MacBook Air DIGITAL Audio

[kjaxplicit24]

I know this question has been posed regarding the (non)existence of an optical digital audio out. My question is a bit different.

Recently purchased the 2012 13" MBA. Little did I know, coming from a 2009 13" MBP, that the new MBAs did not have optical digital audio out. I use XBMC to play movies on my Samsung LCD TV very often. The .mkv movies that I play carry DTS or Dolby Digital. I used to use an optical cable hooked up to my MBP and connected to my Logitech Z-5500s. Digital audio would play flawlessly.

Obviously, this is not possible with the MBA. My question is, with a displayport to HDMI, hooked up to my Samsung LCD TV and an optical digital audio cable hooked up to the back of my TV and that cable going to the Logitech Z-5500s, will THAT carry the digital audio signal and allow playback of DTS or DD through XBMC. I tried this method, but am only getting an obnoxiously loud static sound. However, I don't know if a setting I am using is incorrect or something of that nature.

Lastly, if I were to get a true HD receiver, with HDMI inputs and output, would I then be able to get digital audio. Or does the MBA simply not carry digital audio at all.

Please excuse the lengthy post as I was trying to be as clear as possible. I appreciate any and all input. Thanks!

 

[Intell]

The Macbook Air 2010 and newer, possibly the 2009, are able to output digital audio out over mini-DisplayPort to HDMI.

 

[kjaxplicit24]

The Macbook Air 2010 and newer, possibly the 2009, are able to output digital audio out over mini-DisplayPort to HDMI.

I am using the MDP to HDMI and then using the optical digital audio out on the back of my TV to the Z-5500s optical digital audio input. However that is when I get static noise when I try to play the .mkv movie file in XBMC. Using VLC will also yield analog audio only.

 

[JPamplin]

Here's a cool adapter from Monoprice

Check this one out:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10428&cs_id=1042802&p_id=8119&seq=1&format=2

It can hook up a single DVI, HDMI, or DisplayPort display and it's Thunderbolt compatible with audio support. Less than $10 - I'm getting one.

JP

 

[kjaxplicit24]

Check this one out:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10428&cs_id=1042802&p_id=8119&seq=1&format=2

It can hook up a single DVI, HDMI, or DisplayPort display and it's Thunderbolt compatible with audio support. Less than $10 - I'm getting one.

JP

This does not solve the audio issue. I am already using a MDP to HDMI adapter (which does carry both audio and video). My question is concerning digital audio output.

 

[Intell]

My question is concerning digital audio output.

Digital audio or digital audio over optical? They're different things but achieve the same goal.

 

[kjaxplicit24]

Digital audio or digital audio over optical? They're different things but achieve the same goal.

Initially it is over HDMI and connected to my tv. My tv has optical audio out. I am using that connection to connect to my Logitech Z-5500.

 

[mayuka]

The Macbook Air 2010 and newer, possibly the 2009, are able to output digital audio out over mini-DisplayPort to HDMI.

What about input? Or do I need a soundcard for this?

 

[Gav2k]

Have you looked in the sound settings for the tv my 9000 series has the option to push hdmi1 audio to optical with delay/ advance settings

 

[Intell]

What about input? Or do I need a soundcard for this?

For digital input on any Macbook Air an external solution is needed.

 

[kjaxplicit24]

Have you looked in the sound settings for the tv my 9000 series has the option to push hdmi1 audio to optical with delay/ advance settings

Yes I looked into the tv settings. I don't have such an option. I do indeed get sound from the optical audio on the TV. However, it is recognized only as analog audio originating from the MacBook air. If I switch the audio settings under xbmc to HDMI or Optical, I get a loud static noise.