Kodi Community Forum

Full Version: Option to disable Volume Control
You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content. View the full version with proper formatting.
Hey there,

thank you very much for this great app! BlushBlushSmile
Runs great on my legacy iOS 6 iPad 2 an even iPhone 4 with iOS 7.
I couldn't find a donation link. Is there one?


I would love too see an option to disable the volume control for the XBMC Remote app.

I think on iPad there is the +- volume control at the bottom and the two gestures for volume control in the gesture zone.
On iPhone there is the long volume slider and also the two gestures.
Did i miss something?

Since there are users who control their volume only on their AVR, it's quite annoying (yeah. it is not THAT bad but still worth considering) when you accidentily change your fixed setup from the iOS app.


If i take my usage for example:

I use DD/AC3 passthrough while transcoding every other DTS and HD audio format to simple (and good) Dolby Digital 5.1 AC3 while using Volume Amplification +10db and Main Volume -10.2db accordingly. This is a fixed setup, i disabled all volume control from my Infrared-remote for Kodi, so everything stays that way. The only volume change i do is with my AVR.

Now, when someone is using the iOS app (especially on iPad with the global volume control at the bottom or while using the gesture zone on iPad or iPhone) there is a pretty good chance someone accidently changes your nicely fixed volume setup.


Thanks for reading. Smile

Greets
Hi,

thank you! donation link -> http://kodi.tv/contribute/donate/

I see your point of view but due the fact that seems to be a very particular feature request, I would like to explore some alternatives instead of hard coding something to disable the volume button within the remote app.
Question: it' possible to enable the option, under Kodi > System > Audio Output, "Enable Passthrough"? IIRC this should disable the Kodi volume. Let me know.
Hey there,

thanks for your reply and clarifying the donation situation (i thought you may donate seperately for the app) Blush


I know what you getting at, but "Enable Passthrough" is of course enabled. This typically disables volume control temporarily for some cases, but really only for some few and even in this cases, it's not a real solution (see ex.1):

Example 1:
When you play a TV-Show with simple AC3 DD5.1 for example, then the DD gets passed through really untouched and volume control temporarily gets disabled in KODI itself (while playing the file).
But even while playing such a file, the iOS App still changes the KODI volume-slider (you can see it move in the KODI audio-setting while playing).
To make it more funny: While changing the volume from the App, the popup message "Passthrough Audio in use" - which suggests the volume control is temporarily disabled - keeps popping up while the KODI slider is moving in the Audio-settings.

Example 2:
Even if you have a KODI setup which outputs DD 5.1 with "Enable Passthrough", there are many cases where there just is no untouched Passthrough because it is just no source file which could be passed through (for example transcoding HD audio to simple DD or playing simple stereo music files).
Only a small amount of your files may qualify for a untouched passthrough and disable the volume control temporarily while playing such files.
And of course there are music files, which never "pass through" as DD and therefore never disable the KODI volume control.



Final thoughts:

KODI itself can be easily tamed regarding accidently volume control changes changing your infrared setup (Lircmap.xml) while still maintaining the possibility to setup the volume via the audio-settings menu to set the volume slider to the "global" settings which you intend to keep for a long time.
After doing that there is no way you accidently change the volume for your setup using KODI itself, unless you really want to and go to audio-settings while playing a non Passthrough file, so the sliders are active. After changing your volume sliders, you hit "Set as default for all videos" and you're done "forever".


I think what we are talking about is not a global "KODI volume control remove" thing, because as mentioned above, even Passthrough setups only have temporarily disabled volume control. It's never disabled at all times (which is correct as it is.)

It's really only about hiding (in case of the iOS App) or suppressing (in case of infrared remote) volume-controls at some locations, where they make no sense for a semi-fixed Passtrhough setup and only cause confusion and accidental changes for such users/setups.
The possitility to change the volume sliders needs only to be at the audio-settings menu for such semi-fixed Passthrough setups. This is where you go willingly when you really intend to to change your global volume "forever"-setting every year or so.



At this state, i really don't see any cleaner way then to make it possible to hide the volume control possibilities of the app via an optional option (disabled by default, of course).
In my humble opinion it makes complete sense. (Being a UI/UX guy in real life for 10+ years, if that counts as professional opinion.)

Just my 2 cents.

Thanks again for reading - and again - great work! Smile
well... how can I say ... you gave me six point of positive reputation within a few hours... you deserve a custom app version just for you Big Grin hahaha
No seriously, just give me some time, I'm full with work stuff right now but an option into the app settings to disable the volume control shouldn't require much effort. I'll keep you informed
And now even 5 more! Big Grin

Thanks. No hurry. I hope my explanation was reasonable.

Although if i've had known that i can buy your cooperation with reputation points, i would have never written so much. Big Grin Just kidding. Tongue
Thanks again!
eheh you are welcome Smile
I was thinking about a nice solution and I had this idea: what do you think if I add the capability to change the volume step per kodi instance? At the moment the step is fixed to 2, but if you will be able to choose a zero step then... boom! your volume is disabled, no?
Maybe the solution could be combined with my request (CEC-support, see other thread). Because if you add the option to change the volume control of the remote app to CEC support you would not change the internal volume anymore but only the amplifier's (or TV's) volume.

Brgds,

FantasticN
(2014-12-17, 12:13)joethefox Wrote: [ -> ]I was thinking about a nice solution and I had this idea: what do you think if I add the capability to change the volume step per kodi instance? At the moment the step is fixed to 2, but if you will be able to choose a zero step then... boom! your volume is disabled, no?

@joethefox
By steps you mean how much the volume is changed in KODI when you hit + or - one time in the iPad app for example? (Sensitivity feature for users who need it?)

In general i like combining SOME options in a settings menu, but in this case i would vote for a seperate sensitivity slider (if you already planned to implement one) and a seperate on/off switch for disabling/hiding the volume-control functionality in the app. Although the two things both have to do with volume, i think "disabling" and "sensitivity" are too different.
I also feel that combining would not be ideal, because when you set the "step" to 0 hide/disable volume control in the app and want to turn it back on you may not even remember what the standard step setting has been before. And even if, it doesn't feel intuitive to me. That may sound picky, but that's my job. Big Grin Blush
Hey there, just checking in if my request is still valid in your plans? Have a nice day. Thanks Smile
I came from Android/YATSE, and the thing I've noticed with Volume control is that there is no option on the main screen. I need to swipe to the right hand screen which sometimes activates a skip and also means a couple more "Oh"s and "Ahh"s get out before I am able to turn the volume down or hit mute on my porn.
I have to say though, BIG improvement with adding shortcuts! I switch audio device a lot, and now it's just a button away!
The option to power off the system seems to be failing for me though.. not sure why. Any tips would be appreciated!
Funny writing regarding porn. Had a good laugh. xD
Still, it has nothing to do with this topic, i think? In my case i asked for an option to disable any ability within the KODI Remote App to change volume for the KODI system.

Maybe a new thread would be good for your topic. Smile
Hey joethefox, anything in sight regarding this one? Smile (just curious)
I am also curious if there is a way to disable the volume control and fix volume at 100%

/ Jacob