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CheesePuff · Dec 21, 2002, 11:41 AM

Take a look at this screenshot of OS X 10.2.3 being able to pick up the SoundBlaster Extigy as an output source for sound:

http://www.macbidouille.com/niouzcon...002-12-21#4187

suhail · Dec 21, 2002, 11:55 AM

[APi]TheMan · Dec 21, 2002, 01:32 PM

Originally posted by CheesePuff:
Take a look at this screenshot of OS X 10.2.3 being able to pick up the SoundBlaster Extigy as an output source for sound:

http://www.macbidouille.com/niouzcon...002-12-21#4187

That sounds like something that people might want... I'm no audio buff, but if you're ranting about it, it must be cool

Agasthya · Dec 21, 2002, 01:38 PM

Originally posted by CheesePuff:
Take a look at this screenshot of OS X 10.2.3 being able to pick up the SoundBlaster Extigy as an output source for sound:

http://www.macbidouille.com/niouzcon...002-12-21#4187

if its confirmed by more than 1 source (if xlr8yourmac tests it then I will be convinced) I will buy one and some 5.1 speakers.

anyone know if apple DVD player supports 5.1 and DTS?

CheesePuff · Dec 21, 2002, 02:29 PM

Originally posted by agasthya:

if its confirmed by more than 1 source (if xlr8yourmac tests it then I will be convinced) I will buy one and some 5.1 speakers.

anyone know if apple DVD player supports 5.1 and DTS?

No it doesn't, but there is a free open-source DVD player for Mac OS X, but I forgot what the name of it is.

CheesePuff · Dec 21, 2002, 02:30 PM

Originally posted by [APi]TheMan:

That sounds like something that people might want... I'm no audio buff, but if you're ranting about it, it must be cool

We've never had 5.1 sound (on OS 9 or OS X). The best we ever had was the Creative SoundBlaster Live! 4.1 which was only 4-channel sound for OS 9.

This means we can use speakers such as the Altec Lansing 4.1/5.1 speakers, Klipsch ProMedia 4.1/5.1, Logitech z-560/z-680 and more.

TheMosco · Dec 21, 2002, 02:58 PM

It probably sees that soundblaster as a basic usb audio device. It might not be able to use all the features that it has.

midiman has the usb sonica which outputs digital sound through usb. You can use VLC to play dvds w/digital sound.

CheesePuff · Dec 22, 2002, 10:48 AM

Originally posted by TheMosco:
It probably sees that soundblaster as a basic usb audio device. It might not be able to use all the features that it has.

midiman has the usb sonica which outputs digital sound through usb. You can use VLC to play dvds w/digital sound.

But then you need a digital decoder for the 5.1 speakers to use the Sonica.

starman · Dec 22, 2002, 11:40 AM

The Mac DOES, repeat DOES support Dolby Digital and DTS. There's a USB device that allows you to direct digital output from DVDs in DD/DTS.

However, the OS itself doesn't currently have multichannel audio, and that's a damn shame.

I'd love to know if that Extigy really works on the Mac for digital audio input and output.

My friend has that device. He's on California time so it's too early to call him, but I know he has it and he does get 5.1 audio from his DVDs. I'll call him a bit later and report back what the name of the device is.

Mike

tooki · Dec 22, 2002, 01:39 PM

Actually, it is not true that the OS doesn't support 5.1 audio. Mac OS X's Core Audio has supported multichannel, 24bit/96KHz audio from early on. That said, since no Mac comes with such hardware, no applications seem to have been written to create more than standard 16bit/44.1KHz stereo.

tooki

normyzo · Dec 22, 2002, 01:49 PM

CoreAudio is really really powerful. Just takes someone with a reason to use it. I guess that reason hasn't existed in the past since, as has been said, there's really no 5.1 hardware is around.

Dan

ccrider · Dec 22, 2002, 05:14 PM

I think this is the device that starman was referring to:

M_Audio SONICA

I've never used it but it says it supports multichannel audio using OSX 10.1.5 or better, including DTS and Dolby Digital (AC-3) through an optical cable.

Sounds cool for $69.95.

OreoCookie · Dec 22, 2002, 06:06 PM

Eeeh, I thought 10.2 supports up to 72 (?) channels, 24 bit, 96 kHz each? (Isn't that multichannel enough?)

JB72 · Dec 22, 2002, 06:30 PM

Originally posted by normyzo:
CoreAudio is really really powerful. Just takes someone with a reason to use it. I guess that reason hasn't existed in the past since, as has been said, there's really no 5.1 hardware is around.

That's the key. The hardware is out there. In addition to the Sonica, there is a Roland USB device that I use which is capable of passing 5.1, and now the Extigy. But DVD Player doesn't do 5.1, which is a drag. Hopefully there is something big in the works at Cupertino for a future release.

starman · Dec 22, 2002, 07:06 PM

ccrider,
Yes. That's it.

Mike

Thinine · Dec 22, 2002, 07:12 PM

I would like to see a rewrite of Apple's DVD Player app for version 4 to include support of a lot of the new technologies in OS X. Cocoa program with CoreAudio and whatever performance enhancements they can squeeze out of the thing. Also, higher quality playback would be a plus, perhaps along with some sort of Quartz Extreme technology.