Microsofts new way of bashing Linux

[Lee Revell]

On Fri, 2006-06-16 at 10:56 +0800, Michael T. Richter wrote:
> I can play an AC3-encoded movie file on a system with only stereo
> capabilities using any audio/video application because the sound
> system downmixes automagically behind the scene.  Under Linux I have
> to hunt around my various playback applications from movie to movie
> because some files will play under Totem, some under Xine, some under
> VLC, etc. because downmixing is the domain of the application, not the
> "Advanced" sound architecture's.
> 

$ ac3dec --help
Usage: ac3dec <options> [file] [[file]] ...

Available options:
  -h,--help         this help
  -v,--version      print version of this program
  -D,--device=NAME  select PCM by NAME
  -c,--card=ID      select card for bellow modes
  -4,--4ch          four channels mode
  -6,--6ch          six channels mode
  -C,--iec958c      raw IEC958 (S/PDIF) consumer mode
  -P,--iec958p      raw IEC958 (S/PDIF) professional mode
  -R,--iec958r      raw IEC958 (S/PDIF) PCM
  -Z,--zero=#       add # zero-AC3-frames before stream
  -q,--quit         quit mode


> Oh, and in Windows I can plug in my external sound card, set it as the
> default and have 100% of audio go out to it.  In Linux some apps will
> reliably ignore the external sound card and play only into my laptop's
> built-in, some will go reliably out the external and ignore the
> laptop's, some will switch randomly between them and still others will
> just get so hopelessly confused they throw their hands up in disgust
> and dump core.  (To the point that I just gave up on ever using the
> external audio card.) 

System->Preferences->Sound, then use "Default sound card" to select a
device.

If this has no effect on your app, your app is broken.  There's nothing
"Linux" can do about this.

Lee