MP and Touch Screen

[sambuddy]

Hello Everyone,
I am looking at setting up a MP with an LCD touch screen as a media centre in our kitchen. Has anyone setup MP to be used only with a touch screen?
Did you have any difficulties getting the correct configuration e.g. right mouse click = ?? on a touch screen setup

Thanks for your help

[wewe]

I am not sure who finally realized it.

But at least there have been some discussions on that topic in various configurations. Search for "kitchen touch" (make sure to select "search for all terms")

thanks+regards
WeWe

[MJGraf]

Just to keep this discussion alive...

My "final" htpc will have two displays: 1. Beamer (resolution 1280x720), 2. htpc-case with touchscreen.
Although this configuration will probably be a little different from a (bigger) touchschreen in the kitchen, some problems might be the same:

1. The skin would have to be touchscreen-friendly, i.e. big buttons
2. There must be some kind of two-screen-support.

The first point should not really be a problem.

The second one is a problem... My idea so far is using a touchscreen that can display the same resolution like the beamer, even if it's not the touchscreen's native resolution (-> clone mode). This would in my case lead to the Silverstone LaScala LC 18 since the Dign X15e's touchscreen is not able to display 1280x720 (at least as far as I found out...)

For you, there would even be another solution: Give your kitchen-touchscreen its own pc and use it as an intelligent remote control. Unfortunately this is not a solution for me because this would mean 2 htpcs in one case...

So my question is: Are there other people having this idea or even having solved some of the problems?

cheers,

/Michael

[Taipan]

Originally Posted by MJGraf

Are there other people having this idea or even having solved some of the problems?

Hi Michael - I have exactly the same requirement, but haven't found a solution, yet... :?

I would like to use the touch-screen display to control MediaPortal for those areas that don't require the projector to be on - for example, to play music.

However, when the projector is turned on to watch TV, DVDs or a video, then I would like the little touch-screen display to turn off, or be able to be turned off...

Anybody got any suggestions?

[sambuddy]

The touch screen I'm looing at for the kitchen is a 7' 1024x768 for about $240 AUS. I'll be using it mainly for control of music, receipes, web camera at front door and kids rooms, organiser, video skype. Well infact playing dvd's is probably the only thing I won't do with this one . But yes, finger friendly skin and full controll with touch only is important AND a very easy to get to volume control that auto hides on every screen

[MJGraf]

Hi Taipan!

I already thought, I'm the only one with this idea of a perfect htpc. That's exactly what I wanted to do.
However, turning off the picture on the touchscreen while watching TV / videos is not so important to me. Of course it would be nice if we were able to display TV / videos only on the beamer and anything else on both displays. But as far as I know this is not possible due to restrictions of Windows XP (directX acceleration is only possible on the primary display and for video content on one display and the MP menu on the other one we would need directx for both displays).

What case / touchscreen do you have?

@sambuddy:
Sorry for hijacking your thread ;-) But I think you'll run into the same problems as we do. You would either need to clone your primary display on your kitchen touchscreen (which meens probably a very long vga and USB cable) or perhaps using a pocket PC with this remote control plugin instead of just a touchscreen (wich probably doesn't suit your needs as you wanted to see some camera pictures on your touchscreen).

[rossc]

I am using MP with touch screem display (17inches from 3M) without remote control and keyboard, and there isn't any problem to use it.
I found a problem when I start a dvd. Dvd player start, but I can't use a touch to select any field from dvd menu and I can't start a movie.
It's necessary to use a remote control or key.
I am working around to find a solution.
I thisnk that there is a bug in MP.
Ciao

[Marcusb]

@Taipan - There is one clove setting for the Nvidia cards where both screens are cloned but the video overlay is only shown on the one screen. This should do what you want, as you'll have both screens for every MP control screen, but as soon as you go full screen the LCD will go pure black. The backlight might still be a little annoying though.

@rossc - Yeah, it's kind of annoying but the DVD menus in MP can only be controlled by the arrow keys (or whatever your remote is mapped to). You can't select a menu by using the mouse (or touch screen, which is effectively the same).

Maybe someone can add mouse support in to DVD Navigator for us?

[Taipan]

Originally Posted by sambuddy

The touch screen I'm looing at for the kitchen is a 7' 1024x768 for about $240 AUS.

I have been looking for one of these at a reasonable price - where did you find this one? (I assume it is 7", not 7'.... )

Originally Posted by Marcusb

There is one clone setting for the Nvidia cards where both screens are cloned but the video overlay is only shown on the one screen.

This sounds like the solution - I guess I need to try it with my ATI card before I commit the $$...

[Taipan]

Originally Posted by MJGraf

What case / touchscreen do you have?

I don't have a touchscreen yet, as I was not sure that it would work the way I wanted, and the only ones I could find were around AU$600.00!!

As I run MediaPortal in 16:9 mode (1280x720), then I need a touchscreen that is also 16:9 and that is a reasonable price.....

As for the case, I plan to custom build one as soon as I find a suitable touchscreen/display - I have also considered a small 16:9 display (7" to 10" - non touchscreen) that I can use in conjunction with my MCE Remote. Any suggestions of a suitable display/screen?