Video Streams / Multiple Monitors / Powerpoint

I'm not expecting complete answers - more a "How would you go about this?" than a "Can you show me some code?" question.

I wish to make an app that will run a presentation for our reception area. A PC with two graphics cards will be used, one a standard monitor behind reception, and the other a nice big plasma screen that is mounted on the wall. The first monitor will be the "control unit", and run a standard windows desktop. It will control several video streams on the plasma screen. Basically, I'd like some thoughts on the following areas:
1) Controlling two screens.
It would be good if the plasma screen didn't display the desktop on startup. This I guess would be an OS issue, if the second card is "off" by default. I'd then turn it "on" in my app. Whereabouts in the Windows API is this likely to be? Would it be even feasable?
2) Controlling video streams.
The PC will have a TV tuner card, and be plugged into a digital TV box. The output from this I'd like to display in a defined area of the screen and just let windows get on with it. I'm guessing APIs again, and I found something about WIA(?) which looks like it might do the job, anyone know anything about it? The documentation is, as usual, absolutely awful.
3) Powerpoint
We'd also like a looping powerpoint presentation in another area of the screen. Powerpoint Object Model, obviously. I've never used it though - is there anything I should watch for? Can I give some area of the screen and make it think that is fullscreen so it doesn't have a separate window to display in? Would i be wanting to use Regions?

As I said - any thoughts appreciated. I'm experimenting with different stuff, but would appreciate new ideas too.