[Question] Media Portal functionality

SGA · 2008-09-19, 12:33

Hello everyone.

I'm kinda new to the HTPC world, and I'm currently gathering information for a system I'm building.

Due to a few constraints forced on me, I'm going to build a dual purpose PC.

I need it to be able to display and record video/audio on one hand, and allow me to use it as a work PC as well while doing the above.

To my understanding, for that I need 2 separate Audio/Video cards installed.

My question is: Does media portal support such functionality?

I want to connect my TV to an onboard 790GX drived HDMI output (defined as secondary display) and use the onboard audio interface to render the audio (this too will be my secondary audio output device)

will media portal allow me to define which audio card to use for rendering? will i be able to use a full screen mode on the secondary display?

are there any problems I am not anticipating that might surprise me?

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

milhouse · 2008-09-20, 01:10

MP can deal with multiple displays. There's a setting for which display it should start up on, so no problem there.

I am pretty sure it CANNOT deal with multiple sound cards, though.

You are actually intending to use the same PC, at the same time, for two different A/V tasks? Not sure that's a very good idea...

Wolen · 2008-09-20, 05:57

I have two PCs with Media Portal on it. Once is my media PC which just runs Media Portal and is connected to my HD TV. The other pc is my personal computer. My personal computer has 4 monitors on it (AMD 4000 and ATI 1300) and I have Media Portal on that so I can watch TV and videos, etc. while working on my computer. (I'm not using TV Server, its just a single setup). My personal computer also stores all my videos on which the other Media computer has a drive connected to it so I don't have to duplicate all my videos. My computer runs Media Portal on one of my monitors in full screen mode by choosing it on the configurations and I can do anything else on my computer at the same time. So it can be done with no problem.

SGA · 2008-09-20, 14:04

Hi.
yes I'm thinking of doing just that. have 2 separate audio/video connections.

Should be challenging don't you think?

Anyone has experience with multiple video outputs and how they are handled/displayed?
Mainly if my TV is in a different resolution ratio than my PC monitor. (Can't afford a new PC and a new TV together so it's going to be the case for a little while)

Is there absolutely no way of differentiating the 2 audio output devices in MediaPortal?

Wolen · 2008-09-20, 20:30

You don't need two audio cards, just use the one you have. No need to use two separate cards, since it sounds like you want to use MP on your computer while you are using your computer for other things. As far as the video goes, if your video card can support dual monitors, just set it up for dual monitors and then each monitor can be set to different resolutions and set the second monitor for your MP playback. Then use the option in Media Portal configuration to use the screen selector and choose the second monitor.

I tried using MP long time ago for this purpose, but it wouldn't go to the second monitor in full screen mode, so I abandoned the project. It wasn't until I saw someone using Media Center and decided to take another look at MP, and found the screen selector option, so I went full steam ahead and installed MP and now I'm really happy with it.

SGA · 2008-09-21, 00:46

Hi Wolen.

Thanks for the reply.

How would you suggest I accomplish the task of hearing music in my headset while at the same time someone else is watching (for example) a recorded TV show, without having 2 separate audio output devices?

Hellfire29 · 2008-09-21, 03:02

The only idea I have is to use a 7.1 sound card and encode your music so it only plays in the 6th and 7th channel and plug you headphone into the corresponding port.

SGA · 2008-09-21, 17:02

Hellfire,
That would've been a good idea, but my PC also has a 5.1 system.
I'm only going to use the headset when the TV is on.

Wolen · 2008-09-21, 20:01

I have two soundcards on my system, but the second card is setup for Amateur Radio applications only, but I looked in the configuration under Sound Rendering and its listed there, so I imagine you can choose that sound card for MP and yet use the system default card for everyt

hing outside of MP.

druid9 · 2008-09-22, 01:43

Might want to have a look at kxDriver if you have a Creative Soundcard.

This allows you to direct the audio from your applications to a notional port on the card.

I have MP set to run via the digital out port on my soundcard and games etc to the computer speaker port.

Only problem is you can't have more than one iteration of DirectX going at a time so it depends a bit on what you are doing on the PC while TV is being watched.

If any of this is unclear I can amplify.

