD player in the last rev and the fact that they were promoting all of Jaguar's "150" features and we never heard one word about a new DVD player -- my guess is that the DVD software won't show up until around October or so (after much wailing and gnashing of teeth on our part).<hr /></blockquote>This is what troubles me, i saw absolutely no indication of 5.1 output on the Jag demo machine's DVD Player. And to address previous posts, it's not that i see a Mac replacing a decent DVD player, but that when you're already toting around a portable home entertainment hub with built-in DVD player (Powerbook or iBook) running (allegedly) the most advanced audio-processing OS on the market, why should one *not* be able to output 5.1 DVD audio?

Speed

d0ct0rteeth · Jul 23, 2002, 01:24 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by dmoore:
I picked a Sonica this weekend.<hr /></blockquote>what kind of speakers do you use.

it seems to have a certain connector rquirement?

what speakers do you recommend.

thanks. I think i will order one right now.

C-

dmoore · Jul 23, 2002, 06:23 PM

Instead of separate "computer speakers" (sounds like a pejorative term to me), I'm running the sound through my stereo (Sony receiver, JBL & Klipsch speakers) with the optical S/PDIF connector. Sounds terrific (I always hated the low hiss omnipresent in the cheap 1/8" computer connection). I haven't tried out the analog connector on the Sonica yet so I don't know if its better than Apple's....

Maquero · Jul 29, 2002, 01:20 PM

Mac OS X now offers support for multiple channels natively. This new architecture will enable such applications as home theater surround sound

<a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/technologies/audio.html" target="_blank">http://www.apple.com/macosx/technologies/audio.html</a>

I got an sonica too at mwny,I can wait to play unreal tournament on my 5.1 home theater