Multiple audio outputs - HDMI & Audio out

[GizmoHKG]

Hi all,

This is driving me a little nuts, so any help greatly appreciated! With the new Mac Mini models, you can have audio out via HDMI or the line out. I am thinking to hook the mini up to an LCD TV/monitor via HDMI (sound on the monitor) and also to my other TV/sound system via the mini DP and audio out.

I assume when the mini turns on it'll activate both displays (if they are turned on), and from what I understand you can have two displays running. I'd only want one at a time so I'd have the other display switched off. But can the mini output audio to either both, or whichever system I am using? I've read a lot of posts but can't find a definite answer. I only want audio (and video for that matter, but can turn off other screen) to one TV at a time, but do I have to go into the OS audio settings each time I want to swap between the two?

I'm also thinking of using Plex and keeping it open at all times, just sleeping the mini when not in use. Can the mini only output to one source, requiring manual switching to the other (i.e. going from HDMI to audio out)?

Thanks for your help!!

 

[indg]

you need to manually select the audio output each time. can only output to one destination at a time. either select in system preferences or some third party app that sits in the menu bar for more convenience.

 

[cw2k7]

Have you tried building an aggregate audio device in the Audio MIDI setup app in Applications/Utilities to output audio to multiple devices ?

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1215

 

[GizmoHKG]

Hi indg, that was my initial concern, yes!

Thanks cw2k7. So that would combine two audio outputs into one? Then I'd select that one audio output in the settings? And that one would output to both HDMI and lineout, is that the theory?

 

[ReggaeFire]

What I ended up doing was splitting the signal after it left the machine, so I didn't have to deal with switching outputs, etc.

 

[Baby Mac]

What I ended up doing was splitting the signal after it left the machine, so I didn't have to deal with switching outputs, etc.

You might find with splitters that your output is only 1/2 as loud after the split. At least that was my experience with RCA-type audio cable splitting.

 

[GizmoHKG]

You might find with splitters that your output is only 1/2 as loud after the split. At least that was my experience with RCA-type audio cable splitting.

I'm thinking also that I'd have to find some way of feeding/combining that audio back into the HDMI cable... The distance that I want the HDMI cable to run is quite far, and sometimes I find a lag between video on screen and audio over such distances when using a separate audio cable. Even though plex allows you to align these, that would mean the two would be out of sync on the other screen. I suppose manually switching isn't too hard a pill to swallow!

Thanks for all the suggestions!