5.1 Surround Sound?

Hi! Not posted in a while.

I'm thinking of replacing my Mac Mini with an iMac in the Summer. I have a huge media library (HD Movies + TV) so would replace the Hard Drive with a 1.5TB one...

Anyway, my question is... I have a 5.1 home cinema system, and I was wondering if iTunes is capable of outputting 5.1 Audio through a Toslink cable?

Are there any limitations to this??

Thanks for your time
John.

You can rent videos with 5.1 sound trough iTunes.
And the sound output doesn't (shouldn't) matter. Anway you won't get 5.1 trough the normal headphone output anyway.

Quicktime 7:

Sounds Really Good, Too

Do you think great video deserves great audio? We do, too. And QuickTime 7 Player delivers truly outstanding multi-channel audio. In fact, it provides you with up to 24 channels of audio. So if you watch a movie that offers surround sound, you’ll be amazed at the heightened audio experience you’ll enjoy from your Mac or PC and your surround-sound speakers. A really good sport, QuickTime 7 Player supports a wide-range of industry-standard audio formats, including AIFF, WAV, MOV, MP4 (AAC only), CAF and AAC/ADTS.

iTunes 8:

Buy HD TV shows.

Get the hit shows you can’t bear to miss in high definition. Purchase HD episodes of shows like Heroes, The Office, and Grey's Anatomy for just $2.99. Or buy a show’s entire season in HD with a Season Pass. Watch your HD TV shows in stunning 720p with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. And when you sync your HD TV shows to your iPod or iPhone, iTunes transfers a version that’s ideal for smaller screens.

I hope this helps (at least a bit)