Need to connect 2 monitors to 1 computer.
Need to connect 2 monitors to 1 computer.
Does anyone have any knowledge on how to do this? I need one for a slideshow while the other is for daily use. The slideshow will be on 24/7. Any info will be greatly appreciated. |
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You can, however, use 2 computers on one monitor or use 2 computers and 2 monitors on 1 keyboard/mouse set, OR you could connect your computer to a television, but that would only be the same case as 2 monitors on one computer. Sorry, but I don't think it's possible, you'd need 2 separate computers to display 2 separate things on either 1 or 2 monitors. I say just get a scrap computer and install it just to play a slideshow, and the other computer can be used for daily use. |
Actually, Windows XP and up has dual monitor support so long as your video card does too. The instructors' computers at BPCC have them and they're AWESOME! You can stretch your desktop across two or more monitors if you want. It's a real time saver if you're some kind of software or media developer.
You just need a video card that has dual-monitor support too. I've got one myself on my home computer. Dual-monitor cards usually go for $100 or so and come with both a VGA jack and a DVI jack for plugging in 2 monitors. Just get yourself a DVI/VGA adapter and you'll be able to plug one monitor into each jack. Once you have two monitors plugged in, right click on your desktop, click "Properties," select the "Settings" tab, and you should see a newly activated option that allows you to stretch your desktop across two monitors. Once you activate this, you should be good to go. Your mouse will be able to jump from one screen to the other as if there was nothing between them. I Googled this up for you, Isabella. Good luck! http://www.cyberinkdesign.com/dual_monitors.htm |
Thank you so much Anime!
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Anime or anyone else with knowledge, do you think it is possible to have one monitor about 15 ft. to 20 ft. away from the computer and other monitor?
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I have a GeForce 6200 OC with Dual monitor support, current cost, about $60.00 (keep in mind it's only video, not sound and video). I use my TV as the second monitor....great for watching vids or playing games. This particular card allows you to do multiple displays: Clone, which makes monitors 1 and 2 identical. Vertical or horizontal span, which stretches the desktop across two monitors either vertically or horizontally. Dualview, which is essentially two different desktops on one PC. My experience has been that clone is the best option, especially if your monitors are going to be in separate rooms (imagine having to use monitor 2 to change some settings and it's 20' away in another room (Dualview or Monitor1 dies)). If you set Monitor 2 to fullscreen, then you can watch your slide show in a minimized window on monitor 1, allowing you to continue working with the computer, while the slide show would be displayed "fullscreen" on monitor 2, which in my case, is a 27" RCA. My configuration (PC and monitor2 in same room) 2 is set up so that I can use my 5.1 surround sound computer speakers for sound, however I have it hooked up at my Dad's (PC and monitor2 in different rooms)where the sound comes out of his TV so that he can use his remote control to regulate the sound volume. I achieved this simply by buying a line splitter....the sound is coming out of the computer and the TV simultaneously, but the PC is in another room.
The distance your second monitor is from the computer itself is limited only by the length of cable you want stretched out across the floor, and obviously, your ability to multitask while displaying video will be directly dependent on the power of your PC. I have a 2.6ghz with 1gig of RAM.....no problems here, but my Dad has a 2.8 with only 1/2 a gig of RAM......runs kinda sluggishly under the same conditions. Now did someone say Slideshow? Shivers Slideshow Here's an example of something my brother did with some old b&w's from my mother's side of the family. The first pic is my Grandma's high school graduation, the second is my mother's, and around 4 minutes and 17 seconds you can see a pic of my Great, Great, Grandmother :D:D :D BTW, 99% of these pictures are taken in Natchitoches and most of those at the same house my Grandmother still lives in today. |
Thanks others for posting, I had seen earlier (I think) that isa was using win98? and I assumed there was no way she'd have a video card to support that. But I also thought she wanted to put 2 separate computers on 2 monitors.. but somehow 2 different OS would be displayed from the same computer's action.. How would you be able to split the computer's functionality into 2 entirely separate monitors based on what you want to show up on each one?
