[mythtv-users] Second Monitor

Joseph A. Caputo jcaputo1 at comcast.net
Mon Feb 6 19:55:24 UTC 2006


On Monday 06 February 2006 14:06, Steven Adeff wrote:
> On 2/6/06, Chris Hembrow <chris.hembrow at pixelseventy2.net> wrote:
> > I think you're misunderstanding my requirements, I don't want 2
> > independent frontends. Let's start again:
> >
> > I have a front end with 2 monitors attached. I want to be able to
> > use either monitor to control THE SAME mythfrontend. One of these
> > monitors is being driven by a really old, crappy 8mb pci graphics
> > card, with no hardware decoding. Because of this, I don't want
> > tv/video outputting to this screen, but I still want to be able to
> > tell myth to play tv. I realise this last is slightly redundant,
> > but I have reasons.
> >
> > basically, i'm planning on trying to turn the second monitor into a
> > small touchscreen, on the front of my case, and outputting video to
> > this would be pretty pointless. If it is not possible to disable
> > video/tv, then I'll have to come up with an alternative solution
> >
> > On 2/6/06, Steven Adeff <adeffs.mythtv at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > On 2/6/06, Chris Hembrow <chris.hembrow at pixelseventy2.net> wrote:
> > > > On 2/6/06, Steven Adeff <adeffs.mythtv at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > On 2/6/06, Chris Hembrow <chris.hembrow at pixelseventy2.net> 
wrote:
> > > > > > I don't want it to play video, because it is going to be
> > > > > > driven by a very low spec video card, in order to get
> > > > > > smooth video playback I would need a card with a hardware
> > > > > > decoder. If I didn't have the hardware decoder, then the
> > > > > > cpu would be being used to play jerky video.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > look at this case:
> > > > > > http://www.pcalchemy.com/product_info.php/pName/silverstone
> > > > > >-lascala-sstlc18-wtouchscreen-black this is the effect I am
> > > > > > trying to replicate. it's a bit pointless playing video on
> > > > > > the front touchscreen, but a nice interface for just
> > > > > > setting things quickly.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I just want the mythfrontend on the LCD to be a replication
> > > > > > of the main myth, so that you can use either easily. If I
> > > > > > have a second X session for music/scheduling only
> > > > > > mythfrontend, then which session does my remote control? a
> > > > > > duplication means there are no issues with confusing the
> > > > > > missus when she's trying to work this.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > quite often I use the myth box to listen to music on
> > > > > > headphones while the missus watches soap (shock, horror,
> > > > > > through the tv, not myth!!). if i want to change to a
> > > > > > different album, I have to get her to change channel while
> > > > > > I look for something else to listen to. All I want to do is
> > > > > > be able to change this, but not have to worry about which
> > > > > > instance of mythfrontend the remote is controlling etc...
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On 2/6/06, Brad Fuller <bradallenfuller at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > > > > > > Chris Hembrow wrote:
> > > > > > > > A second X session would mean a second mythfrontend
> > > > > > > > wouldn't it? I don't want a separate instance of the
> > > > > > > > front end, I want two cloned monitors showing the same
> > > > > > > > front-end, but only 1 of which will play videos.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > This is for a similar idea to the silverstone case with
> > > > > > > > the lcd touchscreen on the front, but minus the
> > > > > > > > touchscreen (initially)
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I'm curious why you want them to be identical, but not
> > > > > > > play videos. You can play music and schedule on a second
> > > > > > > X session.
> > > > >
> > > > > I don't see why your against running a second X session for
> > > > > the LCD display with a customized menu system?
> > > >
> > > > maybe i'm not understanding, but this is how i see it.
> > > >
> > > > if i run a second X session, this will have it's own instance
> > > > of mythfrontend. when i use my remote, lirc will send the
> > > > keypresses to both of these instances, causing one of them to
> > > > do unpredictable things if the menu structures are not
> > > > identical. also, which instance of X (and therefore
> > > > mythfrontend) would the keyboard control?
> > >
> > > Thats why I said use a second user, this user could have its own
> > > lircrc so that you could have one remote for the LCD and one for
> > > the TV. Then you could use the LCD as an independent frontend.
> > > The keyboard would control whichever frontend was lodaded from
> > > the console, you could have the frontend on the LCD automatically
> > > load as an independent session.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Steve
>
> the only way to currently do this is to use something like "TwinView"
> with one monitor output going to the LCD, though I don't know if
> TwinView in linux lets both screens have different resolutions.
>
> this would let both show the same menu, but since TwinView will only
> show video on Xv to one screen the video won't show up on the LCD,
> you'll just get a blue screen.

I think TwinView is Nvidia-specific, for multihead Nvidia cards using 
their binary drivers.

There are two possible solutions, as I see it:

(1) Use Xinerama to effectively mirror the display using two different 
video cards & monitors (you'll get display :0.0 and :0.1) NB: Xinerama 
screens may have different geometries, but must have the same color 
depth.  I have no idea how Xinerama will play with any hardware 
acceleration functions.  It *may* allow you to display accelerated 
video on one screen, while the other screen would just show solid blue 
or black while the video was playing.  Or, it may disable all hardware 
acceleration on both screens (including Xv, XvMC & OpenGL).

(2) Run 2 separate X sessions (you'll get display :0 and :1), but don't 
run mythfrontend on the second head.  Instead, use X.org's (or 
XFree86's) built-in VNC server capability to export the 1st head's 
display, then run a VNC client on the 2nd head.  Whenever the first 
head is playing accelerated video (either Xv, XvMC or OpenGL), the VNC 
viewer on the second head should show solid blue, or something. 
similar.

HTH,
JAC


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