Process for Running Movie on 2nd monitor

[TCIII]

Hi all,

I know that there is a way to have my TheaterTek s/w DVD player direct the movie I want to play to my secondary monitor (RPTV) even though the application/Windows is being displayed on the primary monitor (15" LCD)

Until the more recent versions of the Catalyst Control panel, I was able to have the desk top sans icons on the secondary monitor and the desktop with icons on the primary monitor. Now, CC will not let me select the secondary monitor to operate in parallel with the primary monitor sans the desktop icons and control.

I am running an ATI X1650XL video card and TheaterTek.


Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
TCIII

 

[DavidL]

TCIII
With MainLobby / DVDLobby, we have built with Theatertek the ability to target position and size of a TheaterTek window on any PC, and on any screen with bidirectional control.
This required a special version of TheaterTek that has only been available to Mainlobby customers.
Works awesome and provides much control over the TT experience.

 

[TCIII]

DavidL,

I also have MainLobby/DVDLobby installed on my HTPC and am presently working on integrating TheaterTek into DVDLobby.

I have installed my DVDProfiler XML database into my MLS and am now working on setting up the path to each movie on my unRaid server in each movie's FILE field.

I assume that once the path for each movie is installed in the MLS movie data base, DVDLobby will attempt to play the selected movie by directing the default DVD player to the movie's path.

I have read the DVDLobby/TheaterTek plug-in documentation numerous times, but I am still unclear on how DVDLobby knows what DVD player (TheaterTek) to use unless it is specified for each movie in the MLServeCmd database field. The documentation says that if that field is left blank, the Default command will be used, but how is the MLServeCmd.MLFileOpen|<<File>> (Default) directed to TheaterTek and not say Zoomplayer? Is there a general path in DVDLobby that must be filled in with the path to the TheaterTek .exe?

What I would like to do is to be able to use a touchscreen panel running DVDLobby and be able to direct my HTPC (on which TheaterTek is installed) through the Alias function to play the selected movie.

I know that there is a learning curve associated with ML/DVDLobby/TheaterTek, but I am willing to dig in and get the commands setup to do what I want. I have explored both the Cinemar DVDLobby and TheaterTek plug-in subforums and have also utilized the TheaterTek forum. Much to be learned here!

Perhaps a tutorial outline of the basic steps to get DVDLobby working with TheaterTek in the bidirectional mode would be useful.

Regards,
TCIII

 

[DavidL]

Quick overview:
In DVDLobby you create "Locations" of your movies (whether a certain Sony DVD changer, or a certain hard drive that is shared on your network or other).

In DVDLobby plugin you create a "Play Movie" command dependent on the "Location". If the Location is "Hard Drive X", then you would send a MLTheaterTek plugin a command to open up TT on HTPC1 (example) running Full Screen, with top left corner at 0,0. These parameters are setup in the MLTheaterTek plugin and called an "Alias". Example alias name for the above might be "TT_HTPC1_Full_Zero_Zero". The HTPC1 IP address is associated to the Alias as well. So, when you do a AV.TT_HTPC1_Full_Zero_Zero|PlayFile|<<FilePath>> command (not exact syntax, but off the top of the head), this will open TT on the HTPC1 full screen top left corner and play the movie that is sitting in the <<FilePath>>. FilePath is a parameter sent from the DVDLobby database. It could also have been "MovieTitle" and a bunch of other supported variables.

You can also pass to TT a bunch (many) other parameters that can be triggered by attributes on a per movie basis in the DVDLobby database. A particular filter, audio track, subtitles, etc. dependent on THAT movie's needs.

Of course this can all get even more complicated / sophisticated by using variables in place of those parameters so you can click a button to select what room location you want to play at, whether full screen or "mini view", even with user personal settings. But, that's a bit over the top for an "overview".

BTW, there is another update to DVDLobby plugin that make a lot of the above setup as simple as a drop down choice. Shouldn't be much longer.
Also, make sure you are on all of the latest versions of ML3 client / ML3Server, Theatertek (w/ Cinemar update), DVDLobby plugin and database.

 

[TCIII]

Hi DavidL,

Very nice overview! I sure could have used it prior to today.

I essentially, through trial and error, was able to get DVDLobby on my HTPC PC to play a movie on my HTPC PC from one of my unRaid servers using TheaterTek. I am presently using the 15" LCD VGA monitor, but my next move will get TheaterTek to play the movie on my secondary monitor which is a 55" RPTV.

I have DVDLobby installed on a Fujitsu 3500 Tablet and was able to start a movie on the HTPC PC using the Tablet. I also have a small 8.5" touchscreen hooked to a SFF PC running DVDLobby and I had the same success with it as I had with the Tablet.

I think the best thing to do is to start simple and then work your way up to a more sophisticated interface one step at a time. I will say that the event logs in both the TheaterTek and DVDLobby plug-ins were a great help in getting DVDLobby and TheaterTek talking to each other.

Thanks again.

Regards,
TCIII

 

[TCIII]

Hi all,

After doing a little research on the ATI website, it turns out that the newer versions of Catalyst, unlike the older versions (2yrs back), will not recognize a secondary monitor that is hooked up via the component cables from my X1650X video card and allow the extended desktop function.

I can only select the primary or the secondary monitor when the secondary monitor is connected via component cables, but not both at the same time. The only present solution is to connect to the secondary monitor with a DVI cable from the ATI video card.

My secondary monitor is a Sony RPTV with a DVI input. It will be interesting to see if the Sony will accept the ATI card's HDCP output on the DVI connection.

Comments?

Regards,
TCIII