[help] What is the best way to screenshare a single window with audio?
from tubbadu@lemmy.kde.social to linux@lemmy.ml on 25 Jun 11:34
https://lemmy.kde.social/post/1505319

Hello guys! sometimes I watch movies with friends over jitsi meet, and in order to share just a single window with just its own audio I use chromium, that has the “share tab” option. However, I’d like a more general solution (I cannot play mkv files on browser, for example). I’d like a compact way that creates a virtual device sharing the window (even if the window gets minimized or hidden behind other windows!) and its audio, without the audio of all other windows (I don’t want my notification sounds to be shared too). a quick online search gave me only “complex” answers, that I’ll try only if a more convenient way is not available.

[I’m running EndeavourOS KDE Wayland]

Thank to everyone in advance!

#linux

threaded - newest

boredsquirrel@slrpnk.net on 25 Jun 11:52 next collapse

You use Jitsi meet, their free service, to watch movies???

You can use OBS to do that, it looks like a lot but it is the best tool for that. Dont know if it has some ffplay/MPV plugin to internally play videos but I think so

[deleted] on 25 Jun 13:35 collapse

.

INeedMana@lemmy.world on 25 Jun 12:09 next collapse

What about Element/Matrix?

helenslunch@feddit.nl on 25 Jun 15:37 next collapse

Does it support video calling now?

INeedMana@lemmy.world on 25 Jun 15:40 collapse

Haven’t tested it but it seems so. Android client has the button too

helenslunch@feddit.nl on 25 Jun 15:46 collapse

Let’s test it bro, call me!

matrix.to/#/@ulrich:nope.chat

tubbadu@lemmy.kde.social on 25 Jun 16:40 collapse

I think the problem is not something related to jitsi, meet, discord or matrix, but rather to the OS screensharing capabilities

Vittelius@feddit.de on 25 Jun 18:22 collapse

Your half right. It’s not really the OS’s fault but rather the fault of the browsers and app-frameworks that use the browser in the background (electron). Because neither Firefox nor chrome have this feature implemented for Linux. The official Discord client doesn’t do it either but other ones such as Sunroof do. It’s possible that at least one Matrix client has learnt to share the screen with sound on Linux but I don’t know of any (I also don’t use Matrix a lot so don’t pay too much attention to my experience on that)

mrvictory1@lemmy.world on 25 Jun 19:59 collapse

On KDE Plasma 6 + Firefox (both Wayland) I can share a window and workaround audio sharing by routing desktop audio to microphone. Vesktop (Discord alternative) supports screenshare w/ audio.

NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.world on 25 Jun 12:15 next collapse

gave me only “complex” answers

It is a complex question, even if you try so hard to deny that :-)

One sender only? Or how many possible senders?

How many Receivers?

Do they need to talk back or send back anything?

How far away are they (in terms of network)?

tubbadu@lemmy.kde.social on 25 Jun 16:41 next collapse

It would be just me sharing to everybody else on the internet (no more than 6 people)

Jitsi meet works great, the only problem is being able to share only “a portion” of what it currently does

t0mri@lemmy.ml on 26 Jun 02:15 collapse

My assumption:

  • Hell be the host, hell control the stream and no one else. So one sender with no internal communication (coz they might have discord or something setup for their conversations)
  • according to google, the average no of friends is 5. So may be around 5 receivers
halm@leminal.space on 25 Jun 12:37 next collapse

I’ve never done this myself but if you want to keep it simple and be able to play all video formats, why not just stream from VLC?

I’m happy to be corrected on this, but it seems the simplest solution to a potentially complex problem. Everybody uses VLC, right?

hummingbird@lemmy.world on 25 Jun 15:10 next collapse

This is your best option. I did do movie nights with friends during the pandemic in a similar way, but I used OBS Studio to create the stream and Monaserver to stream it to all users. I did not know VLC can handle the streaming to users directly, making this dead simple to setup without additional software. You just need to know how to configure your router to allow the needed port forwarding.

tubbadu@lemmy.kde.social on 25 Jun 16:46 next collapse

Uhm this could be a good workaround, I’ll look into it, thanks! It would solve the movies problem, but not any other screen sharing problem

Thank you!

mrvictory1@lemmy.world on 25 Jun 19:57 next collapse

VLC can capture desktop video

halm@leminal.space on 25 Jun 20:40 collapse

No, of course not. I thought the movie sharing was your primary concern, sorry if I misunderstood. Hope this solves at least part of your problem.

mrvictory1@lemmy.world on 25 Jun 19:56 collapse

This won’t work if host is behind CGNAT

pirat@lemmy.world on 25 Jun 13:36 next collapse

A bit less simple, but for a great solution, you could host a jellyfin server and give each friend their own user account in order to then use the syncplay feature.

DaGeek247@fedia.io on 25 Jun 13:52 next collapse

I love the idea of that feature, but it is not at all reliable in my experience.

tubbadu@lemmy.kde.social on 25 Jun 16:44 collapse

I already have a jellyfin instance, but syncplay didn’t works very reliably for me, some users experienced freezing, jumps and other problems

Thanks for the suggestion anyway!

lemmyvore@feddit.nl on 25 Jun 21:45 collapse

Why not just open the movie with Jellyfin in a tab and share that tab like you do now?

jlow@beehaw.org on 25 Jun 18:41 next collapse

Jellyfin has a watch-together function but to set all that up will probably be even more complex than the “complex” options …

lemmyvore@feddit.nl on 25 Jun 21:44 collapse

If OP gets Jellyfin working they can just share the tab or window that the Jellyfin web interface is running in. Jellyfin will take care of the playback. No need for the other people to use Jellyfin too.

urshanabi@lemmygrad.ml on 25 Jun 19:51 collapse

maybe vdo.ninja? it uses webrtc and has not given me performance issues thus far