Video Streaming - Browser Extensions -- Suggestions

[NotHereToPlayGames]

Seeking suggestions to improve video streaming experience.

1) ability to save presets specific to Computer A's speakers, Computer B's speakers, and Computer C's speakers
2) ability to prevent things like action movie LOUD scenes from being TOO LOUD
3) should work on multiple web sites (ie, not YouTube-only types of extensions)

 

My current config uses two extensions that work decent for the most part.
But one of the two extensions (Audio Compressor) has a tendency to LOCK UP (video freezes and/or stutters) and needs disabled/re-enabled quite frequently.
Re-enabling also requires the streaming video web site to be reloaded.

 

Currently using Audio Compressor version 0.1.28 in conjunction with Ears Audio Toolkit version 1.3.12.
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/audio-compressor/daomidlfpcfjchpalpjogmnhabkekbnn?hl=en
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/Ears: Bass Boost%2C EQ Any Audio!/nfdfiepdkbnoanddpianalelglmfooik

 

 

Edited Thursday at 11:56 AM by NotHereToPlayGames

[NotHereToPlayGames]

This seems to be a great replacement for Audio Compressor.
Audio Compressor was "always on" but this one has to be "turned on" whenever you load a web site.
I haven't yet looked at the code to see if it can be configured to turn itself on.
This one doesn't let me use an EQ in conjuction with it. 

 

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/audio-limiter-pro/nbegknfbjphdkfigiepacdkichbmdaof

[NotHereToPlayGames]

This one is easier to use.  But also doesn't let me use an EQ in conjuction with it. 

 

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/decibel-limiter/jhdflfacjalpcajleapijmclnbilnjlh

[NotHereToPlayGames]

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Edited Saturday at 11:49 AM by NotHereToPlayGames

[NotHereToPlayGames]

Okay, I found what is working great for my setups.
Whispers amplified, gun fire and explosions reduced.
STOP the MADNESS of having to increase/decrease volume 140 times during a 90min movie!

Test cases -
1) Computer A = no external speakers, just the speakers built into the computer monitor (cheap Insignia tv HDMI input)
2) Computer B = three external speakers - Creative powered left, right, center/subwoofer
3) Computer C = HDMI feeding Onkyo TX-NR696 Dolby Atmos 7.2 configured as standard 5.1 (front left, front right, front center, surround left, surround right, subwoofer)
4) Computer D = HDMI converted to old-school red/white/yellow AV feeding audio two-channel audio inputs of Samsung (can't find model #) which 'converts' 2.0 stereo to 5.1 surround

Browser runs compressor.  EQ no longer ran from within browser and ran at OS-level instead.

Browser = Audio Limiter Pro -- https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/audio-limiter-pro/nbegknfbjphdkfigiepacdkichbmdaof
Set at "commercial" preset, ceiling reduced to -10, threshold reduced to -40.

 

Good test video = 1hr 22min area of Mr. and Mrs. Smith -- https://youtu.be/47G7Xhmt0so?t=4954

 

Edited Saturday at 12:13 PM by NotHereToPlayGames

[NotHereToPlayGames]

At the OS-level, I am running this as my equalizer.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/equalizerapo/ *plus* https://sourceforge.net/projects/peace-equalizer-apo-extension/

voice preset, -6dB pre-amplify reduction, enable surround effect

Edited Saturday at 12:25 PM by NotHereToPlayGames

[NotHereToPlayGames]

37 minutes ago, NotHereToPlayGames said:

Browser = Audio Limiter Pro -- https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/audio-limiter-pro/nbegknfbjphdkfigiepacdkichbmdaof
Set at "commercial" preset, ceiling reduced to -10, threshold reduced to -40.

Disregard.
I like Audio Limiter Pro the best.  BUT...  it can only be active on one browser tab at a time and I generally have anywhere from two to seven, never only one.
And once I take the tab to a "picture-in-picture popped-out window", there is no toolbar to activate this extension on a per-popped-out-tab basis.

