[gentoo-user] Smplayer adjusting PCM level in Kmix.

[gentoo-user] Smplayer adjusting PCM level in Kmix.

[Dale]

Howdy,

I've had this problem for a really long time.  I've tried adjusting
settings in Smplayer to stop it but so far, I have not found the magic
combination or option to change.  I don't have pulseaudio here.  Just
Alsa and friends. 

As some know, I use Smplayer to watch TV with.  I use the old dying
Gnome-player to watch other videos on my computer screen and sound
through computer speakers.  I tend to watch fix it videos etc with
Gnome-player.  Anyway, one thing that Smplayer does that annoys me is
each time it starts a new video, from either a fresh start or next video
in the playlist, it adjusts the PCM sound level in Kmix. Usually it
adjusts it down to almost mute.  I've seen it adjust down to 6 and even
2.  Either way, no sound.  I've tried every setting in Smplayer and the
audio section I can find and no matter what, it adjusts the PCM sound
level in Kmix every single time.  It's annoying as heck.  I think I've
looked in every config file that deals with sound.  I've removed or
commented out a lot of volume settings with no change.

Does anyone know if there is a way to tell it to knock it off?  It's
getting so annoying, I'm thinking about abandoning Smplayer.  So far, I
haven't seen any other player do this.  That's why I think it is a
Smplayer setting somewhere.  By the way, Smplayer is set to not change
volume with Kmix or anything else.  I adjust the volume on the TV
itself, with a remote.  One woould think that it bypassing sound control
devices that it would also leave Kmix alone, since it shouldn't even be
going through it anyway. 

Ideas? 

Dale

:-)  :-) 

Re: [gentoo-user] Smplayer adjusting PCM level in Kmix.

[John Covici]

On Sat, 26 Jun 2021 23:52:51 -0400,
Dale wrote:
> 
> Howdy,
> 
> I've had this problem for a really long time.  I've tried adjusting
> settings in Smplayer to stop it but so far, I have not found the magic
> combination or option to change.  I don't have pulseaudio here.  Just
> Alsa and friends. 
> 
> As some know, I use Smplayer to watch TV with.  I use the old dying
> Gnome-player to watch other videos on my computer screen and sound
> through computer speakers.  I tend to watch fix it videos etc with
> Gnome-player.  Anyway, one thing that Smplayer does that annoys me is
> each time it starts a new video, from either a fresh start or next video
> in the playlist, it adjusts the PCM sound level in Kmix. Usually it
> adjusts it down to almost mute.  I've seen it adjust down to 6 and even
> 2.  Either way, no sound.  I've tried every setting in Smplayer and the
> audio section I can find and no matter what, it adjusts the PCM sound
> level in Kmix every single time.  It's annoying as heck.  I think I've
> looked in every config file that deals with sound.  I've removed or
> commented out a lot of volume settings with no change.
> 
> Does anyone know if there is a way to tell it to knock it off?  It's
> getting so annoying, I'm thinking about abandoning Smplayer.  So far, I
> haven't seen any other player do this.  That's why I think it is a
> Smplayer setting somewhere.  By the way, Smplayer is set to not change
> volume with Kmix or anything else.  I adjust the volume on the TV
> itself, with a remote.  One woould think that it bypassing sound control
> devices that it would also leave Kmix alone, since it shouldn't even be
> going through it anyway. 
> 
> Ideas? 
Does the same happen with mpv?   I never use mplayer anymore.

-- 
Your life is like a penny.  You're going to lose it.  The question is:
How do
you spend it?

         John Covici wb2una
         covici@ccs.covici.com

Re: [gentoo-user] Smplayer adjusting PCM level in Kmix.

