VLC passing volume control to system

[AgeKay]

Another thing that is really annoying is that it doesn't listen to system playback controls (play, pause, stop, next, previous) when not in focus, i.e. window is not active. this makes it basically useless for listening to music.

[ExpHP]

AgeKay, if you set up the Media Play/Pause/etc. keys as Global Hotkeys in preferences, they should be able to control VLC regardless of whether or not it has focus. I have no issue controlling VLC when it's in the background. However, note that you will need to close anything else that could use those keys (such as Windows Media Player) before opening VLC, because only one program can use a global hotkey at a time.
(for this reason, you probably should also "Allow only one instance" in the Interface tab of Preferences)

I've just updated to version 1.1.4, and I'm eager to try out the python patch.

[ekrane]

Does anybody knows how to deal with this problem in the 1.1.4 build? Hex address 8A5390 holds some other values than the one for 1.1.2.

Thanks

[Fangs404]

Does anybody knows how to deal with this problem in the 1.1.4 build? Hex address 8A5390 holds some other values than the one for 1.1.2.

Thanks

I haven't tried it, but I believe _yak_'s post a few up will solve the problem.

[edit]
Yup, it works! The only thing I had to do was slightly modify his Python script. If you're on Vista or Win7, the first line of the script will be this:

Code: Select all

PATH_SRC = r'C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\plugins\libqt4_plugin.dll'

[pianorave]

Can someone please compile the python DLL with the change Fangs404 just posted. I need this patch for Vista :/

[pianorave]

Is noone able to help me out with the python? : (

Why has this issue still not been resolved anyway??

[pianorave]

bump?

[eryksun]

Hi all, big thanks to DataGhost for providing the patch. After looking at the original and patched DLLs and comparing that to the new one from 1.1.4 I managed to come up with a general patch that I quickly coded in Python:

Thanks DataGhost and _yak_. Patching with a Python script was a good idea.

[ledow]

Same python patch also works on 1.5, which still suffers from the bug. Thanks all, this patch makes my usage of VLC so much better.

[poch333]

Yes this was very annoying and still present in 1.1.5. A pity since VLC might be the best player out there.

Luckily _yak_'s python script worked like a charm (won't work with Python 3 though), and I've uploaded the DLL for other users' convenience.

libqt4_plugin.dl:
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?qxkalm53x7i76yy

Just copy into the /plugins folder.

Enjoy.

[xuchibara]

I'm amazed that this isn't being more attentively addressed - how are more users not affected by this oversight? Is it really so difficult to fix something that used to work perfectly?

Thanks to the user base for plugging holes - you guys are awesome.

[VLC_help]

It is just that proper fix is hard thing to do. We would have to pass all hotkeys to hotkey module + add many options to there (like rebinds and possible forwards).

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Isn't that fixed now?

[VLC_help]

Isn't that fixed now?

No. I tested with VLC 1.1.6-git-20101202-0202 and mute button in keyboard still goes mutes both VLC and Windows audio mixer. And volume keys still lower both VLC and Windows volumes.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

It is fixed in 1.2.0 and I just backported to 1.1.6

[VLC_help]

Yep. Now the hotkeys only have effect to VLC.

[Scrappy]

I want the opposite (VLC ignores the volume keys and only the OS processes them) - is this possible ?

All other applications work like this, I'd like VLC to also. I want VLC is just use the standard audio system and do no volume control whatsoever (or any other kind of sound alteration).

[fluffysquirrels]

You can track progress on this issue here.

Summary: opinions differ on what the behaviour should be for VLC. A configuration option can be added to switch between VLC responding to volume controls vs system responding to volume controls. I'll be writing the code for this soon.

[VLC_help]

I want the opposite (VLC ignores the volume keys and only the OS processes them) - is this possible ?

I can add support for this.

[Scrappy]

That would be superb! Thanks!

[VLC_help]

Someone added the patch. With VLC 1.1.6 you should be able to choose how vol+, vol- and mute keys should be handled.

[Fangs404]

Someone added the patch. With VLC 1.1.6 you should be able to choose how vol+, vol- and mute keys should be handled.

This is great, thanks. Also, not sure if you've done it already (it doesn't happen in 1.1.5), but you ought to synchronize VLC's application volume with the Windows 7 system mixer application-specific volume rather than the system-wide global volume (foobar2000 just did this in their latest beta).

[chopstickkk]

Someone added the patch. With VLC 1.1.6 you should be able to choose how vol+, vol- and mute keys should be handled.

So did this (or some suitable workaround) get implemented in the new 1.1.6 version?

[VLC_help]

Option to select the method wasn't added, but by default VLC doesn't forward those volume hotkeys anymore.

[chopstickkk]

Option to select the method wasn't added, but by default VLC doesn't forward those volume hotkeys anymore.

Suits me.