[mythtv] [mythtv-commits] Ticket #4222: Update MythMusic to continue playing in the background after exiting it.

[Colin Guthrie]

Rob Smith wrote:
> On Dec 2, 2007 1:34 PM, Colin Guthrie <mythtv at colin.guthr.ie> wrote:
>> Something like pulseaudio as an underlying layer would relegate this to
>> system setup rather than having to worry about it specifically in Myth,
>> tho' I guess that would only apply on linux.... (not sure how it would
>> work on windows and not aware of any pulse dev on OSX).
> 
> Personally, I think requring a specific sound server (or any sound
> server) isn't something we should consider. I don't run any sound
> servers, as my cards have hardware mixing, and there's no point in
> running a sound server.

Without going into it on this list, there are many advantages to using
e.g. pulseaudio underneath. I have my frontend connected up to my
amp+speakers. If I'm on my laptop and I want to play tunes in e.g.
amarok or something on my hifi, rather than fiddle about with the AUX
cable I can just tunnel my laptop's pulseserver to my frontend's pulse
server and switch my amarok stream to the frontends sound output! You
don't even need to stop playing, it can all switch when "live".

Most of this happens automagically with zeroconf and a (admittedly not
perfect) UI.

Another use would be if you want to output to e.g. a PCI sound card
*and* a USB sound system simultaneously.

So while hardware mixing is great, there are still some cases where you
may want to run a sound server.

Food for thought, even if it really is off-topic for this list.

Col

-- 

+------------------------+
|     Colin Guthrie      |
+------------------------+
| myth(at)colin.guthr.ie |
| http://colin.guthr.ie/ |
+------------------------+