How can I set up Projector and Monitor and still run WMC?

[wackychimp]

So I've been up and running for about a week with a Win 7 WMC box and an Epson projector in my home theater. Love it. The PC is in a closet in the back of the room and when configuring it, it's hard to see the projection screen.

I've set up a 19" LCD in the closet so I can see what I'm doing but I have to keep switching back & forth from displaying the same on 2 monitors to stretching across 2 monitors. The stretched version works well except when I have WMC up, then I can't get the cursor out of WMC and over onto the second desktop. Also no taskbar on the second desktop so when I minimize a window it's lost "under" WMC.

Hardware: motherboard's HDMI out to projector & 15pin cable to the 19" LCD. No graphics card.

Maybe this is a common problem? I'm hoping someone here has an easy solution.

[staknhalo]

Either Windows' display options or your GPU's driver software should have an option to mirror the display; so they both show the same thing.

[wackychimp]

Yeah, but then they show at the smaller resolution of my monitor. And I can't get my cursor out of the WMC window if WMC is up.

[Crash2009]

Yeah, but then they show at the smaller resolution of my monitor. And I can't get my cursor out of the WMC window if WMC is up.

You could run WMC in windowed mode, then stretch the window until it just about fills the screen. When WMC is in windowed mode you can move the mouse pointer between the 2 screens.

[Danno100]

I had about the same setup, Computer in closet with monitor, projector in nearby home theatre room, and another HD TV upstairs. I connected them all with a four way HDMI splitter. Mono has two way splitters for as low as $25.

[BerMM]

Yeah, but then they show at the smaller resolution of my monitor. And I can't get my cursor out of the WMC window if WMC is up.

You could run WMC in windowed mode, then stretch the window until it just about fills the screen. When WMC is in windowed mode you can move the mouse pointer between the 2 screens.

I like the Maxifier for this, though it isn't perfect. It had some minor issues last time I tried it. http://www.mods.com.au/Maxifier/

[spanner]

I had about the same setup, Computer in closet with monitor, projector in nearby home theatre room, and another HD TV upstairs. I connected them all with a four way HDMI splitter. Mono has two way splitters for as low as $25.

I struggled finding a solution to the dual monitor problem for quite sometime. for me it was also solved by using a monoprice hdmi splitter and not trying to view both monitor and projector at the same time. With my current setup my new Yamaha receiver has two HDMI outs which also works without issue. windows Dual or mirrored settings never worked quite right for me when the monitors are of a different resolution.

[tad]

Without a doubt or second thought, you need an HDMI splitter. Mirroring simply does not work reliably for this.

Make sure you get a powered splitter. Monoprice has several options. Expect to pay about $50.

[Crash2009]

I have had an HDMI 4X4 Matrix Switcher for a couple months now. For me anyway, the (projector/monitor/WMC) problem is solved (for non 3D sources). However, if your projector is 3D and your monitor is not, you have to shut off the non-3D monitor to watch 3D on the projector. I am using Win 7, WMC, and TMT6.

I realize that if I get a 3D monitor for the HTPC, everything will work normally.