3d Positional Audio

[MacRumors]

MacOS Rumors (http://www.macosrumors.com/) posts a hint about an Apple/NVidia partnership:

Apple's work with nVIDIA on a HyperTransport-enabled motherboard chipset may include the functionality included in nVIDIA's latest nForce2 mobo chipset - notably 3D Positional Audio that would support true digital surround sound for the first time in Apple's history....

Apple/NVidia and specifically NForce 2 rumors (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2002/07/20020716224903.shtml) have been floating around since July.

[Shrek]

Hey, I even thought of this myself a couple of months ago and posted a thread about it. Hmmm. It's a shame I was bashed for it. C'mon people. Can you not see the logic in my ideas? :confused:

[vniow]

I have no clue on the track record of MacOS Rumors, but if Apple wants to go this 'digital hub' strategy, they had better get surround sound in say, the DVD Player maybe? :rolleyes:

There's an entire section dedicated to Home Theatre PCs in the Avs Forum (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=26) , many of which are Mac related questions, and the answer always is: The Mac platform is not suitable for HTPC use because their DVD Player does not support 5.1.

I have no doubt that OSX would make the best digital media platform (after all, it was designed with that in mind no?) but not having 5.1 sound in something as simple as a software DVD player is ridiculous.

(wishful thinking) maybe it can support Dolby Pro Logic II also.(/wishful thinking)

[beatle888]

edvniow you are so funny. Your a PC user
trying always to defend the Mac...I can't wait
till you get your first one. :)

[vniow]

Originally posted by beatle888
edvniow you are so funny. Your a PC user
trying always to defend the Mac...I can't wait
till you get your first one. :)


Me too.:D

I'll defend the Mac platform with my life if it means I never have to use Windoze again.:p

[beatle888]

Originally posted by edvniow

Me too.:D
I'll defend the Mac platform with my life if it means I never have to use Windoze again.:p


:p :p that's all we ask:p :p
it seems that mac is usually behind but
once it gets there the mac does it right.

[voyagerd]

I need 5.1 audio and a mac sound card! Use it if it means 3d surround sound! ANYTHING!!!!!

[vniow]

Originally posted by voyagerd
I need 5.1 audio and a mac sound card! Use it if it means 3d surround sound! ANYTHING!!!!!


You can get 5.1 surround with Core Audio, but that's mostly for pro stuff like FCP.
M-Audio sells a USB sound card with optical-out to plug into your home stereo. You can also download a version of the VLC player to watch DVDs with plus it supports AC3 passthrough to be decoded by your home stereo, but the DVD player that comes with your Mac doesn't.
I just don't get it. The VLC player isn't the best there is, but it's free and supports AC3 passthrough, why can't OSX's DVD player do the same? Hell, I'd pay an extra 20-30$ if it could do that. It's a pathetically simple little thing that could easily be done, but I fail to see why it isn't there. :rolleyes:


it seems that mac is usually behind but
once it gets there the mac does it right.


The digital hub strategy is right on, I think it's the future of computing, but something as simple as 5.1 sound shouldn't keep it from happening.

[topicolo]

I'm willing to bet that the macosrumors guy just comes to our board to get his latest "scoops." I think his latest rumor is just based on our rumors.

BTW, I'm also a (mainly) pc user who would kill for a mac. My Duo 2300 just doesn't cut it anymore so I have to rely on my Duron system. As fast and cheap as this is, it has just failed me too many times to be worth it.

[ddtlm]

shrek:

Nope, can't see the logic. Apple has just made their own fancy DDR chipset and they sure would have wasted their time if they drop it for an nForce2 anytime soon. Not to mention that the nForce2 would not work as-is with G4's.

Perhaps Apple could partner with nVidia when DDR-supporting processors (G4/G5/whatever) show up, but until that date you have about 0% odds of an Apple nForce.

