[Martijn]

For Gotham the audio settings page got a complete overhaul to hopefully make it more clear and easier for people setting up their audio settings.

We would like users to test this out so see if they encounter any potential issues.

Here's the download links to try them out.

• Please use nightly versions starting from November 2nd
  

These are based upon current XBMC master branch code with the settings rework on top.

This OP will be updated when new builds are available. Please report any issues about the audio settings with a detailed description and debuglogs if needed posted at http://www.pastebin.com or http://www.xbmclogs.com and give the link.

[bossanova808]

Just tried Win32. Feedback meant in the nicest possible way!

I am moderately technical and experienced with XBMC, but quite frankly find that page very confusing (and yes I went through the modes Basic->Advanced)

Basic:

I really think you should fundamentally separate the passthrough and non passthrough settings. It just doesn't make logical sense to have a speaker control that applies only to PCM playback in what, for most, is fundamentally a video playback system. It just doesn't read clearly, either control or the help text. But then I guess most (all?) of these settings pretty much relate to non-passthrough? It's just not immediately clear.

Also - to most people, what the hell IS PCM? If you're trying to help non-technical users get on board, you need better language here.

Standard:

Maybe 'stream inaudible sound' instead in the help text?

Advanced:

Output configuration - I guess this can be puzzled out but I had to read the help text a couple times and I still don't think it's very obvious what's going on here. Maybe a use case in the help text? (e..g some SPDIF requires fixed @ 48 or whatever)


I am just trying it out on my laptop, so nothing fancy to try it with but it appears to work, it's just the language and settings presentation that needs work (in my opinion - I am no expert!).

[Martijn]

I am just trying it out on my laptop, so nothing fancy to try it with but it appears to work, it's just the language and settings presentation that needs work (in my opinion - I am no expert!).

and that also what we need
we need "non technical" (no offence here) to be able to understand what these settings do.
Do note that you should be using Confluence / Touched as this has the help messages at the bottom with some more explanation if needed.

[bossanova808]

Yep using Confluence,and was doing my best to put on my 'non-technical' hat!

[jjd-uk]

It just doesn't make logical sense to have a speaker control that applies only to PCM playback in what, for most, is fundamentally a video playback system.

Could you explain why? Speaker Configuration only controls channels used where audio output is LPCM, this can be where a DTS track is decoded or where the video has a mp3 or flac audio for example.

Speaker Configuration is totally irrelevant for passthrough of formats such as Dolby Digital & DTS as explained by the Help text.

Also - to most people, what the hell IS PCM? If you're trying to help non-technical users get on board, you need better language here.

This has been debated internally within the Team, however we've failed to come up with better language, we could called it decoded audio then you'll get people say what the hell is decoded audio. Previously Analog was used where all audio was decoded to LPCM, this comes from the fact that LPCM is the digital representation of the analog source, but this was confusing also as people would say what's Analog got to do with my digital connection.

Do you have any suggestions?

[bossanova808]

They're fundamentally different contexts, and the two here seem mixed, to me.

At least 'decoded audio' gives some clue as to what it is in the words - PCM, even spelled out to Pulse Code Modulated or whatever - is meaningless to all but a fraction of people. If you wrote Decoded Audio (PCM) - wouldn't that be better?

But I personally think it needs humanising a bit

'These settings apply to scenarios where XBMC decodes digital audio (i.e. xbmc decodes the PCM audio and sends the decoded stream to your speakers - usually music playback)'
'These settings apply to scenarios where XBMC sends the digital audio to an external system for decoding, e.g. your AV receiver, usually video playback)'

That would work better for me but I'm just one guy and I am sure you've thought about it a lot more than I have. I just don't think it's any clearer than it was, and possible even slightly less so at the moment.

[fritsch]

@bossanova808:
No your thoughts are highly appreciated. The whole settings rewrite was done out of one reason: Get it less confusing.

I am okay with your ideas. Perhaps adding to the second one: . Your receiver and your audio device must support the codecs enabled.

Edit: And going again with: Audio output and Passthrough output?

(I know this is technically not 100% correct, but I prefer in that case not to have it to explain on a lot of forum threads ;-))

[FernetMenta]

I really think you should fundamentally separate the passthrough and non passthrough settings. It just doesn't make logical sense to have a speaker control that applies only to PCM playback in what, for most, is fundamentally a video playback system.

Absolutely. And this is why the first section only refers to PCM (Standard audio output). I agree that the helps strings are confusing but technically this two modes are separated.
IMO we can drop all terms like PCM and passthrough from the standard section.

[Martijn]

updated the OP with new builds

[zag]

Tested and all looks good to me.

There is a fair bit of text in the descriptions that could be made a little easier to understand but I got it so i'm guessing most others would too

[jjd-uk]

The settings PR has now been merged so should show up in the next nightly, it includes some changes in the help descriptions in an attempt to make them more user friendly

@bossanova808 your thoughts again would be appreciated

[rat666]

i've tested the new settings in the build from 30.10.2013 and they are clear and easy tom understand from my point of view.
But a 2 new settings would bei nice. Maybe when "Optimized" or "Best Mach" is selected:

- Upsampling for all samplingrates equal or below <Samplingrate> to maximum specified samplingrate

- Set Maximum Samplingrate <maximum specified amplingrate>

This would lead to an upsampling feature for Files with a low Sampling rate (e.g. you can set <Samplingrate> to 48khz and <maximum specified sapling rate> to 192khz. All Files with 48khz and below will be upsampled to 192khz. Files with a Sampligrate of 96khz would not be touched)

[bossanova808]

Way way better. I think that's much improved, can't really think of anything you need beyond that....seems much clearer now.

Good stuff!

[jjd-uk]

Surely Fixed does what you want unless I'm missing something.

For Best Match & Optimized xbmc seeks to touch audio as little as possible but in subtly different ways, so that doesn't make sense for those settings.

Best match is the audio equivalent to "adjust frame rate to match video", previously referred to as audiophile mode where xbmc tries to keep original properties of source. The only time it won't is if the audio sink does not support something, for example a particular sample rate in which case audio is resampled to the closest match.

Optimized is similar in that it does the same when playback is started, the difference is that these properties are kept for the duration of playback, even if the properties of the source change. The reason for this is to prevent AVR's and other devices from having to switch during playback, which if the device is slow to do this interruptions to audio can occur. For example while watching live TV the program is 5.1 but commercial breaks are 2.0, so xbmc maintains 5.1 at all times. (Edit: ignore this, see below) Another example is a playlist of music where 1st track is 96khz but 2nd is 48khz, so 2nd track is upsampled to maintain an 96khz output.

[jjd-uk]

Way way better. I think that's much improved, can't really think of anything you need beyond that....seems much clearer now.

Good stuff!

Thanks for the feedback, spent a lot of time last weekend trying to get the language right & probably driving FernetMenta mad with all the different revisions we went through, so good to know it was all worthwhile