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Dual display video card

bczoom

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I need some help please.

The setup is a PC connected to a monitor or projector. Right now, the projector is connected but it's hard to see when sitting at the PC.

I guess they don't have an A/B switch for video selection so I need a dual display video card.

Any thoughts/recommendations? I saw them in the store for $100 or on e-bay for as low as 99 cents.

What's the difference or what is really needed? The projector is for watching movies, monitor is for PC apps (but no real gaming).

Thanks
 

OkeeDon

New member
Is it a desktop? Does it have any open slots? When I had my business I had a computerized point of sale system; it used a standard PC with a cash drawer, bar code reader, credit card swiper, receipt printer and a register display pole attached to the computer. I needed to control two displays; the standard monitor and the customer price display. I was able to add a second video controller that was really cheap. It's been a while since I had the system running, but I think it only worked with a system that already had a separate display controller, not with a video controller embedded on the mother board.
 

bczoom

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OkeeDon said:
It's been a while since I had the system running, but I think it only worked with a system that already had a separate display controller, not with a video controller embedded on the mother board.
Don,

Thanks. How do I tell which way the video controller is setup (separate or embedded)?

It is a desktop.

I'm going to go look at the computer tomorrow. I'll check for an open slot. I had him look at the back of his PC and his description sounds like he has a standard video card.

He takes a lot of pictures and the projector will be used mainly for slide shows. It doesn't sound like he'll be using for movies much.
 

OregonAlex

New member
bczoom said:
I need some help please.

The setup is a PC connected to a monitor or projector. Right now, the projector is connected but it's hard to see when sitting at the PC.

I guess they don't have an A/B switch for video selection so I need a dual display video card.

Any thoughts/recommendations? I saw them in the store for $100 or on e-bay for as low as 99 cents.

What's the difference or what is really needed? The projector is for watching movies, monitor is for PC apps (but no real gaming).

Thanks
Brian,

What I think you are describing here is "Mirror" video. I believe you should be able to simply insert ANY PCI based video card, in addition to your current Video card and ask the Operating System to Mirror to the second video card. I haven't done this on a PC in a while, but I think it should work. You might already have a PCI based Video card laying around someplace, if not they are really cheap but a little hard to find. A STANDARD Video these days in PC terms in NOT a PCI card anymore.. it is an AGP card.

If you had a Mac I could definately confirm that would work. You can use two video cards in a Mac for Mirror mode or in Expanded Desktop Mode where your desktop becomes twice as big.

Surely XP has similiar abilities.
 

bczoom

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I have about 5 spare computers laying around. I think I'll pull a card out and take it with me tomorrow and if he has a slot, pop it in there.
 

OregonAlex

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bczoom said:
I have about 5 spare computers laying around. I think I'll pull a card out and take it with me tomorrow and if he has a slot, pop it in there.

:yum: I have about a dozen PC computers laying around myself. All violated in some way of their important pieces, RAM and HDD. Funny how that works.
I affectionately refer to them as PC carcasses. Good luck with your dual Video card effort.. just don't expect to play video games with lightening fast graphics when you get done.
 

bczoom

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OK,

Just got back from pulling a video card from a "carcass". :)

It has the standard 15-pin video connect but it also has (in the same shape) a 25 pin. What's that for?

Don,

I think I might have just answered my own question about embedded. The computers I have all have one huge strip of everything (printer, mouse, video, kb...) connected directly to the mother board. Is that what you're talking about?
 

OregonAlex

New member
bczoom said:
OK,

Just got back from pulling a video card from a "carcass". :)

It has the standard 15-pin video connect but it also has (in the same shape) a 25 pin. What's that for?

Don,

I think I might have just answered my own question about embedded. The computers I have all have one huge strip of everything (printer, mouse, video, kb...) connected directly to the mother board. Is that what you're talking about?

Brian,

The 25 pin connector can be many things. It can be an Apple video connector, yes.. remember Apple wasnt always VGA friendly.. or it could be a connector used on Unix workstations (Sun, HP, etc). Does it have 3 funny looking coxial pins inside the 25 pin connector itself? That would be the later.

If the video input comes out the back of the motherboard then the video is embedded. Check your BIOS to see if you have the ability to keep using the embedded or "onboard" video if you plug in a second video card into a slot. Sometimes the BIOS will automatically switch to the plug in video cards and disable the onboard/embedded video controller. That is not what you want.
 

Big Dog

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I used a Matrox G450 dual display (64MB) card with two 19" monitors for years, very good for the money $45. It actually has two port connections for each display. I now run a Radeon with a analog and digital connection. If you have two analog displays (or two digital) it requires a split adapter.

Most new cards today of 128mb or better have dual capability. Most people don't know that all you have to do it buy the adapter and you can run dual display. The adapter wouldn't be needed if you run one analog and one digital monitor.

BTW........I highly recommend dual display, for programming it's a must!

15 pin = analog
24, 27 or 28 pin = digital
 
Last edited:

OregonAlex

New member
Hey Brian

If you have one of those cards that Big Dog describes in one of your Carcass machine then I would appreciate taking it off your hands. LOL. But I don't think you have one of those being that we are looking for a PCI based card.
 

Spiffy1

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Big Dog said:
The adapter wouldn't be needed if you run one analog and one digital monitor.

Great idea! Of course, right now I don't have room for a second monitor, so it has to wait.
 

bczoom

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Here is an item on e-bay that matches what I pulled out of one of my computers last night.
Think I can just plug this in and see what the computer finds for new hardware?
 

bczoom

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Will I need any kind of CD to load the video driver or will this card be plug-and-play?
 

