Main PC to HDTV media center

[Octopod]

Just wanted to see if anyone had a suggestion to help with this. I set my computer up with a dual monitor set up with my 40" Samsung as the secondary monitor. The problem is I want them to act as two completely different monitors and they sort of act like one big monitor. Right now my mouse scrolls left off of my monitor and goes to my TV rather than stopping at the edge. What I am trying to do is just be able to watch Hulu, etc and stream movies from my HDD onto my TV straight from my main PC with out buying a PC dedicated for it. I would like to be able to manually bring something up on which ever monitor I want rather than having to drag it over. It would be sweet to play computer games on the big screen also without having to switch defaults all the time.

When I fire up Windows Media Center it automatically comes up on the Samsung which is great but I only get sound from my computer speakers and not the TV. I can get sound on my TV if I switch the defualt but then If I am also doing something on my PC the sound comes out from the TV. So far I have been unable to find any information to help me out but I may just be looking in the wrong places. I just upgraded my wired keyboard and mouse to wireless ones so that I could use them from the couch and this whole thing is really starting to annoy me.

I am sure there has got to be a way to make this work. I would really like to get rid of cable. Anyone have a similar set up and want to give me some tips?

Edit: This probably should have gone in the Home Theater section. Sorry.

[foulweather]

If you're never using both monitors at the same time, set the machine to mirror. Then you get the same thing on both screens at all times.

I think windows calls the option "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor". Uncheck it and it should go to mirror mode.

[Octopod]

I would like to use both monitors at the same time for different task. And really that works fine with dragging stuff to the other monitor I guess. The real problem is the sound. I would like sound to come from the computer speakers for stuff I am viewing on the primary monitor and to come from the TV for stuff that is being displayed on the TV. Any idea?

[jp1]

You could use playon and stream the hulu content to a dlna capable device (PS3, WDTVL, Popcorn hour, etc..even a wii will work)

This will only allow you to view video content on the tv of course but it will free up the pc to do different tasks at the same time and the sound won't be an issue.


Otherwise, I'm not sure about the logistics. I think linux would give you more options for running 2 separate desktops from the same pc though.

[Niode]

I don't think it's possible to have more than one sound output device active at a time, when I try and change device it simply disables the old one. It's a limitation of Windows. On OSX you have something called an aggregate device and you can essentially stack audio controllers on top of each other. For instance, I have an Onyx Satellite driving my headphone and talkback loops in my home studio and a MOTU 828 driving my inputs and outputs. I have them both acting as one aggregate device in OSX so that If I need to, I can use the additional two channels on my Onyx Satallite for input, or use an additional 6 outputs if needs be from the same software. I can even have different software output sound to separate devices if I need to. I have no idea if this sort of thing is even possible on windows with extra software. I don't know.

Somebody mentioned something about using 1 PC as a kind of terminal with multiple monitors+keyboard+mouse plugged into it and each user has their own shell to use. They wanted to use it for Starcraft, a sort of LAN party but with 1 PC. I can't remember who suggested the software, and I can't remember what the name of it is, but you can search around the forums for it, I think that this may do something similar to what you want.


Personally, I just use my PS3 and PS3 Media Server to stream/transcode media to my TV.

[Octopod]

Perhaps I should just use the xbox 360 then. I am not sure how to get Hulu over it but if that is possible I will google it up and figure it out. The 360 can handle Netflix and hopefully Hulu then and I just bought a blu-ray player but maybe I should return that and get a PS3. Between Netflick, Hulu, Redbox, whatever we may pick up with an antenna and blu-ray I think I could talk the wife into getting rid of cable. Maybe at a later date I will build a small HTPC. I have heard that Hulu plans to start charging a monthly fee but I an sure whatever they charge and $9 a month for Netflick will still save me a grand a year from dropping cable.

Thanks for the advice guys. I imagine what I wanted to do, which is basically having my one computer function as two separate computers, is possible but beyond my know-how.

[Niode]

Thanks for the advice guys. I imagine what I wanted to do, which is basically having my one computer function as two separate computers, is possible but beyond my know-how.

Oh it's definitely possible. I just can't remember the name of the software that enables it.

[Octopod]

You could use playon and stream the hulu content to a dlna capable device (PS3, WDTVL, Popcorn hour, etc..even a wii will work)

Hey Playon looks pretty good.

This will only allow you to view video content on the tv of course but it will free up the pc to do different tasks at the same time and the sound won't be an issue.

Well this is actually what I want to do. I want my computer to function as a HTPC for the HDTV and just use my computer monitor for other stuff.

I was kind of thinking of running MAME and other emulators from the PC to the TV though.

Edit: Just installed the trail on Playon. Pretty nice but I am wondering if there is a chance of my console getting bricked or are companies alright with Playon?

[jp1]

The content that playon sends over to your console is standard dlna or webpage in the case of the wii. I don't think there is any risk associated with the console side of things.

The worse that might happen is that Hulu may find a way to work around playon.

You should check into the unofficial plugins and scripts because they offer a lot more content.

[lisalover1]

Just get an original Xbox for cheap, mod it, and put XBMC on it; it's easily one of the best media centers available, especially for the price.