Guest Gregg Hill Posted August 10, 2008 Posted August 10, 2008 Hello! I want to have two identical Acer AL1917 LCD displays set up as their own views, and not just a clone. I bought an AGP card with one DVI and one VGA connector, and when I hook up the displays, the one connected to the VGA output is FAR less bright than the DVI one, even at max contrast and brightness. Backgrounds are grey, menu bars are brown instead of grey, etc. I now want to hook up both to DVI, and I have Googled a little bit and found references to DVI splitter cables to use with dual monitors. Which is better, using one DVI output split into two DVI, or buy a dual-DVI card? Can a dual-display setup work off of one DVI that is split, and still give independent views? Or would that only work to clone the primary screen to the secondary screen? Thank you for your help! Gregg Hill
Guest Andrew E. Posted August 10, 2008 Posted August 10, 2008 RE: Question about DVI and dual monitors Dual DVI cards are set-up for 2 DVI monitors,where as an adapter to VGA have less capabilities.Also,with 2 monitors running at the same time,try microsoft windows media professional exhibitor,the utility is specifically for 2 or more monitors running on a pc.Get at:http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/AllDownloads.aspx "Gregg Hill" wrote: > Hello! > > I want to have two identical Acer AL1917 LCD displays set up as their own > views, and not just a clone. I bought an AGP card with one DVI and one VGA > connector, and when I hook up the displays, the one connected to the VGA > output is FAR less bright than the DVI one, even at max contrast and > brightness. Backgrounds are grey, menu bars are brown instead of grey, etc. > > I now want to hook up both to DVI, and I have Googled a little bit and found > references to DVI splitter cables to use with dual monitors. Which is > better, using one DVI output split into two DVI, or buy a dual-DVI card? > > Can a dual-display setup work off of one DVI that is split, and still give > independent views? Or would that only work to clone the primary screen to > the secondary screen? > > Thank you for your help! > > Gregg Hill > > > >
Guest Patrick Keenan Posted August 10, 2008 Posted August 10, 2008 Re: Question about DVI and dual monitors "Gregg Hill" <greggmhill at please do not spam me at yahoo dot com> wrote in message news:upy%23Yby%23IHA.4772@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... > Hello! > > I want to have two identical Acer AL1917 LCD displays set up as their own > views, and not just a clone. I bought an AGP card with one DVI and one VGA > connector, and when I hook up the displays, the one connected to the VGA > output is FAR less bright than the DVI one, even at max contrast and > brightness. Backgrounds are grey, menu bars are brown instead of grey, > etc. > > I now want to hook up both to DVI, and I have Googled a little bit and > found references to DVI splitter cables to use with dual monitors. Which > is better, using one DVI output split into two DVI, or buy a dual-DVI > card? > > Can a dual-display setup work off of one DVI that is split, and still give > independent views? Or would that only work to clone the primary screen to > the secondary screen? > > Thank you for your help! > > Gregg Hill If you split a single signal, all of the devices that recieve it show the same images. In other words, you will lose the ability to extend the desktop, and it doesn't sound like this is what you wanted. Swap the cables between the two displays to determine if the display quality is related to the displays themselves, or the video card. You may find that you have to replace some defective hardware. HTH -pk
Guest Gregg Hill Posted August 10, 2008 Posted August 10, 2008 Re: Question about DVI and dual monitors Although not mentioned, I had already swapped to be sure it was not the displays themselves. Yes, I do want to extend the desktop and not clone it, so it looks as though I am off to find a dual-DVI card. Thank you for the input! Gregg Hill "Patrick Keenan" <test@dev.null> wrote in message news:OD8OfJz%23IHA.984@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... > > "Gregg Hill" <greggmhill at please do not spam me at yahoo dot com> wrote > in message news:upy%23Yby%23IHA.4772@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... >> Hello! >> >> I want to have two identical Acer AL1917 LCD displays set up as their own >> views, and not just a clone. I bought an AGP card with one DVI and one >> VGA connector, and when I hook up the displays, the one connected to the >> VGA output