[kenliles]

Guys - I noticed recently that my iTunes and Quicktime) isn't passing thru DD anymore (MacMini - Perian - optical Dig out). I've been using Plex for while which works fine, so I didn't notice it until recently. Either an update along the way killed it (iTunes, Quicktime, Perian) or it's just my system somehow..


Anybody else out there having this problem?

OSX 10.5.7 (set to digital out)

iTunes 8.2.1

Quicktime 7.6.2

Perian 1.1.4 (set to multi-channel output)


ken


--- later -- i seem to have managed to get itunes working (although not consistently - maybe some bad files); Quicktime still no go; Winder if channel order switch or some such.... more work to do...

 

[chefklc]

This is a longstanding issue, Ken, maybe for 2 years--works for some, not for others, sometimes it all depends on the brand of AVR. Ever since Quicktime 7.4.5, maybe? Many threads about this over at the Perian discussion forum--I give the developers over there a lot of credit for detailing specifically what Apple needs to do to "fix" this--which unfortunately has fallen on deaf ears. Essentially, it seems Apple doesn't care, and never has cared, to get this functioning properly.


Is Perian 1.1.4 an official release yet or a beta? Did you recently upgrade to 1.1.4? I think I'm on 1.1.3, and for me DD and DTS passthrough in Front Row works just fine for certain codecs and containers, and not at all for others. You might want to read up about what's changed with 1.1.4, because almost certainly new procedures and tendencies have been implemented specifically to deal with AC-3 and DTS passthrough...


No experience with Plex or trying to get passthrough with iTunes--I'm speaking solely about Front Row, and don't rely on iTunes for any video at all.

 

[kenliles]

thanks Chef - I'll read up on Perian more; yes, I was running 1.1.2 and a new release (1.1.4) just released today I believe.... so I downloaded... I'll keep pluggin' away;

Maybe Snow Leopard will finally end all this;... thanks for the thoughts and review...


ken

 

[Nathan_R]

Yikes, I'm glad my 1.1.4 extraction failed last night if it can affect DTS output!


I think Perian is such a wonderful tool and I'm so happy we have it in OS X, but these kinds of issues really make you take note how dependent *most* of the mac htpc platforms are on it. Not that it's the Perian dev's problem per se, as chefklc aptly noted, but it's still a minorly discomforting thought knowing we're handcuffed to it.


Looks like I'll stick with 1.1.3 for now.

 

[chefklc]

That's true up to a point, Nathan, and certainly if you mainly plan to stay within the Apple walled-garden of Front Row, Quicktime and iTunes--as I try to do--but--the thing about Perian is it is dependent, you really have to get inside it and learn its quirks and capabilities, it doesn't just take over and control or magically act independently of the software player, so to get a proper decode and/or passthrough you often have to coax Perian settings and preferences to work a certain way with the attributes of your playback software, be it Quicktime, Plex, VLC, MPlayer OSX Extended, whatever. That's why you might get AC-3/DTS passthrough with a given .mkv in VLC or MPlayer OSX Extended, but not when you play that same file back with Front Row.


And that's only after you've properly created your files for a given playback device in the first place, with something like Handbrake, and that's not a given, either.

 

[stoth]

My comments are mildly off topic but relevant from the prospect of DD passthrough from your mac.


--


If I'm reading this thread correctly then it sounds like an issue I fixed in HDPVRCapture in v2.5.0 (May 2009?). Will Collier asked me for this feature so I went ahead and added it.


Essentially HDPVRCapture captures the 5.1 DD via SPDIF, after recording it then converts it from m2ts (lossless) into an .mp4 with HD H.264 and AC3 5.1, correctly mapped enabling passthrough on your mac's optical out into your receiver.


This works with all current versions of Quicktime.


- Steve

 

[chefklc]



Quote:
Perian 1.1.4 (set to multi-channel output)

Ken, I finally tested 1.1.4 last night and noticed a new warning message pop up when you select "Multi-channel Output." It says, basically, this setting does not mean what you think it means (w/ apologies to Inigo Montoya.) It's NOT for Dolby Digital passthrough, and provides a link to the developer's blog for his recommended way to try to achieve it.


