# Does Airport Express = Surround sound for Powerbook



## Ceroc Addict (Sep 29, 2004)

If I send music (and hopefully, in the future, DVD sound) to my external speakers via Airport Express, does that mean I can have surround sound?

(until recently, I was told I could only connect 3 speakers via USB to my Powerbook, unless I got a M-audio gadget)

Kap


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## quiksan (Sep 29, 2004)

i guess it just depends where you're sitting with your pb, in relation to the airport express connected speakers.  but I believe it'll play it how ever you want, through the stereo you're connected to.  Probably a good idea to use the optical audio link cable vs the regular stereo jack though for optimal sound output.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Sep 29, 2004)

Not true surround-sound, since it would just be stereo sound (2 ch.) times 2.


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## lurk (Sep 30, 2004)

ElDiabloConCaca said:
			
		

> Not true surround-sound, since it would just be stereo sound (2 ch.) times 2.



I thought the optical out did 5.1 sound on the express.  Am I wrong?


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Sep 30, 2004)

Ah, yes, lurk, you are correct, I believe.  The only requirement is that the data sent to the Express station would have to be 5.1 encoded, and I believe only Apple's DVD player does that as of now.


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## Pengu (Sep 30, 2004)

most amplifiers/receivers that can play 5.1 will have the option to "re-encode" one or two channel audio into 5.1 as it plays, it's a fairly standard Dolby tool. if you find a software tool to live-convert 2 channel audio to 5.1, I'd be very interested in it.


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## michaelsanford (Sep 30, 2004)

I don't know about DVD Player, since my iBook (only AirPort-ed computer) has no DVD drive but iTunes cuts the local speakers and streams only _either_ to the local speakers or to AirTunes but not to both simultaneously.

In fact, as far as I understand AirTunes, you can stream only form iTunes, not system sounds or any other app. The Apple web site implies this rather strongly--never mentioning anything but iTunes--but like I said, I can't confirm that. http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/airtunes.html

More info (edit): In the AirPort Express documentation ( http://switch.atdmt.com/action/apple_airportexpress_tech_overview ) it makes no meniton of DVD Player and, in fact, makes no mention of Dolby 5.1 or of Surround Sound either :

_"AirPort Express works with iTunes to make listening to your iTunes music library
through your home stereo or powered speakers not only a possibility, but a cinch.
Whether your stereo or powered speakers are located in your living room, bedroom,
or basement, just plug the stereo or speakers into the audio port on the base station
using an audio cable (included in the AirPort Express Stereo Connection Kit, sold
separately), and iTunes automatically detects the connection. When you open iTunes
on your AirPort-enabled Mac or Wi-Fienabled PC, youll see a pop-up menu at the
bottom right of the iTunes window showing your remote speakers. Select it, click Play,
and your stereo becomes the worlds greatest digital jukebox."_


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## nojay (Oct 1, 2004)

At the risk of sounding overly speculative...

I'd think that by using optical audio in the Airport Express hardware, that there may someday be capability for streaming 5.1 sound in a future version of iTunes.  Perhaps an iTMS for classical music will have tracks encoded in a secure codec which can output discrete 5.1 channel sound.  We are limited now IMHO by bandwidth issues and insufficient demand.

Right now, those wonderful companies, Windows and Real, each have ready-for-prime time 5.1 channel audio codecs. </sarcasm>  I believe the open source Ogg Vorbis codec also has multichannel support.

But for now, as Pengu states, the conversion to 5.1 would be through one's amplifier and speaker system, which may not be too bad for most.


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## Pengu (Oct 1, 2004)

AAC (part of MPEG4 don't forget) supports up to 60 odd channels of audio. Apple just don't have an encoder(or decoder?) that will do it. However, ffmpegX (http://homepage.mac.com/major4) supports, amongst other things, encoding a 5.1 AAC file.. I might try it with a song, see what happens when it plays in itunes, etc..


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## JohnDProctor (Oct 2, 2004)

A word of caution!!!

Don't assume future Apple support for a capability that may be inherent in the device but is currently not supported. Support may never happen or worse still support will come with Rev 2 of the device and not be retrospective in its support for earlier products. This has happened many time before.

What you see is what you get. Anything else in the future is a bonus but should not be assumed!


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