# &app; Manual V&manrevision;

## Introduction

The &app; application enables you to configure parameters related to the hardware and multimedia systems on your system. Only advanced users should normally need this as your OS vendor should be shipping the system with the correct defaults.

## Getting Started

You can start &app; in the following ways:

Applications menu

- Choose Preferences Gstreamer Properties.

Command line

- Type `gstreamer-properties`, then press Return.

When you start &app;, the following window is displayed.

### &app; Window

Shows &app; main window. Contains menubar, toolbar, drop-down menus for the input and output audio options.

## Usage

The GStreamer properties capplet offers four drop down menus spread over two tabs. There are two drop-menues for audio and two for video. These choices set the default for most GNOME applications for output and input of Sound and Video.

## Understanding the menu options

Looking at the screen for setting audio options you notice that the two sections says are called Default Sink and Default Source. These are terms used in the GStreamer framework that GNOME uses to describe where data is sent and where it comes from. The Default sink is in other words where GNOME apps should output their sound, while Default source is where the sound comes from.

The reason you might want to alter these settings is because under Unix there are many different audio systems and sound server which you might want to output to. For for instance on Linux popular alternatives are the OSS sound system, the ALSA sound system, the ESD sound server and the ARTSd sound server.

For instance if you wish that your GNOME applcations output their sound to the ESD sound server you set the Default Sink to use ESD. And if you wish that your GNOME applications which has sound recording capabilities use the OSS sound system to do this you choose OSS as the Default Source.

As mentioned elsewhere in this user guide. These setting are meant for as a tool for advanced users who have specialized need. As an ordinary user you should not need to set these as the vendor of your distribution of Linux or Unix should have set them for you and sensible defaults.