Front Row - distorted audio

Since installing Leopard, the new Front Row plays audio in a distorted manor. The track timing is fine just the sound is hideous. I fear it has insulted my Bowers and Wilkins somewhat I noticed iTunes had an enhanced audio mode, not sure how long that one has been there, but have turned it off. Although now Front Row seems independent of iTunes, unlike before where you could switch between a iTunes and Front Row and the track would remain playing. So this suggests there must be some audio settings for Front Row? But where are they?
I hope someone would be as kind to have a look into this for me.
Something not strictly unrelated...I have noticed when plugging a USB device or my MBP into TV, I get really bad interference on the audio. It's not like any of the cables are touching. I have tried with the power cable unplugged too but it's still there.

Thanks for your diligence. I'm going to go ahead and mark this resolved because I think the answer was pretty much obvious from the beginning, viz., that Front Row is lost to us now. I was hoping there would be some kind of fix, but that was just wishful thinking.
Maybe if I had taken precautions the same way you did, maybe then I would be able to restore iTunes 10 and would be able to use Front Row a little while longer. But in over 20 years of being a Mac user, I've never felt it necessary to take such precautions before an update/upgrade of Apple software in the event I would be truly dissatisfied with the new version or would actually lose functionality. So even if I had backups, I've never downgraded software before and don't even know how.
The truth is, if it hadn't been iTunes 11 that broke Front Row for me, it would have been something else eventually. And since Snow Leopard is now 2 generations behind and I'm going to have to trade up at some point, I might as well admit defeat and forget about Front Row.
Apple wins this round, but I'll be more prepared next time so I don't get screwed out of a perfectly good application.

Similar Messages

Front Row .mov - audio only

Hi guys, i've been trying to watch some .MOV files in Front Row and it has issues with some only playing audio.
As far as i can deduce, with basically nil knowledge about computing, the common theme with files played in Front Row, playing audio only, is that they have been filmed on iphone with the iPhone upright and hence the format described by QTime Inspector as the video's 'normal size' is 720x1280 but the displayed/played format is 1280x 720.
I've played with all settings in Movie Properties (there were only a small handful of links to discussions with folks experiencing similar issues) to no avail.
It isn't essential that i can see these movies in Front Row, but i would like to be able to.
any help would be ace, thank you.

Hi.
Have you tried loading Perian (www.perian.org)? That will provide you with many additional CODECs which SHOULD solve the problem...

Front Row plays audio but not video of MP4 H264 AAC files

SL 10.6.6
Here's the problem:
Take an MP4 movie file encoded with H264 and AAC thats plays with no problems in QT, iTunes, Front Row
Open this file in QT7Pro, add a mask using a GIF file then export as MP4 using video and audio pass through to avoid re-encoding
The new video file plays OK in QT and iTunes but only plays the audio track in Front Row - the video is just presented as a blank screen
This happens to every file i've tried it with.
I've tried trashing all front row caches/prefs/app support folders, installing/uninstalling/re-installing perian. i've tried changing the file extension to .mov .m4v .3gp - still the same problem the file plays perfectly except in Front Row
All the posts I can find on this topic seem to refer to subtitles causing a problem - these files have no subtitle track
Any suggestions?

I have faced the same problem exactly. Some seasons and one movie I have detected so far, do not show any video at all. If I open the same files in iTunes, they show ok. If I open the same files in QuickTime thought no video also. I guess it has something to do with QuickTime then. Try it yourselves in order to see if it is the same problms with you guys. If that is the case I will try to extract an older version of QuickTime from the installation package via Pacifist and see if that works.
Even if it doesn't work I am pretty sure they will come up with a new update fixing this, but the point is that Apple isn't used in making bugged updates, up until recent. What is wrong with them lately?
Anyway, as soon as I have news in the afternoon I will let you know

Front Row: DVD audio Controls

Is there way to scroll through various audio channels while playing DVD's in front row? For example I want to jump from the regular audio channel to the Director's Commentary...is there a short cut to do this?
jon

There is no way to do this with Front Row. However, this can be done with the regular DVD Player application. The on screen "controller" for the DVD Player can give you direct access to different audio channels or video angles.
-Doug

Front Row's audio flux

I set up my Macbook Pro to show movies via a projector using the DVI port. Apparently with Leopard, Front Row backslid into not supporting audio through Airport, so I hooked a Logitech 2.1 THX sound system to it via the headphone jack.
This setup has been working out fine, but for an audio problem I've just recently noticed-- every 15-20 minutes or so, the audio levels will fade in volume, play at a lower volume for maybe 15-20 seconds, and then rise back to proper volume again. The drop and rise are quick but gradual; not abrupt.
Googling (and searching this forum) hasn't turned up any similar reports. It seems like it could any number of culprits in the signal chain-- the dvd, the MBP, Front Row, jack, the cable, the speakers, etc. I have not been able to reproduce this problem at will; in fact, some DVDs play through fine without any issues.
I have two theories that seem most likely to me--
#1- maybe Front Row or computer is getting "tired" RAM-wise... perhaps when doing some kind of internal maintenance (or something). I try to close all apps when playing Front Row but sometimes I don't.
#2- maybe it's the DVD itself. The quality of the transfer from film seems to range widely on the DVDs in my library.
It could be something else entirely, of course. I first thought maybe very deep or very loud sounds were causing the Logitech system to protect itself, but it actually happens regardless of what's coming through the speakers.
I'm posting here in case anybody has had the same issue or knows of it. Thanks!
_Randy

Sometimes this appears to be a timeout being hit getting the information from the trailer server. Did you try backing out of the Trailers section and re-selecting it?

