Macbook Pro Audio Output Bug
Hello everyone, there's one important technological thingy that I - and everyone else at NYSMF - discovered about the Macbook Pro laptop computer. The audio output does not work properly when connected to an external amplified speaker.
In past years, I had successfully used my trusty white iBook to present the results of the NYSMF Filmmaking class. Through more than 20 short films, it connected perfectly to the projection system and amplifier, connected to two giant speakers, and had provided huge pleasure and satisfaction as the films played.
With the MacBook Pro last summer, we plugged its audio into the box that connects to the house speakers, pressed "play" ... and got inaudibly low levels from every single quicktime file I played. Even DVDs were affected, and even when a generous parent (thanks again Dawn S.!) did an emergency loan of her later-edition MBP, the same audio bug persisted. The presentation was ruined, and we ran out time and could not troubleshoot it or cobble together a fix quickly enough.
Bizarre and unexpected and for once, I was caught completely without a way to fix a simple technical issue. I had even tested it beforehand and thought it was fine - and then what could go wrong, did.
Since then I have done many internet and Apple support board searches for any other evidence of this bug. Nothing has yet appeared, which is why I posted this here tonight. To anyone planning on using an Apple Macbook Pro to play a film over an amplified loudspeaker system: DON'T DO IT! IT DOES NOT WORK CORRECTLY! YOUR AUDIO WILL BE LOW, SOMEWHAT DISTORTED, AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE IT SOUND RIGHT.
We now return to our regularly scheduled NYSMF blog. Thanks for reading!
--Keisuke
NYSMF Co Founder and Director of Communications
Fearless Squirrelhunter
In past years, I had successfully used my trusty white iBook to present the results of the NYSMF Filmmaking class. Through more than 20 short films, it connected perfectly to the projection system and amplifier, connected to two giant speakers, and had provided huge pleasure and satisfaction as the films played.
With the MacBook Pro last summer, we plugged its audio into the box that connects to the house speakers, pressed "play" ... and got inaudibly low levels from every single quicktime file I played. Even DVDs were affected, and even when a generous parent (thanks again Dawn S.!) did an emergency loan of her later-edition MBP, the same audio bug persisted. The presentation was ruined, and we ran out time and could not troubleshoot it or cobble together a fix quickly enough.
Bizarre and unexpected and for once, I was caught completely without a way to fix a simple technical issue. I had even tested it beforehand and thought it was fine - and then what could go wrong, did.
Since then I have done many internet and Apple support board searches for any other evidence of this bug. Nothing has yet appeared, which is why I posted this here tonight. To anyone planning on using an Apple Macbook Pro to play a film over an amplified loudspeaker system: DON'T DO IT! IT DOES NOT WORK CORRECTLY! YOUR AUDIO WILL BE LOW, SOMEWHAT DISTORTED, AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE IT SOUND RIGHT.
We now return to our regularly scheduled NYSMF blog. Thanks for reading!
--Keisuke
NYSMF Co Founder and Director of Communications
Fearless Squirrelhunter
Labels: audio bug, macbook pro, nysmf filmmaking
posted by NYSMF at
1:59 AM
2 Comments:
Yup, absolutely right. Would love to know what the solution is - I have exactly the same problem! Annoying huh?
By
Anonymous, at 11:20 AM
I have not found any solution, I am afraid, other than possibly going through a USB audio adapter like the Griffin iMic. I researched it extensively in the Apple tech support archives and in various mac sites, like macfixit, and not only did nobody ever report on it, Apple never acknowledged it nor ever silently fixed it with any firmware update. At least not to my knowledge, that is. I gave up using the Macbook Pro for the film presentation, and instead bought a cheap portable DVD player. It works perfectly!
Keisuke
By
NYSMF, at 1:15 AM
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