Devices > Video Cards, Monitors, Televisions, and Projectors
Is anyone using AMD's Discrete Digital Multi-Point Audio for multizone A/V
Jozza:
OK. So it seems that glynor is one person that been doing stuff in this space. I finally found the correct terminology to search on, which was "detached display", so I've been able to read a bunch more and actually try it now as well.
So in essence, to get multizone A/V (or multi zone audio video or multiple displays or whatever people search on) to work I'll need to (based on MC version 18):
- Install two AMD type graphics cards and use some DisplayPort to HDMI adapters. Does anyone know if these need to be active ones?
- Use a basic monitor as the primary desktop for the HTCP with the built in graphics adapter
- [Personal Preference] Rename the primary zone to be "HTPC" (to help distinguish between HTPC display and other Zones)
- From the main display unit monitor, create four video content zones (Family Room, Bedroom 1, Garage, Multipurpose Room) herin referred to as custom_zone_name
- For each of the four new Zones, configure the video content to go to each display by:
a. In the "Standard View", navigate the Tree menu to a video file ("Video -> Files ->" and select a file)
b. Right click on the file and select "Send To -> Play (custom_zone_name) -> Play"
c. Pause the video (just to give you time to make the changes)
d. Right click on the video content, and select "Detach Display"
e. Drag the Window titled "Display" to the specific Display unit monitor you want the display shown, and double click to make Full Screen
- For the first three zones (that will initially use Audio over HDMI), configure Audio to go to each display by:
a. In the "Standard View", Under "Playing Now", click on the zone you want to modify
b. Right click on the custom_zone_name and select "Playback Options"
c. In the "Options" window, click on "Audio" on the left
d. Click on "Output mode: zzzz" on the right and select the relevant Output mode (not sure which at this stage)
e. Click on "Output mode settings..." on the right
f. In the "zzzz Settings" (named depending on what your Output Mode in step 'd' is) select the appropriate Device and Channels you require to follow the HDMI
- For the last zone (which will be going via a Asus Xonar Essence ST), I would need to configure the Audio to use the Xonar Essence as the device
Now, this appears to work (in my limited testing with only one two displays). However, it seems you need to repeat the "detach display" step everytime I restart MC. I need to work out how to get that happening automatically on startup.
Jozza:
Cool, so I've found the Found the MCC information to control MC from the command line (here:
http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Media_Center_Core_Commands#Specifying_Zones and here
http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/The_Command_Line) plus some examples of detaching screens.) and some examples in posts. In short, use a C:\WINDOWS\system32\MC18.exe /MCC 10037,1:1 type command, and possibly a delay before it if its the first time MC has started.
So now I'm good to go. Plus I need to become pretty familiar with all of this stuff to get the IR remote side of things working for those family members that just want a dumb remote. All the basics seem to be covvered under the MCC command line stuff.
Happy now it appears that its actually possible to have a single HTPC being able to deliver this. Next step is to do some testing with the TV tuner side of things, and hookup my iTach IP2IR devices to test out the simple remote functionality.
Thank you all for providing such detailed posts! Once you know the lingo to look for, it gets much easier to answer your own questions just by searching.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[*] Previous page
Go to full version