Surround sound through HDMI?

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Level 1

5 points

Surround sound through HDMI?

All the new Mac models released in the past 12 months are supposed to be able to output multichannel audio through an HDMI connector. I have recently purchased a new MiniMac with an HDMI connector and was really looking forward to playing multichannel sound through one of my two Onkyo home theatre amplifiers. Unfortunately, it doesn't work. For one of the amplifiers (Onkyo TR SX576), the Audio Midi Setup application found an 8-channel device and named it TR SX576, but I was unable to get any sound played through the system.

For the other one, a slightly older model (TR SX506), which has a Samsung LCD attached, the Audio Midi Setup just reports HMDI (0in/2out) with "SAMSUNG" as the name. I can't output via the amplifier... it seems to just pass the audio though.

So, here's a simple question. Is there anyone who has succeeding in outputting multichannel sound via an HDMI cable to a home theatre amplifier? If so, what Mac, what amplifier? What is missing to allow Macs to talk with all home theatre amps via HDMI??

Mac Mini, Mac OS X (10.6.5)

Posted on Nov 27, 2010 6:06 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 27, 2010 9:29 PM in response to levelg

Try playing a DVD with multi-channel audio using DVD Player and select the Mini DisplayPort audio in its "Disc Setup" preference.

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Answer 2

Nov 28, 2010 4:11 PM in response to levelg

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4214

Follow the link and scroll down a bit to properly setup the audio option in System Preferences.

My currect setup is MInimac HDMI> HDMI 1080p LCD and then output the TV audio to my Home theather, also hdmi>hdmi.

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Answer 3

levelg Author

Level 1

5 points

Dec 8, 2010 8:04 AM in response to levelg

I've just got an answer to my own question. I just purchased a new Pioneer VSX-920 amplifier that does just what I was hoping for. In the Audio Midi Setup utility I can select the HDMI output and with the Source set on VSX-920, can choose between various options for the format (up to 192 Khz, and 2ch-24bit or 8ch-24bit). The speaker configuration allows me to define a 6.1 speaker set up.

Great. The only problem is that when I define 8channel sound, the amplifier doesn't do any surround sound processing, and so virtually everything that I can play on the Mac only comes out of two speakers 😟. To get surround sound effects (Pro Dolby etc), I have to revert to 2ch-24bit and allow the amp to do the surround effects.

This reminds me of another question. Why on earth can't the Mac's Audio allow you to add surround sound processing directly?

As for the reason why my Onkyo amplifiers couldn't work, well I guess you just have to have a multichannel amplifier that is sufficiently recent to be able to communicate with the Mac. That's why I would really like to see a list of the home theatre amplifiers that work.

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Answer 4

DonH49

Level 6

16,704 points

Dec 11, 2010 4:23 AM in response to levelg

I'm going on memory. DVD player can enable if using DVDs which limits what a user can accomplish. I do 5.1 channel using an Apple TV first generation through my Onkyo receiver connected by either HDMI or optical.

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Answer 5

levelg Author

Level 1

5 points

Dec 12, 2010 7:56 AM in response to levelg

I'm making progress. I've now discovered that while Apple's DVD Player can't output Dolby Surround Sound from a DVD through the HDMI connector (for some reason), VLC can. Playing back DVDs with VLC allows you to select the HDMI output (using the Audio Device option in the Audio menu), and Dolby Surround Sound comes over the 6 channels of the amplifier, even when 8ch24 bit is selected in the Audio Midi Setup Utiliry. No problems with trying to configure AC3 throughput, Perian, Encoded Digital Output etc etc.

Even more interesting is the fact that Handbrake ( http://handbrake.fr/ ) can rip the DVD and generate an mp4 file with 6 channels of discrete sound (see http://trac.handbrake.fr/wiki/SurroundSoundGuide ). The resulting files can be played back through HDMI with both Quicktime Player and iTunes using 6 fully discrete channels.

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Answer 6

Bob Lang1

Level 5

4,090 points

Feb 27, 2011 3:30 PM in response to levelg

Hi levelg

levelg wrote:
Great. The only problem is that when I define 8channel sound, the amplifier doesn't do any surround sound processing, and so virtually everything that I can play on the Mac only comes out of two speakers 😟. To get surround sound effects (Pro Dolby etc), I have to revert to 2ch-24bit and allow the amp to do the surround effects.

This reminds me of another question. Why on earth can't the Mac's Audio allow you to add surround sound processing directly?

I think the answer to your question is that using the HDMI would require the Mac to have an AC3 codec, which would take up to 6 channels of audio and then compress them into a Pro Dolby data stream which your amp could then decode. (This is actually the reverse of the "AC3 Codecs" that you might find available for download on the web). I believe that this software component would require a separate licence fee, and also might not work sufficiently fast in real time to avoid lip sync problems. It could also result in severe quality degradation in certain channels due to the amount of compression. You can't squeeze 6 channels into 2 and then back again without losing some quality along the way.

The result of this is that HDMI and TOSLINK connections from the Mac can play prerecorded surround sound from a DVD, etc, since this can be passed to the external decoder unchanged, but can't play audio generated on the fly by applications. (At least, that's what I've found - someone else might know differently)

I know from personal experience that it IS possible to buy an external USB 5.1 sound card to connect to a 5.1 audio system, and this will enable on the fly audio generation from applications. The same setup will also play surround sound DVDs, provided you use the alternative VLC DVD player.

All in all, the whole area of surround sound on Macs is extremely confusing! I'm worried that many users either buy the wrong equipment, or they buy the right equipment but then can't figure out the correct way to configure it. Such users inevitably end up frustrated and disappointed.

Bob

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Answer 7

Sep 20, 2015 3:43 AM in response to Bob Lang1

I am having this issue too.

Onyko NR646

Mac OS X 10.10.5

Macbook Pro 9,1

Connected via HDMI

iTunes 12.3.0.44

DVD Player 5.9.0

Picture is perfect.

Sound is as follows:

When I select the English (United States) (AC3) Option the sound completely disappears. When I select English (United States) the sound comes out but only stereo.

Playing DVDs with Apple's DVD Player results in perfect 5.1 surround sound reproduction.

It appears iTunes has no AC3 channel even though it seems to be selectable.

Please help.

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