I could see something based on to nForce showing up in time for the "Power4-lite" should that come to Apple. Such a chip would actually put dual DDR channels to good use.

[Shrek]

Originally posted by ddtlm
shrek:

Nope, can't see the logic. Apple has just made their own fancy DDR chipset and they sure would have wasted their time if they drop it for an nForce2 anytime soon. Not to mention that the nForce2 would not work as-is with G4's.

Perhaps Apple could partner with nVidia when DDR-supporting processors (G4/G5/whatever) show up, but until that date you have about 0% odds of an Apple nForce.

I could see something based on to nForce showing up in time for the "Power4-lite" should that come to Apple. Such a chip would actually put dual DDR channels to good use.

If it brings surround sound to the Mac, then it works for everyone. NOW STOP TROLLING, OR I'LL START OGREING! :mad:

[beatle888]

Originally posted by topicolo
I'm willing to bet that the macosrumors guy just comes to our board to get his latest "scoops." I think his latest rumor is just based on our rumors.

BTW, I'm also a (mainly) pc user who would kill for a mac. My Duo 2300 just doesn't cut it anymore so I have to rely on my Duron system. As fast and cheap as this is, it has just failed me too many times to be worth it.

LOL comes to our board

Is arn going public with his company?
topicolo, glad to have you aboard :)

[pgwalsh]

I'd like to see Apple really take a big step forward and support 5.1, 7.1 and 10.2 surround. anyway..... 5.1 would be a start.

[ddtlm]

shrek:

NOW STOP TROLLING, OR I'LL START OGREING!
Eh? So presuming that you are serious, I guess your ability to detect trolls ranks up there with your taste in rumors.

[redAPPLE]

Originally posted by edvniow



Me too.:D

I'll defend the Mac platform with my life if it means I never have to use Windoze again.:p

so what is this guy waiting for? :confused:

[alex_ant]

Hey hey, my my
Ste-re-o will never die...

[DaveGee]

Originally posted by alex_ant
Hey hey, my my
Ste-re-o will never die...

...it's better to turn-up then to fade away. Hey hey, my my.

Alex... Why do I get the feeling this went over the heads of quite a few here.

:D ;)

Dave

[Titian]

Digital Hub? Why not if everybody wants that.
There is nothing sounding better than analogue though.:D

[alex_ant]

Originally posted by DaveGee
...it's better to turn-up then to fade away. Hey hey, my my.
Yes!

It's better to turn up than to D-S-P!!

Oh god... you know, there are some things about the flu that I don't like, like the insomnia and the clogged sinuses and the vomiting and the headaches. But the delirium is WONDERFUL!

[drastik]

I see 5.1 digital out for the DVD, or at least a pass through solution. As far as digi in and 5.1 present in the system, I think it will be an optional add on. Most consumers will have no need to mix in 5.1. I've done a couple of times, with a good deal of education on the subject, and the first mixes still come out terribly. This is not play stuff, and i think the stadard in clusion of such gear would up the price too much.

That said, what I'd love to see is a colaboration between apple and someone like digidesgin to create that pro audio machine. A special set of breakout boxes and maybe even through in the monitors and deffinitely an O2R style board and a brand spanking new Pro Tools X.

well, a man can dream.

[sturm375]

Originally posted by DaveGee


...it's better to turn-up then to fade away. Hey hey, my my.

Alex... Why do I get the feeling this went over the heads of quite a few here.

:D ;)

Dave

Neil Young Rocks!

I thought Creative labs made a Sound Blaster Live 5.1 for the Mac? I can't find it on their website anymore, but I know I've seen the boxes in stores. Does this not cut it for the Digital 5.1, or is it because it can't be installed in an iMac?

Maybe if we all sent emails to Creative labs, they would write drivers for their External Audigy for the Mac, then we could all get digital sound out of any Mac!:)

[Shrek]

Originally posted by redAPPLE

so what is this guy waiting for? :confused:

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Same with me, buddy. ;)

[allpar]

Originally posted by ddtlm
Apple has just made their own fancy DDR chipset and they sure would have wasted their time if they drop it for an nForce2 anytime soon. Not to mention that the nForce2 would not work as-is with G4's.