Front Row: no Audio in slideshows?

I made a slideshow in iPhoto and connected it with some music.
It worked fine in iPhoto.
Using Front Row I couldn't present the show, because there was no sound!
Support told me that in the new Front Row of Leopard sound is not supported for slideshows!!???
Can that be true?
Did someone make the same experience?
Is it possible to get the old Front Row back?

Nonsense, no problem here with the sound of a slideshow
I don't know about the people employed for support any more. Somebody else on this forum was told some similar fib by this so-called support. He was told that his Powerbook couldn't read dual-layer DVD's, which is absolute nonsense, as is your answer about Front Rows sound.
Is this Apple support you are talking about?
Message was edited by: Redarm

Front Row doesnt play unknown Audio CDs

Hi there,
I am using my Mac Mini as media center in our living room. After upgrading to Leopard I experience problems with Front Row and Audio CDs that are not known to iTunes or the CDDB database.
When I insert a brand new Audio CD or a rare or self-burned CD iTunes or Front Row wont (certainly) find the CD titles. In iTunes I can play that CD without problems , in Front Row however in the Music section the Audio CD appears as "Audio CD", and when I click on it nothing happens, it just sits there and wont play. This only happens with unkown CDs. All other CDs which titles are recognized will play without problems.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
Edward

I was just browsing the support for the same reason; I'm just setting my MacMini media center up, and the first CD my fiancee puts in is of course a CDR she got from a friende. It just didn't work, while it did in iTunes, although without any CDDB information.
I guess' I'll report it to Apple.

Front Row + Audio Streaming to Airport Express...

I purchased an airport express and have been able to successfully stream my itunes to the device. However streaming from front row seems to be a problem. Does front row support audio streaming? I would love to be able to use my apple remote to control my music using the television screen. The remote seems to be useless with itunes.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but Front Row under Leopard doesn't support Airtunes streaming:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1196720
Send 'em some Feedback: http://www.apple.com/feedback/

When I watch tv shows in Front Row that I've bought off iTunes the audio gradually falls out of sync with the video. It does not happen with other files that I have converted into mp4s. Any ideas for fixing this? It's a huge bummer...

When I watch tv shows in Front Row that I've bought off iTunes the audio gradually falls out of sync with the video. It does not happen with other files that I have converted into mp4s. Any ideas for fixing this? It's a huge bummer...

I too have the same problem. The audio drop out of sync in about 5 sec in not uncommon for the audio to be 30+ sec behind video. Apple needs to fix this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! its a joke, my iphone is all messed up after the last update as well. at one time not to long ago apple products and software were top rated, not so much any more, more and more problems are showing up and apple is unwilling or unalbe to fix the many issues. Apple needs to fix the audio sync problem, it not the computer hardware or other software it ITUNES!!!!, there is no workaround other then hitting pause and hitting pause and hitting pause to temp fix the problem.

Front Row - Lid Closed - Blank Videos (but with audio)

I hooked my computer up to my TV last night to watch some videos through front row (stupid quicktime and the pro lockout on full screen - talk about penny pinching from Apple!). Front row worked fine if I set it up so that the TV mirrored my laptop display. However, if I tried to run the laptop in lid closed mode with the TV as my main/only monitor everything would work except for the videos. They would be black while retaining the audio. For example, the little preview movies shown in the selection menu were black as was the movie when you played it.
Is this a known bug? Is there a fix? (Obviously I can run it more or less similarly with mirroring and my main screen dimmed as I did.)

i'm having the same issue. The video i tried was purchased from the iTunes music store. i see no preview of the video and no video is played on screen however audio is present. the same problem also occurs when trying to watch a movie trailer via movie trailer front row interface. All Front Row graphics are seen, only video is a problem. I can open and play back the video without problems in Quicktime Pro. (fullscreen)
The video output is 1280x720 sent to a samsung tv using a built in profile with overscan disabled.
Macbook (white) Mac OS X (10.4.6) 2.0Ghz Core Duo - 2GB RAM

2010 Mac Mini, Front Row and 5.1 Audio

I recently bought one of the new 2010 Mac mini's for my home theater. I have video going to my TV through HDMI. (I do not use the TV for audio.) I'm feeding audio to my receiver via optical. The problem I'm having is with 5.1 audio through Front Row. I've installed Perian and enabled AC3 passthrough. 5.1 audio works great when I play a video in iTunes (it also works with eyeTV). When I try to play the same movies through Front Row, I'm stuck with stereo audio and see no way to change it. Any ideas?
Thanks in advance!

