Re: [GnomeMeeting-list] Continuing sound problem

[PUYDT Julien <julien puydt netpratique fr>]

Le mar 03/12/2002 à 18:44, E. Sean Rintel a écrit :
> Hi all!
> 
> I wrote a few weeks back with a sound conflict problem. I took
> everyone's advice and managed to install ALSA on my system. ALSA is now
> apparently working, but the sound quality when I try to call my partner
> is bad at her end. She says she only hears every second word and the
> quality sounds like I'm underwater!

This sounds more like bad settings for your bandwith. If you want good
sound, decrease the video quality (either by having less good images, or
fewer).

> I'm on a cable connection using Gnome 2 on top of Mandrake 9 with a
> Soundbaster PCI128 sound card and Logitech Quickcam. My partne is on a
> 56k modem connection using NetMeeting (with the MS-GSM codec). We have
> both used NetMeeting successfully, so her connection seems to be able to
> support reasonable video and audio connections.

56k modem connection => really decrease video quality if you want good
sound.

> So, is my problem that:
> 
> a) OpenH323 doesn't deal well with low bandwidth? That is, it's not my
> problem, really, but a downer. 

Low bandwith needs very good codecs ; you can't use speex with a
netmeeting client, and unless you have money, the other good codecs
aren't available for gnomemeeting.

> b) I don't have ALSA installed correctly? Damien said that ALSA can deal
> with the full-duplex problem of the SoundBlaster PCI128, but do I need
> to configure any options to do that? Also, although draksound tells me
> that I'm using the ALSA sound system, I'm not sure that I'm using the
> ALSA devices. GnomeMeeting tells me that my audio player is
> dev/sound/dsp, mixer is dev/mixer, audio recorder is dev/sound/dsp, and
> recorder mixer is dev/mixer. Does that sound right? 

I don't think so.

> c) Should I kill ESD? I tried that this morning but the video
> disappeared!

I don't see why killing esd would cause video problems...

> d) I'm running GAIM at the same time, but with sound disabled. We use
> GAIM so that she can give me her IP address (she has dynamic IP
> addressing). Could GAIM be conflicting?

I don't think so, unless you're sending very long messages very fast ;
then you may be able to eat your friend's bandwith.
You know, if you both register to ils.seconix.com, you won't have to
send your ip one another...

> It's a big ask, but I'd like to test my setup with someone on a cable
> connection using GnomeMeeting or NetMeeting with MS-GSM enabled, to see
> whether the sound is as bad in that case. If you've got some time and a
> willingness to help a newbie (new to linux and GM, but not entirely
> clueless), please let me know. 

Please, come on irc.gnome.org, channel #gnomemeeting. You may then find
other users looking for testing, or ready to help.

Snark on #gnomemeeting
-- 
PUYDT Julien <julien puydt netpratique fr>