Talk:Multi-monitor

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[edit] Distortion with multiple CRT monitors

does anyone have any information to put in here about common problems and issues associated exclusively with multiple monitors, such as those distortion lines that move accross CRTs that are next to each other? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.73.10.60 (talk • contribs) 00:17, August 26, 2005

[edit] Missing palettes in Photoshop when switching monitors

A problem I have is when I switch to a single monitor (Laptop) and some of my PhotoShop tools appear where the other monitor was. I can't figure out how to get them back without switching back to dual monitors and then moving everything. But I don't always remember which dialogue boxes have opened on which monitor. I guess this is more a problem with PS, but it's still relevent.--bigjarom 02:53, August 27, 2005 (UTC)

You should see the relevant "invisible" programs in the taskbar. Right click one, choose "Move". You can now use your cursor keys to nudge the window back into view. However that's usually not exactly easy, so instead make sure your cursor is on your working monitor (this is only when the other isn't working, in other cases your cursor should can't be anywhere else anyway), and now hit a cursor key. The window should now be stuck to your cursor. Click somewhere to drop it there. I hope that helps! Retodon8 21:28, 24 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Device that splits laptop VGA signal to drive multiple monitors

There is a device that does this, I can't remember what it's called. Any ideas? Really helpful. You set up your external display to be huge and it sends the left half to one monitor and the right half to another. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.152.195.253 (talk • contribs) 01:11, August 3, 2006

Matrox's "mutli-head-to-go" line is what you're thinking of, I believe. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 142.162.205.143 (talk) 11:25, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Apple's support for multimon

How about info on using dual screens in presentations--one view is used by the speaker and displays notes, the other is shown to the audience. And didn't Apple have multimon support well before Windows? --Jason McHuff 07:34, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

Yes. Apple's had multimon for as long as it's had slots for extra video cards, and OS/2 had it before Windows but the second monitor was text-only - useful for debugging. Actually I've only ever used multiple video card setups - I'd just thought the ones with two kinds of connectors were so you had a choice of which to use. --Jamoche 18:04, 13 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Image

The apple image is very nice. But the PC image is very ugly. Maybe we should remove PC image and only have Apple. Point is dual monitor, no matter if apple or pc. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Frap (talk • contribs) 16:30, February 4, 2006

i concur Zvesoulis 18:21, 4 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Increased productivity: Evidence?

So, I'm a "believer" (that more monitors = more productivity); but, I'd like to see some citations on this. Particularly-impressive would be studies that don't have funding from "vested interests" (e.g. monitor-makers). I may be cynical, but I don't find the studies of vested interests to be as persuasive... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.201.246.26 (talk • contribs) 19:59, March 28, 2006

I agree that it makes me more productive, but I don't have any sources on that ^^; --Disavian 20:26, 28 March 2006 (UTC)
I'll cite Bill for you. Shawnc 23:57, 24 May 2006 (UTC)
Amazing. Do you also need an evidence that 200Hp are stronger than 100hp. Or to that very stupid is nore stupid than less stupid. O Man, you have too much time91.9.242.57 09:21, 12 June 2007 (UTC)
--Is a citation from Microsoft Research sufficient? Slackmaster K 03:28, July 31, 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Personal Experience-does it count?

I use two seperate computers at my desk, one with moniter's that mirror each other so that my clients can watch me work, if they are there; and the other has side by side so that I can have three different operations going "full screen" at the same time.

I do income taxes and investments, and want more screens up...as many as I can get. Moniters cost $350 each for good 19" jobs. What about cards and other stuff? What is the best setup? As to increased productivity, it is very great. There is no end to benefits...if you are working and have more to do than will get done! Ken 22:19, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] One Users Experience of networked Multiple Monitors

I use a laptop and spend time in 3 different office locations regularly, taking my laptop to each one. When I get to my central office, I have 3 networked monitors on my desk and available for my laptops use through MaxiVista. (I am typically wirelessly connected to the network, but sometimes plug in the ethernet cable.) More specifically, I have 2 desktop computers in my office, each powering 2 monitors. I use one computer mostly for video/visual editing, and the other for back up and redundancy purposes, or to crunch numbers when I want to free up my laptop CPU, such as watching streaming videos. By clicking a button on my laptop, 3 of the monitors connected to my desktop computers switch from the output of the computer to extended monitors for my laptop (When I am feeling particularly ambitions, I connect the 4th monitor to my external monitor port on my laptop for a total of 5 monitors, but this is uncommon as 3 19" monitors plus my 15" laptop screen are all I tend to need.)

