How to do this monitor thing in XP

[Guest artmerar@yahoo.com]

Hi,

 

What we need to do is to hook up 2 monitors to 1 computer. The

monitors will be in different rooms, so we do not want to stretch the

desktop, but we want to have the same desktop on 2 screens.......

 

So, 2 separate monitors displaying the same image. I know I've seen

lots of documentation on this, but they all seem to focus on

stretching the desktop, which is not what we want.

 

I'm assuming I'll need a video card with dual outputs? Do the

monitors need to be the same?

 

How is this done?

 

Thank you!

[Guest Ken Blake, MVP]

Re: How to do this monitor thing in XP

 

On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:40:31 -0700 (PDT), artmerar@yahoo.com wrote:

>

> Hi,

>

> What we need to do is to hook up 2 monitors to 1 computer. The

> monitors will be in different rooms, so we do not want to stretch the

> desktop, but we want to have the same desktop on 2 screens.......

>

> So, 2 separate monitors displaying the same image. I know I've seen

> lots of documentation on this, but they all seem to focus on

> stretching the desktop, which is not what we want.

>

> I'm assuming I'll need a video card with dual outputs? Do the

> monitors need to be the same?

>

> How is this done?

>

> Thank you!

 

--

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

Please Reply to the Newsgroup

[Guest Ken Blake, MVP]

Re: How to do this monitor thing in XP

 

On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:40:31 -0700 (PDT), artmerar@yahoo.com wrote:

> What we need to do is to hook up 2 monitors to 1 computer. The

> monitors will be in different rooms,

 

 

I'm not sure what the limit is on the length of a monitor cable, but

you should look into this. If they are in different rooms, you may run

into problems exceeding the limit.

 

> so we do not want to stretch the

> desktop, but we want to have the same desktop on 2 screens.......

 

 

OK, that's fine.

 

> So, 2 separate monitors displaying the same image. I know I've seen

> lots of documentation on this, but they all seem to focus on

> stretching the desktop, which is not what we want.

 

 

It's essentially the same. Whether to extend the desktop onto the

second monitor is a choice in the dialog box.

 

> I'm assuming I'll need a video card with dual outputs?

 

 

No. That's one way to do it, but another way is to have two video

cards.

 

> Do the

> monitors need to be the same?

 

 

No.

 

--

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

Please Reply to the Newsgroup

[Guest Paul]

Re: How to do this monitor thing in XP

 

artmerar@yahoo.com wrote:

> Hi,

>

> What we need to do is to hook up 2 monitors to 1 computer. The

> monitors will be in different rooms, so we do not want to stretch the

> desktop, but we want to have the same desktop on 2 screens.......

>

> So, 2 separate monitors displaying the same image. I know I've seen

> lots of documentation on this, but they all seem to focus on

> stretching the desktop, which is not what we want.

>

> I'm assuming I'll need a video card with dual outputs? Do the

> monitors need to be the same?

>

> How is this done?

>

> Thank you!

 

This documentation is a bit old, but may illustrate the limitations.

 

ftp://download.nvidia.com/Windows/91.47/

 

ftp://download.nvidia.com/Windows/91.47/91.47_ForceWare_nView_User_Guide.pdf

 

If you go to PDF page 88, you can see a picture of the "clone"

setup dialog. It looks like both displays run at the same

resolution. So you would want displays that look good, if

run at the same resolution.

 

The Catalyst Control Center, for ATI cards, seems to offer similar functions.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/IrishRover/computers/ati_catalyst/radeon08.jpg

 

Since I have an ATI card, I tried testing a two monitor configuration.

I own one real monitor. I also own a "fake" VGA connector, with 75 ohm

resistors on R, G, and B. When plugged into the video card, that is

detected as a second display.

 

The Catalyst Control Center behaves a bit like a puzzle. Rather than right click

and selecting some kind of option, you have to drag an icon of the second monitor,

onto a space provided for a second display device. When you do that, a menu appears

where your mouse cursor is positioned. There is an option there to Clone the

two monitors. From that point onward, the display is managed as if there

is only one display. Both displays seem to be sent the same resolution and

color depth. In that case, identical monitors would be good.

 

I tried a similar experiment with my "TV output faking" connector.

The funny thing is, the TV output option on the ATI card, claims

the output resolution limit is 1024x768 (which is normal). My

main monitor, is 1280x1024 on a 17" LCD. Yet, when I disabled the

TV display and dragged it to the second display box, it offered

to be a clone of the main display. The main display remained at

1280x1024. Which implies, that perhaps the TV output would only show

a portion of the screen as seen in the 17" monitor. (My TV coax is

broken, so I cannot test it right now.)

