[bisk]

I'm running XBMC on my file server as a way to minimize hardware costs. Display 1 (1024x768) is a monitor in the basement (where the server is located) connected to the VGA port and Display 2 (720p) is my Denon Receiver (the TV is connected to the receiver as well) and is connected to the HDMI port. When my receiver is turned off Windows 7 no longer sees the receiver as being attached and then XBMC gets moved from display 2 to display 1 and is changed to Windowed mode from Full Screen. How can I ensure that XBMC will always displayed on display 2 and be set to full screen automatically. I'm using a Harmony 880 remote and Lenovo MCE IR receiver. If possible to would like to leave XBMC running all the time so that the library can be updated by SickBeard and Couch Potato when new content is added.

[PatK]

This looks like an HDMI handshaking issue, part of the HTCP protection. I suspect it's your Denon that is kicking this back.. With it just hooked up to the #2 TV, using display switch I would suppose the display is locked to #2 TV and doesn't revert back to #1?

Of course just because the display defaults back to #1 doesn't mean you can't have SickBeard and Couch Potato running and operational.

[bisk]

Thanks Pat for the reply. I'll try hooking the TV directly to the PC, but I'm hoping this will not be the solution as I don't really want to bypass my Denon receiver as I'm using it for playing DTSMA and DD TrueHD.

During my testing yesterday I had the display properties up on my monitor to watch the behaviour in Windows. When I powered off the receiver Display 2 would disappear. The same would happen when I unplugged the monitor (Display 1 would disappear and the Plasma would become Display 1).

I guess worse case I could setup my Harmony to launch XBMC in full screen on screen 2 when I select that activity and then when turning everything off have the remote close XBMC. Is this possible?

[MassIV]

Maybe you could try to call the receiver/Denon monitor 1. Keep xbmc there on monitor one. And set the VGA as monitor 2.

[PatK]

I guess worse case I could setup my Harmony to launch XBMC in full screen on screen 2 when I select that activity and then when turning everything off have the remote close XBMC. Is this possible?

I'll bet this is a handshaking issue with the HDMI, and unless it receives the kind of signal it expects, you'll have issues. But certainly worth a try.. I've got a driver and the HTPC is broken, works perfectly for me... so I'll be doing a roll back myself.

You might try as MassIV suggested, but using the CCC eyefinity mufti-monitor set-up, you might get lucky.

[Livin]

You have two options...

1) find a method/device that Windows always thinks there is a 2nd monitor connected

2) support my feature request which would solve this problem completely... http://trac.xbmc.org/ticket/12823

[bisk]

So I connected the TV directly up to the receiver and tried turning the TV off with the HDMI cable still attached and Windows was able to still detect the TV. So the issue seems to be with the Denon reciever as previously suggested. The receiver is detected as DENON-AVAMP in the display properties. I've tried disconnecting the monitor and just having the receiver connected and when I turn it off Windows just reverts back to 1024x768.

At this point, it looks like my only option it to Exit out of XBMC when turning the TV off and then launching it after turning the receiver and TV on. What I'm wonding is there a way (by using my Harmony 880 remote) to launch XBMC in Full Screen on Display 2 and then when I turn off the TV or switch Activites to exit XBMC but leave the computer on.

Oh yeah, the display on the server is an Intel HD4000 for reference.

[MassIV]

Ok, so i looked around. Found some options. Think the last one is the best.

Lets see:
http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/tour/
A program like this might just give you enough control over your monitors.

And this:
http://davor.no-ip.com/blog/2011/07/10/s...rty-tools/
Would be a way of always starting in monitor 2. Not sure if that was even a problem. If you restart does it remember to go to nr 2?

Or you could find out how to disable the detection method (of screen disconnects).So that if you disconnect, just nothing ever happens. It doesn't register change at all, and thus stays active. But i was hoping Ultramon could do something like that.

Well, you could. Maybe, and this is a stretch. Use Task Scheduler to:
Reboot XBMC on event <DENON-AVAMP Connected> (with a small delay)

You would have to figure out how your monitor 2 connect event looks... And if that is even a valid event.
It would be a WM_DEVICECHANGE with a class id. Problem would be (i think) that it would just run on every WM_DEVICECHANGE. So also on USB connect/disconnect ect. The WinApi seems very poorly explained.

And the reboot would be a batch file that does a taskkill and then a re-execute after a short delay.

So that was getting a little crazy... Then i thought what if you would just flip a program from one screen to another with a shortcut.
http://www.codessentials.com/products/ea...l#moveapps
http://www.codessentials.com/products/easymon.html

Then you could just flip XBMC to your TV (while still open on 1e screen) with one button. Shortcut in windows mapped to your remote.
http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Usi...in_Windows

[bisk]

Found this thread that describes the exact same issue that I'm having; albeit the thread is for OSX
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?pid=1079682

Looks like I need to buy one of these - http://www.amazon.com/Gefen-EXT-HDMI-EDI...555&sr=8-1 - or I need to shutdown XBMC when I turn off my Denon receiver and then re-launch XBMC after I turn on my receiver and TV. I found an eshell.exe replacement file that will launch XBMC when pressing the Green button on a MCE remote. So this should satisfy my requirement to launch XBMC when starting the activity, now I just need to figure out how to exit XBMC when I shut everythig off by my remote or switch to a new activity.