FullScreen mode not working on 2. Monitor

[CrackMaND]

Hi

I have setup two monitors to my computer. A 19" monitor through DVI and my Samsung TV through VGA. In order to get the best possible resolutions from both displays I have to use Nvidias DualView setting (individual resolution on each monitor), which means that my tv acts as the 2. monitor.

My problem is that when I drag MediaPortal to my TV, and press alt+enter to go to fullscreen, then MediaPortal will go to FullScreen on my 19" monitor instead of the TV.

Setting the tv as primary screen is not an option that I want to use, have tried it and causes more problems than it solves anything (dialog boxes and all other programs will then start on the tv).

So my question is, how do I get MediaPortal to go to full screen on secondary monitor / tv?

MediaPortal Version: 0.2.2
MediaPortal Skin: default
Windows Version: XP Pro SP2
CPU Type: AMD Athlon XP 2800 (Barton)
HDD: Seagate 2*80gb (160gb RAID 0)
Memory: 1024mb Corsair PC3200
Motherboard: Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe
Motherboard Chipset: Nvidia NForce 2 Ultra 400
Motherboard Bios: Award Bios version 1013
Video Card: POV GeForce 6800GT
Video Card Driver: 93.71
Sound Card: Soundblaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX
Sound Card AC3: coaxial out / optical out
Sound Card Driver: 2.9.16
MPEG2 Video Codec: WinDVD 5
MPEG2 Audio Codec: WinDVD 5
Cooling: Zalman
Power Supply: ThermalTake
Remote: Creative RM-1000
TV: Samsung LE32M61B
TV - HTPC Connection: VGA

[FlipGer]

Hi,

its not recommended to use MP on the secondary screen. It will consume all your CPU power, because MS does not support DirectX hardware acceleration on the second screen. Therefore your video card will not render the MP GUI, everything will be done by your CPU...

If you want to use your setup this way, you will have to set your TV as primary. There are several tools to help out with starting apps on the secondary screen.
http://www.mediachance.com/free/multimon.htm

Flip.

[CrackMaND]

Thx for the info. It seems that I cannot be able to have the setup I want.

I use my 19" monitor for playing games, work, internet etc. So if I want to use MP on my tv, then I need to constantly change primary monitors due to the lack of DirextX hardware acceleration of secondary monitor.


Anybody knows a tools where you can map a keyboard shortcut to changing between primary monitors??? So if I wanna play a game I press fx. Ctrl + Alt + G and it automaticallyt sets my 19" monitor as primary. And when I wanna startup MP I first press fx Ctrl + Alt + M and then my TV is the Primary monitor.

[pyedog]

If you are using NVidia you have a couple of choices.
I use the nvcpl.dll to switch primary and secondary - then I start MediaPortal, then I wait for it to start up and switch back. If you prefer, you can have the "switch back" wait until MediaPortal exits.

This generally works well for me - the only exception is web browsing where new windows will start on the primary display. I have written a stand alone full screen web browser based on IE that I use to make sure it stays on my secondary display. Let me know if you want a copy.

My cmd file to start media portal looks something like this:
(I use autohotkey to remap my remote control so it controls whatever I happen to be running)

rundll32.exe nvcpl.dll,dtcfg Primary 2
cd\Program Files\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal
start MediaPortal.exe
start mpremote.ahk
Sleep 30
rundll32.exe nvcpl.dll,dtcfg Primary 1

Good Luck!

[CrackMaND]

Im looking into the nView features of the nVidia driver.

I have setup 2 profiles, one with tv as primary screen. Then I can set a keyboard shortcut for the profile. Since I have Audigy 2 with remote I have tried the excellent remote control software IntelliRemote, where I can have the start button act like a keyboard shortcut.

This means I can switch primary monitors with my remote.

This is not fully tested yet but I will update on the process. Also the next step is to have my nView profile remember which programs to open (MP).

[CrackMaND]

Have finished my setp, and everything works fine.

I use nView Desktop Manager to set 2 profiles: One with my 19" monitor as primary, and 1 with my TV as primary. Then I have assigned a keyboard shortcut to each profile (all managed within nView Desktop Manager). This means I can change primary monitor with simple keyboard shortcuts.

At the same time I have setup my TV profile to have MediaPortal startup, so everytime I switch to my TV as primary, then MediaPortal startsup in FullScreen = Mission Accomplished.

An added bonus is that I can use IntelliRemote software to manage my creative remote control, and have the software emulate the keyboard shortcuts for the nView profiles.


So now I can switch my TV to primary monitor, have Media Portal startup fullscreen, all with a single button on my creative remote. Only drawback, is that I need to press different 2 buttons to close MP and switch primary monitor back.

I've read many negative things about Creatives remote controls, but with IntelliRemote it actually becomes usefull.

Hope my experience is usefull

[FlipGer]

for reporting!

[tourettes]

Here's some other useful thing that you can do with nvidia drivers.

http://http.download.nvidia.com/deve...lPanel_API.pdf

[druid9]

might want to check this out

Mixed workstation and htpc

[Dal]

Originally Posted by FlipGer

Hi,
its not recommended to use MP on the secondary screen. It will consume all your CPU power, because MS does not support DirectX hardware acceleration on the second screen. Therefore your video card will not render the MP GUI, everything will be done by your CPU...
Flip.

I don't understand this.. why does programs like Zoom Player and GB-PVR work perfect on the secondary display then?

I know it's free and everything, but we who use our computers as both desktop and HTPC should at least have the *option* to run MP on the secondary screen without having to resort to hacking, even though it's not recommended. It seems like a lot of people are missing this.

Mediaportal is by far the best mediacenter i have tried, I would even pay money to use it, only too bad it is missing this one necessary (imo) feature.

So please please re-implement this.