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Thanks Brain. The monitors will be in the same room. It will be at my office and the monitor will be in the window. I figure we can get it set up with the monitors together then move the slide show to the window. I hope it will not be too hard. Two of us will be doing it. One young and one old. Can you figure out which one I am? HA HA.
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Why thank you kind sir. :flirt:
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I bought a new video card last month with dual monitor support. Now all I need is another monitor! :D
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Me too! I so wanna try it out. It would blow my mother and sister's minds because they have no idea computers can do that these days.
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I would go crazy if I had to go back to a single monitor. How do people get any work done?
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Maybe, but I don't have enough ego to act that way. ;)
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However, your options are basically endless, keep in mind that quality and functionality are directly related to expense in computer world, but if you can dream it, chances are there's already multiple ways to do it. |
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Don't use s-video for anything other than movies, tv, etc. It's 480 lines of resolution (and interlaced on top of that) so you'll go crazy trying to use it as a computer display.
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Yes this is true to an extent, while the TV is great for videos and gaming, reading normal sized text is virtually impossible. However this is as much a result of a regular TV set not being able to compete with the resolution capabilities of a computer monitor as the method of input.... |
Right, even if you have a monitor with high enough resolution, s-video will only carry a 480i signal.
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Thanks guys for your input. I really appreciate your help.
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I do this in my classroom
I purchased a VGA splitter from Dell and run PowerPoints on my second monitor while I still have complete control of my normal desktop. Also, to extend the second monitor to the window you will need an additional VGA cable of whatever length you require. That should be the lowest cost/hassle solution.
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Please expound if this is the case.....I've never heard of such a thing. |
duh
Windows XP supports multiple monitors and I have a single PC running my pair.
See :eek: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u.../monitors.mspx |
Thanks again! You all have helped me tremendously! I will start on this next week. Will probably have to come back and ask some more questions, so stay tuned. Brain, you will be able to see the results. Let me know what you think. I am not sure how long it will take to get it all set up. Don't faint, but I am the one who does our website. Excuse me for bragging, I feel we have the best one. I have worked hard to make sure we are on the first page in the top search engines. Yahoo is giving me some problems since all the changes, but that is my next project. Google loves us. I welcome any suggestions.
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I went back and looked at those instructions again this morning.
The only other conclusion I can come up with is you are utilizing a laptop with a built in monitor (monitor1) and therefore the ONLY display output plug you have is being used for monitor 2??????????? |
Many desktop video cards (the one I'm using right now, for instance. It happens to be a Dell, as well) have a single video connector that can be split into two.
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I don't doubt that it's possible, I'm looking for instructions explaining how it's done. The instructions MoJo linked to show multiple video outputs while you and he have both indicated that's no longer necessary. |
A DVI connector can carry both analog and digital signals, the Y-cable simply splits those off into DVI-D via a DVI connector and RGB analog via a 15-pin D-SUB "VGA" connector.
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So your video card only has 1 output and it's a DVI, and this is your Desktop or Tower, NOT a laptop....right? |
single video output
My video card has one DVI output and is split into two VGA outputs thus two monitors. Simple. I looked it up and it is called a "DVI-I to dual VGA" splitter.
Thanks joepole |
Kewl...I read a description of one of the products and it didn't really indicate it was capable of multiple settings.
Is monitor2 cloning monitor1 your only option or do better splitters offer more features such as horizontal or vertical spanning? |
They are two completely separate video signals that can be arranged the same as a PC with two video cards or a PC with a video card that had two connectors.
I suppose you could probably clone, though. |
Thanks for the info....
Isabelle, I hope you've been paying attention. Depending on your computer, this may be a cheaper solution than what I have suggested. |
We ordered what we needed today. I will let you know how it works. I was way off on the length of VGA cable we needed, 50 feet.
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