[Michael]

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On Sunday, 27 June 2021 10:54:46 BST John Covici wrote:
> On Sat, 26 Jun 2021 23:52:51 -0400,
> 
> Dale wrote:
> > Howdy,
> > 
> > I've had this problem for a really long time.  I've tried adjusting
> > settings in Smplayer to stop it but so far, I have not found the magic
> > combination or option to change.  I don't have pulseaudio here.  Just
> > Alsa and friends. 
> > 
> > As some know, I use Smplayer to watch TV with.  I use the old dying
> > Gnome-player to watch other videos on my computer screen and sound
> > through computer speakers.  I tend to watch fix it videos etc with
> > Gnome-player.  Anyway, one thing that Smplayer does that annoys me is
> > each time it starts a new video, from either a fresh start or next video
> > in the playlist, it adjusts the PCM sound level in Kmix. Usually it
> > adjusts it down to almost mute.  I've seen it adjust down to 6 and even
> > 2.  Either way, no sound.  I've tried every setting in Smplayer and the
> > audio section I can find and no matter what, it adjusts the PCM sound
> > level in Kmix every single time.  It's annoying as heck.  I think I've
> > looked in every config file that deals with sound.  I've removed or
> > commented out a lot of volume settings with no change.
> > 
> > Does anyone know if there is a way to tell it to knock it off?  It's
> > getting so annoying, I'm thinking about abandoning Smplayer.  So far, I
> > haven't seen any other player do this.  That's why I think it is a
> > Smplayer setting somewhere.  By the way, Smplayer is set to not change
> > volume with Kmix or anything else.  I adjust the volume on the TV
> > itself, with a remote.  One woould think that it bypassing sound control
> > devices that it would also leave Kmix alone, since it shouldn't even be
> > going through it anyway. 
> > 
> > Ideas? 
> 
> Does the same happen with mpv?   I never use mplayer anymore.

Also, does setting the volume with SMplayer itself at a certain level, rather 
than Kmix, make it stick?

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Re: [gentoo-user] Smplayer adjusting PCM level in Kmix.

[Dale]

Michael wrote:
> On Sunday, 27 June 2021 10:54:46 BST John Covici wrote:
>> On Sat, 26 Jun 2021 23:52:51 -0400,
>>
>> Dale wrote:
>>> Howdy,
>>>
>>> I've had this problem for a really long time.  I've tried adjusting
>>> settings in Smplayer to stop it but so far, I have not found the magic
>>> combination or option to change.  I don't have pulseaudio here.  Just
>>> Alsa and friends. 
>>>
>>> As some know, I use Smplayer to watch TV with.  I use the old dying
>>> Gnome-player to watch other videos on my computer screen and sound
>>> through computer speakers.  I tend to watch fix it videos etc with
>>> Gnome-player.  Anyway, one thing that Smplayer does that annoys me is
>>> each time it starts a new video, from either a fresh start or next video
>>> in the playlist, it adjusts the PCM sound level in Kmix. Usually it
>>> adjusts it down to almost mute.  I've seen it adjust down to 6 and even
>>> 2.  Either way, no sound.  I've tried every setting in Smplayer and the
>>> audio section I can find and no matter what, it adjusts the PCM sound
>>> level in Kmix every single time.  It's annoying as heck.  I think I've
>>> looked in every config file that deals with sound.  I've removed or
>>> commented out a lot of volume settings with no change.
>>>
>>> Does anyone know if there is a way to tell it to knock it off?  It's
>>> getting so annoying, I'm thinking about abandoning Smplayer.  So far, I
>>> haven't seen any other player do this.  That's why I think it is a
>>> Smplayer setting somewhere.  By the way, Smplayer is set to not change
>>> volume with Kmix or anything else.  I adjust the volume on the TV
>>> itself, with a remote.  One woould think that it bypassing sound control
>>> devices that it would also leave Kmix alone, since it shouldn't even be
>>> going through it anyway. 
>>>
>>> Ideas? 
>> Does the same happen with mpv?   I never use mplayer anymore.
> Also, does setting the volume with SMplayer itself at a certain level, rather 
> than Kmix, make it stick?


This is weird.  The way Smplayer is set, the volume thingy doesn't do
anything.  Basically, it goes from video directly to the TV.  That said,
I went and set it to like half way and I've been playing videos all
night and some today, other than when I was on a roof painting.  So far,
the volume has stuck to what it is set to in Smplayer, even tho the
volume thingy is disabled.  I'm confused.  Why is something that is
disabled in Smplayer changing Kmix???  It works so I'm not complaining. :-D

I took pics of my freshly painted roof, shop not house. Now my phone
won't pop up in the notifier 'do dad' when I plug it up.  I can't mount
it or even get it to see it even tho I allow it to connect on the phone
screen.  It worked a few weeks ago.  May have to get my hammer.  ROFL

Thanks for the idea.  I would never have thought to try that.  It has
been annoying me for months maybe even a year. 

