Using two monitors with Hoster Light

[william burditt]

I am a novice when it comes to hardware. I have a 64 bit computer with Hoster Light installed on it. My computer is supposed to have the capability to display on two monitors. Can anyone give me a clue on how to set this up. I am using this at a private 80th birthday party, and I would like to have one monitor for the singer and one for the audience. Any help will be appreciated.

Bill

[Roy Dennis]

A few questions first will help us to help you.
Do you know what type of outputs your computer has, RCA composite, Svideo, VGA, or HD.?
Are you running XP, Vista, or Windows 7 ?
Which version of Hoster Light 4.xxx or earlier ?

Roy.

[William Yancey]

VGA
windows 7
Hoster-lite 4.0

[Roy Dennis]

Did you change your user name ?
Anyway, most laptops with widows 7 have an HD high definition connector which in your case would probably be the easiest way providing you are connecting to an HD capable TV. Connect the HD cable to both TV & computer and turn TV on then turn on your computer last.
select High definition from your TV source control. Now right click on a blank area of the computer screen (Not on an Icon) and a window should open with a selection, choose "screen resolution".
If you have done every thing right you should see monitors 1 & 2, if you press identify you should get a big 1 show on your computer monitor & 2 on the external TV just for a short time. I have attached a file showing this with the settings shown as well. If all is well just press the OK button and you are ready to start your Hoster Program.
When you see the singers screen place your screen pointer in the window at the same time left click and hold, then still holding the button down drag the screen to your right and you should see the outline of it on your second monitor. Once it is positioned correctly right click again on a corner and you should be able to stretch it to fill the screen.

Now if you don't have the HD facilities you either connect a VGA cable to a monitor or TV with VGA input or you will have to invest in a VGA to Video converter of which there are various types, so if you choose this method come back here for advise on your options. Whichever you choose the setting up is much the same as above.

Roy.

[william burditt]

Roy, since my last post, I have found that my son has a flat TV screen that he is not using, and he has used it with his computer. We are going to give it a test next week when he is free. I don't know if you received my last reply or not. As for the Hoster Lite, (I am not up to speed on the software), I have the play list showing on the same screen as the play screen. Of course, when I hit play on one of the songs, I double click on the small screen and the full screen shows the words to the song. I would rather not show my play list on the "audience" screen. I would like for it just to be on full screen when the words come up. Is there a way to accomdate this idea? One screen will face the audience and one will face the singer. The two screens will be at 180 degrees.

Bill

[william burditt]

Roy, I have Windows 7 Home, Premium. Bought my computer at end of 2009. I found my invoice, but it did not list the names of the boards, etc. If they were included in the total price, there was no detailed description, only descriptions for upgrades and the price.

Bill

[Roy Dennis]

Bill, if you are seeing the same thing on your 2nd monitor you need to change the drop down box at the bottom. Shown on my previous attachment as Extend these displays. Does it show Duplicate in the box, if so use the drop down and choose a different setting, you should see show desktop on 1 or 2. play around with these settings.
I am assuming your settings window looks like my attachment.

Roy.

[william burditt]

Roy, thanks for your help. I will get back with you as soon as my son and I get it hooked up next week. I have a desktop computer and the party will be at my house. It is my 80th birthday celebration, and this will probably be my one and only event where I will be the karaoke jockey. I live on an acreage so we have plenty of room to have it outside. It looks like there will be 40 people attending. I have access to two 1000 amp speakers and three microphones. I am renting a mixer from a local music company, and they will furnish the cables necessary to hook up the speakers and the computer to the mixer. The karaoke party is to take place at 7:P.M. on the 21st of August, and I hope to have everything checked out by then. I am sure I will have some more questions as I go along.

Bill

[Roy Dennis]

Bill, I thought I was the oldest swinger in town at 68. Hope your party goes well, will keep an eye out for any queries you have in the mean time.
In what part of the world are you ?

You never now, this party might be your springboard to becoming a local DJ.

Roy.

