Using your Mac as a Home Theater PC (HTPC) is a relatively simple process. Simply connect your Mac to your HDTV and sit down to watch your favorite movies or TV shows. However, some users may not know that they can configure their Mac for surround sound. Here's how to set up your Mac to take advantage of surround sound in movies and TV shows.

A Mac computer can output AC3 files, the file format used for Dolby Digital, directly to its optical audio output. Macs can also output surround sound over an HDMI connection, and can even use AirPlay to send surround information to an Apple TV.

The process can be as simple as connecting an AV receiver with surround sound decoders or connecting an Apple TV to an AV receiver.

Before you get started, however, you'll need to configure a few settings on your Mac, depending on whether your source material comes from iTunes, a DVD player, the VLC media player, an AppleTV, or other options.