 

So, yes, I'd probably look for two monitors with similar native

resolution. Since I own a 1280x1024 LCD monitor, I'd probably look

for a second like it. It could still be physically bigger.

(I could use my 17" 1280x1024 with a 19" 1280x1024 monitor).

 

If the second monitor had a different resolution, like 1600x1200,

then when cloned, it would in my case be sent a 1280x1024 signal.

That would still work, but the picture would look stretched a bit

on the second monitor.

 

Dual view allows the two monitors to be independent, but doesn't do

what you want it to do, in terms of the image displayed on both

screens. It is like an extension of the desktop.

 

HTH,

Paul

[Guest M.I.5¾]

Re: How to do this monitor thing in XP

 

 

"Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message

news:g3f49452rsm70d6a2cmv5fnoc690aodjco@4ax.com...

> On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:40:31 -0700 (PDT), artmerar@yahoo.com wrote:

>

>> What we need to do is to hook up 2 monitors to 1 computer. The

>> monitors will be in different rooms,

>

>

> I'm not sure what the limit is on the length of a monitor cable, but

> you should look into this. If they are in different rooms, you may run

> into problems exceeding the limit.

>

 

For a VGA cable there is no theoretical limit, but as the distance gets

longer the cable needs to be a higher and higher standard. The effect of

using inadequate cable is that the signal 'drags' in the cable such that

different bits arrive at different times (crap explanation but its the best

I can do at this time of a Friday morning). The visual effect is that of a

poorly defined image with one or more shadows next to it.

 

For a DVI cable similar considerations apply except that, as it is a digital

interface, there will be no degradation to the image. Once the attenuation

of the cable becomes large enough there will be no image at all.

[Guest Ken Blake, MVP]

Re: How to do this monitor thing in XP

 

On Fri, 1 Aug 2008 10:13:55 +0100, "M.I.5¾"

<no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk> wrote:

>

> "Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message

> news:g3f49452rsm70d6a2cmv5fnoc690aodjco@4ax.com...

> > On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:40:31 -0700 (PDT), artmerar@yahoo.com wrote:

> >

> >> What we need to do is to hook up 2 monitors to 1 computer. The

> >> monitors will be in different rooms,

> >

> >

> > I'm not sure what the limit is on the length of a monitor cable, but

> > you should look into this. If they are in different rooms, you may run

> > into problems exceeding the limit.

> >

>

> For a VGA cable there is no theoretical limit, but as the distance gets

> longer the cable needs to be a higher and higher standard. The effect of

> using inadequate cable is that the signal 'drags' in the cable such that

> different bits arrive at different times (crap explanation but its the best

> I can do at this time of a Friday morning). The visual effect is that of a

> poorly defined image with one or more shadows next to it.

>

> For a DVI cable similar considerations apply except that, as it is a digital

> interface, there will be no degradation to the image. Once the attenuation

> of the cable becomes large enough there will be no image at all.

 

 

Thanks for the lesson. As I said, I knew nothing about this.

 

--

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

Please Reply to the Newsgroup

[Guest LVTravel]

Re: How to do this monitor thing in XP

 

Along with all the other good advice there are monitor cable splitters that

have an amplifier built into them that increase the "power" to the distant

monitor. My school uses them to run all the projectors in the various

classrooms from the desktops. One desktop output to the computer's monitor

and the amplified output through 100 feet of cable to the projector. Works

great and no signal loss. We use different models of equipment (purchased

at different times) but items like these work well:

 

http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat_id=509&sku=29550

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=vga+splitter

 

http://www.cdw.com/shop/search/Results.aspx?key=vga+splitter&searchscope=All&sr=1&cm_mmc=sendtec-_-yahoo-_-Comp_Acc-_-vga_splitter&SendTecID=9896343

 

When you look at the specs make sure the the unit supports the resolution

you plan on running and also does extend the range (even though most don't

use the word amplify in the literature.)

 

 

 

<artmerar@yahoo.com> wrote in message

news:b7e4e055-775d-4598-9490-ca05fb3e242c@59g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...

>

> Hi,

>

> What we need to do is to hook up 2 monitors to 1 computer. The

> monitors will be in different rooms, so we do not want to stretch the

> desktop, but we want to have the same desktop on 2 screens.......

>

> So, 2 separate monitors displaying the same image. I know I've seen

> lots of documentation on this, but they all seem to focus on

> stretching the desktop, which is not what we want.

>

> I'm assuming I'll need a video card with dual outputs? Do the

> monitors need to be the same?

>

> How is this done?

>

> Thank you!