[mythtv-users] Volume difference between sources: is there a way to fix it?

[Michael T. Dean]

Ben Giddings wrote:

>Related to this, there's the difference between volume for recorded content 
>and "MythVideo" files.
>
>If I set the playback volume for recorded content to 90% (so I have room to 
>both raise and lower it).  When I start a video, it seems to start with 
>the same sound level, but mplayer is started with its volume at 100%, so I 
>can only lower it from there.  I think what's happening is that the volume 
>I set in TV playback in Myth is setting some mixer level, and that mixer 
>level is preserved when I start mplayer, but mplayer's internal volume 
>control doesn't use the same mixer.
>
>It would be great if there were an easy way to have them both share a 
>mixer, or if that isn't possible, to get the same result another way (i.e. 
>start mplayer at 90% volume, but restore the mixer that Myth recordings 
>playback affects to 100% before starting).
>
>Any ideas?
>  
>
I set my Master to 90%, use /dev/mixer with mixer controls PCM, so when 
I use the volume button, I change the PCM volume. I chose this approach 
because xine and MPlayer both default to using mixer controls PCM (so 
I'm changing the same volume regardless of application).

By default, xine and MPlayer both "pick up" the volume at which the 
mixer was left by the previously-used program (and will actually notice 
if another program changes the mixer while MPlayer or xine is running; 
Myth, on the other hand, does not notice changes).  It's possible to set 
xine and MPlayer to "remember" a volume and always start with that volume.

Check the prefs for MPlayer to see if you have it set to always start at 
100% and make sure that you're using the same mixer in Myth and 
MPlayer.  If you want MPlayer to start at a lower volume than Myth, just 
tell it what volume to use.  Sounds like you have Myth set to use Master 
and MPlayer is using PCM, so volume confusion ensues...

Mike