dual monitor set up?

Deliverance

Hi I'm trying to set up a dual monitor set up for working with applications, tools on one side with the work area on the other.
I have a geforce fx5200 128mb card installed with a vga splitter cable leading to the two monitors and they both display the same output and actions.

I have done some research on this and still can't get the displays to work as I want them to. I tried the right click and display / settings in windows xp prof and it only shows one monitor. This is confusing as I have gone into the options for the video card and enabled dual monitors and anything to do with dual monitors. Still the same single monitor appears in the windows settings?

I have ordered an adapter (dvi to avg) for the second output on the card. It has an avg, dvi, and tv output.

Can anybody offer me a solution to this? Will the new adaptor solve the recognition problem of the second monitor or is my video card unable to perform this task? I have tried UltraMon and played with the options in the card settings but nothing seems to work. Thanks.

extopia

Looks like you've figured out most of your problem. The splitter you have installed was never going to do anything but duplicate the output of your main monitor.

You need to use the card's two seperate monitor connections, so the adapter you've ordered should solve your problem. When you've set it up, go into your Windows Control Panel and set up the display settings for a dual monitor setup.

artvandulet

yeah, you never needed the VGA(!) splitter in the first place. The VGA out from the card goes to one monitor and the DVI output goes to the other. If neither monitor has DVI in, then an adaptor or VGA to DVI cable can be used.
The vast majority of new LCD monitors will have DVI in. Check ALDI!!:D

Lump

What they said

Deliverance

Thanks. I've ordered the adaptor, sounds like it will do the trick.

stcatherine

Absolutely the right thing to do, Best couple of quid I ever spent !

Deliverance

stcatherine wrote:

Absolutely the right thing to do, Best couple of quid I ever spent !

I'm looking forward to working faster and more efficiently with the extended monitor. I have noticed the tv output on my card as well and by the info and research I have done and recieved so far I realise that I can have a tv (as a monitor as well?) Is there any great advantage to this as tv's and monitors have different resolutions and refresh rates (I presume)?

The obvious thing is that I can view video editing work as it would appear on a tv and so on. But are there more advantages to be had, like if I connect up a large screen second hand tv to my system would it give me even more flexibility and workspace? Thanks again for responses so far, this forum is excellent.

extopia

Depending on the video card, you may not be able to get the kind of video editing output you're looking for (e.g. a full-screen PAL version of the video preview window in your editing software). This is usually handled by specialised video IO cards, so you'll probably be stuck with firewire out to your camera/deck for your video previews (not that there's anything wrong with that).

The TV out from your card will probably output your computer desktop only.

Deliverance

extopia wrote:

Depending on the video card, you may not be able to get the kind of video editing output you're looking for (e.g. a full-screen PAL version of the video preview window in your editing software). This is usually handled by specialised video IO cards, so you'll probably be stuck with firewire out to your camera/deck for your video previews (not that there's anything wrong with that).

The TV out from your card will probably output your computer desktop only.

fascinating I think the info I have got from you guys is great, thanks, when I get the adaptor I will update the progress for other possible viewers with the same problem. thanks again.

Ps I have found from my research that sometimes videos played from the comp to the tv have a small screen with large black borders on account of the resolution. Apparently there is a tool called 'TVtool' which fixes this?

So the tv thing only produces what is on the desktop, that is ok. It will be good for playing movies. Thanks for the clarification, good info there.

artvandulet

with some programs you may be able to use the TV out as a preview monitor of your timeline, so yes very useful for that, if its possible. Otherwise, no need for it.

extopia

artvandulet wrote:

with some programs you may be able to use the TV out as a preview monitor of your timeline, so yes very useful for that, if its possible. Otherwise, no need for it.

Interesting - which editing programmes do you know of that allow you to do this?

artvandulet

I've only ever done it using an Avid Xpress System. I'm sure there are others.
I know some one who uses one with Final Cut but not sure how he's cabled it. Will check

extopia

You're probably thinking about a dedicated IO card for video editing, or a firewire output. Certainly those two editing programmes don't normally output their external video through the standard installed video card.

Deliverance

Update: dual monitor set up working beautifully lads, thanks for the info. I'm currently setting up a tv output as well for playing movies on my TV. I have a cable from the card which ends in a yellow female connector? Anybody know the name of the ensuing cables which will allow me to complete the connection to the scart on my TV?

Lump

RCA cable.... you'll need to get the sound a different way to the TV if there isn't a white and Red connector with the yellow one.

extopia

You'd take the sound to the TV from the audio out of your computer.

Don't see the point of this though if the TV is in the same room, because the output to the TV is going to be the same as what's playing on your computer monitor.