Getting Surround Sound out from Macbook Pro

Hi everyone, I'm in need of some help. I have a Macbook Pro 2.66 ghz 6,2 running 10.6.7. I connect it to a Samsung LN32C530F1F HDTV with a minidisplay to HDMI cable. I'm able to get both video and audio on the TV no problem. I now would like the audio to output to my Sony DA333ES receiver so I can get 5.1 surround sound. I have all rca ports and opitcal port open on the TV. How can I get the sound to output from the TV to the receiver in 5.1? An aside I have a Samsung Blu-ray BD-C6500 connect via HDMI to the TV and analog to the receiver for 5.1 surround. Thanks

links:
TV manual
Samsung
Receiver
Samsung

I would use a mini toslink to toslink adapter or cable direct to the receiver from the Mac.

You could try an optical cable from the TV to the receiver - need to check and see if it's capable of passing 5.1. If it is, you could disconnect the B-R from the receiver and let the TV pass that audio direct also. Then you wouldn't have to do any switching at the receiver when moving between devices on the TV.

Note: The single optical port on "every" TV I have seen is for output, not input.

Note: The Mac will only pass 5.1 from 5.1 sources. For a faux 5.1 from any stereo sources, you'll need to do that at the receiver.

question about optical cables

Thanks, for the reply. Some how in the years when optical cables came in vague I was MIA. My Samsung TV says it can pass 5.1 through the optical cable. So you're saying that possible I can connect an optical cable from the TV to the reciever and get surround sound, do you think I'd have to disconnect the DVD players surround for some reason?
Also when using optical cable what function is it routed to in the receiver? TV/Sat?

follow up

Does the Mac pass 5.1 output via the earphone jack? If yes then the Toslink would be 5.1 correct?

gholder said:

Does the Mac pass 5.1 output via the earphone jack? If yes then the Toslink would be 5.1 correct?

Click to expand...

Yes, that would be correct. The audio port on Macs does double duty with analog and digital.

As far as the receiver, depends what port you plug the optical into.

The reason I say disconnect the B-R from the receiver if the TV passes 5.1 - I assume you're connecting via HDMI from the B-R - set the TV up to pass the audio all the time, then whether you're watching via antenna, satellite, cable box, computer, or B-R; you never have to change the receiver input.

Plus there is your audio cable - don't need to purchase anything else if you have one of the Macs that passes audio via it's mini displayport.
Just move the optical cable you already have from the B-R to the TV and set the B-R to output it's audio via the HDMI again instead of the optical port.

Okay got the mini toslink to toslink

I've set it up between the mac and the receiver. And I've adjusted the audio setting in the midi utility and the idvd player to pass along digital output. I'm getting dolbly pro logic sound out of the reciever, but when I push the button for 5.1 all goes quiet. Am I missing a setting somewhere?
I still have the blu ray player connected to the receiver via rca cables.

P.S.
Thanks for the help so far, it really nice of you to take the time.

The 5.1 channel button on your receiver changes the input. It is not a button for "recognizing" that 5.1 is coming into the receiver.

It changes the input to the analog 5.1 inputs on the back of the receiver, which, I am assuming, is where you have the Blu-Ray plugged in. So, in essence you're switching the input to your B-R player by pressing that button.

Using the optical input, you should really just be selecting the optical input (with that 5.1 button off) and then either leave the Surround Field turned off to hear exactly what is being received or turn it on and select your desired Genre and Mode of Surround Field.

The 'Normal Surround' setting will play 5.1 as it is being received. This setting will also give you a faux 5.1 when the signal it is receiving is only a 2 channel source. I usually keep my receivers set to this type of setting for default and then adjust to other surround fields as I want something different.

(For more on this, start with page 26 in the manual - I added the link to it in your first post.)

Hey, thanks got it up and running and surround sound "sounds" great. Now I'm wondering... My samsung BD 6500 blu ray player has a netflix app, and I use it a lot but I don't get surround just stereo. Is this due to either netfix or samsung not setup for surround sound or is it a connection issue between player and receiver?

I have not kept up with where Netflix is in the implementation of their streaming service. The last I checked, they're streaming 720p 2 channel. This already requires about a 5Mb/s connection.

There was some talk early last year about adding 1080p, 5.1 and closed captioning in 2010. Whether any of these were added - ????

Am pretty sure they have not added 1080p. If they have added 5.1, I would be fairly certain that it would be a limited selection of the content at this time. Even the 720p selection is fairly limited.

Have to learn to use those Dolby surround modes on your receiver. My Onkyo does a pretty good job at those.

Okay new issue, of course... When playing a blu ray dvd with DTS, I get sporadic distortion in the center speaker. My audio is now running through a optical cable to sony receiver any insights?

I've tested another speaker in its place and distortion still there.