[luke k]

Hi folks,
I have been fighting with lack of command parameter to start xbmc on selected monitor for few months reading lot of forums without finding anything really 100% working. I do not get why is such an easy parameter missing in xbmc, would make things really easier. So I found this workaround to be working for me:

my setup:
1 small desktop monitor (sometimes if I am too lazy to start projector, I want to use it as well for xbmc)
2 projector to watch movies
usually I start pc with WOL with my phone and do not want to touch anything, just to be sure xbmc is ALLWAYS starting on projector for direct use controled with my phone.

problem:
when I start xbmc earlier then projector, or last time used it on desktop, xbmc switches to desktop and I have to use keyboard or mouse to dig throught settings to switch it back to projector (very very annoying).

my solution:
- powershell script, which adapts guisettings.xml to use my specified monitor and starts xbmc.
- now I have on my desktop two shortcuts (XBMC-Projector, XBMC-Desktop) and in Auto-Startup XBMC-Projector

powershell script for setting desired monitor (example for FullHD projector as second monitor):

#using xml

# get the path to the local video settings
$appdata = Get-Childitem env:APPDATA
$settingsPath = $appdata.Value + "\XBMC\userdata\guisettings.xml"

# open it as xml
$file = get-item $settingsPath
$xml = [xml](Get-Content $file)

# set the values to start on second monitor in fullsreen
# these values might be adapted depending on current system
$xml.settings.videoscreen.blankdisplays = "false"
$xml.settings.videoscreen.fakefullscreen = "true"
$xml.settings.videoscreen.guicalibration = ""
$xml.settings.videoscreen.resolution = "17"
$xml.settings.videoscreen.screen = "1"
$xml.settings.videoscreen.screenmode = "10192001080060.00000p"
$xml.settings.videoscreen.vsync = "2"

$xml.Save($file)

# need if used in windows start-up (xbmc has some troubles if
# started too early after windows starts)
Start-Sleep -m 1500

# run xbmc
C:\"Program Files (x86)"\XBMC\XBMC.exe


hope this helps someone... regards..

---

just a hint to get the right values for powershell script:
set up manually your xbmc so it is running on right monitor with right resolution.
exit xbmc
look into guisettings.xml and find the part with videoscreen
copy the right values to your powershell script

hint how run powershell from shortcut on desktop or win-startup
create powershell script
create a .bat file with this line: powershell c:\...\yourpowershell.ps1

- you can doubleclick this bat file to run the powershell.