We've linked to this many times already, here it is again--updated with a list of AVRs known to work with it:

http://www.cod3r.com/2008/02/the-cor...ith-quicktime/


Bottom line, these guys are completely frustrated with Quicktime and Apple's failure to acknowledge bugs and/or improve functionality--so as they push forward with new releases attempting to add features and circumvent longstanding Quicktime frustrations on their own--the end result for the users like us is that our situation keeps getting more complicated, not less so.

 

[HiTekAlex]



Quote:
Originally Posted by chefklc /forum/post/16969359


We've linked to this many times already, here it is again--updated with a list of AVRs known to work with it:

http://www.cod3r.com/2008/02/the-cor...ith-quicktime/

Anyone tried this yet with the latest Snow Leopard dev build?

 

[kenliles]



Quote:
Originally Posted by chefklc /forum/post/16969359


Ken, I finally tested 1.1.4 last night and noticed a new warning message pop up when you select "Multi-channel Output." It says, basically, this setting does not mean what you think it means (w/ apologies to Inigo Montoya.) It's NOT for Dolby Digital passthrough, and provides a link to the developer's blog for his recommended way to try to achieve it.


We've linked to this many times already, here it is again--updated with a list of AVRs known to work with it:

http://www.cod3r.com/2008/02/the-cor...ith-quicktime/


Bottom line, these guys are completely frustrated with Quicktime and Apple's failure to acknowledge bugs and/or improve functionality--so as they push forward with new releases attempting to add features and circumvent longstanding Quicktime frustrations on their own--the end result for the users like us is that our situation keeps getting more complicated, not less so.

thanks Chef - I see that now that you pointed it out... i went back to 2 channel on the settings; I'm getting pass thru, but not very consistently; I'm basically in hold-mode for Snow Leopard - Interestingly my AppleTV delivers passthru very reliably (m4v files); I'm hoping the work they did there and more has been incorporated into Snow finally resolving most of these issues. The 'pre-marketing' on Snow is that it has all new media underpinnings, so we'll see... thanks again...


ken

HiTekAlex - good question; hopefully it's not even necessary...

 

[HiTekAlex]



Quote:
Originally Posted by kenliles /forum/post/17013751


thanks Chef - I see that now that you pointed it out... i went back to 2 channel on the settings; I'm getting pass thru, but not very consistently; I'm basically in hold-mode for Snow Leopard - Interestingly my AppleTV delivers passthru very reliably (m4v files); I'm hoping the work they did there and more has been incorporated into Snow finally resolving most of these issues. The 'pre-marketing' on Snow is that it has all new media underpinnings, so we'll see... thanks again...


ken

HiTekAlex - good question; hopefully it's not even necessary...

Why, is there any evidence of Apple fixing the QT passthrough in Snow?? I would be shocked if it works "out of the box". Call me paranoid, but I believe Apple intentionally "breaks" this functionality on Mac platforms, to maintain differentiation with ATV!

 

[kenliles]



Quote:
Originally Posted by HiTekAlex /forum/post/17014744


Why, is there any evidence of Apple fixing the QT passthrough in Snow?? I would be shocked if it works "out of the box". Call me paranoid, but I believe Apple intentionally "breaks" this functionality on Mac platforms, to maintain differentiation with ATV!

No direct evidence that I have; Just the propaganda-scuttle about new media capability being one of the leading new features - QTime rewrite etc. -

you may be right - we'll know soon...

 

[HiTekAlex]

So any reports from SL upgraders on this QT-X / AC3 passthrough? A guy on MacRumors claims he lost all digital output on his Mini after upgrading to SL!

 

[kenliles]

I only had a short time to play with it; but I could not get pass-thru to work with QTime, iTunes... I could select the track in the new QTime-7 (pro version); but couldn't get passthru... I was using Perian 1.4 and tried it with Perian uninstalled - same result; I'm getting digital output, but no passthrough; PLII-stereo digital out works fine, DD5.1-m4v wrapper doesn't work - I get static ; and I get different static between DD and DTS in the wrappers so it's trying... Everything works from AppleTV though; Looks like I'll have to decide between ATV and Plex (assuming Plex works - it did before upgrade); Frustrating...


haven't yet tried channel re-ordering and other things...


ken

 

[HiTekAlex]

That's too bad.. Was reading Perian forum - looks like it has something to do with A52codec not being recognized in SL. Hopefully it's something Perian devs fix soon.. Staying with 10.5 until this is resolved.