PulseAudio
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Outline
In the past, XBMC had immense problems with users not getting audio, because they had a full blown Ubuntu Desktop environment with pulseaudio installed. Pulseaudio blocked the specific device required, and audio playback only worked reliably when using the virtual pulse device. Our workaround for those users was to uninstall pulseaudio. This of course broke complete Desktop audio for these users.
- We wanted this situation to change with XBMC Gotham releases.
Gotham addition: Users that run a normal Ubuntu Desktop and just use xbmc for normal video / audio playback while also wanting Audio in parallel in their browser or pause xbmc, run a game or rhythmbox / skype or whatever, they can now use our new PulseAudio Sink when using nightly and newer XBMC Gotham builds..
Introduction
The pulseaudio sink automatically detects if pulseAudio is running and so assumes that the user, has installed pulseaudio and also want to use pulseaudio.
This pulseaudio sink is also able to do AC3, DTS and EAC3 passthrough. Alternatively it can be configured to be a 7.1 or 5.1 output device which is then a PCM multichannel - This is an exclusive. Or pulseaudio only provides AC3, DTS, EAC3 when it is configured to run with 2.0 channels (which is the default on every Desktop).
Pulseaudio Format support
Pulseaudio is also limited to what passthought formats it supports.
Passthrough Support Audio formats Supported Limitations AC3 Yes No DTS Yes No DD+/E-AC3 Yes No DTS-HD No Yes TrueHD No Yes
Setup
Passthrough
In order to activate Passthrough Codecs, just setup pavucontrol, as in the following:
Note: Ubuntu 13.10 has a bug and passthrough might sound like noise, if you are affected only disabling passthrough helps. This is a distribution bug (OpenELEC, Arch, Debian, OpenSUSE works with the same code)
Multichannel
To alternatively configure Multi channel, do the following:
Example setup in xbmc for Pulseaudio
XBMC Settings | PC Speakers (2.0) |
PC Speakers (5.1) |
TV | AVR SPDIF | AVR HDMI ★ |
AVR HDMI ★★ |
SPDIF AC3 support |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Audio Output | Analog | Analog | Analog | Optical/Coaxial | HDMI | HDMI | SPDIF |
Speaker configuration | 2.0 | 5.1 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 5.1 | 7.1 | 2.0 |
Boost volume level on downmix | Enabled | Enabled | Enabled | Enabled | Enabled | Enabled | Enabled |
Stereo upmix | Disabled | Disabled | Disabled | Disabled | Enabled | Enabled | Enabled |
Dolby Digital (AC3) capable receiver | N/A | N/A | N/A | Enabled | Disabled | Disabled | Enabled |
Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC3) capable receiver | N/A | N/A | N/A | Enabled | Disabled | Disabled | Enabled |
DTS capable receiver | N/A | N/A | N/A | Enabled | Disabled | Disabled | Enabled |
TrueHD capable receiver | N/A | N/A | N/A | Disabled | Disabled | Disabled | Disabled |
DTS-HD capable receiver | N/A | N/A | N/A | Disabled | Disabled | Disabled | Disabled |
Linux / OSX - Output Device Settings | |||||||
Audio output device | Speakers | Speakers | SPDIF/HDMI | SPDIF | HDMI | HDMI | SPDIF |
Passthrough output device | N/A | N/A | N/A | SPDIF | HDMI | HDMI | SPDIF |
★ Where AVR has HDMI inputs. No Passthrough can be selected when Multichannel is enabled...
★★ Where AVR has HDMI inputs. No Passthrough can be selected when Multichannel is enabled...
Note:
FAQ
- When would I want Pulseaudio?
- You use your XBMC computer mainly as your Desktop when you don't run XBMC.
- You want other applications audio like Skype, youtube, browser mail notification in parallel with XBMC.
- You use xbmc in windowed mode as Desktop player
- You use Pulseaudio as a network sink to stream Audio to other devices in your living room.
- Passthrough is nice to have for you, but to be honest - you don't really need it.
- Whenever you plugin your Bluetooth headset, xbmc audio will continue over this new device (when Default 'PULSE' device is chosen)
- When would I want ALSA
- You use XBMC as your standalone media center.
- You are highly interested in bitperfect exclusive audio output.
- DTS-HD, TrueHD is something you use daily and is of high importance.
- You don't need other applications that would access audio in parallel.
Why can't I have both?
- Pulseaudio might hogg your Audio device and you cannot open the ALSA device exclusively, therefore we decided for one or the other.
Can I force ALSA, though I have pulseaudio installed and running and know that it will cause problems?
- Yes, you can - start xbmc from terminal with:
AE_SINK=ALSA xbmc
- Be warned as this might interfere with your Desktop sounds and pulseaudio!
References
Linux - Pulseaudio Sink Discussion and further information. |