MPDisplay++ - Extended Display/Touchscreen Plugin (1 Viewer)

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sa_ddam213

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    MPDisplay++ - Extended Display/Touchscreen Plugin​
    A Second GUI For MediaPortal For Multiple External Monitors/Touchscreens/PC's.​


    Introduction
    MPDisplay++ is a WCF server/client based display solution for MediaPortal, With MPDisplay++ you can display any Mediaportal information from your HTPC to any other attached screen's or any PC's anywhere*.

    MPDisplay++ has an independent skin engine so you can customize the way you want it. MPDisplay++ is basically a second GUI for MP.
    You can connect as may MPDisplay++ UI's to the plugin as you want.

    *You can use MPDisplay++ on any attached Monitor/Touchscreen on your HTPC, Also you can install MPDisplay++ on other PC's on your LAN or over the Internet to control MediaPortal. For over internet use the correct MPDisplay++ networks ports must be available for external connections (default port: 44444)



    Screen Shots:(NoTouch Skin)
    index.php
    index.php


    index.php
    index.php




    Feature list:
    - Homescreen
    - Basic Homescreen
    - Video Playing screens
    - Music Playing screen with Equalizer display
    - TV Playing Screen
    - Fully usable listcontrol of every menu within MP (Touch/Mouse only)
    - Remote Touch control(Touch/Mouse only)
    - and the Best: Fully customizable!!

    Development Status
    Current Version - 0.7.0.0
    Project Website - MPDisplay++ Website
    Bugtracker - MPDisplay++ Bugtracker

    Requirements
    Requires MediaPortal 1.2.1 - 1.2.X
    Microsoft .NET 4.0
    Due to the scope of this plugin, performance may be degraded on low-end HTPC's



    Author(s)
    Team MPD
    Plugin Developers: Sa_ddam213(Lead Developer), Gdl(Developer), Unople(Developer)
    Skin Developers: Wondermusic

    Release Roadmap
    Alpha: Basic API/GUI functionality/Testing
    Beta: Feature/Requests, Advanced GUI functionality
    Final: Performance/Graphics etc.

    If you find an error/bug please check the RoadMap.txt to see if it's a known issue.
    If not please submit the issue to the bugtracker, If you unsure if it's a bug just post in this thread
     

    powermarcel10

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    Re: MPDisplay2 - MP Secondary Display

    Hi,

    is the plugin also comatible with the latest MP stable release? Version 1.1.2?

    Greetz
     

    robbo100

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    Re: MPDisplay2 - MP Secondary Display

    Hi sa_ddam213

    This plugin looks very exciting! I am not sure it is designed for the setup I use, so I was wondering if you would be able to tell me if you think it might be useful for me (and how I might use it).

    I have MP installed on my XP SP3 HTPC which is in my dining room (to save space and reduce noise in my lounge where I watch TV). My lounge and dining room are next to each other, so I pass a USB cable (for remote control signals) and a HDMI cable (for audio/video to amplifier and TV) through the wall from the dining room to the lounge. I also have the second audio output from my motherboard (analogue audio output) connected to a second amplifier in my dining room so that I can also listen to music using my HTPC in the dining room (effectively a multi-room audio solution). The problem is, when I want to change music track when listening in the dining room, I have to walk to the lounge, turn on the TV, select the track I want to listen to, turn the TV off and go back to the dining room to listen to the music.

    With your plugin, it sounds like I would be able to put a small monitor in the dining room (acting as the secondary screen), and see the status of MP on this screen. If this is the case, then that would be amazing!

    However, I am not sure how I would control my HTPC using this secondary screen (without the screen being a touch-screen display). Would it be possible to connect a second remote control (with receiver) to the HTPC (one in the lounge and another in the dining room), and set the system up so that the lounge remote control only controls user inputs on the primary screen and the dining room remote control only controls user inputs on the secondary screen?

    If this is not possible, the only way I can think of controlling activity on the secondary display would be to use the mouse in the secondary screen, but this will not be as nice as using a remote control.

    I presume to configure this plugin I would set up my smaller secondary screen to “Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor” in the XP Display Properties?

    Thanks for what looks like a great plugin!

    Robbo100
     

    Double

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    AW: MPDisplay2 - MP Secondary Display

    Is it possible to configure the plugin in the way , that my movies automatically are shown on my secondary screen (projector) ?
     

    sa_ddam213

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    Re: MPDisplay2 - MP Secondary Display

    Hi sa_ddam213

    This plugin looks very exciting! I am not sure it is designed for the setup I use, so I was wondering if you would be able to tell me if you think it might be useful for me (and how I might use it).

    I have MP installed on my XP SP3 HTPC which is in my dining room (to save space and reduce noise in my lounge where I watch TV). My lounge and dining room are next to each other, so I pass a USB cable (for remote control signals) and a HDMI cable (for audio/video to amplifier and TV) through the wall from the dining room to the lounge. I also have the second audio output from my motherboard (analogue audio output) connected to a second amplifier in my dining room so that I can also listen to music using my HTPC in the dining room (effectively a multi-room audio solution). The problem is, when I want to change music track when listening in the dining room, I have to walk to the lounge, turn on the TV, select the track I want to listen to, turn the TV off and go back to the dining room to listen to the music.

    With your plugin, it sounds like I would be able to put a small monitor in the dining room (acting as the secondary screen), and see the status of MP on this screen. If this is the case, then that would be amazing!

