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[teambarnes]

OK, so in a nut-shell here is what Im trying to do. I want to use my computer to be able to play movies (or video or TV) on one monitor (Acer 22? wide) while simultaneously playing computer games, or web-surfing, etc on my Viewsonic 20? wide.

My current set up is:

Acer Aspire desktop
AMD 4400 x2
Radeon 3850 (256 gb DDR3)
320 gb hd
2 gig ram
Windows Vista premium
Whatever (Audigy?) on board sound it comes with.

I want to set up the mopnitors at right angles to each other, and to be able to use each monitor for a different task simultaneously. I am planning on getting a USB TV tuner, and whatever else I need to make this dream a possibility. As far as I can tell, the problems I will face will be configuring sound so that whatever is playing on the 22" will use the speakers (back speaker jack) while whatever is on the 20? will use the headphones out of the front jack. Also, I envision some issues with input devices, such as how can the person pause, stop, etc the 22? movie playback, when the person playing vid games on the 20? is using the mousekeyboard?

Are there any issues I am missing, or any elegant solutions people have fouond who have made similar set ups. I want it to be as easy and intuitive as possible so that my wife will not become frustrated and will actually be able to use this. Any advice welcome!

 

[Blain]

:roll:

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: teambarnes
I want to use my computer to be able to play movies (or video or TV) on one monitor (Acer 22? wide) while simultaneously playing computer games, or web-surfing, etc on my Viewsonic 20? wide.

Radeon 3850 (256 gb DDR3)

I want to set up the mopnitors at right angles to each other, and to be able to use each monitor for a different task simultaneously.

I want it to be as easy and intuitive as possible so that my wife will not become frustrated and will actually be able to use this. Any advice welcome!

You want full-on gaming and movie playback at the same time, on two monitors from a single 3850/256mb card? :roll:
And something user friendly for two people at the same time?


Get off the pipe, dude

 

[teambarnes]

uh oh, yes I do. Should I cancel my Best Buy VisionTec 3850 order?

Now, to add a bit more detail, the movies will be converted Divx, or from the USB TV tuner, and the games prolly wont be of Crysis calibre, maybe as grafix intensive as Medeival Total War 2, or Neverwinter Nights 2 (but of course a year from now, that will be different...)

 

[teambarnes]

Ouch, my idea is so bad that one sarcastic reply is all that's needed?? No advice, alternatives, possible solutions?

 

[Modelworks]

Its going to be very complicated to do what you want, if not impossible.
You would be better off building a cheap pc and using that for the divx and usb tuner.

 

[Kartajan]

use an XBOX as a Media Center Extender on the TV/ Video/ Movies display, PC for the main.

(Not certain, but you may have to re-encode your Divx video for it all to work)

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: teambarnes
Ouch, my idea is so bad that one sarcastic reply is all that's needed?? No advice, alternatives, possible solutions?

Just buy an LCD TV and a cheap DVD player for person #2.

 

[teambarnes]

ok, Xbox not an option, so this set up will not work, according to a few voiced opinions. Is it the grafix card? THe 3850 is brand new! It has dual monitor support, why shouldn't it be able to actually USE that dual monitor support?

Or if its not the card, is the the processor? Athlon DUAL core 4400 cant run two things at once? I'm just saying, all these things advertise DUAL right in their names, yet you're telling me they cant perform as I want them to?

Or maybe you mean the wifely ease of use is what is laughable? OK, that one I can buy, but really the ease of use is only for her to be able to sit down and use it as a regular computer, the dual use will only happen when I am around and wanting to shoot some aliens instead of watching the latest Hugh Grant inadequacies.

Please, I need to get this to work, or at least come as close to my dream as possible with the equipment on hand, as I got this with guarantees to my wife that she would get something out of it! I need your help!

(edited spelling)

 

[MegaVovaN]

For sound maybe get a cheapo sound card and set player to use that device, while your game uses onboard sound (or other way around)?
Just extend win desktop to second monitor & play movie on that second monitor.
Done!

As for movie playback control, maybe connect 2 keyboards and assign hot keys for movie playback to one of them (hotkeys that work even if player window isn't ACTIVE)? or 2 mice and you will lose control of the game for a short time while she pauses/starts video?

 

[teambarnes]

THanks, Mega, I am wondering, some of the USB Tuner devices come with remote controls, so I am hoping that maybe that might save my control issues, if the remote control can be set up to play all movie type stuff (in addition to the DVR functions) then that problem would be solved! Also, worst case, I am willing to give up sound for my games while the movie is on, if the headphones wont work, but a cheap soundcard is definitely an idea worth investigating!

See, using one monitor RIGHT NOW, without even my Radeon 3850 iinstalled yet, I can have a movie going in media player while a game is running in windowed mode (for testing purposes, there's not enough screen space to do this for real!) so I dont understand why getting a smokin video card and a second monitor would make it LESS useable?
Oh and it's important to note that with the exception of a few inceidental costs I must be able to get this up and running with my current set up. LCD TV's are not an option! (I wish they were though


AThanks for the replies!