Check my new living room with displays!

[shogo_ca]

Ok this is not what you think :)

Im currently saving to buy my first house, and yesterday i designed my "dream workstation setup" I want to play the console exclusive games, ps3 and xbox360, but for the good games that are also available on PC and offers some kind of exclusive content (higher quality graphics, no bad port) i want to play it on my PC. The thing is that, some games deserve to be played on a bigger screen, so i had the idea to put my tv screen hooked up to my pc AND my ps3/xbox/hdtv-receiver. I would use a little custom made table to be able to sit on the couch and use my keyboard/mouse.

My question: How would it be possible to have my PC connected to my LCD monitor (dell 24fpw) and also on my HDTV (sony bravia 42inch 1080p) without having a "dual screen" setup? I would like to have a switch or something that switch between the 2 displays, and fit the different resolution. (1920x1200 / 1920x1080)

http://i48.tinypic.com/2e1t1c2.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/vncgm0.jpg

[Frag Maniac]

I don't particularly like the desk design, seems out of place with the living room set, but I find the sofa KB tray/stand intriguing. Not quite sure how it's legs and/or attachment would be designed though. Have you worked that out?

I have pondered using a bigger display for gaming, net, etc, myself, with some kind of KB/couch or KB/chair arrangement, but I keep thinking I'm so used to my armrest task chair that it would be difficult to arrange with the same feel. I'm also not keen on wireless KB/Mice sets, further complicating things.

[Chamezz]

Just clone the desktop and set the HDTV to show 1920x1080? That way it will show the same thing on both screens and on the HDTV you just switch between HDMI 1/2/3/4(?).

[shogo_ca]

I don't particularly like the desk design, seems out of place with the living room set, but I find the sofa KB tray/stand intriguing. Not quite sure how it's legs and/or attachment would be designed though. Have you worked that out?

I have pondered using a bigger display for gaming, net, etc, myself, with some kind of KB/couch or KB/chair arrangement, but I keep thinking I'm so used to my armrest task chair that it would be difficult to arrange with the same feel. I'm also not keen on wireless KB/Mice sets, further complicating things.

Its true that the desk is kind of out of place in the living room, but its the only way i found it to be easy for me to game on my PC and watch some tv if i turn my head. Im open to any ideas!

For the legs, i would design somethin with a Y shape that goes under the sofa, to keep it balanced.

For the no armrest thing on the sofa.. i think i would need to desing the keyboard tray to be confortable for me, its gonna be a hard task!


Just clone the desktop and set the HDTV to show 1920x1080? That way it will show the same thing on both screens and on the HDTV you just switch between HDMI 1/2/3/4(?).

Cool! i didnt know you could clone with different resolutions! One problem solved :)

[Frag Maniac]

I just meant the design of the desk is a bit too office looking, not that a desk can't integrate OK with living room furniture. In other words it looks a lot like one of those big folding tables, vs a less intrusive piece. Alternatives would depend on your visual preferences and functional needs. I tend to like the glass/steel desks for living room spaces. I wish Bellogetti made PC desks, but they don't.

A Y base sounds OK for a KB stand base. Or you could use a base with two parallel legs about 18" apart that extend under the sofa. They would each have their own uprights extending up to a single post where they could be hinged for collapsibility. The post would be telescopic for height adjust and the KB tray arm extending from the post would swing for fore/aft adjust.

That still leaves no armrests unless you use it with an arm rest chair though. Another perhaps simpler option would be a pedestal base. The base would be a circular plate of metal or round piece of wood with a pipe attached for the post. Other than that the top would be the same. This I think would be the most solid, esp if you weight the base with something heavy. Even a free weight plate would do, but you may want to cut a disc of plastic to cover it for looks. To finish it off you could place an end table by the sofa covering the other half of the base. It would be handy to have a small table there anyway.

There's a small manufacturer in the UK or somewhere that makes bean bag KB trays for your lap too. The bean bag bottom conforms to your lap. I forget what they're called, but it wouldn't be too hard to make one. I'm not keen on the design anyway. The top is just a hard board with raised edge. I'd prefer a height adjustable padded wrist rest built in. Consider this to be the most simplistic, least expensive, and possibly even most comfortable setup. Even though you wouldn't have armrests, at least you'd have a padded wrist rest, and at a height maybe even more comfortable than a task chair armrest/KB pullout combo like I use on my desk.