I too have the latest mini, hooked up to a Denon receiver via pass-through HDMI.
I am not an audiophile in terms of setting up this stuff and just want to know what I need to do to get the optimum performance out of this mini, audio wise.
When I go to Audio MIDI Setup app, my receiver (DENON-AVAMP) is listed next to the "source" button. I have no clue about channels, bits, etc. When I click on the "Configure Speakers" button I am presented with different configurations so I selected "Multichannel" versus "Stereo". And I can see where you can test all 5 speakers and subwoofer, but I just don't know which "format" I am supposed to select.
The 5.1 mapping is shown when I select 8 channel/16 bit, 8 channel/20 bit, or 8 channel 24 bit. I can click on each speaker in this map and it tests properly no matter which one of the above combinations I select. Just not sure which one I am supposed to be using.
All I know is my Denon is a 5.1 system and all this works perfectly (getting 5.1 sound) with my Playstation 3 hooked up the same way to the Denon.
Does anybody know the correct settings to output 5.1 sound from this Mac Mini?
Thanks guys!

Front Row on Snow Leopard has audio out of sync on movies and TV shows and some movies wont show images.

I have an iMac Core Duo 2GHz (yes, first Intel iMac). I have Snow Leopard v10.6.8 (latest/last MacOS version I could load) with the most recent Security Update (2013-003).
I have two issues with Front Row:
• Some of the movie files will not show the images, but I can hear the audio.
• On other movies and TV shows they start fine, but within a few minutes the audio is out of sync with the images, running about 3-5 seconds ahead... Looks like a bad dub of a Japanese movie from the 60s.
Now, I know it's related to Front Row, because when I jump over to iTunes and start the same movie or TV show it begins where I left off in Front Row, but images are fine and audio is suddenly in-sync.
However, with Snow Leopard being 2 major upgrades back - 3 if you count the upcoming Mavericks release - I doubt this registers as a "brouhaha" on Apple's radar screens. Then, again, maybe the spirit of Steve won't tolerate this Microsoft-like quirk, even if my iMac is still chugging along after 7 years and multiple MacOS X upgrades & updates...

I think I found my answer... or culprit. It has to do with Snow Leopard, and my iMac Core Duo, being the last of the dying breed of 32-bit systems, and that iTunes v11.x is 64-bit (heavily, at least)...
Guess I need to break down and replace my 7 year old iMac, even though it still works beautifully (otherwise).

Front Row Video Distortion

I have a new iMac intel 20" screen, and I downloaded some TV shows from iTunes and they are very distorted - the sound is fine, but the picture is not good quality. I have downloaded the latest Front Row update (1.2.2), but it really did not help. Is there a way to fix this? All of my dvds play fine...would it help to burn the shows to a dvd then play them? Or could I change the screen resolution or media player? thanks!

What do you mean by distorted? Does it appear blocky or is there rough movement in dark backgrounds?
When you view the video using the window in iTunes, does the video look better?
If it looks better in a smaller screen, remember that the shows at the iTMS are compressed for viewing on the iPod, and while most of them display fine on a television screen, they may not look as good on your iMac screen at full screen. I see a lot of blockiness in things like Battlestar Galactica when I play them full screen on my 17'' Apple Display connected to my G5, but the TV handles them fairly well when playing them from the Mini using Front Row.
Dual G5, Intel Mini, TiBook, iMac FP800 Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Front row - black screen with audio

I recently installed Leopard on my old iBook.
When i start Front row, I can see the menus , trailer list, movie list etc., but when i play anything, the screen goes blank, i can see a progress bar moving(which auto-hides), and audio is also OK, but there is no video.the screen just goes blank and remains that way.
I have perian installed on my machine and all videos work OK in quicktime, VLC etc.
any possible solutions for this? has anyone else also faced this issue ?
thanks.

I can get a picture with Quicktime...but if I try to get enlarge the screen, the picture often becomes corrupted. I'm just rather annoyed that I spent $40 on this series and am having these issues. I only downloaded iTunes because there was no other option of getting this show. I've waited 24 years to see the entire "Liberty Stone" Mini-series (there was a problem with the tapes DIC released and they were missing eps)...so this just feels like a taunt.
I'm hoping this gets fixed quickly. It sounds like there is a lack of standardization with the DRM being used on these files.

Airport Express Playing Audio From Front Row

Can AE be directed to play the audio through Front Row. Obviously it would be nice when playing Itunes through the Front Row Interface, but I was more interested in getting the Full sound while playing movies through Front Row.

I read on former posts this was a previous options that was removed during a upgrade. That's shameful. I don't understand why such feature would be removed after being available previously. I assume it has to with trying to profit from a migration to apple TV. Something I would never do and never with the uncertainty such another purchase would loose features as this one.

Front Row - distorted audio

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for