Noob Question: MPC volume control..?

[jdoe]

When playing any video in Media Player Classic (6.4.9.0, Windows XP), I can't change playback volume without changing the entire system's volume. That is, when I lower the volume in MPC, the system's Volume Control 'Wave' slider lowers; when I use the "Mute" toggle in MPC, the system's Volume Control 'Wave' slider lowers to zero. I see someone else seemed to have touched on this problem in this (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=72522) ancient post, but didn't find a solution. I've tried all available selections in Options>Playback>Output>DirectSound Audio, but nothing's worked.

What I'd like to be able to do is mute MPC without muting the entire system, so that I can hear music playing in foobar2000 while playing muted video.

Is this possible?

[Blue_MiSfit]

Interesting. AFAIK, the wave slider shouldn't affect DirectSound.

What kind of sound card do you have?

With my Audigy2, you desired behavior is the default. I frequently listen to music and have MPC playing video with nearly or totally silent audio.

~MiSfit

[jdoe]

With my Audigy2, you desired behavior is the default. I frequently listen to music and have MPC playing video with nearly or totally silent audio.

Really? I'd assumed nobody'd replied to my query because it was an unavoidable problem!

I've an Aureal AU8810 on-board soundcard, reported in Device Manager to be located "on Vortex Multifunction PCI Parent". I used to have to install the drivers manually, back on Windows 98, but XP has always installed their own automatically. Just recently, trying to solve my problem, I manually updated the drivers (against Windows' protests) with the newest I could find on the 'net (dated 2002). For a moment I thought it'd worked, as activating 'Mute' in MPC didn't mute foobar2000, but upon opening a video the entire system muted as usual.

I find I can independently adjust the volume in VLC, but I very much prefer MPC.

Is there anything else I can try, or am I stuck until I ever upgrade to a new system?

[clsid]

WaveOut affects the system volume.
DirectSound affects only the volume of MPC.

[jdoe]

WaveOut affects the system volume.
DirectSound affects only the volume of MPC.

That did it! I was quite sure I'd tried every selection possible in Options>Playback>Output, but switching it this time from 'Default WaveOut Device' to 'Default DirectSound Device' seems to have fixed the problem (maybe it has to do with having updated the drivers).

Thanks very much!

[jdoe]

I've just discovered what was causing my trouble. I had cycled through all the selections under Options>Playback>Output, and the driver update more likely than not didn't make any difference.

While with 'DirectSound' output selected, every real video format I've tried (DiVX/XViD, QuickTime, MPEG-1, even Flash Video) can be muted without muting the entire system -- however, when muting a Flash SWF file, the entire computer mutes exactly as I originally complained about!

I rarely mute anything other than SWF files; in all my earlier attempts, I must've been trying to independently mute an SWF.

I assume there isn't, but is there any way to work around this?

[Leak]

I assume there isn't, but is there any way to work around this?
Since Flash uses your soundcard directly (instead of going through DirectShow) you can only control it's volume by changing the soundcard's Wave volume, which of course will affect all sounds that are played...

There's not much you can do about that...

np: Tocotronic - Sag Alles Ab (Kapitulation)

[jdoe]

Rats. I figured as much.

Thanks, in any case!