You don't need a screen shot my friend. I have worked on a 21 " monitor with several editing apps and can tell you that dual 17" monitors are better than one 21" monitor. Not even a contest.
Dual 19" monitors are my preference.

W

What rez were you running on the different setups (21" vs 2x17") ?

Thanks

Geez I just spent a bundle (for me) upgrading my dual monitor gig to twin 19" LCD's. They're on the way. But it was (roughly) 1/3 the price of similar real estate via an HDTV configured for SXGA. I definitely suggest making sure you have a THIN frame model. The DELL clearview is what I got at $645 apiece refurbished from TigerDirect.com. Don't make a stampede.

Update: I had a real struggle with this vendor -- their recertified monitors are in name only. One was fresh one was more than a year old. I got one power supply and one digital cable and no manual or drivers. I had to get increasingly agitated and angered to get service but the recert manager (don't even waste your time with normal Dell or Tiger Direct CS) finally overnighted the missing parts. BRAND NEW 19" thin bezel monitors are $799 and have 3-years warrantee (compared to 90-days) and free shipping (compared to $64) -- so it's a wash. Except they did lower the price to $629. ON THE UPSIDE I AM NOW WRITING IN A SINGLE WINDOW SPREAD ACROSS BOTH MONITORS AND IT IS PERFECT -- only a 1" gap in the middle. AND IT IS.

I've been running two monitors with my previous editing applocation for many years. When I got into the Vegas scene a while back I specified dual monitors again for the edit bay - along with a separate production monitor (total three tubes on the desk).

FWIW, I briefly had a pair of Sony 18" LCDs on test and returned them when I determined there was insufficient reason to justify their added expense as even a very inexpensive CRT easily outperformed them (no ghosting, much easier to keep track of the cursor, etc.).

In the end I've ended up with a pair of 19" Samsung CRTs running 1280x1024 ($189 each at Sams Club) along with a 750-line Panasonic BT-H1390YN production monitor ($1310 at B&H) running through a PROmax DA-MAX+ on one desk, and the exact same setup except running through a Canopus ADVC-100 on another desk.

As for configuration, Vegas is a bit limited. With my previous NLE, I configured it with one monitor having the timeline such that the entire screen (top to bottom) of one monitor showed all the tracks. The other monitor was dedicated to the project, i.e. explorer, trimmer, media, etc.

Unfortunately, I have not found a way to separate the time line from everything else and have resorted to a configuration whereby the timeline stretches all the way across both monitors (along the top 1/3, or so, of one monitor's real estate) and the rest of the program takes up the remaining lower 2/3 of the combined monitors real estate, i.e. the separation is along the horizontal plane and spread across both monitors.

I find this somewhat inefficient and wish SOFO could addres the issue. For example, when compositing I am forever forgetting that there often are tracks above or below the active portion of my screen - which necessates my undoing steps and redoing others. This because I cannot have enough tracks visible (at an adequate size) because I must give up 2/3 or 1/2 of the screen height.

Of course it's quite possible I'm such a dumb ass that there's a way to configure the program to have just the time line on one monitor, and everything else on the other, but I've not found it as yet.

John Beech - GM (and janitro)
www.modelsport.com

Everything BUT the timeline can be undocked and moved to the other monitor. This would tend to crowd the other monitor with a bunch of windows since they won't redock there, so better to just undock what you need at the time. It is particularly convenient to work with the FX window open on the right and the timeline on the left when setting keyframes with "sync cursor to timeline" selected.

Yes, this is what I too discovered, Vegas cannot undock the timeline. While probably an oversite, it's disappointing nonetheless.

I have heard that you can undock, I'm sure its easy could someone explain?

Thanks!

woodrose: Dockable windows located in the lower part of the Vegas workspace (like the trimmer, VU meters, preview monitor, media pool, etc.)have a thin vertical line on the left hand side. Just put the pointer over the line, hold the left button down and drag it away. To re-dock, just drop it back into the lower area. You can move the windows around, stack them together or rearrange to suit yourself.

As to your problem with screen height dedicated to tracks it sounds like you could profitably spend a few to script an alternate view toggle. I have a system-scripting tool that I use so it would be no problem for me, but I do not do Java or VB.

I should comment on my setup -- I made sure to get, I forget the exact term, but LCD screens with very low persistence and 350:1 plus contrast. The image persistence is like 1/20th the old screens. Except for the paper-like presence of the image, which is a big plus, I can see no difference between my year-old 17.4" planar LCD and my KDS 19" shortneck CRT. The planar has very similar color qualities and certainly equals it in ghost-free video, cursor locating, contrast, etc. When I consider the desk real-estate and the fact that I stare at these things a dozen hours a day there is no better option than these new LCD's. Not to mention the radiation issue.

I would like some advice about a SVHS monitor -- I am after a small Panasonic with 420 lines. It's a 13" and used for around $120. This is just to check color. Good idea? Or do I really need a bigger monitor or SVHS TV?

xgenei