Comments

BillyBoy wrote on 1/27/2005, 6:23 AM
For one video card to support multiple monitors, it will need multiple outputs (two or three, look for connectors on the back)... also Windows has supported multiple monitors for at least a couple versions. You could add a second video card.

What do you want to use dual monitors for?

If one is for an external monitor you DON'T want or need it hooked to your video card... use firewire. However if you wish to extend your desktop over multiple monitors, then dual monitors is the way to go.
busterkeaton wrote on 1/27/2005, 6:37 AM
In Windows 2000 or XP, Device manager will tell you what hardware you have. You can then just look it up on the web and you will find if it has dual monitor support.

For Device Manager, right-click on My Computer>Manage and then choose Display Adapters from the list.

Mine says Nvidia GeForce 4, so you can just google that. I am running dual monitors from that card.
Mandk wrote on 1/27/2005, 6:46 AM
Dual monitors really make the process quicker.

I installed them with a $50 video card from CompUSA.

Once you have dual you will never go back.

Good Luck
BillyBoy wrote on 1/27/2005, 7:13 AM
Not my experience.

I tried dual monitors.... experiment lasted just a couple days. Its a highly indvidual thing. Some love it, others hate it. I found the excessive head movement annoying. Of course I spend lots of time looking at my external monitor, which is a totally different thing than expanding your desktop over multiple monitors.
Ken_K wrote on 1/27/2005, 7:39 AM
Mandk,
was that a second card or a dual output card?
If a dual, what was it? Do you mind?
Thnx, either way!!
Ken
PierreB wrote on 1/27/2005, 7:48 AM
I was never able to get multiple cards to work on XP so I went with Maxivista over my LAN, after references on this forum (http://www.maxivista.com/).

Works pretty well, though I found that the preview window has to be on the main machine, not the extension monitor.

Pierre
Mandk wrote on 1/27/2005, 8:16 AM
It was a dual output card, I have to admit I do not remember the model. It was on clearence and I asked the guy for the least expensive option (I wanted to try it before getting a more expensive card). Might have been a radon 5000 but I am not positive. The software that came with it was not real good but wondows XP does not need additional drivers for it.

The cheap one worked and I kept it.
cbrillow wrote on 1/27/2005, 9:24 AM
I two different relatively inexpensive cards in two computers. Both of them use an nVidia Geoforce (not sure of the version) chipset. There's a control program called nView which makes setting up dual monitors in XP a snap.

I love having the preview window at maximum size and on the 2nd monitor -- it frees up so much real estate on the edit screen.
scifly2 wrote on 1/27/2005, 9:26 AM
I use dual mon on a two year old dual head radeon card. They dont have to be expensive. I love it. I can put my preview and anything i like on the 2nd mon and have more room to see multiple tracks on the main monitor. I just installed a Nvidia for a friend which also included a feature for turning a monitor sideways. He uses it to view more tracks on a widescreen flat panel. If you do multitrack audio editing as I do, this is nice to have. Im doing it on win98 without any problems.
Orcatek wrote on 1/27/2005, 10:11 AM
I like this setup too. Second monitor has preview and scopes and panners.

When I switch to audio, I move the mixer to the second monitor and the preview back. Just a quick layout switch.

Other times I'll have a website or doc onthe second monitor when I'm trying something new. Works great.
rmack350 wrote on 1/27/2005, 10:45 AM
Very true, people have different ways of working. Some like to have every application full screen and then they alt-tab between them. Others like to have little windows spread about. It really seems to depend on how your brain likes to organize things.

Generally, I like dual monitors. However, I always use Vegas on just one screen. Usually I keep something else on the other screen. Less head turning, over all.

Rob Mack