Dolby Digital Output from M1 Mac Mini

First I select the number of channels, bit rate, sample rate here

And I get this menu:

From there, I go to speaker configuration (Lautsprecher konfigurieren)

In my Sony TV, surround is simulated with the internal two speakers and a subwoofer connected to the headphone out.

Sounds very 3D if I send the test signals to the 6 speakers.

I can not say if the optical out of the Sony or the HDMI /ARC is surpassing the surround signals, since I don't have a receiver but I guess it would.

What’s the content? What TV? You didn’t mention Apple TV, so is the streaming integrated within the TV? How’s the streaming occurring on the mini? Just so you know, Apple won’t pass through stuff blindly until content meets the DRM smell test.

Although HDMI 1.3 allowed for Dolby Digital, and Dolby TrueHD audio, it would depend on what Apple is passing through the HDMI 2.0a port as multi-channel audio. They don't say, and if they chose to not pay a royalty to Dolby labs, then it may just be simple stereo sound.

FWIW, passing signal like Dolby or DTS over HDMI from one

device to a TV and then from a TV to an audio device can be

problematic. It can sometimes work, some times not.

One thing you could try, play around with Audio MIDI Setup

(in Applications/Utilities) for the interface that shows up

for HDMI. Select one of the multichannel formats that

show up in the list. Which one "works" seems to depend

on the Mini model and what works on one model may not

work on another.

Or as stated, just use the Apple TV app on the TV, which is what

I do for Apple supplied content.

My new M1 Mac is exactly the same. My old Mac Mini (in addition to built-in speakers) used to show in System Preferences, “Sound” devices, LGTV HDMI, LGTV (encoded) HDMI, and also optical, audio options. I could select either of the latter two options and play any Dolby material from the Mac in surround sound via HDMI to the LGTV and then on to my amp via the TV’s optical, or directly to the amp with the Mac’s optical output. In both those cases my Amp automatically detected 5.1 surround sound as soon as it was being played.

On the new M1 though, I only see an LGTV HDMI showing as an available alternative to the built in Mac speakers. My HDMI lead is top quality, plugged into the correct TV input (for audio by-pass, HDMI 2) and I know that iPlayer, NETFLIX and PRIME when streamed directly from the TV all play perfectly well in 5.1 surround sound through the same optical lead from the TV to the amp.

In Utilities, Audio Devices on the new Mac it just shows 2 “outs” for the LGTV and, in Format, the Channels list has just 2 Channels, with all the encoded digital audio options greyed-out and not selectable. The configure speakers button just shows stereo speakers too.

Despite the obvious absence of an optical output I don’t understand why the new M1 Mac should have worse sound options than the old one, so if somebody can come up with a simple solution to the issue I’d be grateful. The simplest of course would be to give instructions to add back in sound preferences the LGTV (encoded) HDMI option that I used to have.

I’m sure the original poster would like that too if there’s anyone out there from Apple who can help. I should also add, if I’d known in advance that my sound options would be worse I probably wouldn’t have made the step to the M1. So, until there is a solution posted, all you potential M1 buyers should consider this carefully before purchasing an M1 Mac Mini.

Things have progressed considerably since 2014. Optical has been obsolete for a while, which means both your TV and Amp are obsolete. The mini ‘14 with its old-age sound options, limited high-resolution display support and chunky USB ports, is also unofficially there.

The good news is that the new is both the simplest and the best: Apple TV 4K which when connected to a late model TV and amp, will knock your socks off. It’s also very affordable, comes with a remote and easily sits on top of or next to a mini.

But it’s not a solution for you unless you also replace your TV and Amp. Not even if the OP posts a link for a dongle that’ll convert anything to anything because the mini won’t play.

And of course, scratch Apple from going back to 2014 tech. No, no way.

So, that’s the bad news. However, depending on the content, two channels on the right pair of wired cans can nonetheless sound awesome on the mini, a great plan B until you replace all the old gear. Enjoy...

But my TV did support it with my old Mac Mini. Nothing else has changed. I unplugged the HDMI lead from my old Mac and plugged it into the new one. The TV and amp setup are exactly the same. And yes it is a pretty new TV too. The HDMI encoded option has disappeared on the new Mac and there seems to be no way to add it back. There’s nothing in Audio MIDI Setup on my new Mac other than 2-channel stereo.

Seeing the exact same issue as in OP's screenshots.

-Samsung UN55KU6300 (TV spec claims Dolby Digital 5.1 passthrough is supported via HDMI)

-Sonos Beam + 2 One SLs + Sub Gen 3 connected via HDMI ARC and passthrough

-Mac Mini M1 macOS Big Sur 11.1

-Using a new HDMI 2.1 cable

MiDi setup on Mac doesn't even show multi channel as an option. Tried streaming via browser, mp4 through VLC and Apple TV+ to no avail.

Native TV apps (Netflix, Prime Video) do output Dolby Digital 5.1

Read very closely the HDMI ARC spec on both the audio device

and the TV.

Also, for one, the Samsung forums are loaded with posts with

using ARC and how problematic it is.

Also, as stated previously, a device chain that is Mini->TV->Audio device

has been problematic since Minis have had HDMI. With some setups,

the power up sequence can resolve issues but what that sequence

is can change depending on the devices involved.

At the crux of the whole issue is how HDMI reports the capabilities of

connected devices and when. Some devices like TVs, when seeing

connections to certain devices will only tell that device a certain

set of its capabilities. Basically it is all a very complicated mess.

Besides, why are you "streaming" from a Mini when the Samsung

has all sorts of native apps available (including the AppleTV app)?

And, if you have home movies and such, just put them on a USB drive

and plug it into the Samsung.

I have a Samsung smart TV and the AppleTV app can stream from

my entire Apple library and it can stream Apple TV+ if you are so

inclined to subscribe.

Happy New Year.

You seem to be the only one in this discussion who has successfully plugged the M1 Mac into a TV and got an option in Midi to configure sound for 5.1. Some have suggested it's not possible to do that if the TV is outputting 5.1 sound via an optical cable to an amp. Other posts suggest the capability may be dependant on the order that devices are started up. I wondered, do you have your Sony TV connected to an external amp and, if so, is it by optical cable. If it is, did you do as I did and connect your TV to the M1 out of the box using an HDMI and then simply turn-on the M1 Mac.

With my experience of an older Mac Mini, where everything just worked, I would have expected the new one then to show under configure options both a stereo and a Digital (encoded/5.1) option, with the 6-channel set-up diagram you've demonstrated just appearing if 5.1 is chosen. Instead I just get the Stereo option, even when I try restarting everything in different combinations.

An idea of how you made it work for you might help.

It does through HDMI.

6 channel and decoded audio.

Select in Audio Midi Configuration.