[mythtv-users] Full alsa sound

[Brent Bolin]

On Mon, Mar 1, 2010 at 6:07 PM, Michael T. Dean <mtdean at thirdcontact.com> wrote:
> On 03/01/2010 06:30 PM, Brent Bolin wrote:
>>
>> On Mon, Mar 1, 2010 at 4:27 PM, Michael T. Dean  wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> On 03/01/2010 05:14 PM, Brent Bolin wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> Hello all.  Was just wondering when setting alsa volume levels why
>>>> mythtv doesn't do all the volume levels.
>>>>
>>>> For example
>>>>
>>>> Master, PCM and Front
>>>>
>>>> Setting master and/or pcm take effect, but front is not adjusted.  To
>>>> get the full volume out of my front ends I need to login and run
>>>> alsamixer and manually set front to get full volume.
>>>>
>>>> Currently using stereo jack on a couple of front ends.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Myth's ALSA audio output support is basically just a (series of?) hack(s)
>>> to
>>> extend the original OSS audio output support and was never fully
>>> developed.
>>>  The fact that the current code presumes that all audio cards have a
>>> Master
>>> and PCM control (which is not true in the case of a large number of
>>> Intel-HDA-based sound cards) is another anachronistic assumption that
>>> should
>>> eventually be fixed with a big refactoring of the audio code.  (Note that
>>> I
>>> did not say a "planned refactoring.")
>>>
>>> Anyone wishing to do said refactoring would make a lot of people happy.
>>
>> This was not meant to be a criticism of any of the development of
>> MythTV only pointing something out.
>>
>
> Right.  I didn't take it as a criticism, but mainly wanted to explain we
> have a lot of old assumptions in the current code that no longer apply to
> ALSA and hardware of today.  Unfortunately, a proper refactoring is a /very/
> difficult proposition--thus the reason it hasn't been done, yet.
>
>> I am enough of a hacker to figure out many unix/linux anomalies.
>>
>> Was just thinking today what a great media center Myth has become in
>> my house hold in the short time I have been using it.
>>
>> It gave me the ability to drop Comcast and only use OTA broadcasts and
>> DVD media.  Saving one bunch of money on recurring billing.
>>
>
> Yeah.  I do the same.  I spend a /lot/ less buying DVD's of the cable-only
> shows I care to watch than I would spend on a cable subscription--and I
> don't have to put up with the cable company and their customer service
> (which, as Mastercard would say, is "priceless").
>
> That said, if you take all the money I've spent on MythTV over the years and
> compare that to the cost of a TiVo w/ subscription for the same time period,
> I'm spending a /lot/ more on my luxury DVR than I would on another DVR
> solution.  Note that this ignores the cost of the cable subscription--which
> is irrelevant to the cost of MythTV.  Whether you use MythTV or not, you
> have the option of "voting with your wallet" against the local cable
> monopoly and choosing to use OTA.  (In other words, OTA instead of cable can
> save you money, but MythTV does not generally save money--and if it's even a
> close comparison, you're probably doing something wrong.  :)

Maybe...  Back end server with (2) HD5500, (1) Dvico FusionHDTV7

Three  ZOTAC ION ITX A frontend using m350 cases

Comcast Xinfinity and beyond... $180.00X12 = $2160 with no movie channels

Hardware is just about already paid for.

>
>> When I explain to people watching my 55 inch HD front end display that
>> it's NOT using cable only OTA broadcasts they ask me "who do you pay?"
>> I say nobody.
>>
>
> Yeah, most of my neighbors think I steal my TV from the Internet because
> they know I know computers...
>
>> I'm 52 years old.  The going notion is "cable" is the only thing there
>> is.  Then I say OTA has been around a lot longer.  And now there is
>> OTA HD.
>>
>
> and they don't realize there are options other than cable and satellite.
>
> Mike
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