One advantage of this networked approach to multi-monitors is that I can use my laptop mouse and keyboard to run the computers that are part of the system. I can toggle back and forth between 1) using each external monitor as an extension of my laptop screen, 2) use the monitor to display the original computer that powers it, but use the mouse/keyboard of my laptop to control it, or 3) use the monitor only for the original computer, but remain connected so I can toggle to #1 or #2 at the click of a button. I can also cut and paste from one computer to the other, without transferring files, which is helpful, especially when I am doing research using different programs on different computers to distribute the CPU processing load.

Because of the multiple monitor setup, I often have 5-8 programs running and visible at the same time, which helps me 1) see relationships between information 2) compare how the information is presented, 3) cut and paste between documents/computers with greater ease etc. I am FAR more productive in my multi-monitor office than when I only have my laptop. Teloscientist 19:53, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] virtual screenshots

The images of the virtual size of dual screens do not seem useful to me, besides their (possibly intentional) extremely low quality.--MarSch 09:44, 24 April 2006 (UTC)

Agreed. Let's can them. --Disavian 00:50, 25 April 2006 (UTC)
done --MarSch 08:33, 25 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] "More than Two Monitors" : SLi and Crossfire?

This paragraph gives credit to SLi and Crossfire for why people are expanding beyond two monitors, but I don't agree at all to this. If something should get credit its PCIe with its 2-4 graphic-suitable ports over the old fast AGP + slow PCI combo. If SLi is enabled (perhaps this also goes for CF), you can only have enabled one monitor. To enable the other outputs, the cards have to be in independent mode which kills the entire point of buying two high-end graphics cards. You will only be able to use one GPU to run a single game if you have 1< monitor enabled, which in my oppinion probably make SLi-owners more likely to not have multi monitors. Source : http://www.slizone.com/page/slizone_faq.html#s7 --Brillegeit 00:10, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

Its been almost two weeks without comments so I went ahead and updated the article. --Brillegeit 04:15, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Disadvantages?

My non-NVIDIA laptop GPU of a few years old does better than that. I can't check things at the moment, but when I had a second monitor connected, both were accelerated, and processing power seemed to be shared well. I can't speak for VRAM or what happens when accelerated things span both screens, but I can imagine that it's possible with little overhead. I don't mean to say that the disadvantages are never there, just that they don't necessarily have to exist, depending on the implementation. --62.194.128.65 20:33, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

I'm going to pull the Nvidea line since it's been inaccurate for years, but I remember hearing something like this back in the days when twin outputs were a super feature you only got on very high end cards. I have had 2 ATI cards (a radeon 7500 and radeon x700), both of which have twin output, and both of which can render on either display, with both Windows and Linux (radeon proprietary drivers). On linux it can even render -across- the monitors when using a large framebuffer streached across 2 displays. I also have a G40 Thinkpad with an Intel chipset (instantly forgettable, don't remember the chipset), and that can render on both it's internal LCD and external outputs.
EasyTarget 12:44, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

I have an NVIDIA card, and I have my monitor connected to the S-Video port...piece of crap. I need to increase the text size to 7 to read this blurry mess. I switched back to one monitor, but I still occasionally use two. ---Uagehry456|TalkJordanhillVote 01:38, 26 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Accuracy: Single PC Multi Monitor

I am concerned with the statement "The latest versions of Windows support a third monitor"

  1. First, which versions are considered recent, especially as new (and future) products are introduced?
  2. Second, support for more than two spanned monitors has been available for quite some time, proven by the fact that the computer at Laser Quest in Wyomissing PA USA has four monitors, each an extension of one computer which runs Windows 3.1.

Allow me to explain... software to register users runs in the first monitor, then, moving to the right, is a monitor that shows scores to users while playing inside the level. Further right is another monitor for the same purpose. To the far right is a monitor in the lobby that shows a simplified leader board. Significance? Freedomlinux 03:51, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

If you search in the source,i.e., microsoft support homepage, you will discover that WindowsXP can officially support up to 10 monitors. Personally I have already seen a guy using 5 at the same time. In other words, this is statement is, at least, outdated. I dont care about wikipedia so I am not going to edit anything but if you really want the thruth, search in the sources not here. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 60.34.175.164 (talk • contribs) 14:01, April 18, 2007
You can't handle the thruth. 66.208.12.125 17:46, 21 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Vista Limitations?