So I need to stick with this one instead, works on all tabs -- https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/volume-limiter/mifbapamdlfoaejolcmnagpedbooefjf

[Karla Sleutel]

Decoding is better done on hardware. this limiter, it only limits, not deconing? Looks like it does, no?

[Karla Sleutel]

9 hours ago, NotHereToPlayGames said:

Dolby Atmos 7.2

Already has dialogue "normalisation", I usually remove it! Could you be over-normalasing it?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialnorm

[Karla Sleutel]

9 hours ago, NotHereToPlayGames said:

Computer D = HDMI converted to old-school red/white/yellow AV feeding audio two-channel audio inputs of Samsung (can't find model #) which 'converts' 2.0 stereo to 5.1 surround

I see you tastes, you're better off converting Dolby/DTS to the old school PCM and then pass to AV, PCM sounds much more pleasant and softer. No "Crash! Boom! Bang!".

[NotHereToPlayGames]

I'm open for suggestions.

"Decoding is better done on hardware" doesn't sound like an option, I'm just looking to watch movies, not buy thousands of dollars in recording studio equipment.

So I've been trying dozens of different software-based options.

[Karla Sleutel]

21 hours ago, NotHereToPlayGames said:

I'm open for suggestions.

Then search for an extension that downsamples everything to 44.100, the muffled, highly compressed CD sound from the 1980s. It will compress the hell out of those loud bangs, it will reduce the dynamic range.

I'm afraid my consultations are nowhere near those @D.Drakerwould have given, also afraid there will be no other replies since the forum looks pretty much dead without him, and the people still left simply have no such hardware

 

[Karla Sleutel]

21 hours ago, NotHereToPlayGames said:

"Decoding is better done on hardware" doesn't sound like an option, I'm just looking to watch movies, not buy thousands of dollars in recording studio equipment.

But you wrote you have an AV receiver already, do you mean it's very cheap, not suitable and with outdated codecs?
What exacrly am I not comprehending?

[NotHereToPlayGames]

I got everything to my liking.

The AV receiver in the living room is my only truly awesome surround sound receiver.  But I don't watch "everything" from the living room.  :)

With the combination of OS-level EQ (Equalizer APO + Peace GUI) coupled with browser-level compressor (Volume Limiter), I am now greatly satisfied with my streaming experiences.

Whether in the living room with Dolby Atmos 7.2 fed from HDMI or whether in the computer room with nothing but a three-speaker left/right/subwoofer fed from a 3.5mm (1/8") phono jack.

Whether background audio while sitting at the bill-pay computer or streaming anything from YouTube, Pluto, Plex, Tubi, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Paramount+, or Comcast/Xfinity.

And I no longer have to stub a toe running for the remote's volume buttons when a loud scene breaks out or two people start whispering for no reason whatsoever, nobody else is on the set, why whisper?

[NotHereToPlayGames]

So slight update.
Perfect solution to solve OCD+ADHD+task-switching multipotentiality personality "disorder" ("out of chaos comes order").

Ever since "finally" DITCHING XP and upgrading to a nosed-decked-sectioned customized Win10, I basically now never watch one thing at a time.

My screens are divided into drag-and-drop "zones" (be it the computer with two monitors or the computer with three monitors or the computer with five monitors).
I once had TWENTY FOUR videos all playing simultaneously just TRYING (and failed!) to get them to buffer-lag or audio-stutter or pixelate.
But I *failed*.  Even running TWENTY FOUR videos and I couldn't intentionally run into any stuttering or pixelating video issues!

Of course, that was just to "test the extremes".
Generally speaking, I have a MINIMUM of THREE videos (big-blue + yellow + orange) [with horizontal bar at bottom split in two, one for email, one for texting].
Or the horizontal bar has sports scores or news headlines, depending on time of day, season of year.

So I now have the big-blue "zone" running the Audio Limiter Pro extension (has to be manually activated before drag-drop into windowed headerless popout).
And all of the other "zones" running the Volume Limeter extension.

The zones are set up to mute/unmute simply by clicking inside the zones.