[jmarshall]

Hi all,

A few of us have been looking at unifying the OSX audio path with the rest of our platforms. It's now in a place where we need some wider testing.

EDIT: This has now been merged into master. All Gotham builds from 22 February 2014 onwards contain this code. Nightlies are available here:

OSX: http://mirrors.xbmc.org/nightlies/osx/
iOS/ATV2: http://mirrors.xbmc.org/nightlies/darwin/


NOTES

1. HD-audio bitstreaming will not work with these builds, just like it won't with any other OSX app. It is not possible to bitstream TrueHD or DTS-MA under OSX, as CoreAudio doesn't provide the key ingredients needed for the HDMI signal to pass a compressed HD bistream. This isn't really a problem though - XBMC will simply decode these formats and pass them losslessly as LPCM to your receiver anyway. This has the benefit that the decoding is done on the same machine that handles the decoding of the video which means there is less likely to be audio-video sync issues.

2. This supports bitstreaming of AC3 and DTS, and possibly also E-AC3 (aka dolby digital plus), assuming you have suitable hardware.

Please try it out.

If everything works like it should
You don't have to respond, but if you'd like to (it's always nice to hear when stuff works ) then feel free to post that everything works for you. When you do, please state your machine (e.g. MBP 2012) and how you were listening/any connections involved (e.g. Built in speakers, Headphones, Receiver via HDMI, TV via HDMI, TV via analog, Receiver via optical etc.) No need for debug logs or anything like that.

If something doesn't work
Please post clear details with:
1. Your hardware (Mac, connection type (headphones/Built in audio/HDMI/Analog/Optical), and what it's hooked up to (receiver, TV, headphones etc.)
2. Your settings (System->Audio) - make sure you switch the settings level to Advanced to see them all (use Confluence!)
3. A Debug Log of you playing something (particularly if what you play doesn't work). Provide the log through pastebin.com or xbmclogs.com and place the link here. Please do not post snippets.

Thanks for flying XBMC,
Jonathan

[woundedgoat]

Hi Guys,


Just a quick question, I run XBMC on my rMBP and on a Mac Mini. I bootcamp the Mini on my TV so I can get DTSHD etc.

Will I be able to play HD Audio on OSX with this build?

Thanks

Simon

[tripkip]

Just to be clear: you want all testers to post debug logs regardless of any issues or no issues at all?

[yobder]

I am getting very little volume, my system is turned up all the way.

MacBook Air-----> HDMI---------> Denon AVR 1912----------->HDMI---------> SAMSUNG TV UN55D5000

http://pastebin.com/n5cUJ43r[/code]

[JustinAiken]

Do you only need feedback for people with receivers? Or do you need feedback on laptop speakers/USB soundcards/Thunderbolt display?

[pmowry911]

Saw the request on google+. I don't usually run XBMC on a mac but let me know what I can do to help.
1. Your hardware (Mac, connection type to receiver, receiver).
Macbook Pro Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013. Just internal speakers for now. But I have a USB Plantronics headset somewhere and I'll be able to plug it in to a amp using the headset out later. I can try HDMI to a TV and a cheap surround sound system later as well.

2. Your settings (System->Audio) - make sure you switch to Advanced to see them all.
I usually run XBMC on Linux, So just the default settings here.
Built-in Output / 2.0 / Optimized / Normalize levels selected / Medium / 1 Minute / Only when Playback stopped

3. http://xbmclogs.com/show.php?id=126026 , Playing MP3 files from an SMB share. I jumped around a little bet and then let if flow from one to another on its own with no issues. Maybe I can find some creative commons files in formats your more interested in.

[Memphiz]

Let me read and translate this for you guys ...

Note that you should DISABLE passthrough of the HD audio formats (E-AC3, TrueHD, DTS-MA) as not doing so may result in whitenoise or similar being output when you try and play those formats. Feel free to try them once you've tested it with them off, but I don't think it'll work (it doesn't work here at least!)

Means - no HD Audio is not supposed to work with this - but feel free to try it out (maybe on low volume to be sure to not blow anything up).

... (particularly if what you play doesn't work).

Means we are interested in log files in the error case. (no point in posting logs when everything is going ok for you)

I am getting very little volume, my system is turned up all the way.

MacBook Air-----> HDMI---------> Denon AVR 1912----------->HDMI---------> SAMSUNG TV UN55D5000

http://pastebin.com/n5cUJ43r

You forgot to post your xbmc settings as requested in point 2. - i guess you already turned up the xbmc volume by hitting "+"

@all please if you post logs ensure that you turn off any database scanning when recording the log because this makes reading the log a bit of a time consuming task

[yobder]

guess you already turned up the xbmc volume by hitting "+"

HaHaHa ... Oohps! fixed thanks.

[yobder]

guess you already turned up the xbmc volume by hitting "+"

HaHaHa ... Oohps! fixed thanks.

2. Your settings (System->Audio) - make sure you switch to Advanced to see them all.

I don't see Advanced Settings.

[jmarshall]

If all works well, then a simple "works for me using <machine> connected to <whatever> via <method>" post suffices. i.e. "MBP with built-in speakers works", "MBP with headphones, all good", "MBP hooked up to TV via HDMI works!", "Mac mini into receiver via HDMI works!", "Mac mini hooked up to old-school receiver via optical works!" etc.

If it doesn't, we need to know the extra details and need the debuglogs. Bitstreamed "HD audio" will not work as the OS doesn't allow it and the tricks we're using for passthrough of plain AC3/DTS don't work as the HDMI spec requires special sauce which CoreAudio doesn't provide. We can't do anything about that until Apple decides to allow it in CoreAudio. As soon as they do we'll be on it.

I'll clean up the build so that the stuff that is impossible to bitstream on OSX is disabled to save the questions

In the meantime, any and all testing for stuff that might go wrong would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,
Jonathan

[jmarshall]

@yobder: In Confluence on any settings page, on the left under the subcategories there's "Settings Level". By default it'll be "Standard". There's a few more settings available when you switch it to "Advanced". That's it.

Jonathan

[ghostelement]

Works good for me on a current gen Macbook Air 13". Tested DTS and Dolby Digital with onboard speakers.

[giuseppe]

Works good on a MacBook 13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008 with OSX 10.9.1 with built-in speakers.

[moemoe]

Macbook Pro Mid 2012, 2.3 Ghz i7, OSX 10.9.1. Audio works well on internal speakers, head phones, and hdmi (direct to a monitor, do not have a receiver to test with).

The only thing I noticed, and I do not know if this qualifies as a bug, was that XBMC did not show the HDMI option unless the HDMI was plugged in before starting up XBMC, and vice versa the HDMI did not go away if the cable was unplugged after XBMC was started.

I could not quite figure out the AirPlay option (i have a 2 APexpress thingies in the network), but then again that may not be what you are looking for here.

[Memphiz]

The only thing I noticed, and I do not know if this qualifies as a bug, was that XBMC did not show the HDMI option unless the HDMI was plugged in before starting up XBMC, and vice versa the HDMI did not go away if the cable was unplugged after XBMC was started.

This is a "bug" but there will be a fix for it soon (its about recognizing changed devices and will also fix issues when switching of the TV or switching inputs of the amp where atm sound gets lost). So this sort of issues are known - and we also know how to fix them once ActiveAE supports some needed bits for it.

So you can skip issues which are related to plugging in cables or pulling out cables or switching inputs or switching power off for involved devices - at least for now until the code is complete in that direction (we will inform you when this happens - and then ONLY THEN we will want you to plug cables like hell ).