Mac Mini 2011 Digital Audio Output with HDMI Video?

I don't know how old you are. Do you remember VHS vs. Betamax? More recently BluRay vs. HD DVD? Somehow there always seems to be two or more standards. This is kind of the problem with Dolby Digital. Some software/hardware supports Left/Center/Right and other software/hardware supports Left/Right/Center. Fortunately most software and hardware can now auto-detect the correct configuration using the meta-data or even by guessing (since it knows Left and Right are going to look similar and center isn't). So if you're having a problem getting the correct audio from each speaker, it's probably because something isn't auto-detecting. In some cases you can even map these settings yourself in the prefs.

I got sick or all the might work cures, and my receiver has some kind of cool DSP Programming features (Yamaha RX-V573) so I run VLC through my HDMI output and rely on a faily decent decoding scheme. I have my HDMI out set for encoded output, but all the magic was still happening at the receiver. I gave up and bought an external audio encoder and now all is good.

The lesson is clear, my XBox (360S, 250 GB) does Dolby Digital, my Mac Mini (Late 2012 running 10.9.3) really doesn't do it, but with the aid of a $50 box from SoundBlaster, all is good. I buy my digital media from Amazon, so it's completley portable and all is good. My mini is really a storeage device until Apple makes a real commitment to making this machine a capable media server.

I gave up on iTunes movies a while ago, 1080P is nice, but the PCM stuff is not so nice. Apple has to go with the flow. I like having a working Unix desktop, I really do. Apple hardware is nice, but the wall has to come down, or in the alternative, Apple has to provide a sound chip on board.

I can take my HDMI output from 8.1 encoded (according to the Apple Midi ) and synthesize some nice DSP programs with my receiver, but I rely on my Xbox and the SoundBlaster hooked up to my mac mini for DTS and DD. Apple still thinks we're all on the computer speaker model.

There is stuff Apple does not take seriously, kind of ironic as a large part of my mini's duties centered around entertainment. Apple just does not take this seriously yet.

Looks like we are in the same boat and there's absolutely no way I'm changing my HDTV just for this nonsensical issue! Apple needs to provide an update for this!!!

does your receiver upscale digital out?

@Apple

My plans to buy a Mac Mini are currently on hold until this silly issue is resolved.

@marco964

Have you tried @woodmeister50's solution?

Hello m4sheikh,

I have not had a chance to take the test, definitely try in the future, but I hope I've "broken the sound barrier" and it will work with many different a/v file format.

Cheers

Has anybody tried the thunderbolt port with converter to HDMI into the TV.

I was wondering If this would solve the audio problems there are with the toslink?

Expecting my mac mini I5 any day now.

Thank you I honestly didn't know that - I was convinsed it was a coax metal cable but thanks for clarifying.

That would make sense why I had no digital audio at all...

I use the free Soundflower w/Soundflowerbed .....routes to optical audio out....video through HDMI.....or vid and audio to HDMI.

Had the same issue with my 2011 Mac mini and Lion.....This solved it.