Problem with audio out and mkv files, voices missing

[helloniklas]

When I play back an mkv video file on my Macbook Pro, it works fine when I use the interbak speakers. Now, if I connect to external amp and speakres with a normal 3.5 mm jack plug, the sound I hear is only the music but not the voice tracks?

I would have thought the audio out connection would play the same as my internal speakers?

I tried with both VLC and QuickTime and Perian 1.1 and I run all the latest updates. The auido plays back fine in both players with internal speakers, but with audio-out only the background music plays?

Any idea?

 

[killmoms]

I'm assuming that for some reason it's only sending out the L and R channels of a 5.1 audio stream? Usually dialogue is kept almost entirely in the center channel in movies. Check your downmix settings in Perian and make sure it's set correctly.

 

[helloniklas]

The only setting I can find is the System Preferences for Perian - Audio Output. Which is set to Stereo. I tried other options as well, but same problem.

Now, is there any other hidden place where things can be set?

 

[killmoms]

Hmm. It's very odd that it'd happen between the two outputs (internal vs. audio out). Unless you were hooking up via digital and something was getting messed in trying to pass-through the original encoded Dolby Digital, I can't think of why that'd happen.

What if you plug in, say, a pair of headphones or computer speakers straight into your MBP's audio-out port? I'm wondering if your receiver is mucking things up. Does your receiver support decoding Dolby Pro Logic and outputting that to surround speakers you don't have?

 

[helloniklas]

hm, yeah, turns out it was the plug going into my amp that was a bit faulty, somehow. I changed that one and it now works fine.

thanks.

 

[jjahshik32]

Are the mkv files in dts coding instead of aac, ac3, mp3??

 

[deijmaster]

Very simple and well explained here... Check audio midi setup in macOS for advance channel selection. Cheers.

https://mattcarrier.com/post/enable-surround-sound-hdmi-osx/