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[Sam]

There seem to be a lot of users here who use MC to play videos or slideshows on their TVs.

It's been a very long time since I've tried to use MC on my TV, mainly because the setup effort was too much.

As I remember, MC can display full screen video only on the primary monitor.  But setting my TV as the primary monitor throws the windows and task bar to the TV.  Then I have to swap the relative positions of the monitors in Display Properties, and adjust the resolutions of each screen.  By now, I'm using my mouse sitting at my PC looking at the windows and menus on the low-resolution TV across the room.  I have to drag every window or dialog box back to my PC monitor.  I even move the XP task bar over to my monitor.

And then when I'm ready to run MC, I have to leave the app on the TV and switch to full-screen mode using the mouse at my PC.  I have to memorize the menus before I do this since it's hard to read them from so far away.


How does everyone else manage this?  Is having a remote control the minimum requirement for this set up?

And how about having to make the TV the primary monitor?  Do people have a dedicated PC for video?  Or is there an easier work-around?

[sraymond]

You didn't mention what video card you're using...  it can make a difference.  Assuming you have an ATI card, here's what I can offer.

I haven't fiddled with setting up my ATI 8500DV AIW in a while, but here's what I remember:

You have two choices:  use theater mode or use a second montior.  

Theater mode is how I curerntly do it, but it is not a perfect solution, by far.  MC doesn't send everything to the overlay (an image slideshow for example), so it's not a complete solution.  You also don't see things like on-screen controls.

Configure display (Display Options) -> Full Screen -> Monitor:  Display #2 lets you send the full screen display to a second monitor (i.e. TV Out).  This works faiirly well if you don't mind setting up your TV as a second monitor (extending the desktop).  I don't like this for two reasons:  1)  I can't see video on the PC monitor without jumping to internal - you can't have video on both.  2)  I don't like having the TV as a second monitor because then my mouse moves off my PC monitor onto the extended desktop.

I've had mixed luck with using hairstyle on the TV...  I eventually gave up and went to myHTPC (using myHTPC to call MC).  I guess I should see if things have improved lately.  

For me, not being able to see slideshows via the overlay is unfortunate and not being and to see the hairstyle on the overlay is unfortunate (maybe even impossible?).

Scott-

[Sam]

Thanks.  I also have an ATI 8500DV AIW.  The second approach is how I've been doing it.

What is theater mode?  Is that in MC or ATI?

[jleerigby]

It's ATI.  It's where the second monitor is a clone of the main one rather than an extended desktop. In theatre mode ATI can make it behave differently e.g. Full screen, 16x9 etc.

Check out this thread too.

[sraymond]

'Theater mode" is an option within the Overlay tab of the Advanced display settings.  It basically lets you tell the video card to send everything that uses the overlay to the TV out in full-screen.

If you search INTERACT using "overlay theater mode" you should see some discussion on this.  There will be posts by me (sraymond), cindyB, and a few others.

I just remembered another idiosyncracy of using theater mode - it sometimes goes away when MC is minimized.  Not too big a deal - I usually just put MC into mini-me mode instead of minimizing.

If you have any specific questions, let me know...

Scott-

[Sam]

Thanks.  MC can now play full screen on any screen.  I should've checked for this; when there's any limitation, someone will complain, and they'll fix it quickly.  That's what I like about J River; they just keep getting better.  This probably happened months ago.

I was able to get it to work by going into Player/Display Options/Configure Display, and setting the full-screen mode to play on monitor#3.  I can do all the set up from my PC, and have it play full screen on the TV - without fiddling with primary monitor and screen resolutions.  Cool.


I would still like to figure out this "theater mode" in ATI.  My version of Catalyst is from last year, and it doesn't have it.  So I downloaded the latest Catalyst drivers, and now I see theater mode, but I can't turn it on.  In the Overlay tab, I click on the Clone Mode Options button, and I get a dialog box that says I need dual-controller clone mode, and not single or extended desktop.  The rest of the window is grayed-out.  I know how to set up extended desktop. but I don't know what they mean by dual-controller clone mode.  I just downloaded a manual from ATI, and it'll probably take a little trial and error.  If you have any suggestions, let me know.  Thanks!

[sraymond]

So I downloaded the latest Catalyst drivers, and now I see theater mode, but I can't turn it on.  In the Overlay tab, I click on the Clone Mode Options button, and I get a dialog box that says I need dual-controller clone mode, and not single or extended desktop.  The rest of the window is grayed-out.  I know how to set up extended desktop. but I don't know what they mean by dual-controller clone mode.  I just downloaded a manual from ATI, and it'll probably take a little trial and error.  If you have any suggestions, let me know.  Thanks!

You can't select theater mode because you have the second (or is it third?) monitor set up as an extended desktop.  Theater mode only works in clone mode.  I'm at school, so I don't exactly remember the name of the settings, but I think if you uncheck extended and then make sure the display (TV) is on and with the bullseye, you're good to go.

Scott-

[Sam]

Thanks.  My trouble was that when I selected the TV without extending the screen to it, I couldn't get the ATI Advanced control panel.  I just needed to select the main monitor and activate the TV from within the ATI advanced control panel.

It's working now.  Thank you for your help! : )