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Author Topic: Enable Secondary Display  (Read 2097 times)

IlPadrino

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Enable Secondary Display
« on: February 16, 2009, 10:41:11 am »

Anyone have a suggestion for automatically ensuring the secondary display is enabled when I playback in Theater View?  I have been using ultramon to do it manually (at least it's a right click on the systray) but it sure would be great if there was a way to make MC do it.
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newsposter

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Re: Enable Secondary Display
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2009, 04:59:51 pm »

Secondary displays are going to be getting popular over the next year.

Several manufacturers are coming out with USB connected/powered auxillary displays in the 7"-9" size.  These USB connected screens will be available with and without touchscreen capabilities.

On an HTPC I'd think that these would be prefect for info displays while reserving the main display for video output.
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imugli

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Re: Enable Secondary Display
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2009, 05:58:29 pm »

I still don't understand how these are going to be that useful, though.

Unless you have one sitting on the armrest of the couch, how are you supposed to read/control the info on them without getting up and walking over to wherever the screen is...

Maybe as eye candy displaying a 'Now Playing' screen outside your theater room, but other than that can someone please explain? Am I missing something?

glynor

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Re: Enable Secondary Display
« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2009, 09:36:15 am »

Anyone have a suggestion for automatically ensuring the secondary display is enabled when I playback in Theater View?  I have been using ultramon to do it manually (at least it's a right click on the systray) but it sure would be great if there was a way to make MC do it.

Ultramon for the win.  It can be scripted so you can do it with a batch file or Windows Scripting Host script, if it helps.
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IlPadrino

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Re: Enable Secondary Display
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2009, 11:43:20 am »

Ultramon for the win.  It can be scripted so you can do it with a batch file or Windows Scripting Host script, if it helps.

How do I get MC to execute the call?
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glynor

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Re: Enable Secondary Display
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2009, 02:05:39 pm »

You can't, that I can see, and I didn't mean to imply that you could.

You could easily script it with Girder and trigger it with a remote control button press, though.
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newsposter

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Re: Enable Secondary Display
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2009, 02:31:54 pm »

On a positive note, I can report that UltraMon v3 **finally** went into a useable beta on Jan 11th.  After running it for a month, I can say that most of the crash issues have been fixed.

$40- for a new user license.  Upgrades for previous users are 1/2 price.

I also recently tripped acress this nifty-looking utility:

http://www.zoneos.com/zonescreen.htm

ZS has the upside of being free for personal use but I've not had the chance to test it against UltraMon, the various Matrox dongles, and plain old VNC hookups.

As far as secondary monitors go, this is another area where JR could differentiate MC from the rest of the world.  Supporting secondary info monitors regardless of connection (USB, video card direct, WiFi, MID, etc, etc) and capability (touchscreen or not, remote mouse or not, etc) isn't something we see elsewhere.

I think that we're already there with the concept of zones.  Now for some point and click setups to shift info views to secondary displays and reserve the primary display for video or visualizations.
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IlPadrino

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Re: Enable Secondary Display
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2009, 05:34:56 pm »

You can't, that I can see, and I didn't mean to imply that you could.

You could easily script it with Girder and trigger it with a remote control button press, though.

Got it...  I'm hoping to find a way to make MC do it without installing (or worse, paying for) any additional programs.  I remember using Girder back in the day when it was free... 
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