I am experimenting with living without my Apple TV. I loaned it to my dad for a couple of weeks to see how I do using my PC with Boxee and iTunes. If it works out, I'll let my dad keep the Apple TV, which I love ... I'm just trying to consolidate gadgetry in my life.
Here's what I've got ... HP desktop with an i7 930 processor, 9gb of RAM, 2TB of hard drive space, HDMI and DVI out, all the other early 2010 bells and whistles. It is running Windows 7. It is hooked to an HP 2159m 21.5" monitor and a Sony XBR 46" TV. The HP monitor is monitor #1 and the TV is monitor #2. Sound goes out over my home theater system.
It all works, but I have two questions about making it work better ...
1 - if I play a movie in iTunes, when I click to view it full-screen, it works fine on either monitor ... but it also turns the other monitor's screen blank/black. This means I can't use the computer for other stuff (eg web, email) while the movie is playing without toggling it back to a windowed view - annoying. Is there a workaround or setting that will let me play the movie full-screen on one monitor (typically the TV) while using the other monitor for other stuff?
2 - when playing music on iTunes, I really miss the Apple TV display and interface. The iTunes computer interface seems cluttered, in comparison. Is there a way to emulate the Apple TV display of album art and song info with the screen otherwise mostly black? Vs the iTunes display of playlists, songs, devices, etc. I know I can do the visualizer, but that's not as nice as the Apple TV view.
Thanks
Here's what I've got ... HP desktop with an i7 930 processor, 9gb of RAM, 2TB of hard drive space, HDMI and DVI out, all the other early 2010 bells and whistles. It is running Windows 7. It is hooked to an HP 2159m 21.5" monitor and a Sony XBR 46" TV. The HP monitor is monitor #1 and the TV is monitor #2. Sound goes out over my home theater system.
It all works, but I have two questions about making it work better ...
1 - if I play a movie in iTunes, when I click to view it full-screen, it works fine on either monitor ... but it also turns the other monitor's screen blank/black. This means I can't use the computer for other stuff (eg web, email) while the movie is playing without toggling it back to a windowed view - annoying. Is there a workaround or setting that will let me play the movie full-screen on one monitor (typically the TV) while using the other monitor for other stuff?
2 - when playing music on iTunes, I really miss the Apple TV display and interface. The iTunes computer interface seems cluttered, in comparison. Is there a way to emulate the Apple TV display of album art and song info with the screen otherwise mostly black? Vs the iTunes display of playlists, songs, devices, etc. I know I can do the visualizer, but that's not as nice as the Apple TV view.
Thanks