How to open MP on the extended desktop? (2 Viewers)

ThoW1982

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November 6, 2010
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Hi

I have 2 display set up (monitor and TV both 1080p) and been using them duplicate mode for few years.

I'm trying now to set up for MP to work on the extended desktop instead so I could watch stuff and work on my PC at the same time.

The thing is every time I open MP it opens on my monitor not the TV no matter which display is preferred (or "main").

Help with this would be appreciated. It's probably very simple and I'm missing something. :confused:
 

ThoW1982

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November 6, 2010
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An update:

swapping HDMI ports seems to do the trick, but I think I need to disable keyboard support in MP to e.g. type in Word and have MP opened (have a remote for MP).

How do I disable keyboard (and mouse?) as input device in MP?

Thanks.
 

CyberSimian

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  • June 10, 2013
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    How do I disable keyboard (and mouse?) as input device in MP?
    If the MP window does not have focus, it will not receive keystrokes or mouse clicks. So one solution (if there is no better way) would be to switch MP from fullscreen to windowed (ALT_ENTER key), and then manually resize the window so that it fills the screen. You will see the window frame, but perhaps that is acceptable?

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

    ThoW1982

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    Thanks for replying. Windowed mode is not an option unfortunately.

    Is there no full screen solution? How about disabling mouse and keyboard support?
     

    bta489

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    March 17, 2013
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    Hi there,

    Could it be that you have the "Keep MediaPortal always on top" setting (in General > Startup/Resume Settings) enabled? If so try to disable it.

    Before I switched to a dedicated HTPC, I had a similar setup and used it successfully for years. I had two monitors and my TV hooked up and had MediaPortal running on the TV and worked on the other two Monitors.

    As long as MP had not the focus it was not affected by any keystokes I made in other Programs.
     

    ThoW1982

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    Many thanks, bta489. This worked - I disabled "Keep MediaPortal always on top".

    I set up my monitor as primary display and TV as extended.

    2 issues on Win10 64-bit:

    1) After I launch Mediaportal 1 on my TV (extended display) Windows Explorer crashes and start menu is gone.
    I can manually open the Explorer and then restart it - this brings back the start menu. Explorer crashes every time I open Mediaportal 1 :(

    2) The remote support is only partial. When I'm typing this post I can pause, start and stop media in Mediaportal 1 using my HP remote. But I can't use "selection arrows" used by Mediaportal UI e.g. menus and search/skip. Pressing selection arrow results in action on the monitor/primary screen - in case of this forum opened in Chrome, cursor control (up, down, left, right). To be able to fully control MediaPortal 1 using the remote I need to go to the extended display(TV) with the app opened and click anywhere - I think this brings back the app from background and allows full remote support.

    Did you experience the same issues in your old set up before you switched to dedicated HTPC?
     

    bta489

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    March 17, 2013
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    The crashing seems odd. There seems to be something wrong there. I never had those issues, neither on Win 7, where I had the similar setup, not now on the dedicated Windows 10 HTPC.

    I did however experience the same 'issue' with the remote. That's rather normal and intentional behaviour. I managed it by adding MediaPortal to the Taskbar. This way, when I was working on the other screens I could bring MediaPortal back to focus with Windows-Key + Number (in my case it was Win+3). After a while I developed a habit of always pressing this key combination first before trying to control MP with the remote.

    After I got a new Logitech remote I programmed this Key-Combination into one of the keys so I could re-focus MP from the couch as well. I did this for several years and was quite happy with it. No comparison to the dedicated HTPC, but the best with the equipment I had then.
     

    ThoW1982

    Portal Member
    November 6, 2010
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    I did however experience the same 'issue' with the remote. That's rather normal and intentional behaviour. I managed it by adding MediaPortal to the Taskbar. This way, when I was working on the other screens I could bring MediaPortal back to focus with Windows-Key + Number (in my case it was Win+3). After a while I developed a habit of always pressing this key combination first before trying to control MP with the remote.

    After I got a new Logitech remote I programmed this Key-Combination into one of the keys so I could re-focus MP from the couch as well. I did this for several years and was quite happy with it. No comparison to the dedicated HTPC, but the best with the equipment I had then.

    Thanks again. The taskbar hint helps a lot. I will try to programme the key combo to a button on my HP remote when I have some free time. Seems like a very good idea.

    The crashing seems odd. There seems to be something wrong there. I never had those issues, neither on Win 7, where I had the similar setup, not now on the dedicated Windows 10 HTPC.

    Right...Let me fully explain...When I open Mediaportal 1 it opens on extended desktop, then start menu immediately disappears on primary display. When I close MediaPortal 1 on extended display start menu is back on primary display. This might be a bug. With Mediaportal 1 opened on extended desktop to get start menu back on primary display I need to open explorer.exe and then restart it.
     

    ThoW1982

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    November 6, 2010
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    An update:

    It's not a bug...Disabling "Hide taskbar in full screen mode mode" in MP configuration solves the issue.

    Many thanks for your help.
     

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