Macbook Pro: 5.1 Optical Sound Problems (Yamaha Reciever)

[taylorwilsdon]

I'll try to be as descriptive as possible for you experts out there. This has worked in the past which is what confuses me.

I have a Yamaha HTR-6030 5.1 receiver and a Santa Rosa Macbook Pro. I'm using an XtremeHD Optical Cord with a headphone jack that was bundled with it (bought at the Apple store)

I've got the receiver set to "CD" mode as thats the optical port I'm using on the back of it.

In the Audio MIDI setup panel (where I've gone in the past to make this work) my settings are Digital Out, 44100.0hz, 2ch-24bit.

I'm not able to select anything more then 2 channels, so I'm missing out on the rears (not a big deal) and the center (more of a big deal).

What am I missing? How do I get the computer to shoot 5.1 out? Halp!

 

[dynamic]

You might need an external sound card, the MBP internal sound card isnt very good and probably doesn't support 5.1 (though i might be wrong). I suggest this:

http://us.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=209&subcategory=669&product=16642&nav=0

 

[sycho]

The built in optical output only support PCM and pre-encoded Dolby Digital and dts. The only thing you will get more then two channels on are DVD's.

 

[TBi]

The built in optical output only support PCM and pre-encoded Dolby Digital and dts. The only thing you will get more then two channels on are DVD's.

Or on any movie/music with encoded dolby digital!

 

[taylorwilsdon]

The built in optical output only support PCM and pre-encoded Dolby Digital and dts. The only thing you will get more then two channels on are DVD's.

I've got to say that I disagree. I'm now getting sound out of all 5 speakers using simply iTunes and obviously thats not dolby encoded. I'm aware that its just "guessing" and using matrices to create the sound for the other 3 but it is certainly outputting from all speakers.

My problem was that the receiver was set to "straight" mode on the SPDIF channel.

 

[wildmilne]

i just bought the cable that goes from optical to mini, i get PCM stereo, but i can't seem to get any dolby digital, even from store bought DVD movies...any ideas what i might be doing wrong?

 

[amiga]

i just bought the cable that goes from optical to mini, i get PCM stereo, but i can't seem to get any dolby digital, even from store bought DVD movies...any ideas what i might be doing wrong?

You need to go into iDVD prefs (even if your watching in frontrow) and change the sound prefs to the option that allows digital surround signal pass through to your amp then it works a charm on any digital surround sound signal!

On Stereo you just need to used Pro Logic or Pro logic II

 

[Cave Man]

i just bought the cable that goes from optical to mini, i get PCM stereo, but i can't seem to get any dolby digital, even from store bought DVD movies...any ideas what i might be doing wrong?

1. Launch DVD Player without having a DVD in your computer.
2. Open DVD Player's preferences and under Disc Setup/Audio you should see digital output. It is essential that you do not have a DVD inserted (or ripped DVD opened), otherwise this option is not available. You only have to set it once.

 

[joroth]

My problem was that the receiver was set to "straight" mode on the SPDIF channel.

How did you fix that, if I may ask. When nothing is plugged into my Yamaha HTR 6230, I can switch from the Straight mode, but whenever I plug my macbook into it, it just says "Not Available" when I try to switch from it.
When in Audio MIDI setup on the Macbook, I can't choose any more than 2ch.
Any advice?

 

[kny3twalker]

CDs are only a stereo source, meaning two channels. If you want music to play from more than just the front right and left channel, you will need to use pro logic or any of the other "stereo surround" modes on your receiver.

DVDs on the other hand actually have 5.1 discrete channels.

The only music media which has more than two channels are SACD and DVD Audio discs. Well there are also DTS Audio CD, but these are rare. Yet DTS Audio CDs would work over spdif and would have 5.1 audio.

AC3 or other wise known as Dolby Digital is a compression algorithm and therefore is compressed audio, where as CDs are lossless meaning no compression, simply a digital interpretation of the audio.