[billyo]

the way to extend your singers screen is to :

1. click on your control panel or properties on any space on your screen
2. click on display
3. click on setting, you should see two boxes 1 and 2
4. click on 2 and click on extend, click ok..you might have to restart your
comp.
5. open hoster, drag the top right screen to the ext. tv which is your
singers screen. double click it to enlarge or put you pointer on all
corners and drag the edge to fit the screen ( singers tv )

6. this is an option if you want:
you can drag the left top screen to anywhere you want on your
computer screen and put your pointer on any corner to enlarge
it to your liking...( do not click or play anything while doing this, you
wont be able to drag or enlarge your screen ( viewer screen ).

[Roy Dennis]

Originally Posted by billyo

the way to extend your singers screen is to :

1. click on your control panel or properties on any space on your screen
2. click on display

billyo, On windows 7 the right click on blank screen shows a different duologue window to XP or Vista, you don't see the properties option, what you see is as in this attachment, if you choose screen resolution it takes you to the page that is in my previous attachment where you see the extended screen.
At least this is how it works on my Windows 7 system.

Roy.

[billyo]

i'm sorry i thought it was xp..my bad..

[Skybird74]

Originally Posted by Roy Dennis

billyo, On windows 7 the right click on blank screen shows a different duologue window to XP or Vista, you don't see the properties option, what you see is as in this attachment, if you choose screen resolution it takes you to the page that is in my previous attachment where you see the extended screen.
At least this is how it works on my Windows 7 system.

Roy.

Roy, I'm just curious........ will clicking on "Personalize" take you to the same "Display" options in Win7 ? Even though the Menu looks different, on Vista you can choose "Personalize".

[Roy Dennis]

Originally Posted by Skybird74

Roy, I'm just curious........ will clicking on "Personalize" take you to the same "Display" options in Win7 ? Even though the Menu looks different, on Vista you can choose "Personalize".

Yes but in around about way, Personalize/Display/Change display settings.
3 different clicks, only 1 my way, screen resolution brings up the screen as shown in my #4 post attachment. On this screen you can adjust resolution, select 2nd monitor and adjust thats screen resolution and whether you view duplicate or different views on each monitor.

It's just less clicks to arrive at the same screen.


Roy

[william burditt]

Roy, I said that I had access to two 1000 amp speakers. That should have 1000 watts! I live in Lakeland, TN, a suburb of Memphis, home of Graceland and Elvis! By the way, I grew up on the farm, and I begin singing when a very young lad, singing to cows as I milked them. Singing was supposed to be soothing to the cows, according to the stories of the cowboys on the cattle drives in the old days. I was born in 1930 during the Great Depression. One song I remember singing as a very young boy in this period, don't remember the name of the song, but it went like this (all I can remember).
"May I sleep in your barn tonight mister
it is cold lying out on the ground
and the cold north wind is blowing
and I have no place to lie down"

Bill

[Roy Dennis]

Bill, the title is "May I sleep in your barn tonight, mister"

I attach the lyricks.

Roy.

[william burditt]

Roy, that is a funny version of the song. The song probably came from England and carried over here. The only part I ever knew was the chorus. The lyrics make that song an interesting tale!

Bill

[Roy Dennis]

Have you looked in your user CP I sent you a private message link

[william burditt]

Roy,

I am totally lost. I have the two monitors hooked up. It initially had the TV screen as my computer screen. I never did see the same thing on both screens, that I remember, but at the present I only have a display on my computer screen and none on the TV screen. My TV screen is sitting at a right angle from my compter screen, probably about two feet apart. Can you drag something through open space from one screen to the other? I noticed I could move my mouse across the open space to the other screen.

Bill

[Roy Dennis]

Bill, if you are seeing your mouse pointer on the other TV or monitor you must be hooked up alright. And yes you do drag it through open space.

Position your mouse pointer in the middle of your singers screen, then left click your mouse or keypad but keep it held down and at the same time move the mouse to the right keeping the left button held down, you should see it move across the screen and as it passes to the right side of your screen, of of that screen and onto the other screen, once on your other screen you can size it to fit by dragging the corners.

It will help if you make sure the box is ticked in Tools tab/Show display where it says always on, click this off if you use a single display. Make sure it is ticked so you see the singers display all the time.

Roy.