Question on the optical digital output.

Can anyone with a new iMac give me some clue as to what the optical digital output looks like?
As I understand it, its combined with a headphones port, this is where I am confused.
Does it look like a standard Phono type input (Coaxial) or does it have a little red light shining out?
I need to know before I order as I want to output to dac.
Cheers

The optical Jack is just like the normal mini-jack you use for the headphones.
You have to look for a "mini-toslink" cable or adapter. Since most receiver have Toslink digital input, you should buy a toslink-toslink cable and a mini-toslink adapter.
you put the mini-toslink in the headphone output port and the mac automatically switches to digital output.
If you want to watch to a movie in DVD player, insert the DVD, press play, press stop, go to DVDplayer>preferences>sound output>digital output.
I have to choose it every time I watch to a DVD...

Similar Messages

TS5150 Does the optical digital audio port send out a Dolby Digital signal

Does the optical digital audio port send out a Dolby Digital signal

Yes if the media has such an audio track available it can do so.
There is a setting for audio and video allowing DD output to be set for Auto (on/off if connected HDMI device can decode DD), On or Off.
AC

Optical Digital Output Always On

I have a 1-month old 2009 Mac Pro. The Optical Digital Audio Output (red light) is on in the back, but I do not use it. Is this a normal behavior? I've read one one post that it was normal but I was also told it is a "hardware issue" and isn't supposed to do that. Anyone else? Thanks.

Let me also add, that in addition to the optical light always being on, sometimes when I wake my Mac from sleep, the "volume" and other alerts sounds come out of the internal speaker (even though it's set to Line Out). The only way to restore the alert sounds so they come from Line Out is to plug headphones into the front Line Out port or to logout/login. That's strange!! (I thought the update to 10.6.3 might address it, but I am feeling like it's something else).
??? Anyone have these same problems ???
((I tried trashing /Library/Preferences/com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist and com.apple.audio.SystemSettings.plist - but it didn't help. I see a folder called Audio with these same to files, maybe I'll try trashing them all again.))

Toslink optical digital output

My airport express works fine when I use the analog output cable into my stereo. However, when I use a toslink cable I get no output. Do I need to activate the optical digitial output in the airport express menu?

FWIW. iTunes uses a QuickTime CODEC to convert audio files to Apple Lossless, and then, uses AirTunes to send them to the AX. In turn, the AX uses built-in software that converts the Apple Lossless to an Encoded Digital Audio format. From there, digital audio is sent to a optical transceiver to convert the electrical signal to an optical one before sending it to the innermost part of the audio port. For analog, the AX has a built-in DAC to convert the Encoded Digital Audio to Analog which is sent to the same audio port.
Since, you are getting a good analog output, you know at least the DAC is working properly. Unfortunately, it does still sound like there is something amiss with the optical transceiver in the AX ... or the calibration of the digital signal between the AX and your stereo. If your stereo has multiple digital inputs, I would suggest (if you haven't tried already) is to use a different port.
... and you may still want to try another cable. I had a similar issue between my MacMini and Logitech speaker system that perplexed me until I tried another TOSlink cable. Trust me, I triple-checked the original cable, which did work with other equipment, but just not between these two.

Can I use the optical digital audio cable to connect INSTEAD of the hdmi? My tv only has 2 hdmi ports, and they're both taken

Can I use the optical digital audio cable to connect INSTEAD of the hdmi? My tv only has 2 hdmi ports, and they're both taken

I'm afraid that's very misleading and inaccurate.
Firstly an adapter won't work, it would need to be a converter and then if it's a compliant converter it won't let you watch HDCP protected content such as that from netflix or from the iTunes Store.
Secondly, whilst I'm not going to debate whether component or HDMI is better, component is certainly not better if it's been converted from an HDMI signal. You can't make anything better by simply converting it to another type of signal.

Can I connect the optical digital audio cable to my tuner in order to use my stereo speakers?

can I connect the optical digital audio cable to my tuner in order to use my stereo speakers for apple tv sound?

thats why I do and mute the tv so there is only 1 audio source as they are never 100% in sync when you use both optical and hdmi

How can the optical digital audio input be enabled on the 2011 Mac mini?

I am trying to record signals output from my audio receiver's digital SPDIF output. I have a TOSLINK optical cable between the receiver's output and my MAC mini's audio input (via the TOSLINK to 3.5mm optical adapter). Does this digital optical input need to be enabled through the OS?

