5.1 sourround sound output from QuickTime Player

Question

5.1 sourround sound output from QuickTime Player

Hello all, first time in the QuickTime forum (and I think I already answered an iBook question!). I have a 1.4GHz G4 Mac mini with an m-audio Sonica USB to get digital optical audio and 5.1 audio out of my computer to my stereo. This combination works great with Apple's DVD Player and the VLC Media Player and I get surround sound out of my DVDs and video files. However, QuickTime files, like the HD movie trailers, which say they have more audio tracks (and they're enabled), only play through the right & left front speakers. For Apple's DVD Player, I had to select the m-audio device as the digital audio output device. However, I can't seem to find an option like that in my QuickTime Player. I have Mac OS X 10.4.5 and QuickTime 7.0.4 (Pro). Is there something I'm missing to get all the tracks to play directly from the QuickTime Player?

-Doug

800MHz G4 Cube 1.5GB RAM, 320GB HD Super Drive / 1GHz 12 PBG4 1.25GB RAM & 80GB HD, Mac OS X (10.4.5), 1.4GHz Mac mini 1GB RAM, 80GB HD / AirPort Express / EyeTV 200 / 40GB iPod photo

Posted on Mar 18, 2006 12:09 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Mar 18, 2006 6:50 PM in response to Douglas McLaughlin

Hellllo, I know nothing about this issue but I do have some links to other similar threads in this forum for you...

QT Movie and multichanel sound
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=1918891

Quicktime sound output setting exists in Mac?
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=1298490

QT Movie and multichanel sound
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=1660203

Reply

Answer 2

Mar 18, 2006 7:59 PM in response to JulieJulieJulie

Thanks, JulieJulieJulie. QuickTime Kirk's post in the second link had me check my own Audio/Midi setup. Although I can play surround sound out of my Mac mini, there's no way to configure the Audio/Midi set-up to use multi-channel audio. If I configure the speakers for my m-audio Sonica, my only options are to set-up two speakers even if I select the multi-channel button. I suppose the options may be different if you have a Mac with the built-in ability to output multi-channel audio (through a digital optical output, for example). But this may explain why my QuickTime Player can't decode the different channels.

-Doug

Reply

Answer 3

Mar 30, 2006 5:46 AM in response to Douglas McLaughlin

There's a little bit of confusion going on here I think..

Okay, let me clear this up for you all!

Quicktime uses AAC 5.1 as it's 'surround' format. Most 5.1 (Optical) Speaker systems have a decoder which will only be able to decode Dolby Digital or DTS. AAC is a different format to these two, so.. the speakers end up having to just decode in to 2 speakers.

The solution would be either, in my case, a usb/firewire 'soundcard' which has 6 channel output direct for my Logitech Z-5500. Then the OS would know that the soundcard can handle 6 specific channels and you'd be able to select this in Midi Setup. Then Quicktime would happily decode AAC 'locally' on the mac and play each channel through the soundcard.

😟

iMac G5 1.8, 17", 1GB (rev.a) Mac OS X (10.4.5) Logitech Z-5500, iSight

Reply