diff -Naur vdr-1.5.8.org/device.c vdr-1.5.8/device.c
--- vdr-1.5.8.org/device.c	2009-01-10 10:12:34.776620545 -0500
+++ vdr-1.5.8/device.c	2009-01-10 10:21:42.335871118 -0500
@@ -827,6 +827,28 @@
   return mute;
 }
 
+bool cDevice::ToggleAttenuate(void)
+{
+  int OldVolume = volume;
+  attenuate = !attenuate;
+  //XXX why is it necessary to use different sequences???
+  if (attenuate) {
+     SetVolume(-VOLUMEATTENUATE);
+     }
+  else {
+     SetVolume(OldVolume, true);
+     }
+  volume = OldVolume;
+  return attenuate;
+}
+
+void cDevice::UseAttenuateVol(void)
+{
+  int OldVolume = volume;
+  OldVolume-=VOLUMEATTENUATE;
+  volume = OldVolume;
+}
+
 int cDevice::GetAudioChannel(void)
 {
   int c = GetAudioChannelDevice();
diff -Naur vdr-1.5.8.org/device.h vdr-1.5.8/device.h
--- vdr-1.5.8.org/device.h	2009-01-10 10:12:34.777626291 -0500
+++ vdr-1.5.8/device.h	2009-01-10 10:21:42.336870320 -0500
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #define MAXRECEIVERS       16 // the maximum number of receivers per device
 #define MAXVOLUME         255
 #define VOLUMEDELTA         5 // used to increase/decrease the volume
+#define VOLUMEATTENUATE    45 // used to decrease the volume 'attenuate'
 
 #define TS_SIZE          188
 #define TS_SYNC_BYTE     0x47
@@ -403,6 +404,7 @@
 
 private:
   bool mute;
+  bool attenuate;
   int volume;
 protected:
   virtual int GetAudioChannelDevice(void);
@@ -417,8 +419,13 @@
        ///< on or off.
 public:
   bool IsMute(void) const { return mute; }
+  bool IsAttenuate(void) const { return attenuate; }
   bool ToggleMute(void);
        ///< Turns the volume off or on and returns the new mute state.
+  bool ToggleAttenuate(void);
+       ///< Lowers the volume or raises it back to last and returns the new volume state.
+  void UseAttenuateVol(void);
+       ///< Sets the volume variable to attenuated volume so that volume down lowers from attenuated state.
   int GetAudioChannel(void);
        ///< Gets the current audio channel, which is stereo (0), mono left (1) or
        ///< mono right (2).
diff -Naur vdr-1.5.8.org/keys.c vdr-1.5.8/keys.c
--- vdr-1.5.8.org/keys.c	2009-01-10 10:12:34.777626291 -0500
+++ vdr-1.5.8/keys.c	2009-01-10 10:21:42.336870320 -0500
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
                     { kVolUp,         trNOOP("Key$Volume+")     },
                     { kVolDn,         trNOOP("Key$Volume-")     },
                     { kMute,          trNOOP("Key$Mute")        },
+                    { kAttenuate,     trNOOP("Key$Attenuate")   },
                     { kAudio,         trNOOP("Key$Audio")       },
                     { kSchedule,      trNOOP("Key$Schedule")    },
                     { kChannels,      trNOOP("Key$Channels")    },
diff -Naur vdr-1.5.8.org/keys.h vdr-1.5.8/keys.h
--- vdr-1.5.8.org/keys.h	2009-01-10 10:12:34.777626291 -0500
+++ vdr-1.5.8/keys.h	2009-01-10 10:21:42.336870320 -0500
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
              kVolUp,
              kVolDn,
              kMute,
+             kAttenuate,
              kAudio,
              kSchedule,
              kChannels,
diff -Naur vdr-1.5.8.org/menu.c vdr-1.5.8/menu.c
--- vdr-1.5.8.org/menu.c	2009-01-10 10:20:00.906627848 -0500
+++ vdr-1.5.8/menu.c	2009-01-10 10:21:42.337870447 -0500
@@ -3940,7 +3940,11 @@
 
 void cDisplayVolume::Show(void)
 {
-  displayVolume->SetVolume(cDevice::CurrentVolume(), MAXVOLUME, cDevice::PrimaryDevice()->IsMute());
+  if (cDevice::PrimaryDevice()->IsAttenuate()) {
+     displayVolume->SetVolume(cDevice::CurrentVolume() - VOLUMEATTENUATE, MAXVOLUME - 1, cDevice::PrimaryDevice()->IsAttenuate());
+     }
+  else
+     displayVolume->SetVolume(cDevice::CurrentVolume(), MAXVOLUME, cDevice::PrimaryDevice()->IsMute());
 }
 
 cDisplayVolume *cDisplayVolume::Create(void)
@@ -3974,6 +3978,14 @@
          else
             timeout.Set();
          break;
+    case kAttenuate:
+         if (cDevice::PrimaryDevice()->IsAttenuate()) {
+            Show();
+            timeout.Set(VOLUMETIMEOUT);
+            }
+         else
+            timeout.Set();
+         break;
     case kNone: break;
     default: if ((Key & k_Release) == 0) {
                 cRemote::Put(Key);
diff -Naur vdr-1.5.8.org/vdr.c vdr-1.5.8/vdr.c
--- vdr-1.5.8.org/vdr.c	2009-01-10 10:20:00.907622131 -0500
+++ vdr-1.5.8/vdr.c	2009-01-10 10:21:42.338995479 -0500
@@ -990,11 +990,17 @@
                key = kNone; // nobody else needs to see these keys
                break;
           // Volume control:
-          case kVolUp|k_Repeat:
-          case kVolUp:
           case kVolDn|k_Repeat:
           case kVolDn:
+               if (cDevice::PrimaryDevice()->IsAttenuate()) {
+                  cDevice::PrimaryDevice()->UseAttenuateVol();
+                  }
+          case kVolUp|k_Repeat:
+          case kVolUp:
           case kMute:
+               if (cDevice::PrimaryDevice()->IsAttenuate()) {
+                  cDevice::PrimaryDevice()->ToggleAttenuate();
+                  }
                if (key == kMute) {
                   if (!cDevice::PrimaryDevice()->ToggleMute() && !Menu) {
                      key = kNone; // nobody else needs to see these keys
@@ -1008,6 +1014,21 @@
                cDisplayVolume::Process(key);
                key = kNone; // nobody else needs to see these keys
                break;
+          case kAttenuate:
+               if (cDevice::PrimaryDevice()->IsMute()) {
+                  cDevice::PrimaryDevice()->ToggleMute();
+                  }
+               if (key == kAttenuate) {
+                  if (!cDevice::PrimaryDevice()->ToggleAttenuate() && !Menu) {
+                     key = kNone; // nobody else needs to see these keys
+                     break; // no need to display "mute off"
+                     }
+                  }
+               if (!Menu && !cOsd::IsOpen())
+                  Menu = cDisplayVolume::Create();
+               cDisplayVolume::Process(key);
+               key = kNone; // nobody else needs to see these keys
+               break;
           // Audio track control:
           case kAudio:
                if (cControl::Control())