Also, make sure it is showing up in System Preferences->Sound->
Input as optical.
Also, make sure it is plugged ALL the way in. I know on
my 2011 Mini, even with just analog plugs, it is a very
snug fit and often it feels like I have pushed in all the way
when in fact it isn't and needs an addition pretty firm push.

New Macbook Air: optical digital output audio?

Does new (July 2011) Macbook Air have a digital output audio so I could connect it via optical cable to my receiver when i'm watching movies.

It doesn't appear so. The MBA spec sheet only states
Headphone port
whereas the also new Mac mini has
Audio line in minijack (digital/analog)
Audio line out/headphone minijack (digital/analog)

Using the optical input/ output on Audigy 2 zs: cable doesn't

So I've searched and can't find an answer on this forum
The optical cable that I have that fits into the back of my Playstation 2 does not fit into the mic in (which I thought is optical in as well)
So is it possible to have an optical cable go from a ps2 to the audigy 2 zs? Do I need a special optical cable?
Thanks, this may be a stupid question, but I am lost cause on the card it does say "optical in" but the optical cable doesn't fit it.
Thanks
DD

DD,
There isn't any optical I/O jack on the Audigy 2 ZS soundcard at all so you won't be able to use your optical cable with the soundcard unless you have the I/O dri've bay like those from the Audigy 2 ZS Platinum or Platinum Pro. Do you have those I/O dri've bay instead of just the soundcard?
JasonMessage Edited by Jason-CL on 09-3-2006 04:02 PM

Optical Digital Output Settings

I have a recent Vbox running the latest software and GUI
I want to be able to set the optical output to 2 channel only (for use with a DAC), but I don't seem to have any settings available to me in the Settings menus. Is there a way of disabling teh 5.1 output to force 2 channel only?
Mr Perceptive (or lack of it at the moment!)

Possibly, but only if the phono outputs are controlled by the Vbox volume control, usually phono outputs are at line level and not under the control of the volume control. I'don't really want to try without some form of attenuation (don't really want to collect my speaker cones from the other side of the room!!!)

How do I read the current digital output?

Im using LV 7.1 to control a stepper motor (direction only) using user defined set points that are measured by a linear encoder.
Basically I want to make it bounce between two set points by switching the motor direction. I can do the outer bounds fine, but to tell LV which direction it should go in between I want to just have it look at the digital output that I am sending to the motor and just continue to send that same signal. I know that it is on port 7 line 0 of my card, I just haven't figured out yet how to grab that information. Any ideas?
Thanks.

What boards are you using for this?

How do I turn off Optical Digital Output??

My 15" macbook pro's digital optical output has turned on (the red light is on inside the headphone port) and i want to turn it off... but how??

try and rapidly insert and remove the headphones in the audio jack. The toggle switch is stuck in the position that makes your mac think the headphones are still plugged in. You need to flip it back.

No sound since 10.4.9 update- locked in optic digital output?

Hi
My computer seems to be locked in digital out. The built-in speakers don't even appear as an option, and there's the red glow coming out of the headphone jack. Am i doing something wrong? This happened just after the 10.4.9 update.
mikel

This is a known issue, and people have been dealing with this since the first MBPs came out last January, its not a 10.4.9 issue. Try plugging and unplugging something in the audio jack a few times to see if it will turn off.

Optical audio output specs

What sample rates and frequencies can the optical audio output handle?
Is 96kHz/24bit available?

I am not convinced you've given a valid answer. Maybe if I elaborate a bit more...
I have a song in iTunes that is in the Apple lossless format. The song is sampled at 96kHz/24bit.
When I play that song via AirTunes to an Airport Express, the optical digital output of the Airport Express provides 48kHz/24bit to the input of my standalone D/A converter. It appears that somewhere between iTunes and the Airport Express the audio information is down-sampled from a 96/24 signal to 48/24 signal.
So my original question, rephrased, is: when I play a 96/24 Apple Lossless file in iTunes, and send that song via AirTunes to AppleTV, what is the sample rate at the optical digital output of the Apple TV? Does Apple TV, like Airport Express, down-sample the digital information, or does it pass the ausio information through at the full 96/24 bitrate of the audio file?

2012 Airport Express Digital Output

Does the new 2012 AE pass 24 bit 192Khz audio from the optical digital output?
DV

Ok I bought one to answer my own question: can't get it pass anything > than 16-bit 44.1 KHz when tested with an iMac & Airfoil by setting the OSX system output to rates >44.1 KHz.
DV

Question on the optical digital output.

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for