Two monitors?

[spaceman]

Anyone here using two monitors from the same CPU? I have a 19" Trinitron flat screen CRT, and would like to add a second. I am running XP. What would I need to do to make this work? Is it possible to use both a flat screen LCD and a CRT? Thanks

Alan

[FlipsidE]

Anyone here using two monitors from the same CPU? I have a 19" Trinitron flat screen CRT, and would like to add a second. I am running XP. What would I need to do to make this work? Is it possible to use both a flat screen LCD and a CRT? Thanks

Alan

Answer to question 1 - Usually the best way to make this work is to have a video card with two outputs on it. A lot of the newer mid range and high end video cards have both VGA and DVI ports on them. If the LCD is DVI and the CRT is VGA then you are good to go already. If both the LCD and CRT are VGA, then you'll need to buy a DVI to VGA adapter/converter (they are inexpensive). I know that some high end cards that have the dual outputs on the back come with a DVI to VGA adapter/converter.

Answer to questoin 2 - Yes

FlipsidE

[Jesper]

There is an issue with regard to colour management if you're using Windows - in Windows, you can only assign an ICC profile to one of the monitors, so you'll only be able to properly colour manage one of the monitors.

I don't have two monitors myself, but there are people who do, and they have for example a good CRT to display the photo they're editing, and a smaller LCD screen where they display the Photoshop toolbars etc. on.

[PacAce]

In addition to what others have said above, you will also need to go into your windows properties >> setup and activate the second monitor as an extension of the first instead of as a mirror. Depending on how your monitors are arranged physically, you can also switch the positions of the monitors so that when you drag an object from one window to another, they move the way they're supposed to. If monitor 1 is to the left of monitor 2 then this isn't an issue but if the monitors are reversed, that's how you'd fix it.

[CyberDyneSystems]

The other option.. though more finicky to set up.. is a second graphics card.

You can run dual monitors on two seperate graphics cards as well.. but to have this work well,. it is important that both cards be the smae manufacturere and use similar if not identical drivers. An example would be a pair of Matrox cards.. one AGP and one PCI.

But it is FAR better to do it natively with a single card with dual outputs.

I actually have this set up at home with a pair of Sony Aperture Grill CRTs. (one FW900 and one G500)

The primary monitor is the FW900... all editing takes place there. The G500 is for all the other stuff :)

[spaceman]

But it is FAR better to do it natively with a single card with dual outputs.




Is it possible to get some sort of Y-type connector to run off my current graphics card that would give me two connections, or do I have to go out and purchase a new card? Also, how do I tell if I need an AGP or PCI card? I currently have a nVidea GeForce MX 64mb. Thanks again.

Alan

[RogCincy]

Is it possible to get some sort of Y-type connector to run off my current graphics card that would give me two connections, or do I have to go out and purchase a new card? Also, how do I tell if I need an AGP or PCI card? I currently have a nVidea GeForce MX 64mb. Thanks again.


You'll just end up with the same picture on two monitors.

What are you trying to accomplish? Having a work space where the monitor is profiled and a scratch area where all the toolbars, etc are displayed?

Sounds like you need either an additional card or a dual output card.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Yeah,... what Rog said.. a "Y" adapter won't do what your looking to do.

So your options are replace the card with a dual out put one or add a second card.

Assuming your current card is AGP.. then you'll wnat a PCI Nvidia g-froce card... Last I checked.. Nvidia was maintaining a universal set of "detonator" drivers.. the same driver for different cards..

This makes a pair of Nvidias a good choice for trying dual cards. If you can find a cheap "MX" PCI card you may want to give it a try.

Of course most all newer G-force cards are AGP and they have dual outputs as well.

[spaceman]

How do I tell if my current card is AGP? Also, what is the difference between an AGP and PCI card? Thanks.

Alan

[CyberDyneSystems]

You would need to open your computer and look.

A Compuer can have only 1 AGP port (accelerated graphics port) but as many as 6 PCI slots (usually 4 or 5 though... smaller systems may have three or less)

The AGP port is yellow orange in color,.. PCI slots are white. (assuming your motherboard uses the standards.. which these days is less and less likely)


..... er....

Perhaps you would be best getting a dual head card?

[PacAce]

How do I tell if my current card is AGP? Also, what is the difference between an AGP and PCI card? Thanks.

Alan

If you have it, you'll probably only have 1 AGP socket and your video card will be in it. The PCI slots look like the other 3 or more slots where the other devices (modems, NIC card, etc.) are plugged in. If you video card connectors don't look anything like the other cards you have, then it's AGP.

