Digital Picture Frame and Windows Media Centre

[hazzaboy69]

My dads hard drive in his laptop broke yesterday and he has a new one now. I want to turn it into a digital picture frame but would like some kind of front screen. Can you install the windows media centre edition onto any laptop it was on xp anyway so should handle it allright. I would like to be able to turn it on so that it starts with the media screen and then navigate with a remote control. Can you get wireless or bluetooth remotes or are they all IR?

Anyone got any better ideas on how I could control it and what software to use etc.

Cheers Harry

[julianhj]

This thread may be of assistance - some useful links for converting laptops to digital photo frames.

[ThePassenger]

That thread = useful.

The basic gist of laptop > picture frame is that you rip the machine apart and construct a picture frame around the screen. Then you use 'a picture viewer' application, point it at a directory and tell it to do a slideshow.

XP-MCE isn't required per say, but you'll need a replacement HDD.

[hazzaboy69]

Thanks, the reason I mentioned xp mce is that you can have a little remote which would be nice but I think I will just go for xp and a slideshow thingy. Even the standard xp one isnt to bad although you cant change the interval.

[ThePassenger]

hazzaboy69 said:

Thanks, the reason I mentioned xp mce is that you can have a little remote which would be nice but I think I will just go for xp and a slideshow thingy. Even the standard xp one isnt to bad although you cant change the interval.

You'll need something other than the Windows internal one as I'm assuming you'll want the picture frame to fire up and just 'do it'.

[hazzaboy69]

I think I have it sorted now. Ive found a page with links to software that can be put in the startup folder for the slideshow and also links to a piece of software that will put the computer into hibernate at 10pm for example and then take it out again at 7am obviously all this is configurable etc. The ultimate would be what some others have done which is to get a copy of linux set up that will boot from the cd and run on ram so that there is no sound from fans or hard drives as its all solid state.