OS X 10.3.5 and absolutely no sound on DD/DTS DVDs

[Reko]

Uh, hello and sorry if this is a stupid question. I tried to search through the forums for possible cures and I can't believe I'm the only one with this problem, but VLC 0.7 doesn't play any sounds at all if I load up a DVD with digital audio.

I first thought that maybe it was a downconversion thing since I had my mac hooked up to my amp with basic RCA-wiring. Stereo-sound came out ok, but when I tried to play the new Star Wars trilogy I heard nothing. Then I went to the store and bought an optical cable so at least now if there is any DD sound it should be heard, right? wrong!

I closed VLC and tried DVD player for OS X and it played the movie with surround sound and all. The problem with that, though, is the region thing.

To me it seems loads of people on mac use this software specifically to watch movies so it surprised me to face a problem like this. I'm a new mac switcher, 2x2 G5 and I actually tried the 0.8 test first which had the same problem as described above.

[srosonina]

OSX 10.3.5 with 2x2 ghz G5. VLC 0.7.2 Anyone. i have been searching the forums with no luck. thanks!

[WiseWeasel]

This is a G5-specific bug with VLC. Go to the preferences/Modules/audio output/coreaudio section and switch the value there from 0 (or -1) to 1. Then save, quite VLC, and you'll be good to go. If you've already run VLC with the default setting, and it has hosed coreaudio (you no longer get any sound in any app), then you'll need to restart your computer to get audio.

[Reko]

Excellent, thanks WiseWeasel, I'll try that when I get home.

[srosonina]

I tried this last night with no luck. I get audio but it is filled with static. Any ideas? I appreciate your assistance. Thanks!

[srosonina]

I just did a little research and it appears that apple has changed some of its audio core calls in the new G5. Could this be causing the static and poor audio with VLC?

[Reko]

yeah, sad to say, but it didn't work for me either. Apparently the 0 or -1 change to 1 changes the audio device from digital out to built-in (at least for me). At first, after the change, I actually could hear sound (which I didn't previously), but apparently it was downconverted to stereo (audio device read that built-in thing, even though it was clearly going via the optical to my amp). After I change from the built-in (1) setting to digital out (0) I again hear nothing after a weird error message. Changing back to built-in (1) gives me a garbled noise, probably what Srosonina was describing there.

Oh well, I guess we'll have to wait a bit longer and hope it might work in the future. Glad I still have my standalone dvd player

[srosonina]

Reko, I just tried the fix above with VLC 0.8.0. Looks like the core audio calls were fixed with this new version.

[Reko]

ahh, thanks. I'll have to try that. I was under the impression that the 0.8 was a bit unstable in other accounts and that the 0.7 was the current stable version.