[spaceman]

You would need to open your computer and look.

A Compuer can have only 1 AGP port (accelerated graphics port) but as many as 6 PCI slots (usually 4 or 5 though... smaller systems may have three or less)

The AGP port is yellow orange in color,.. PCI slots are white. (assuming your motherboard uses the standards.. which these days is less and less likely)


..... er....

Perhaps you would be best getting a dual head card?

I'll take a look and see. If I do go with a dual head card, will I still need to know if I need a PCI or AGP card? I know for a fact that I have some open PCI slots, so could I install the new card, and just leave the old one in as well. Thanks again.

Alan

[spaceman]

Thanks everyone. After a crash course in graphic cards last night, I now know the difference between an AGP/PCI card.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Alan,..

If using a single Dual Head card,.. you'd be best off getting an AGP video card.. and replacing the existing card. AGP is designed specifically and solely for Video cards... and can allow your video card to work with your system much faster than a PCI slot will allow.

If you are adding a card.. the likelihood is that the existing card is using the AGP slot.. so the second card would in that case need to be PCI. In the case of the second graphics card.. the PCI slot should not be too much of a disadvantage,. as the primary advantage of an AGP slot is for gaming... and games will most likely only use the single AGP card.

P.S.
The last time I made a "multi card-multi display system" was using windows 98...

I am therefore unsure how difficult it would be to get WinXP to work with multiple cards.... but a dual port card is actually pretty easy.

[DKC]

I run two monitors. They're both CRTs run off the same AGP card using the DSUB and DVI adapter.

If you get an NVidia (I say NVidia only because it's what I use) GPU then their native drivers, downloadable at their site, will let you assign different colour profiles/spaces to each monitor. It also allows you several different options that Windows doesn't in how you want them configured. as in DualView/Vertical Span/Horizontal Span/Clone or Single Display.

[ahmadof]

instead of insatlling anew graphics card, there is an adapter that lets you use USB2 for a second monitor. I have only seen it advertised, never used it

www.trittontechnologies.com

under USB2 to SVGA

might be of benefit

[CyberDyneSystems]

The USB2 thingy looks interesting..but too limiting for most applications. I would not try that for post processing for sure.

[Mikmun]

Anyone here using two monitors from the same CPU? I have a 19" Trinitron flat screen CRT, and would like to add a second. I am running XP. What would I need to do to make this work? Is it possible to use both a flat screen LCD and a CRT? Thanks

Alan
Hi I'm new at forums and here too! I have run for sometimes a crt Samtron 17" and a BenQ 19" flat screen together across two pc as well using a switch box to select between one pc with 2 monitors or each pc on each monitor. I just added today a new BenQ 19" for the obvious reason that I had two sizes display of each half of my display. Going into my switch box (that had three D-Sub sockets: one I/O, and the two other A and B) My new PC had a card as discribed in other thread with both output D-Sub and DVI- D cable
had one cable going to each pc. So my old pc was going into the switch box, whilst the other had one cable into the switch bx and the other directly into the monitor.
I think other trheads did comment about setting your dual monitors so Iwon't go there beside I'm not very technical at all and rather technophobic!
One prob I find with photoshop is that not everything on screen can go to the other monitor. This is actually how I discovered this forurn...searching for an answer.!

[Mikmun]

Hi I'm new at forums and here too! I have run for sometimes a crt Samtron 17" and a BenQ 19" flat screen together across two pc as well using a switch box to select between one pc with 2 monitors or each pc on each monitor. I just added today a new BenQ 19" for the obvious reason that I had two sizes display of each half of my display. Going into my switch box (that had three D-Sub sockets: one I/O, and the two other A and B) My new PC had a card as discribed in other thread with both output D-Sub and DVI- D cable
had one cable going to each pc. So my old pc was going into the switch box, whilst the other had one cable into the switch bx and the other directly into the monitor.
I think other trheads did comment about setting your dual monitors so Iwon't go there beside I'm not very technical at all and rather technophobic!
One prob I find with photoshop is that not everything on screen can go to the other monitor. This is actually how I discovered this forurn...searching for an answer.!

[PhotosGuy]

My laptop has an output for a crt. Problem to watch out for is that, if you've been using 2 monitors & then just use the lcd, some dialog boxes that were opened on the crt may still want to after. You won't be able to see it & you'll think that your computer has locked up? At least, I did! :D

[Mikmun]

Sorry for the double post!
Could someone tell me how to start a new thread, thank you
Mm