It may be worth adding notes on Vista limitations with multiple monitors (see http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/display/multimonVista.mspx). --148.134.37.4 17:39, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

The article states: "Products such as MaxiVista allow a modern laptop running Windows to extend their desktop to up to three additional monitors powered by networked computers" . This should be removed as Maxivista currently doesn't support Windows Vista WDDM drivers and therefore not the Vista Aero interface. Modern laptops would imply Vista, and that would be inaccurate. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Frishack (talk • contribs) 00:00, 7 December 2007 (UTC)

I believe it is worth pointing out that some bizzare setups are possible, even within Vista. I can provide images and video of Aero Glass working on my properly-configured homogenous multi-adapter display configuration with six monitors and three ATI Radeon x1650's. Slackmaster K 21:42, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Virtual Display Manager

How about applications that create Virtual Displays? Examples: Matrox Epica: http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/finent/products/epica/software.php SplitView: http://www.splitview.com Virtual Display Manager: http://www.ishadow.com/Downloads/VDMPreview/tabid/115/Default.aspx —Preceding unsigned comment added by Teknica (talk • contribs) 00:07, September 4, 2007

[edit] Dual video mirroring support

Situations exist where it is not possible to change or add a video card. I am current dealing with a piece of automation equipment(VME) that has built in video and no expansion slots. I need to provide dual monitor support. There are devices that provide dual video mirroring support, but this article makes not mention of them. In my opinion, this article is not complete without a reference to such devices. User:garymanning77 2007 08 05 08:42:45 (EST)

[edit] Tools section needs expansion

The section right now mentions only Windows. What software options do you have for, say, Mac OS X, Linux, and UNIX? I have no experience in setting up multi-mon configs with those OSs. — EagleOne\Talk 18:32, 20 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Restructuring

How should this article be restructured? Captain Zyrain 00:54, 26 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Video cards

Is it true that there are disadvantages to setting up multi-monitor using two video cards instead of one with two ports? My friend says:

"You’ll want to get just 1 video card with 2 ports on it – most new cards come with 2xDVI & 1xS-Video. If you stick to a card with that setup, you should be good. If you don’t, you’ll end up with issues and/or low-quality (resolution will look kinda funny, card won’t support higher refresh rates, etc). As always, check the specs."

Thanks, Captain Zyrain 17:05, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Multi-monitor user templates

Check out Wikipedia:Userboxes/Computing#Hardware:

Code Result Users
{{Template:user dual monitor}}
Left monitorRight monitor This user has a dual monitor configuration.
Transclusions
{{Template:user tri monitor}}
This user has a tri-monitor configuration.
Transclusions
{{Template:user quad monitor}}
This user has a quad monitor configuration
Transclusions
{{Template:user multi monitor}}
This user has more monitors than the Nebuchadnezzar.
Transclusions

Captain Zyrain 05:48, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Gaming?

Is it possible to play a full screen game, such as World of Warcraft AND be on the internet? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.77.239.165 (talk) 19:31, 1 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] RE: More than two monitors > Using monitors of networked computers

The last paragraph implies that Synergy can be used to extend the desktop of one machine onto the monitor of another, much like ScreenRecycler does. This is not the case.

Q. Can synergy share the display in addition to the mouse and keyboard? A. No. Synergy is a KM solution not a KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) solution. However, future versions will probably support KVM. Hopefully, this will make synergy suitable for managing large numbers of headless servers.

Quote taken from the Synergy FAQ.

Can someone amend this? --scape 20:34, 13 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 8 PC's At Work with 8 20" LCD Monitors Cursor Dragging Situation

So I am sitting in front of 8 monitors all day enjoying the heat but have to use 2 Belkin switching boxes every time I need to get my mouse onto another screen.

Ideally I want to be able to move my mouse and drag windows to every screen without using the switching boxes.

The boss has said no problem with the funds if there is a way.

But is there a way with 8 different PC's? All on XP. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.73.169.152 (talk) 08:15, 27 November 2007 (UTC)

Is this worthwhile software? sounds cheap and too good to be true? Pitfalls?

http://www.stardock.com/products/multiplicity/ —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.73.169.152 (talk) 09:00, 27 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Accuracy: First Multi-Head Supporting PC Game

While I don't have cites handy, I belive, that, contrary to what the article claims, the first PC game to support multiple monitors was a modified version of Quake that could display differing camera views to seperate X windows. Combined with multiple X servers or the Xinerama extension, this fully supported multi head gaming.

I'll try to find some citations.

-- Levi "Karatorian" Aho - 69.87.200.43 (talk) 03:38, 16 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Multiple monitors video player

As the Multi-monitor articles said, there is much limitation on multi-monitor video playback due to graphics card hardware overlay design, although some software such as MatrixDvD Player (from http://www.xj-spark.com) can do this, it seems that there needs some re-design for the old video card architecture. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 219.234.181.211 (talk) 03:34, 13 June 2008 (UTC)