RE: [OT] Vista MCE DVD playback

["Paul Gordon" <paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've got powerstrip, and have "played" with it in the past,
- but as you
pointed out, it has more options than you could ever use, - which for me
means so many options I haven't the first clue which ones I need to
adjust. To this day, I've never succeeded in getting powerstrip to do
what I need. (purely due to my own ignorance I hasten to add!)

WRT to moving the taskbar, that isn't an option...  - my arrangement is
a single media PC which lives in a rack in Node 0. Also in the rack is a
KVM switch, and a local screen/keyboard/mouse so that I can control the
machine when I'm sitting in front of it in N0, which is normally only
when I'm working on it, tweaking settings etc.

The 2nd display is the plasma in the lounge, which is where I view most
of the time - i.e. this is where I "use" the machine for its
intended
purpose (viewing media)

As far as I know, anything other than a "clone" mode between the
displays has various disadvantages... - things like;
- video will only playback on the primary display, the 2nd screen shows
a black area where the video should be (overlay restrictions I believe?)
- The BIOS, POST, & early setup screens only appear on the primary
display, the secondary only becomes active once windows has loaded the
nvidia display drivers

Each of these are mutually exclusive as far as convenience goes... -
when I'm configuring the machine, I'm almost always sat in front of it
in N0, so I need the local screen to show me everything... When I'm
using it in the lounge, I need video to playback on the plasma, not on
the CRT in the rack..

Of course, things may have changed since the above was true, so if
anyone has a suggestion for a better way to configure dual screens on
Vista mediacentre, I'm happy to try them... Ideally I need:
- different resolutions on each screen (currently I clone, so both are
the same, but this works well enough TBH, as long as I can get MCE on
the plasma to be perfect)
- Mediacentre UI to be always displayed on the plasma (don't mind if it
shows on both screens though, in fact that could be helpful)
- Video playback to always be directed to the plasma (don't mind if it
shows on both screens though, in fact that could be helpful)
- Both of the above to be perfectly 1:1 pixel mapped, and correctly
scaled & centred on the plasma
- BIOS, POST, etc. to always be visible on the CRT (don't mind if it
shows on both screens though, in fact that could be helpful)
- Windows desktop (ideally) displayed on both, - but preferably not
spanned across screens, since then the taskbar & start menu would only
be visible on 1 of the 2 screens, so frankly, there's then ***-all point
of just being able to see the wallpaper on the other screen! - if I
still have to physically go to the other location just to get to the
start menu...

Cheers,

Paul G.