Perhaps Apple could partner with nVidia when DDR-supporting processors (G4/G5/whatever) show up, but until that date you have about 0% odds of an Apple nForce.

I suspect that is EXACTLy what will happen. Very soon, when the real DDR G4 comes out, Apple will switch from the hacked MB to the real thing - designed this time with nVidia to reduce development costs. Makes sense from a business perspetive.

[ddtlm]

allpar:

Some optimists just cannot be made to give up a dream...

We have no reason to think that a DDR G4 chip is coming any time soon. No proof.

What we do know if that Apple does not like wasting money. They spent a lot of time and money designing their current DDR chipset, and a lot of time and money on the motherboard it is on. Going to an nForce2 anytime soon will mean that Apple has wasted it's time on both the chipset and the mobo, since the nForce2 is not drop-in interchangeable. Different number of pins for one thing. This, in addiiton to the fact that the PC nForce2 won't talk to a hypothetical DDR FSB G4 anyway, and lacks gigabit ethernet. Furthermore, Apple's mobo is not wired for dual channels of DDR. Oh, and not to mention that the PC version of the nForce2 isn't even available.

You can rest assurred that Apple will not be rolling out an nForce2 Mac any time "soon".

[Shrek]

You never know what may happen ddtlm. :p

If anyone can find a way to make nForce2 work on the Mac platform, it's Apple and nVidia. They are the most innovative companies in the world. :)

[macmax]

edvniow = god
a pc user defending a mac ,hehhehe,must be the man upstairs instead

[vniow]

Originally posted by macmax
edvniow = god
a pc user defending a mac ,hehhehe,must be the man upstairs instead


*ahem*

Goddess. ;)

[wumpus]

I think that "3D" audio is not half as interesting as real bread and butter technologies such as REAL DDR and HyperTransport. Apple could be trying to save cash in the future by picking and choosing from the nForce and adapting what it can to PPC. The Register, which is pretty good, has long talked of an '7470' and an e500 core based '7500' from the slugs at Moto with real DDR, in the case of the 7500 a RapidIO 500mhz FSB. We are so far behind in price/performance from the PC world it is truly frightening. Why DDR? Because even for the embedded and communications applications that the Motorola PPC 74xx is really designed for, DDR will soon be cheaper than SDRAM in volume, so it HAS to come someday. I still wait for a Mac comparable in performance (if not price) before I kill my bank balance to upgrade....

[Ibjr]

Originally posted by macmax
edvniow = god
a pc user defending a mac ,hehhehe,must be the man upstairs instead

Original sin.

I must be tired, your post was great, but i could have sworn i'd seen it before.

[voyagerd]

No, I need a sound card that goes to audio minijacks. Like a soundblaster, but a OS X compatible. Will the old live work with the audio Midi setup?

[voyagerd]

anybody?

[pgwalsh]

Is there a particular reason it needs audio minijacks? Couldn't you use minijack to rca or 1/4" jack converters or just use 1/4" chords?

[Wardofsky]

I have some Boston Acoustic speakers, four flat panel speakers and subwoofer.
The plug that goes into the computer looks like an ordinary headphone one.

I ask the guy what to do, he says I need a SP/DIF or something like that output, how do I get this with slot loading sage iMac?

[pgwalsh]

Originally posted by Wardofsky
I have some Boston Acoustic speakers, four flat panel speakers and subwoofer.
The plug that goes into the computer looks like an ordinary headphone one.

I ask the guy what to do, he says I need a SP/DIF or something like that output, how do I get this with slot loading sage iMac? Checkout Edirol.com for the 5.1 usb interface. It'll probably be your best bet. It has the sony phillips digital interface etc..