There's been a lot of talk in the past about hand/wrist comfort and health whilst typing, thus the "ergo" KBs and wrist pads to avoid carpel tunnel. I have found however that armrest height, if you use a chair that has them, is just as important. If your arms rest too high, a common problem with non adjustable arms on chairs, your shoulders wind up raised and it strains your shoulder and upper back muscles after a while.

(EDITED)
Found that bean bag tray I was referring to. They're called eTrays: http://www.etray.biz/buy.htm

[Lekko]

Just plug both in and leave one or the other disabled in display manager. It's what I do currently.

Also: 30' HDMI cables are not too costly if you want to put your desk farther away. My PC is on the far wall on a desk and I had to run a 30 ft. cable to my TV so I could play PC games on my big screen. When I want to game I just open up the display manager and activate the second screen as primary, and set it to not display in your 24". it switches over, you hit okay, and done.

[shogo_ca]

Just plug both in and leave one or the other disabled in display manager. It's what I do currently.

Also: 30' HDMI cables are not too costly if you want to put your desk farther away. My PC is on the far wall on a desk and I had to run a 30 ft. cable to my TV so I could play PC games on my big screen. When I want to game I just open up the display manager and activate the second screen as primary, and set it to not display in your 24". it switches over, you hit okay, and done.

Cool thanks man, by any chance, do you have any pictures of your setup, i am curious to see!. And btw.. if your computer is too far away, dont you want sometimes to watch tv while browsing the web?


I just meant the design of the desk is a bit too office looking, not that a desk can't integrate OK with living room furniture. In other words it looks a lot like one of those big folding tables, vs a less intrusive piece. Alternatives would depend on your visual preferences and functional needs. I tend to like the glass/steel desks for living room spaces. I wish Bellogetti made PC desks, but they don't.

A Y base sounds OK for a KB stand base. Or you could use a base with two parallel legs about 18" apart that extend under the sofa. They would each have their own uprights extending up to a single post where they could be hinged for collapsibility. The post would be telescopic for height adjust and the KB tray arm extending from the post would swing for fore/aft adjust.

That still leaves no armrests unless you use it with an arm rest chair though. Another perhaps simpler option would be a pedestal base. The base would be a circular plate of metal or round piece of wood with a pipe attached for the post. Other than that the top would be the same. This I think would be the most solid, esp if you weight the base with something heavy. Even a free weight plate would do, but you may want to cut a disc of plastic to cover it for looks. To finish it off you could place an end table by the sofa covering the other half of the base. It would be handy to have a small table there anyway.

There's a small manufacturer in the UK or somewhere that makes bean bag KB trays for your lap too. The bean bag bottom conforms to your lap. I forget what they're called, but it wouldn't be too hard to make one. I'm not keen on the design anyway. The top is just a hard board with raised edge. I'd prefer a height adjustable padded wrist rest built in. Consider this to be the most simplistic, least expensive, and possibly even most comfortable setup. Even though you wouldn't have armrests, at least you'd have a padded wrist rest, and at a height maybe even more comfortable than a task chair armrest/KB pullout combo like I use on my desk.

There's been a lot of talk in the past about hand/wrist comfort and health whilst typing, thus the "ergo" KBs and wrist pads to avoid carpel tunnel. I have found however that armrest height, if you use a chair that has them, is just as important. If your arms rest too high, a common problem with non adjustable arms on chairs, your shoulders wind up raised and it strains your shoulder and upper back muscles after a while.

(EDITED)
Found that bean bag tray I was referring to. They're called eTrays: http://www.etray.biz/buy.htm

Wow man thank you for the time you took to write all this, this is really fun! Im still saving some.. (ALOT) of cash to buy my first house (well its gonna be a condo but hey, its gonna be mine) I will keep your suggestions in note and i will try to gather the stuff before i buy the place so i will be ready on DAY 1 :)