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Mac OS X 10.4.5 Fixes PowerBook Stuttering

Ian Hobson - 01:49pm Feb 22, 2006 PST
Guest User

Adam,

I always enjoy tidbits coverage of the mac universe. I'd just like to point out one MAJOR fix in 10.4.5 for just about anyone that has a Powerbook 15" hi-res (ie the last model of the PPC-based Powerbooks). This machine (and I believe it affected EVERY machine produced even if users hadn't noticed it) had a serious problem with audio out (headphone or speakers) of a 5 second or so feedback loop - sometimes called "stuttering". The best way of describing it is if you remember the character Max Headroom from the 80's. Some people had this problem manifest all the time, others less frequently. I, for instance, never had it in iTunes, but had it several times in iChat audio and Skype conferences. It made using any application with audio out a hit-and-miss affair and sometimes embarrassing.

Apple acknowledged the problem in a KB article but was quite vague. It suggested the "solution" was only to run one application that did audio out at a time (not that easy to do in practice on a Mac!). There had been a growing rebellion about this problem and Apple's lack of response at every level (call centre, apple store, genius bar etc).

Fortunately, by all accounts 10.4.5 fixes this problem - those who experienced it frequently have generally reported positively on the discussion boards, and I am not aware of anyone who has said the problem still exists.

The hi-res 15" PB's were the first 15" machines to offer digital audio out (I think the problem may also have affected late-model 17" PB's too). So, the audio out circuitry certainly changed in this model. I wonder if the new MacBook Pro uses the same circuitry? There would have been a real problem for Apple if this issue had surfaced in the MacBook Pro's, and Apple was perhaps fortunate (or perhaps clever) in getting this sorted out on a less-visible product.

Should you wish any further information on this, do let me know, and I can forward discussion links and KB article(s) to you.

Best wishes

Ian

Ian Hobson

Managing Director

emc2

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keesh (apparently) - Feb 27, 2006 9:27 am (#1 Total: 2)

via email

Posts: 6

Re: Mac OS X 10.4.5 Fixes PowerBook Stuttering

I have another audio problem with my new PowerBook G4, running 10.4.5.

Some video players (QuickTime 7.0.4, RealPlayer 10.0, Windows Media
9.0.0) will not play their audio on the internal speakers or head
phone anymore. They only play on my BlueTooth headset. When the
headset is not on, I get an error message and the video stops
(RealPlayer). Other sound applications (VLC video player, iTunes)
have no problems. Needless to say, the Output setting in the Sound
control panel is to "Internal Speakers", not "BTHS" (BlueTooth Headset).
When I have my headset connected and I change the output setting from
"Internal Speakers" to "BTHS" and vice versa, iTunes will follow
suit, but QuickTime will stick to BTHS. It is as if these
applications have a setting that overrule the system setting, but I
can't find it.

The effect is that I can't play a lot of videos anymore, unless I
have a BlueTooth headset connected (and I have to accept low quality
sound, since me headset is a tiny in-ear thing, meant for telephone
conversation, not for music or video).

I have reinstalled the system, applied 10.4.5 again, removed BTHS,
all to no avail. The problem appears to have begun after I installed
VLC 0.8.4.

Kees Huizing

Bert Sonnenschein - Apr 4, 2007 12:32 pm (#2 Total: 2)

Posts: 1

Re: Mac OS X 10.4.5 Fixes PowerBook Stuttering

I have a powerbook G4 17".

I never had any problem for a year.

Now, all of a sudden on start-up the red digital output light comes outof the headphone jack socket. The internal speakers won't work. plugging in the headset works.

Going to Preferences\sound gives me no other device options except for the present, so with nothing connected the window shows: name: digital out - port: internal audio

or with the headphones connected the window shows: name: line out - port: built-in audio

The problem appeared after an aborted iTunes update and/or the connection of a firewire 800 Lacie disk.

Any suggestions?

Bert Sonnenschein

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Mac OS X 10.4.5 Fixes PowerBook Stuttering

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