how to direct sound to ext speakers?

[pdc_2]

Hi; just started using linux mint; enjoying it;
Firefox plays YouTube videos and sound very well; sound comes out of ext speakers; from speaker output on motherboard;
when I click on mplayer to play video, it seems to direct sound to the speakers on the LCD screen; (strange: using VGA output from mother board to screen)

how can I direct the sound output; whilst using mplayer; to the ext speakers please

[pdc_2]

I am using Mint 6.2 I believe; (how can i verify that?)

lspci yields

lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82G33/G31/P35/P31 Express DRAM Controller (rev 10)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82G33/G31/P35/P31 Express PCI Express Root Port (rev 10)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 01)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 01)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 01)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 01)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 01)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 01)
00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 01)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 01)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge (rev e1)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801GB/GR (ICH7 Family) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 01)
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801GB/GR/GH (ICH7 Family) SATA IDE Controller (rev 01)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 01)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation GeForce 8400 GS (rev a1)
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 02)

[pdc_2]

I joined the PulseAudio forum, and a member of that group kindly gave me the answer;

I opened pavucontrol: I did this by terminal, but MENU: SOUND & VIDEO: PULSEAUDIO CONTROL; gets one to the same control:

the KEY thing I learned was: the stream that you want to re-direct: MUST BE RUNNING for you to change it;

1) open PulseAudio Volume Control;
2) Click on Playback: it will say "No application is currently playing audio";
3) Start the video .......... for me, an MPEG on Mplayer;
4) return to the PlayBack tab on the PulseAudio Volume Control; it now displays audio stream;
5) right-click on the audio stream: it showed for me: two audio streams: USB and front; (for me, ext speakers)
6) I selected front, and re-directed the sound to the ext speakers

I was very appreciative of the prompt response from a member of the PulseAudio forum;

I hope this may be of help to others