2008-09-19, 12:33	#1 (permalink)
SGA Portal User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	[Question] Media Portal functionality Hello everyone. I'm kinda new to the HTPC world, and I'm currently gathering information for a system I'm building. Due to a few constraints forced on me, I'm going to build a dual purpose PC. I need it to be able to display and record video/audio on one hand, and allow me to use it as a work PC as well while doing the above. To my understanding, for that I need 2 separate Audio/Video cards installed. My question is: Does media portal support such functionality? I want to connect my TV to an onboard 790GX drived HDMI output (defined as secondary display) and use the onboard audio interface to render the audio (this too will be my secondary audio output device) will media portal allow me to define which audio card to use for rendering? will i be able to use a full screen mode on the secondary display? are there any problems I am not anticipating that might surprise me? Thanks in advance for your assistance.

2008-09-21, 20:01	#9 (permalink)
Wolen Portal Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 12 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Country:	I have two soundcards on my system, but the second card is setup for Amateur Radio applications only, but I looked in the configuration under Sound Rendering and its listed there, so I imagine you can choose that sound card for MP and yet use the system default card for everything outside of MP.

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2008-09-20, 01:10	#2 (permalink)
milhouse Portal Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Minneapolis, MN U.S. Age: 34 Posts: 250 Thanks: 2 Thanked 16 Times in 15 Posts Country: My System	MP can deal with multiple displays. There's a setting for which display it should start up on, so no problem there. I am pretty sure it CANNOT deal with multiple sound cards, though. You are actually intending to use the same PC, at the same time, for two different A/V tasks? Not sure that's a very good idea...

2008-09-20, 05:57	#3 (permalink)
Wolen Portal Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 12 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Country:	I have two PCs with Media Portal on it. Once is my media PC which just runs Media Portal and is connected to my HD TV. The other pc is my personal computer. My personal computer has 4 monitors on it (AMD 4000 and ATI 1300) and I have Media Portal on that so I can watch TV and videos, etc. while working on my computer. (I'm not using TV Server, its just a single setup). My personal computer also stores all my videos on which the other Media computer has a drive connected to it so I don't have to duplicate all my videos. My computer runs Media Portal on one of my monitors in full screen mode by choosing it on the configurations and I can do anything else on my computer at the same time. So it can be done with no problem.

2008-09-20, 14:04	#4 (permalink)
SGA Portal User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Hi. yes I'm thinking of doing just that. have 2 separate audio/video connections. Should be challenging don't you think? Anyone has experience with multiple video outputs and how they are handled/displayed? Mainly if my TV is in a different resolution ratio than my PC monitor. (Can't afford a new PC and a new TV together so it's going to be the case for a little while) Is there absolutely no way of differentiating the 2 audio output devices in MediaPortal?

2008-09-20, 20:30	#5 (permalink)
Wolen Portal Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 12 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Country:	You don't need two audio cards, just use the one you have. No need to use two separate cards, since it sounds like you want to use MP on your computer while you are using your computer for other things. As far as the video goes, if your video card can support dual monitors, just set it up for dual monitors and then each monitor can be set to different resolutions and set the second monitor for your MP playback. Then use the option in Media Portal configuration to use the screen selector and choose the second monitor. I tried using MP long time ago for this purpose, but it wouldn't go to the second monitor in full screen mode, so I abandoned the project. It wasn't until I saw someone using Media Center and decided to take another look at MP, and found the screen selector option, so I went full steam ahead and installed MP and now I'm really happy with it.

2008-09-21, 00:46	#6 (permalink)
SGA Portal User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Hi Wolen. Thanks for the reply. How would you suggest I accomplish the task of hearing music in my headset while at the same time someone else is watching (for example) a recorded TV show, without having 2 separate audio output devices?

2008-09-21, 03:02	#7 (permalink)
Hellfire29 Portal User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	The only idea I have is to use a 7.1 sound card and encode your music so it only plays in the 6th and 7th channel and plug you headphone into the corresponding port.

2008-09-21, 17:02	#8 (permalink)
SGA Portal User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Hellfire, That would've been a good idea, but my PC also has a 5.1 system. I'm only going to use the headset when the TV is on.

2008-09-22, 01:43	#10 (permalink)
druid9 Portal Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Age: 48 Posts: 103 Thanks: 1 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Country:	Might want to have a look at kxDriver if you have a Creative Soundcard. This allows you to direct the audio from your applications to a notional port on the card. I have MP set to run via the digital out port on my soundcard and games etc to the computer speaker port. Only problem is you can't have more than one iteration of DirectX going at a time so it depends a bit on what you are doing on the PC while TV is being watched. If any of this is unclear I can amplify.