    However, I am not sure how I would control my HTPC using this secondary screen (without the screen being a touch-screen display). Would it be possible to connect a second remote control (with receiver) to the HTPC (one in the lounge and another in the dining room), and set the system up so that the lounge remote control only controls user inputs on the primary screen and the dining room remote control only controls user inputs on the secondary screen?

    If this is not possible, the only way I can think of controlling activity on the secondary display would be to use the mouse in the secondary screen, but this will not be as nice as using a remote control.

    I presume to configure this plugin I would set up my smaller secondary screen to “Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor” in the XP Display Properties?

    Thanks for what looks like a great plugin!

    Robbo100

    Hey Robbo,

    This plugin should work fine for you if you have a remote reicever in you kitchen, As you can see what your navigating on the secondary display.Basicly this plugin is designed to for the exact perpose your asking (To play/select music/radiow without having tv on)

    You can fully customize each window to display what you need :)

    Sa

    Is it possible to configure the plugin in the way , that my movies automatically are shown on my secondary screen (projector) ?

    Hey Double,

    No, This is not what this plugin is designed to do.
    But if you have an ati card in CCC you can select this setting :)

    Sa

    Hi,

    is the plugin also comatible with the latest MP stable release? Version 1.1.2?

    Greetz

    Hey PowerMarcel,

    Sure is :)

    Sa
     

    robbo100

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    Re: MPDisplay2 - MP Secondary Display

    This plugin should work fine for you if you have a remote reicever in you kitchen, As you can see what your navigating on the secondary display.Basicly this plugin is designed to for the exact perpose your asking (To play/select music/radiow without having tv on)

    So it sounds like I will just have to make sure that the screen layout in both rooms is the same so that the navigation using the cursor keys (on the remotes) has the same affect on both screen skins. I am sure it will all become clear when we get to play with it.

    My other thought is how XP will cope with a re-boot with the primary screen (TV) switched off. I am worried that XP will automatically revert to putting the kitchen monitor as the primary screen, and then stop everything working. I am experimenting now to see if this is going to be a problem (but it looks like it might be :()

    Are you really going to make us wait until the 19th to download it???

    Robbo100
     

    sa_ddam213

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    Re: MPDisplay2 - MP Secondary Display

    My other thought is how XP will cope with a re-boot with the primary screen (TV) switched off. I am worried that XP will automatically revert to putting the kitchen monitor as the primary screen, and then stop everything working. I am experimenting now to see if this is going to be a problem (but it looks like it might be :()

    Are you really going to make us wait until the 19th to download it???

    Robbo100

    Not if you buy a wee cheap GFX card for the secondary ant set you main card as first display in BIOS :)
    Or setup a ATI profile

    There's a test version on the second post of this threadhttp://https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/mediaportal-plugins-47/mptouch-mediaportal-touchscreen-plugin-80636/index38.html
     

    doveman

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    Re: MPDisplay2 - MP Secondary Display

    I don't really get what benefit this plugin gives, sorry. You say it's to allow users to control stuff without having the TV on, but they still need to put the other TV/monitor on!

    I already see the exact same thing on my TV and monitor, because my dual-output graphics card (actually HD3200 IGP) is in Clone mode, so if I wanted to I could put my monitor in another room. I don't have any problems with booting my PC with the TV off, as it seems to still communicate it's presence to my graphics card, although perhaps other TVs and cards might not work as well.

    I'd still need some way of making a remote work from the other room though, which wouldn't be easy as I use the IR receiver built-in to my Nova-T 500 card.

    Perhaps if I were using an MCE USB remote receiver, it would be possible to have one in each room (if MP and Windows XP support two identical receivers) and then have a remote in each room as well.
     

    robbo100

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    Re: MPDisplay2 - MP Secondary Display

    It is so much easier to discuss the plugin now that Australia are awake!

    Not if you buy a wee cheap GFX card for the secondary ant set you main card as first display in BIOS
    Or setup a ATI profile

    Hmmmm, I wonder if I have one in the loft. I can't remember if I have a spare PCI-E slot in my HTPC.....

    I am using NVIDIA and have a single profile set, but from the testing I have done so-far I am definitely having problems with the second monitor. It all works fine on boot if the TV is off (the monitor shows the extended view correctly) but when I switch on my Denon Amp, the secondary monitor becomes the primary. I can re-load the profile and everything is OK, but the WAF will be very poor if this has to be done all the time!!!

    Sorry to ask stupid questions, but if I have a second graphics card, how do I configure it within XP? I presume it will just show up as another display in the display settings?

    I hope I am not disturbing your breakfast!

    Thanks

    Robbo

    I already see the exact same thing on my TV and monitor, because my dual-output graphics card (actually HD3200 IGP) is in Clone mode, so if I wanted to I could put my monitor in another room. I don't have any problems with booting my PC with the TV off, as it seems to still communicate it's presence to my graphics card, although perhaps other TVs and cards might not work as well.

    I presume that both your displays in clone mode are displaying the same resolution. In my case, the will not display full 1080, so will not clone. I presume using a small touch screen will have exactly the same problem - hence the plugin is useful to me.

    Unless of course, you have an easy method of clone displaying two different resolutions (I have seen some software but display performance is severely affected by the de-scaling on the smaller monitor).

    Robbo100
     
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