Dale

:-)  :-)

[gentoo-user] Re: Smplayer adjusting PCM level in Kmix.

[Grant Edwards]

On 2021-06-27, Dale <rdalek1967@gmail.com> wrote:

> one thing that Smplayer does that annoys me is each time it starts a
> new video, from either a fresh start or next video in the playlist,
> it adjusts the PCM sound level in Kmix.

I still use mplayer a lot, and it doesn't do that. Whenver I start
mplayer the volume is always whereever I left it last.

--
Grant

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Smplayer adjusting PCM level in Kmix.

[Dale]

Grant Edwards wrote:
> On 2021-06-27, Dale <rdalek1967@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> one thing that Smplayer does that annoys me is each time it starts a
>> new video, from either a fresh start or next video in the playlist,
>> it adjusts the PCM sound level in Kmix.
> I still use mplayer a lot, and it doesn't do that. Whenver I start
> mplayer the volume is always whereever I left it last.
>
> --
> Grant

I think it is a Smplayer bug.  The idea Michael had worked.  I don't
understand why but it worked. 

I thought mplayer was supposed to be the big dog in video players. I
recall slightly there being a debate about it but I thought mplayer won
the day.  Am I wrong or has things changed since then??

Dale

:-)  :-)

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Smplayer adjusting PCM level in Kmix.

[Michael]

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On Sunday, 27 June 2021 19:33:46 BST Dale wrote:
> Grant Edwards wrote:
> > On 2021-06-27, Dale <rdalek1967@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> one thing that Smplayer does that annoys me is each time it starts a
> >> new video, from either a fresh start or next video in the playlist,
> >> it adjusts the PCM sound level in Kmix.
> > 
> > I still use mplayer a lot, and it doesn't do that. Whenver I start
> > mplayer the volume is always whereever I left it last.
> > 
> > --
> > Grant
> 
> I think it is a Smplayer bug.  The idea Michael had worked.  I don't
> understand why but it worked. 

From what you described, 'something' was reverting audio to a preset volume 
level.  If it wasn't kmix's desktop setting, I assumed it would be application 
specific.


> I thought mplayer was supposed to be the big dog in video players. I
> recall slightly there being a debate about it but I thought mplayer won
> the day.  Am I wrong or has things changed since then??

Random linky says mpv is better:

https://www.slant.co/versus/13972/13973/~mplayer_vs_mpv

From what I recall mplayer doesn’t support VAAPI for hardware acceleration, 
but I moved from mplayer to mpv quite a few years now and have not kept up 
with mplayer's development.  As a matter of fact I had to check mplayer was 
still in portage!  :-)

Anyway, better informed chattering users express their views here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/archlinux/comments/43ky44/
mplayer_mplayer2_mpv_which_one_is_your_choice_and/

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Smplayer adjusting PCM level in Kmix.

[Dale]

Michael wrote:
> On Sunday, 27 June 2021 19:33:46 BST Dale wrote:
>
>> I thought mplayer was supposed to be the big dog in video players. I
>> recall slightly there being a debate about it but I thought mplayer won
>> the day.  Am I wrong or has things changed since then??
> Random linky says mpv is better:
>
> https://www.slant.co/versus/13972/13973/~mplayer_vs_mpv
>
> From what I recall mplayer doesn’t support VAAPI for hardware acceleration, 
> but I moved from mplayer to mpv quite a few years now and have not kept up 
> with mplayer's development.  As a matter of fact I had to check mplayer was 
> still in portage!  :-)
>
> Anyway, better informed chattering users express their views here:
>
> https://www.reddit.com/r/archlinux/comments/43ky44/
> mplayer_mplayer2_mpv_which_one_is_your_choice_and/

When gnome-player finally stops working, I'll switch.  I'm afraid to
switch right now because it may break gnome-player.  It may not even
compile anymore basically.  I'm testing other players but all of them
have their cons, which annoys me.  I'm a creature of habit.

Thanks for the info.  At least now I know. 

Dale

:-)  :-)