Speakers and sound configuration tool

[Karoliina Salminen]

Hello,

On Feb 3, 2008 11:06 PM, ttoine at ttoine.net <ttoine at ttoine.net> wrote:
> Very good idea... but is it to the studio devel team to create that ? it
> is a very general ubuntu need, imho.

Yes, in my opinion, it would have very general Ubuntu need. In studio
use I usually use weird connections with jack
and these do not map really to surround system speakers even if there
was a such utility.

However, on general Ubuntu, I would
be very much in the need of that kind of utility, especially it should
provide the basic functionality the similar Win and Mac
provide: selection of amount of speakers and then also the option for
AC-3/digital passthrough (so that the signal always
bypasses any decoder in the computer and just outputs from the SPDIF
to home theater amplifier) and then additionally also level settings
for each channel, that is because home theater amplifiers usually the
5.1 analog input bypasses the amplifier's internal electronics which
sets volumes and delays to speakers. It should also have adjustable
delay for center, and rear and rear center  channels. How this would
be integrated then to Linux audio and video players, is another
question which would need to be solved, otherwise the utility would be
pretty useless.

I have setted the bypass on our Home theater Ubuntu once on xine, but
it is a bit complicated and I haven't been able to replicate it
recently and on the other hand I have been using more mplayer. Haven't
yet found a set of parameters for mplayer how to make the audio output
in digital format as it is from the stream to our Yamaha DSP-A1, the
decoded 2-channel sound is a kind a lame to say at very least. I
haven't been too agressively trying that though since nowadays I also
have the option to play DVDs and Blu-Rays with the Playstation 3 which
outputs the digital signal untouched to the Yamaha and the PS3
upscaler from DVD to HD is a lot nicer than I have seen in any Linux
video player so far. Anyway, I still use the Linux HTPC for videos
that are on the computer, such as for the videos I have created by
myself with a video camera and at least having the digital output
working properly would make me quite happy (I do not use the analog
multi channel output as I have a better decoder in my home theater
amplifier/receiver).

Best Regards,
Karoliina Salminen