PC with 2 Graphics Cards & 2 Monitors - Problem!

dragonuk · 17 Dec 2010 at 20:21

OK, I have a PC with 2 nvidia graphics cards in 2 pci-e x16 slots. One is connected to the monitor and the other is connected to a 1080p hdtv over hdmi.

This all works fine and I have the desktop on both screen in extend mode.

Now what I am doing is running mediaportal, boxee or xmbc etc in full screen on the HDTV using a bluetooth remote.

The bluetooth remote basically just sends keyboard keys to control the media program using eventghost or something like that.

This works fine now the problem...... (I don't even think there is a solution)

For the bluetooth remote to funtion in mediaportal, boxee, xmbc etc the media program has to be the current active window.

So if someone is using the pc on the monitor to browse the internet or type a word document , the remote no longer works.

Now you can set it up so the remote sets the media program to the current active window and sends the command everytime you press a button on the remote, however this means if someone is typing in microsoft word and someone uses the remote to interact with the media program on the hdtv, the typing stops as it is no longer the current active window and the user has to select microsoft word again to begin typing.

So is there anyway around this or a solution to minimise it as much as possible without using another computer

dragonuk · 18 Dec 2010 at 00:16

Guess no one knows about this ? Or if there is a solution.. lol

ms2010 · 18 Dec 2010 at 00:34

Had a quick google found this thread:

http://www.eventghost.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=508&start=23

Seems to be someone with a similar problem of remote sends stealing focus from the other screen.
Only had a quick read as haven't used Mediaportal personally , but they appear to have found the fix , might make more sence to you.
Hope it helps.

dragonuk · 18 Dec 2010 at 04:06

Thanks for that , really useful. I couldnt find anything. Think this will help

bJN · 18 Dec 2010 at 07:58

No offence, but I'm not exactly sure how you thought it would work flawlessly to begin with? You're basically asking ONE computer to do TWO separate things at once, things don't exactly work like that.

95thrifles · 18 Dec 2010 at 08:48

bJN said:
No offence, but I'm not exactly sure how you thought it would work flawlessly to begin with? You're basically asking ONE computer to do TWO separate things at once, things don't exactly work like that.

Why not?
Pretty sure most modern PCs are capable of multi tasking

You may be able to set it up by running a VM and having media run through the VM rather than host, but that being said Im suprised there isnt just a simple solution to allow it to run in background passively. No actual experience of it though so cant be much help, sry

dragonuk · 18 Dec 2010 at 10:07

bJN said:
No offence, but I'm not exactly sure how you thought it would work flawlessly to begin with? You're basically asking ONE computer to do TWO separate things at once, things don't exactly work like that.

Computers can do loads of things at once. I can have a computer burning a dvd, extracting a file, browsing the internet and playing a avi all at the same time.

bJN · 20 Dec 2010 at 00:56

dragonuk said:
Computers can do loads of things at once. I can have a computer burning a dvd, extracting a file, browsing the internet and playing a avi all at the same time.

None of which are an INPUT command. I phrased what I was trying to say pretty poorly I admit, but what I meant to say is that the OP is essentially trying to tell the operating system to do two independent tasks at the same time.

Even with a VM loaded I'm not convinced it would work, as again you are still using two inputs.

And just as a pointer, iirc CPU's don't do things simultaneously, they cycle through multiple tasks and commands at an incredible speed, giving the illusion of simultaneousness