I started using a mac mini as a media center, but I am having trouble getting 5.1 surround sound. I am using an optical cable to my receiver. Plex gives me 5.1 surround sound, but the same files opened in miro, front row, quicktime, or DVD player play in stereo only? Suggestions?
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5.1 surround on mac mini
- Thread starter tirexstorm
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Hi, I may be mistaken but I think I read that you have to install Perian and change the Audio Output to Multi-Channel Output in the System Preferences.
Cheers
No, it won't. That article is for DVD VOBs, not files containing digital audio tracks.
I wasn't aware the Mac mini could do anything but stereo, even over optical.
I'm using a Griffin Firewave for 6ch audio. It's not optical, though.
I'm using a Griffin Firewave for 6ch audio. It's not optical, though.
Core-based minis (and beyond) support digital audio (PCM, AC3, dts). VLC, DVD Player, and EyeTV have options for this. Perian could do it with a bit of hacking about (I no longer use Perian, it's possible that later versions made AC3 output available in the GUI).
A.
Apple makes digital audio harder than it should be. Plex, on the other hand, makes it simple. Not sure why Apple has such a difficult time with QuickTime (and all of its surrogates), but it does.
Yes, until Apple supports AC3 in M4V videos in Quicktime/Frontrow - I refuse to use Mini as a media center. My entire video collection is encoded with AC3 tracks, and I want consistent experience between Mini and AppleTV's, hence I want to use FrontRow and not Plex, VLC, etc.