Can I send audio from OS X to Windows over the LAN?

I'm sharing my keyboard and mouse from my Windows 7 desktop to my OS X laptop with Synergy, which is great.

I wear headphones all day, and often don't notice things happening on my laptop because I don't look over at it for several minutes. So, the next thing I'd love to do is to have the audio from my (OS X) laptop play via my (Win7) desktop, so I can hear it through my headphones.

I know I could go get an audio cable and connect the headphones-out on the laptop to the line-in on the desktop, but I'd like to get it working over the network if possible. Is anyone aware of a way to do this?

Adam Tuttle

Posted 2009-09-09T18:35:19.013

Reputation: 697

Answers

Hah, ok, just for grins I'm going to throw this answer up.

I recently purchased a headphone splitter [amazon.com] that just so happens to also allow multiple inputs (for an upcoming plane trip); so if I plug both computers into it, and a pair of headphones, I should get the desired result. This still requires an audio cable, so doing line-out to line-in would be less clutter on my desk, but I had a laugh when I realized I could do it. :)

Adam Tuttle

Posted 2009-09-09T18:35:19.013

Reputation: 697

Selecting this as the accepted answer since it seems to be the only way to accomplish what I wanted (and I'm still using this method over a year later). – Adam Tuttle – 2010-10-13T15:16:13.580

VLC can both serve and receive streams of any media it's capable of decoding. However, the missing piece of the puzzle is a way to get it to record the audio on the computer it's running on (i.e. your Mac).

Brant Bobby

Posted 2009-09-09T18:35:19.013

Reputation: 2 186

I think you mean to record the OS X computer. I want playback on Win7. But yeah... – Adam Tuttle – 2009-09-09T19:25:19.597

okay this is going to sound so stupid...

since Mac supports VNC remote control... why not you just use Synergy AND VNC to connect to the Mac at the same time?

Synergy provides you a seamless way of inputting on both terminals... and VNC allows you to transfer audio! So, just minimize the VNC client (connected to the mac and transferring audio) on the Windows PC - you will still hear the audio, and everything still works as per normal.

Idea?

EDIT : just tried Chicken of the VNC on my Windows machine to my Mac - no audio. Apparently the VNC protocol doesn't support audio. Sorry, mate.

caliban

Posted 2009-09-09T18:35:19.013

Reputation: 18 979

That's weird... I doubt the VNC protocol doesn't support audio at all. It's possible to play sounds via RDC between Windows machines. – alex – 2009-09-09T19:03:30.610

That's what I thought too!! And then I found this out... it actually means that Apple has an inferior feature to Windows!! Alex, the world's gonna end, we are doomed!! :) – caliban – 2009-09-09T19:06:33.490

I don't know about you, but I'm writing this from my atomic bomb proof shelter. – alex – 2009-09-09T19:14:48.760

Well, if you can't log on SuperUser.com tomorrow, you'd probably know what happened. ;P – caliban – 2009-09-09T19:18:56.600

I'd start the servers manually (if there were anything left of them), and I'd still get on superuser :) – alex – 2009-09-09T19:22:48.993

And I guess you are gonna ask the questions... and answer them yourself too eh? :) Have fun with that! – caliban – 2009-09-09T19:24:52.517

Think of all the points I could make! Wow :)) – alex – 2009-09-09T19:34:14.260

Think of all the people who would see your 1 million+ reputation and worship you as God!! Oh snap... there won't be any people left... – caliban – 2009-09-09T19:46:00.773

I'd still be number one :). Although you'd probably still find a way beat me, having 1 million + 1 :) – alex – 2009-09-09T20:41:36.340