bulls96
06-12-07, 09:59 AM
I just found this item on ebay...
http://search.*********/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=USB+SOUND+%2FHUB%2F+Card+Reader%2FMic+for+Apple+Mac+ Mini
Its a USB Sound card/card reader/hub/mic all in one. It looks pretty nice too!
What do you guys think? I have a pretty underpowered mac mini (1.25) without the optical out. I was wondering will this make my mac mini have 5.1?
**put ebay-com on the asterix i cant seem to get it to work*
chefklc
06-12-07, 10:34 AM
I can't get the link to work, but I can give you a definitive answer:
If the device is by M-audio, there's a chance it will give you 5.1 pass-through; if it is by anyone else, it will not.
The least expensive M-audio USB device that will give you 5.1 is the Transit (other now-discontinued options which G4 mini owners used are the Sonica Theater and the Sonica.) If you plan to keep your mini for a while, one of these would make a difference, and your 1.25 has plenty of power for serving up dvd content.
bulls96
06-12-07, 12:35 PM
i asked the seller...
he says it runs on a C-Media chipset (http://www.cmedia.com.tw/?q=en/USB/cm6308) and goes on to say that it doesnt need a driver in Mac OSX . I went to the link, but i could not understand what it says.
can anyone explain? thanks a lot!
Andrew67
06-12-07, 12:40 PM
It will not support 5.1 on the mac without a driver. It will work for stereo, but there will be no Dolby Digital and no DTS support for the DVD player.
bulls96
06-12-07, 12:43 PM
It will not support 5.1 on the mac without a driver. It will work for stereo, but there will be no Dolby Digital and no DTS support for the DVD player.
so i just need some software? or is it a hardware limitation?
i really just want to get 5.1 on it for DVDs. thats all. Will eventually get the PS3 for the hi-def video and sound :)
chefklc
06-12-07, 01:17 PM
I'm typing this out slowly:
If it's not M-audio, you won't get DD5.1/DTS pass-through with a G4 mini. Period. End of story.
so i just need some software? or is it a hardware limitation?
It's the drivers written by M-audio, which only work with particular M-audio hardware.
pkscout
06-12-07, 02:20 PM
I'm typing this out slowly:
If it's not M-audio, you won't get DD5.1/DTS pass-through with a G4 mini. Period. End of story. It's the drivers written by M-audio, which only work with particular M-audio hardware.
I read it slowly. Made sense to me. :p