M11x and two DVDs viewed simultaneously

Audio Video set-up for two DVDs displayed at the same time on an M11x

This post is aimed at M11x notebook users with medium to entry level knowledge like me, as experienced notebook people know this already and may have additional information to improve/support functionality.

The following was achieved using an M11xR1 SU7300 A05 with Nvidia 260.63/Intel 2020
Your set-up may vary, but the outcome should be the same on any M11x.

For some time, on and off, I've been messing around with audio/video(AV) and attempting to view and listen to two discrete DVDs at the same time on my M11x.

It is possible to do this.

Using the M11x monitor and the analogue 3.5mm port(s) with Realtek HD audio out, one is able to create a discrete environment for one DVD².
This could be headphone(s) or 5.1 analogue speaker setup.
For the first DVD² displayed on the M11x monitor, I used VLC Media Player v1.1.6.

Using HDMI, connected to say a LCD HDTV via a 7.1 receiver, one is able to view and listen to a second DVD².
For the HDMI connection I used PowerDVD v8.0 with output via HDMI

Each DVDs² audio sound track is discrete with no bleeding of either sound track from the other DVD².

I played Avatar and Saving Private Ryan DVDs² in full screen(720p) and both played with no stutters or skipping on either DVD.

Interesting exercise to watch and Listen to Saving Private Ryan on HDTV with audio via 7.1 receiver.
Then be able to pop on headphones and view/listen to Avatar DVD on the M11x monitor, while the other DVD is still running.

Again using HDMI and DisplayPort you are able to achieve the same thing.
I used PowerDVD to port one DVD via HDMI and VLC to port the second DVD via the default Playback device which in this case was set to the DisplayPort.

Using an HDMI adapter on the DisplayPort two(2) HDMI output devices could be supported.

To check the state of each audio playback device, right click on the sound icon in the task bar.

There may be a requirement to set-up one audio playback device as default and then set the next audio playback device as default. This is because some/most media players are just looking for the default audio output. So the process may not always be plug and play, but it is configurable.

To test HDMI and DisplayPort I used two Dell U2410(1920x1200) monitors and their associated 2 Channel stereo output. Each DVD was show in full screen.

With a long enough HDMI/DisplayPort cable two DVDs could be viewed simultaneously in two different rooms.

With two DVDs being displayed and no other applications active, the M11xR1 CPU was averaging around 30-40%.

If nothing else, this just displays how flexible the M11x is and what it can achieve.


² - Ripped to disk for ease of access and testing.

 

you might need a separate player for each DVD. i don't think VLC has the option of having more than one video window at the same time.

 

Actually vlc does allow more than one instance at a time.

 

hmmm...ok cos everytime i am playing a vid in vlc and open another one it doesn't: unless there's some option i can select???

EDIT: figured it out, you gotta open VLC again then run a vid in it

 

That's why I said VLC and PowerDVD.

But just to confirm, yes you can view two videos/dvds in two separate instants of VLC.

You can not do this with PowerDVD and as I understand it only supports one instance.

PowerDVD and VLC both have the ability to direct output to a given playback device.
PowerDVD v8.0 allows for redirection to HDMI and VLC allows DirectX redirection to any supported Playback device.

 

Or go to the 'tools' tab, and select 'preferences' and then uncheck the tick box that designates 'Allow only one instance' of the player to be running at any one time, if your player isn't displaying the tools and options tab then pressing ctrl + H will make it appear (the command a second time simply hides the tabs from view again)

 

Cool tips for a newbie like me. Are you using the realtek drivers from Dell or something else?