so close: HDMI sound in mythtv

[LMCBoy]

I've been trying to get sound working on my new mythbox. My mainboard (gigabyte GA-MA78GPM-UD2H) has an onboard Realtek ALC889A sound card. The box is connected to my AV receiver via HDMI. Here's what I've done so far:

• compiled the snd-intel-hd kernel driver as a module, set it to autoload
  
• Ran alsaconf, which detected and configured the card
  
• Configured audio in KDE's systemsettings, selecting the "HDA ATI HDMI" ootput option.(KDE sound works; note it's using the Xine backend)
  
• I found this wonderful guide, which inspired the rest of this list.
  
• Get alsa IDs for my hardware:
  

  Code:

  $ aplay -l **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices **** card 0: SB [HDA ATI SB], device 0: ALC883 Analog [ALC883 Analog]   Subdevices: 1/1   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 card 0: SB [HDA ATI SB], device 1: ALC883 Digital [ALC883 Digital]   Subdevices: 1/1   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 card 1: HDMI [HDA ATI HDMI], device 3: ATI HDMI [ATI HDMI]   Subdevices: 1/1   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

  
  Since I want to use HDMI, that's card 1, device 3.
  
• Create an /etc/asound.conf file (see above link)
  
• try to get mplayer to make a sound:
  

  Code:

  mplayer -ao alsa:device=hw=1.3 /usr/share/sounds/KDE-Sys-Log-In-Short.ogg

  
  There's no error, and the playback clock runs for 8 seconds, but there's no audio.
  
• Configure mythfrontend's audio setup.Audio device: "ALSA:default". Passthrough output device: "Default", etc. (see above link)
  
• Attempt to playback a recording. No audio.
  
• Check mythfrontend console messages:
  

  Code:

  2009-05-04 22:25:02.695 TV: Attempting to change from None to WatchingPreRecorded                                          2009-05-04 22:25:02.797 DPMS Deactivated                      2009-05-04 22:25:02.862 AFD: Opened codec 0x1139900, id(MPEG2VIDEO) type(Video)                                            2009-05-04 22:25:02.862 AFD: codec AC3 has 2 channels        2009-05-04 22:25:02.863 AFD: Opened codec 0x1139f80, id(AC3) type(Audio)                                                  2009-05-04 22:25:02.866 Opening audio device 'default'. ch 2(2) sr 48000                                                  2009-05-04 22:25:02.866 Opening ALSA audio device 'default'. 2009-05-04 22:25:02.875 Opening audio device 'default'. ch 2(2) sr 48000                                                  2009-05-04 22:25:02.875 Opening ALSA audio device 'default'. 2009-05-04 22:25:02.924 VideoOutputXv: XVideo Adaptor Name: 'ATI Radeon AVIVO Video'                                      2009-05-04 22:25:02.960 OSD Theme Dimensions W: 640 H: 480    2009-05-04 22:25:03.254 Realtime priority would require SUID as root.                                                      greedyhdeint: size changed from 0 x 0 -> 528 x 480            2009-05-04 22:25:03.256 TV: Changing from None to WatchingPreRecorded                                                      2009-05-04 22:25:03.258 Video timing method: USleep with busy wait                                                        2009-05-04 22:25:03.310 WriteAudio: buffer underrun          2009-05-04 22:25:06.409 TV: Attempting to change from WatchingPreRecorded to None 2009-05-04 22:25:06.443 TV: Changing from WatchingPreRecorded to None 2009-05-04 22:25:06.538 DPMS Reactivated. 2009-05-04 22:25:06.671 AFD: Opened codec 0x1098840, id(MPEG2VIDEO) type(Video) 2009-05-04 22:25:06.671 AFD: codec AC3 has 2 channels 2009-05-04 22:25:06.671 AFD: Opened codec 0x1137e00, id(AC3)type(Audio) 2009-05-04 22:25:07.211 AFD: Opened codec 0x1098840, id(MPEG2VIDEO) type(Video) 2009-05-04 22:25:07.211 AFD: codec AC3 has 2 channels 2009-05-04 22:25:07.212 AFD: Opened codec 0x1d66fd0, id(AC3)type(Audio)

  
  So, again...no errors, but no sound either!
  
• The above-linked guide suggested *disabling* onboard audio in the BIOS for a similar MoBo to mine. So I tried that...Didn't work.
  

So, that's it. Any ideas of what to try next?
_________________
LMCBoy

[DONAHUE]

Disclaimer: I'm running gnome.
If on a fresh boot; in order to get sound in mythtv, I need to open the gnome mixer (volume control) or run alsamixer in a terminal and unmute and raise speaker volumes from zero. This includes raising volumes on the recording side to max to give enough sound in recordings to work with. The next reboot will reset to mute and low volume requiring a repeat. Adding alsasound to a run level allows the levels and unmutes to persist through reboots; but occasionally shutdown will hang and require hardware reset.

[LMCBoy]

Thanks Donahue. I've already gotten the alsamixer and alsasound working. Sound works on the KDE desktop, just not through mplayer or mythtv...
_________________
LMCBoy

[LMCBoy]

Well, it works now. Last night I issued the mplayer command from my previous post, and this time I got sound! So then I tried mythtv and it's working too. I'm sorry to report I don't know what I did to fix it.
_________________
LMCBoy

[Shiven]

i'm actually in the same boat...

one day it didn't work, came back and it worked.

I refuse to question why, just incase i break it again