> -----Original Message-----
> From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf
> Of Nigel Giddings
> Sent: 28 January 2009 10:19
> To: UKHA Group
> Subject: RE: [ukha_d] [OT] Vista MCE DVD playback
>
> I would recommend Powerstrip as well, more options than you could ever
> use...
>
> Thinking laterally, have you considered moving the task bar to a more
> screen friendly location?
>
> Nigel
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf
> Of Paul Gale
> Sent: 28 January 2009 10:11
> To: 'ukha_d@xxxxxxx'
> Subject: RE: [ukha_d] [OT] Vista MCE DVD playback
>
> You can setup a custom resolution in nvidia control panel. Failing
> that,
> you can use powerstrip a third party prog to create custom resolutions
> -
> especially designed for this kind of problem.
>
> Paul.
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On
> Behalf
> > Of Paul Gordon
> > Sent: 27 January 2009 22:23
> > To: UKHA Group
> > Subject: RE: [ukha_d] [OT] Vista MCE DVD playback
> >
> > I have another kind of related question if anyone has any
ideas...
> >
> > The plasma resolution is 1366x768 (yes, not full HD... - they
still
> had
> > a hefty price premium back when I bought this)...
> >
> > This isn't a resolution available in Windows for the normal
desktop.
> >
> > However, when I ran the Mediacentre setup wizard, that native
panel
> > resolution was available to select, so I did. I then proceeded to
> > perform all the screen centering etc. in Mediacentre, with the
result
> > that now when in the mediacentre UI, the screen is perfectly
scaled
&
> > perfectly centred. (hurrah!)
> >
> > But once I leave mediacentre & drop back to the Windows
desktop,
that
> > all goes to cock. - It's not a huge problem, (a tiny portion of
the
> > screen at the extreme right edge is "lost", a tiny bit
off the
> bottom,
> > but not enough to affect the ability to use the start button, and
> there
> > is a bit of a black bar on the left side). I don't normally spend
> much
> > time outside of the MCE UI anyway, but being the perfectionist
type,
> > I'd
> > love to be able to have my cake and eat it, so if anyone knows
how/if
> I
> > can get the windows desktop resolution to match the mediacentre
> setting
> > & thus have everything at the native pixel sizes, I'd love to
hear
> > it...
> >
> > Cheers.
> >
> > Paul G.
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On
> > Behalf
> > > Of Paul Gale
> > > Sent: 27 January 2009 17:52
> > > To: UKHA Group
> > > Subject: RE: [ukha_d] [OT] Vista MCE DVD playback
> > >
> > > Could try the PowerDVD decoder - or the sonic one I used to
use -
> > don't
> > > know what it's like these days but always had a good rep...
> > >
> > > Paul.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On
> > > Behalf
> > > > Of Paul Gordon
> > > > Sent: 27 January 2009 17:49
> > > > To: UKHA Group
> > > > Subject: RE: [ukha_d] [OT] Vista MCE DVD playback
> > > >
> > > > Good point, - I am using Asus EPU, normally set to
medium power
> > > > saving...
> > > >
> > > > I found the vsync setting you mentioned, I turned it to
"force
> on"
> > in
> > > > the global settings, and then checked under the
application
> > specific
> > > > settings, where as you say, there is indeed an item for
windows
> > media
> > > > centre, and it shows as using the global setting (force
on). A
> > quick
> > > > check with the opening sequence of Apocalypto shows the
tear is
> > most
> > > > definitely still there.
> > > >
> > > > I also had a quick check into the nvidia control panel
tip text,
> &
> > it
> > > > "suggests" the multi-display optimisation
really only counts
when
> > > > running dual-view mode. Clone mode is still only really
> generating
> > > one
> > > > display, it just routes it to both outputs... Happy to
try
> anything
> > > to
> > > > fix it though, so I'll give that a go later....
> > > >
> > > > I want to try another DVD decoder, just to eliminate
> possibilities
> > if
> > > > nothing else, trouble is, Media Centre is pretty
sensitive to
> these
> > > > changes, and is just as likely to barf completely...
> > > >
> > > > Cheers.
> > > >
> > > > Paul G.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx]
On
> > > > Behalf
> > > > > Of Paul Gale
> > > > > Sent: 27 January 2009 17:40
> > > > > To: UKHA Group
> > > > > Subject: RE: [ukha_d] [OT] Vista MCE DVD playback
> > > > >
> > > > > Another thing to check is power saving modes - are
you using
> the
> > > ASUS
> > > > > EPU-6 app etc by any chance (not sure if supported
on your
> board
> > or
> > > > > not)- if so, try setting everything to max
performance just
for
> > the
> > > > > tests (if you've not done so already).
> > > > >
> > > > > Paul.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > > From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx]
> On
> > > > > Behalf
> > > > > > Of Paul Gale
> > > > > > Sent: 27 January 2009 17:37
> > > > > > To: 'ukha_d@xxxxxxx'
> > > > > > Subject: RE: [ukha_d] [OT] Vista MCE DVD
playback
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > Not sure how, where, or even IF I can
set vsync.. - Note
> that
> > > I'm
> > > > > not
> > > > > > > using the nVidia decoder, since Vista
ultimate includes an
> > > MPEG-2
> > > > > > > decoder in the OS, and I've no idea if
or where there are
> any
> > > > > > tuneable
> > > > > > > parameters for that... - or is it just
in the forceware
> > driver?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > There's a VSync option in the nVidia control
panel - but as
I
> > > said,
> > > > > > it's normally used to set this option on/off
for 3D apps, so
> > may
> > > > not
> > > > > > help - worth a punt though. It's in the
"manage 3D settings"
> > tab
> > > -
> > > > > apps
> > > > > > can set this themselves though and overwrite
the global
> > setting.
> > > > > nVidia
> > > > > > control panel (latest) also allows app
specific settings. In
> > fact
> > > > > mine
> > > > > > has default settings for media player and
media center -
> sounds
> > > > like
> > > > > it
> > > > > > could be an option to check :)
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Setting to on can cause a drop in framerate
though.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > nVidia control panel (at least in mine) also
has settings
for
> > > > multi-
> > > > > > display acceleration - worth looking at too.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I haven't tried running only 1 screen
yet, - I guess I
> > should,
> > > > > > although
> > > > > > > I'd be annoyed if that turned out to be
the reason/cure...
> -
> > I
> > > > > really
> > > > > > > do
> > > > > > > need both screens, since the PC is in
Node 0 & the plasma
> is
> > in
> > > > the
> > > > > > > lounge... Also, my previous media
server, which was based
> on
> > > less
> > > > > > > powerful hardware (6600 GPU, Pentium CPU
etc.) did all of
> > this
> > > > just
> > > > > > > fine.. - the difference of course was
that being XP based,
> it
> > > was
> > > > > > > running Cyberlink DVD software for the
decoder...
> > > > > >
> > > > > > But worth it regardless to see if it's
performance related
or
> > not
> > > > > > possibly.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Oh, and you certainly can install other DVD
decoders
although
> > > I've
> > > > > seen
> > > > > > problems in the past with multiple decoders
installed - no
> way
> > to
> > > > > tell
> > > > > > windows which one to use - or at least there
wasn't when I
> last
> > > > > > looked...
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
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