Mplayer doesn't play 5.1 exactly since upgrade to oneiric

[udippel]

Mplayer has always been my preferred player, for anything. Since my upgrade yesterday, it doesn't play 5.1 any longer, but 'mirrors' everything to the front.
Sytem Settings->Multimedia->Phonon->Audio Hardware Setup shows the 'Speaker Placement and Testing', and when I click on the locations, all do a great job. Mplayer however doesn't. And there are some good (?) reasons:

$ mplayer media/musics/6_Channel_ID.wav
mplayer: Symbol `ff_codec_bmp_tags' has different size in shared object, consider re-linking
MPlayer SVN-r33713-4.6.1 (C) 2000-2011 MPlayer Team
mplayer: could not connect to socket
mplayer: No such file or directory
Failed to open LIRC support. You will not be able to use your remote control.

Playing media/musics/6_Channel_ID.wav.
Audio only file format detected.
Load subtitles in media/musics/
================================================== ========================
Opening audio decoder: [pcm] Uncompressed PCM audio decoder
AUDIO: 44100 Hz, 6 ch, s16le, 4233.6 kbit/100.00% (ratio: 529200->529200)
Selected audio codec: [pcm] afm: pcm (Uncompressed PCM)
================================================== ========================
AO: [pulse] 44100Hz 2ch floatle (4 bytes per sample)
Video: no video
Starting playback...
A: 5.5 (05.5) of 5.0 (05.0) 0.7%

As you can see, the AO is pulse, but 2ch; whereas the file has been identified as 44100 Hz, 6 ch
On 11.04 this latter was not the case.

What can I do to go back to 5.1?

[doctordruidphd]

Re: Mplayer doesn't play 5.1 exactly since upgrade to oneiric

First thing is to check pulse configuration. You may need to install pavucontrol if it isn't already on your system:


Once that's done, open pavucontrol, click the Configuration tab, and check to see that for the profile of your audio card, "Analog 5.1 surround", or whatever it's called for your card is selected.

[udippel]

Re: Mplayer doesn't play 5.1 exactly since upgrade to oneiric

Thanks, but I don't think that's the problem, and here is why:

1. As I wrote, the hardware settings in the control panel address the speakers correctly.

2. (and maybe more convincing) All other players, Dragon, Banshee, Movie Player play this same file totally correct at 5.1.

As a consequence, I will probably have to refute the 'pulse configuration' explanation.

[udippel]

Re: Mplayer doesn't play 5.1 exactly since upgrade to oneiric

You *are* right, before one had to use pavucontrol, and I remember having it installed earlier. But, FYI, with 11.10 there is a similar application now available under 'Pulse Audio Volume Control', see attachment. It shows clearly the selected 5.1 output.

[doctordruidphd]

Re: Mplayer doesn't play 5.1 exactly since upgrade to oneiric

pavucontrol is called "Pulse Audio Volume Control" int he menu, same app.

It was the

AO: [pulse] 44100Hz 2ch floatle (4 bytes per sample)

that got me thinking it might be a pulse config problem.