Dual Monitor Support - but not the usual! (1 Viewer)

ulti

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July 26, 2008
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like Rickwesh said: Mediaportal would truly shine if the ability to have the menu as it is normally, while selecting a video/Play DVD pushes the output to the secondary display.

I have a case with a 7 inch touchscreen with MP running on it. My TV is the second monitor.
So this option is great for watching movies!!
 

dir

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  • August 30, 2006
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    It's unfortunate that so many people get lured into buying these cases with built-in touchscreens, since there's no htpc apps that can use them properly (i.e. use the small screen to display control information and the big screen for video).

    Nice idea, but I've stayed away from these cases not just because they can't be used well, but because practically speaking, I don't think I want a bright screen being a visual distraction from the TV. I suspect that after the wow factor wore off, I'd want to have the small screen dim or turn off after a delay, rendering the whole idea pretty pointless. It also seems to me that having the controls integrated on the main TV would be the next logical step instead of on a separate screen, which is of course what we already have.
    Having the ability to control the htpc for playing music without using the main TV is about the only really good use I can think of for these small things. Oh yeah, and the wow factor to show my friends the first time. But I think that would wear off.

    To those people that haven't yet bought a new case with built-in screen, be warned - they still (after 3 years now) can't be used the way you want them to and it's not looking like they will in the short term. Save $200 and buy the cheaper case without.
     

    Johnyd

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    February 11, 2009
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    Probably easier to do using an external mediaplayer with mediaportal. And just have the external player launch the main screen all the time and mediaportal be on the touch screen all the time. This wouldnt show mediaportal on the main screen though when no video was playing.

    Just tried it. Ended up with mediaportal on the large screen and the external player on the small though. If I just posted the picture it was look like it had worked, but it actually freezes the mediaportal gui while the video is playing then it reactivates when the video is over.
     

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    ulti

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    July 26, 2008
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    @ Dir:

    "Having the ability to control the htpc for playing music without using the main TV is about the only really good use I can think of for these small things."

    This is the reason i bought a case with a 7 inch screen, only for playing music at a easy way (i don't use the touch at all, becaus it is small and doesnt work well)

    Johnyd

    "'Just tried it. Ended up with mediaportal on the large screen and the external player on the small though. If I just posted the picture it was look like it had worked, but it actually freezes the mediaportal gui while the video is playing then it reactivates when the video is over"

    Idd it doesnt work. i have a external player ( mediaplayer classic HC) if mp is on the small screen and mediaplayer on the TV, then MP will crash. So i have Theatermode on, and it works well. The only thing is that the movie is playing on TV and the small screen.
     

    bloasfist

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    November 16, 2006
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    There has been an initiative to make a plugin capable of doing this: the https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/support-119/touchscreen-lcd-display-plugin-32380/ . Basic functions are working; however development on the plugin has stopped for a long time now...

    I have a 12inch touchscreen (old cash register screen) hanging besides my couch which is used to control mediaportal in clone mode with the TV. Works like a charm, as long as you can set the resolution of the touchscreen the same as the TV (i've got the luck that it can operate in 720p mode) and the skin is touchscreen-friendly (no rolling menu's etc). I think Black & White 1080p - MediaPortal Forum is the best skin in that respect (it's also looking good and well maintained btw). I don't use the plugin i mentioned earlier anymore because it was too buggy last time i tried it. However, that was a LONG time ago; after that there have been made improvements (when looking at the thread).
     

    buddy3000

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    May 31, 2009
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    I too have this dilema. When building my new HTPC I origianally was looking into the cases with the 7" touch screen, I thought it would be cool. But then I ran across the case with the 12" screen and it made me think, how much more useful the bigger screen would be. Then I had a ligh bulb moment and though, why does the touchscreen have to be attached to the PC at all. I ended up with a 15" touchscreen and HTPC case for less then half of what the 7" touchscreen cases were running for. But I digress, I too would like the MP interface to run on the touchscreen while the output screens would run on the HDTV (I have HDMI output from my HTPC). I tried the touchscreen plugin and it displays a music screen on my HDTV but it was designed for the 7" screens so it looks like it was made for a blind man on a 60" screen. I haven't set up videos yet, but I can't help but wonder if I have the video player defaulted to the second screen, it should open automatically there when playing videos. Right now I would like to display Song info on the big screen like it does with the touchscreen plugin.
     

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