[mythtvnz] No HDMI sound output in desktop (Mythtv ok)

[Nick Rout]

On Sun, Jun 15, 2014 at 4:04 PM, Paulgir <paulgir at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>>>>
>>>>> Have you checked to see if there is a mute or low volume control
>>>>> setting in one of the mixers on that channel?  On my laptop, I had to
>>>>> use alsamixer and also a GUI Pulse Audio mixer to make my HDMI audio
>>>>> work.
>>>>>
>>>> Edit:Sorry,typo:
>>>> When I run alsamixer it looks like the volumes for  4 spdif outputs are
>>>> at
>>>> 00 (not MM)
>>>> But I can't increase them as I can with the other outputs.
>>>> Paul
>>>
>>>
>>> 00 is good.  MM means muted.  There should not be a volume control bar
>>> above SPDIF outputs on a mixer as they do not have volume controls.
>>> But of course they are affected by volume controls in the path to
>>> them.  Especially the pesky Pulse Audio - so now you need to install a
>>> Pulse Audio mixer and check that.  Recent versions of Mythbuntu do
>>> install Pulse Audio, although it is not particularly apparent that
>>> they have done it.  I have heard it is possible to uninstall it, but
>>> all I found I needed to do was use its mixer to unmute things and set
>>> the volume settings to maximum.
>>
>>
>>
>> My recommendation sis to get rid of pulse on a media PC. It is just evil.
>
>
> What do you use as an alternative to pulse ,Nick?

alsa provides perfectly good audio capabilities until you want system
sounds or other applications' audio mixed with your myth/xbmc output.
And frankly, for a dedicated media PC, why would you?

Also pulse doesn't do HD audio.