is FAR less bright than the DVI one, even at max contrast and >> brightness. Backgrounds are grey, menu bars are brown instead of grey, >> etc. >> >> I now want to hook up both to DVI, and I have Googled a little bit and >> found references to DVI splitter cables to use with dual monitors. Which >> is better, using one DVI output split into two DVI, or buy a dual-DVI >> card? >> >> Can a dual-display setup work off of one DVI that is split, and still >> give independent views? Or would that only work to clone the primary >> screen to the secondary screen? >> >> Thank you for your help! >> >> Gregg Hill > > If you split a single signal, all of the devices that recieve it show the > same images. In other words, you will lose the ability to extend the > desktop, and it doesn't sound like this is what you wanted. > > Swap the cables between the two displays to determine if the display > quality is related to the displays themselves, or the video card. You > may find that you have to replace some defective hardware. > > HTH > -pk > >
Guest Gregg Hill Posted August 10, 2008 Posted August 10, 2008 Re: Question about DVI and dual monitors I will take a look. Thank you! Gregg Hill "Andrew E." <eckrichco@msn.com> wrote in message news:111C8312-FD8A-4866-A79B-4BD3A8C4AE66@microsoft.com... > Dual DVI cards are set-up for 2 DVI monitors,where as an adapter to VGA > have less capabilities.Also,with 2 monitors running at the same time,try > microsoft windows media professional exhibitor,the utility is specifically > for > 2 or more monitors running on a pc.Get > at:http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/AllDownloads.aspx > > "Gregg Hill" wrote: > >> Hello! >> >> I want to have two identical Acer AL1917 LCD displays set up as their own >> views, and not just a clone. I bought an AGP card with one DVI and one >> VGA >> connector, and when I hook up the displays, the one connected to the VGA >> output is FAR less bright than the DVI one, even at max contrast and >> brightness. Backgrounds are grey, menu bars are brown instead of grey, >> etc. >> >> I now want to hook up both to DVI, and I have Googled a little bit and >> found >> references to DVI splitter cables to use with dual monitors. Which is >> better, using one DVI output split into two DVI, or buy a dual-DVI card? >> >> Can a dual-display setup work off of one DVI that is split, and still >> give >> independent views? Or would that only work to clone the primary screen to >> the secondary screen? >> >> Thank you for your help! >> >> Gregg Hill >> >> >> >>
Guest mikeyhsd Posted August 10, 2008 Posted August 10, 2008 Re: Question about DVI and dual monitors personally I prefer the dual DVI card. currently use ATI HD 2900 XT. works great. mikeyhsd@sprintpcs.com "Gregg Hill" <greggmhill at please do not spam me at yahoo dot com> wrote in message news:upy%23Yby%23IHA.4772@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... Hello! I want to have two identical Acer AL1917 LCD displays set up as their own views, and not just a clone. I bought an AGP card with one DVI and one VGA connector, and when I hook up the displays, the one connected to the VGA output is FAR less bright than the DVI one, even at max contrast and brightness. Backgrounds are grey, menu bars are brown instead of grey, etc. I now want to hook up both to DVI, and I have Googled a little bit and found references to DVI splitter cables to use with dual monitors. Which is better, using one DVI output split into two DVI, or buy a dual-DVI card? Can a dual-display setup work off of one DVI that is split, and still give independent views? Or would that only work to clone the primary screen to the secondary screen? Thank you for your help! Gregg Hill
Guest Snapper Posted August 14, 2008 Posted August 14, 2008 Re: Question about DVI and dual monitors Patrick Keenan wrote... > Swap the cables between the two displays to determine if the display quality > is related to the displays themselves, or the video card. You may find > that you have to replace some defective hardware. I have two PCs here that drive twin monitors. One is connected to DVI, the other VGA dsub. On both PCs we cannot see any difference in video quality. In fact, it's impossible to tell which is DVI connected. Yet they tell us that DVI is superior to analog. I'd agree with your suggestion. Might be a crappy monitor or perhaps a faulty cable. Or the card itself. But swapping them over will definately indicate if this is a problem. I'd take the card back and get one with twin DVI outputs.
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