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Driving multiple monitors from one CPU

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Old 06-28-2007, 09:17 AM
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Driving multiple monitors from one CPU

We need to push two overhead projectors from our display computer at church, one in front for congregation, and one in rear for choir to read.

We also have the control monitor in back to control the display program.

Total of 3 monitors, 2 pushing the same signal.

Can I get a VGA splitter/amplifier? Or another video card?

recommendations?
Old 06-28-2007, 09:21 AM
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If its the same signal needing to be displayed then a splitter or another video card would both work fine...

Scratch that, multiple signals... Get a dual output video card and use a splitter off of the signal that is going to the projectors and use the other output for your monitor... The software with the card will allow you to control what is displayed from which output
Old 06-28-2007, 09:28 AM
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Originally Posted by bnold
Scratch that, multiple signals... Get a dual output video card and use a splitter off of the signal that is going to the projectors and use the other output for your monitor... The software with the card will allow you to control what is displayed from which output
Yep that would work. IMHO I feel NVIDIA cards handle multiple monitors better them or an ATI card will work just fine.
Old 06-28-2007, 11:28 AM
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I'm trying to get them to set me up that way here at work cause I work in Team Track and Excel at the same time. Need two monitors to be able to work both. I'm told by the IT people it is just a video card and another monitor.
Old 06-28-2007, 11:32 AM
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Originally Posted by Dieseldude4x4
I'm trying to get them to set me up that way here at work cause I work in Team Track and Excel at the same time. Need two monitors to be able to work both. I'm told by the IT people it is just a video card and another monitor.
Your right you just need a dual channel video card the poster needs 3 outputs and 2 channels
Old 06-28-2007, 11:36 AM
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Cool, I'll go see what the hold up is.
Old 06-28-2007, 01:34 PM
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Check to see if you have a dual-head video card. If thats true you can just hook the monitor up, may have to fiddle with a few settings but it should be up and running in no time.

If you already have a dual one, then you could hook up the monitor to one of the plugs, and then get a splitter to split the 2nd output and mirror the displays.

I love having dual monitors, I can DTR in one window and do whatever else I want to in the other.
Old 06-28-2007, 02:00 PM
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you guys are to high tech, hahaha......really I am just jealous
Old 06-28-2007, 02:07 PM
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us rednecks just hang a couple mirrors
Old 06-28-2007, 03:02 PM
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another idea as opposed to using a dual monitor graphics card you can just add a second (PCI) graphics card so each monitor would have its own graphics card. Depending on wattage, you can run 2 PCI graphics cards and the one the system already comes with. I assume you are running XP.
Old 06-28-2007, 04:44 PM
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Originally Posted by GhettoVaquero
another idea as opposed to using a dual monitor graphics card you can just add a second (PCI) graphics card so each monitor would have its own graphics card. Depending on wattage, you can run 2 PCI graphics cards and the one the system already comes with. I assume you are running XP.
This is an idea just be aware that most of the time additional software wil be required in order to get different displays off of those extra video cards
Old 06-29-2007, 08:56 AM
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Pretty much all dual head video cards will have all the necessary features built into the driver to do what you want to do. The only setting is to go to your video settings and tell Windows to extend your desktop on to the 2nd monitor.

As far as the output that will be split, I would highly recommend getting a vga splitter with an amplifier built in. I tried using a regular splitter to do this once, and the screen/projector were so dim you could barely read them. The amplifiers are in the $50 range.
Old 06-29-2007, 10:20 AM
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Originally Posted by I PASS GAS
Pretty much all dual head video cards will have all the necessary features built into the driver to do what you want to do. The only setting is to go to your video settings and tell Windows to extend your desktop on to the 2nd monitor.

Correct I was referring to the guy who suggested using multiple single head video cards would need additional software... The dual head cards ship with the needed software
Old 06-29-2007, 01:38 PM
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if it's the same video feed wanted on all 3 monitors, cheapest and easiest way is a video splitter. different video feeds require as stated above dual head video cards.
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