Big Dog

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That card should be plug and play but I'm pretty sure this will only mirror your display. I don't think you'll be able to use it as a expanded desktop or second window display. You might try "Hydrovision" free software if it does not!

http://www.ati.com/products/Hydravision/

If you do need a driver, it's free on the Matrox website or Driver Guide website!
 

OregonAlex

New member
bczoom said:
Here is an item on e-bay that matches what I pulled out of one of my computers last night.
Think I can just plug this in and see what the computer finds for new hardware?

Brian,

Then in that case I believe that 25 pin connection gives you composite out as in TV.
 

Spiffy1

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Dumb question, but what do you use mirror display for? I have found dual monitors quite usefull for looking into the details of something while working on the larger picture, but can't quite see the advantage of mirror.:confused: Thanks!
 

OkeeDon

New member
By the way, zoom, I'm sure you're aware that most laptops have the ability to utilize a separate monitor or projector as a mirror display at the same time the laptop screen is stll active. If they have a laptop around, that's the slickest solution.
 

bczoom

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The setup is a PC connected to a monitor and projector.
When the projector is connected, the monitor is unplugged. He can't even see the projector output from where the PC sits so he can't tell what's going on without having to leave his seat.

I was hoping to plug another card in so he can connect both the projector and monitor. Seeing the same thing on both is perfectly fine with him.
 

bczoom

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OkeeDon said:
By the way, zoom, I'm sure you're aware that most laptops have the ability to utilize a separate monitor or projector as a mirror display at the same time the laptop screen is stll active. If they have a laptop around, that's the slickest solution.
Yea, I wish they did. I could have just hit Func + F8 (or whatever it is) and be done...
 

bczoom

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Big Dog said:
That card should be plug and play but I'm pretty sure this will only mirror your display.
If I now have 2 video cards, how does the OS know where to send the signal or will it automatically send to both?
 

DaveNay

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bczoom said:
If I now have 2 video cards, how does the OS know where to send the signal or will it automatically send to both?

XP has built in support for multiple video cards. Plug it in and try it.

I can't remember if Win2K has it, but I think it does.
 

OregonAlex

New member
bczoom said:
If I now have 2 video cards, how does the OS know where to send the signal or will it automatically send to both?

Brian,

two parts at work here. BIOS AND OS

A) BIOS:
You will have to check the BIOS checking to make sure you know where video card it will use as the boot device. Make sure it continues to use your onboard/embedded video as the boot device. Many BIOS defaults are set to disable the onboard and switch to the one you plug in. That would be a bad thing as the OS might not want to turn the on board video card back on.

B) Windows 2000 and XP
Go into the Control panel.. and then click on Displays. This will control how both video cards are utilitized. ..and notice I said Windows 2000 here also.. yes it supported dual Video cards back in Win2k.
 

bczoom

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OK, I installed the card. After a couple reboots I have a display on the projector.

But... Although I see a full copy of the background, I can't see the desktop. I can only see applications/windows if I slide them off the right side of the primary screen.

Thoughts?
Is it because of some wide angle setting on the projector or is it trying to split the primary and 2nd screen. I can't find any settings other than "display what's on my primary monitor" (or something like that) in the Display/Settings.
 

OregonAlex

New member
bczoom said:
OK, I installed the card. After a couple reboots I have a display on the projector.

But... Although I see a full copy of the background, I can't see the desktop. I can only see applications/windows if I slide them off the right side of the primary screen.

Thoughts?
Is it because of some wide angle setting on the projector or is it trying to split the primary and 2nd screen. I can't find any settings other than "display what's on my primary monitor" (or something like that) in the Display/Settings.


Look for a "Mirror" video setting. Like I said..in my original response to you. I know the Mac OS has this ability.. I am not sure about Windows however. "Surely it has a similiar capablity". remember?
 

bczoom

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OregonAlex said:
I am not sure about Windows however. "Surely it has a similiar capablity". remember?
Thanks Alex but I looked all over, including (believe it or not) the help areas. :eek:

I just pulled out a spare monitor and will also take that to make sure it's not something to do with the wide angle of the projector.
 

DaveNay

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bczoom said:
Thanks Alex but I looked all over, including (believe it or not) the help areas. :eek:

I just pulled out a spare monitor and will also take that to make sure it's not something to do with the wide angle of the projector.

Right Click on Desktop->Properties->Settings

There is a setting there called "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor", I think you want to make sure this is unchecked.

edit:
Sorry...looks like the "Extend..." option should be checked.

It sounds like this a presentation setup...check out this tip for using PowerPoint with dual monitors.
 

OregonAlex

New member
bczoom said:
Thanks Alex but I looked all over, including (believe it or not) the help areas. :eek:

I just pulled out a spare monitor and will also take that to make sure it's not something to do with the wide angle of the projector.

Well if XP can't do it natively then there is always the "buy" software route. This will give Bob's total cost of ownership theory (Mac vs PC) some more weight.

http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/tour/mirroring.asp $40.. But it has a free trial, prior to purchase, to see if it does what you want.

good luck
 

bczoom

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DaveNay said:
Right Click on Desktop->Properties->Settings

There is a setting there called "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor", I think you want to make sure this is unchecked.
Dave,

Do I do this on the 2nd monitor or the primary?
Sorry for all the stupid questions but he's up the road. I wish he had something faster than dial up so I can be more interactive with the forum while working on it.

If he only had a mainframe, I wouldn't have these issues....
 
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