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**rbinck** · 03-16-2005, 10:17 AM

I use a laptop with my HTPC with PC Anywhere. As was stated the reason I use it is to be able to see the entire HTPC desktop on the laptop. The only use of PCAnywhere is to act as a remote monitor, keyboard and mouse for the HTPC. File sharing and other network issues are not required to control the HTPC.

Now as far as internet surfing and downloads to the HTPC is concerned, the laptop can command these operations of the HTPC just the same as if you are using a monitor, keyboard and mouse on the HTPC. The laptop just becomes the HTPC's keyboard, monitor and mouse... no more than that.

How you get started is:

Get the PCAnywhere software and install it on both the laptop and the HTPC.
Set the HTPC up as a Host device.
Set the Laptop up as Remote Control.
Learn to use the software.

Everyone tends to assume the overscan problem is in the PC video card. It is not as the video card only outputs the resolution it is set for. The overscan is a problem in the TV. Some of the high end video cards will come with software that will allow the creation of a resolution within a resolution to compensate for TV overscan. The way this works is the video card will still output the HDTV resolution (1920x1080i or 1280x720 for example) but will create a smaller desktop within the HDTV resolution like 1700x980 perhaps. Windows only sees this reduced resolution. so everything is scaled to fit within this resolution. That is another way to go in combination with a wireless mouse and keyboard for sure. I find two things objectionable going this route:

The keyboard and mouse I find difficult to use in my lap. I ended up having to use a table which was in the way anytime I needed to get up. Using my laptop allows me to set it on my end table when I need to go pee.
There is a distance problem on the wireless Logitech Keyboard and mouse that I have and it would not reach to my seating area. This could be fixed by getting a blue tooth unit, but that is more $.

So I ended up with the laptop route. I did have to hookup my network hardwired at my seating area as the wireless network was not fast enough, but since I had cat5 wiring to a telephone jack near there, that was easily done.

03-16-2005, 10:17 AM	#5
rbinck Administrator Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Katy, Texas Posts: 12,337	I use a laptop with my HTPC with PC Anywhere. As was stated the reason I use it is to be able to see the entire HTPC desktop on the laptop. The only use of PCAnywhere is to act as a remote monitor, keyboard and mouse for the HTPC. File sharing and other network issues are not required to control the HTPC. Now as far as internet surfing and downloads to the HTPC is concerned, the laptop can command these operations of the HTPC just the same as if you are using a monitor, keyboard and mouse on the HTPC. The laptop just becomes the HTPC's keyboard, monitor and mouse... no more than that. How you get started is: Get the PCAnywhere software and install it on both the laptop and the HTPC. Set the HTPC up as a Host device. Set the Laptop up as Remote Control. Learn to use the software. Everyone tends to assume the overscan problem is in the PC video card. It is not as the video card only outputs the resolution it is set for. The overscan is a problem in the TV. Some of the high end video cards will come with software that will allow the creation of a resolution within a resolution to compensate for TV overscan. The way this works is the video card will still output the HDTV resolution (1920x1080i or 1280x720 for example) but will create a smaller desktop within the HDTV resolution like 1700x980 perhaps. Windows only sees this reduced resolution. so everything is scaled to fit within this resolution. That is another way to go in combination with a wireless mouse and keyboard for sure. I find two things objectionable going this route: The keyboard and mouse I find difficult to use in my lap. I ended up having to use a table which was in the way anytime I needed to get up. Using my laptop allows me to set it on my end table when I need to go pee. There is a distance problem on the wireless Logitech Keyboard and mouse that I have and it would not reach to my seating area. This could be fixed by getting a blue tooth unit, but that is more $. So I ended up with the laptop route. I did have to hookup my network hardwired at my seating area as the wireless network was not fast enough, but since I had cat5 wiring to a telephone jack near there, that was easily done. Last edited by rbinck; 03-16-2005 at 10:41 AM.