LinHES Forums
http://forums.linhes.org/

Streamzap audio control nonfunctional
http://forums.linhes.org/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=24773
Page 1 of 1

Author:  mbliss [ Mon Jul 09, 2018 12:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Streamzap audio control nonfunctional

After re-installing the current version of LinHES, the audio control from the Streamzap remote is no longer functional. Pressing "Mute" toggles "Mute On" and "Mute Off" on the screen, but there is no effect on the volume. Similarly, when pressing the "+" or "-" keys, a volume bar appears on the screen, but the volume stays the same. Audio tests in setup work as expected.

In "Key Bindings," if I select "Music" in the Context menu, then MUTE on the right, press the Mute key after "set binding," I get the message that that conflicts with the Mute binding under the Music context. Other keys seem to work as expected: we use the pause key when a commercial comes on, wait a bit, unpause and then skip through the commercial to get back to the program.

And pacman -Syu says there is nothing to do ...

Author:  knappster [ Mon Jul 09, 2018 2:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Streamzap audio control nonfunctional

Based on your description, it doesn't sound like the streamzap is at fault. Mythtv is getting the keypresses, but it is not having the desired effect. Have you double-checked whether your audio is setup to passthrough? I have a streamzap, but I use a universal remote, so the volume goes straight to the sound system instead. However, I thought that when I was using the streamzap remote that I saw the same behavior because mythtv wasn't processing the audio, it was set to passthrough over SPDIF or HDMI or whatever.

https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Configuring ... udio_Mixer

Author:  mbliss [ Mon Jul 09, 2018 7:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Streamzap audio control nonfunctional

Not sure what you mean by "passthrough." On the Audio setup, I don't see the mixer controls. If I run alsamixer from a terminal, I can adjust the volume, but those controls don't appear in the MythTV Audio setup. Other odd behavior is that if I change the sound card in setup, the test works as expected, but after a "save and exit" when I reenter setup, the test says the card is not available. Guess I need to consult the logs, but not sure which one.

Author:  knappster [ Wed Jul 11, 2018 7:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Streamzap audio control nonfunctional

Audio configuration has probably changed a lot since I last used the internal volume controls of mythtv. What I am trying to convey is that there are settings that will allow digital audio to pass through hardware without being processed in software. I believe to get DTS and Dolby Digital, etc., it will ignore the internal volume controls.

Per the link I sent you:
Mixer Device
ALSA:default
Setting the mixer device to "software" lets MythTV control the volume of all audio at the expense of a slight quality loss.
Options are ALSA:default and software. Do not use software when using digital output.

Can you provide some details about how your audio is connected to your computer and what your audio settings are? Also what content are you recording/watching with which tuner? If it's HD I am assuming audio will be digital, but SD may not be. It sounds like you would want your mixer device to be software if you want to control all volume with mythtv.

Author:  mbliss [ Wed Jul 11, 2018 11:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Streamzap audio control nonfunctional

This is a relatively primitive setup: analog audio from the plugs on the motherboard. Content is OTA programming only, nothing fancy ;-)

Author:  mbliss [ Thu Jul 12, 2018 7:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Streamzap audio control nonfunctional

Here are a few relevant (?) lines from the mythfrontend log when I select the audio card in MythTV>Setup>Audio and give it a test

Code:
I CoreContext audio/audiooutputbase.cpp:823 (Reconfigure) AOBase: Opening audio device 'sysdefault:CARD=NVidia' ch 2(2) sr 48000 sf signed 32 bit reenc 0
W CoreContext audio/audiooutputalsa.cpp:775 (SetParameters) ALSA: Requested 500000us got 341333 buffer time
W CoreContext audio/audiooutputalsa.cpp:243 (IncPreallocBufferSize) ALSA: Try to manually increase audio buffer with: echo 6016 | sudo tee /proc/asound/card0/pcm0p/sub0/prealloc
E CoreContext audio/audiooutputalsa.cpp:915 (OpenMixer) ALSA: failed to register mixer device /dev/mixer: No such file or directory
E CoreContext audio/audiooutputalsa.cpp:498 (OpenDevice) ALSA: Unable to open audio mixer. Volume control disabled


and I haven't a clue what to do about it ....

Author:  knappster [ Thu Jul 12, 2018 9:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Streamzap audio control nonfunctional

What do you have selected for an audio device and what is your sound card? If you're not outputting audio over hdmi, then I'm not sure that it should be selecting an nvidia audio output:

Quote:
Opening audio device 'sysdefault:CARD=NVidia'


Are you able to select master instead of pcm for the mixer controls?

Author:  mbliss [ Fri Jul 13, 2018 12:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Streamzap audio control nonfunctional

Nvidia is the motherboard sound "card" and no mixer controls appear in audio setup. There may be some confusion here because there is an HDMI card in the audio devices listed, but I think that would be the video card, and the attached monitor has no sound capabilities. I don't have a monitor with built-in speakers to test that, either. With the HDMI card selected as the audio output, I still get the same error in the log file. It seems strange that it says
Code:
failed to register mixer device /dev/mixer: No such file or directory

even though I can launch alsamixer from a terminal. And I can see that /dev/mixer does exist.

Author:  TVBox [ Fri Jul 13, 2018 2:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Streamzap audio control nonfunctional

Audio default used to be analog out now it is HDMI.
I assume you are using the pale green jack on your sound card to output analog to a set of powered stereo speakers.

Service Menu / LinHES Settings / Audio
you need to choose a Sound Card Driver -> Alsa
you need to choose a Default Device -> Analog

Service Menu / Mythtv Settings / Setup / Audio / Audio Output Device
you need to choose a Audio Output Device with the word ALSA and front in it.
mine would be ALSA:front:CARD=Nvidia,DEV=0 yours will be different
(There would be less confusion if they just called it 2.0 instead of front.)

Service Menu / Mythtv Settings / Setup / Audio / Speaker Configuration
you need to choose a Speaker Configuration -> Stereo

Service Menu / Mythtv Settings / Setup / Audio / Use Internal Volume Controls
enable Use Internal Volume Controls
and then arrow over to the right
Mixer Device -> Alsa:Default
Mixer Control -> PCM
Master Mixer Volume -> 100
PCM Mixer Volume -> 50

Note: on the Mythtv Settings
Press enter to make a change on that line.
Arrow back to the left to accept a change you have made on that line.
Arrow back to the left one more time to be prompted to save all changes in that menu.
If you go back to check your changes and they have not been made this is where you are screwing up.

Unmute Alsamixer volume controls. ( Alsamixer outputs are muted by default)
Alt+X (enter Command Line program)
su (to enter super user)
alsamixer

(arrow right and left to choose and m to toggle mute)
( Unmute Master, PCM and Front)
( I mute S/PDIF and S/PDIF D)

esc (to exit program and save changes)
Ctrl+d (to exit out of super user)
Ctrl+d (to exit Command Line program)

I know you don't need all of this it is just my ADD kicking in.

Author:  mbliss [ Fri Jul 13, 2018 11:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Streamzap audio control nonfunctional

Quote:
and then arrow over to the right
Mixer Device -> Alsa:Default


Ahhh, voila, many thanks for your ADD, that did the trick! Mixer Device had been set to /dev/mixer and that was apparently the problem, I had missed the arrow over part. Hard to find all of these nested menus....

Author:  knappster [ Sat Jul 14, 2018 5:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Streamzap audio control nonfunctional

Thanks for stepping in tvbox. I knew it was something in that menu, but it has been so long since I've used analog audio that I just couldn't determine what.

Page 1 of 1 All times are UTC - 6 hours
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/