Thanks for all that Grazie

I've got 2 x 24" Dells, normally set up as a single desktop so I can drag things where I like.

However, if the Secondary Preview (yes - I am hoping to occasionally use the full preview in Vegas Options) need these to be set up differently, I'll try anything!

The "Supported Monitor configurations" table - is that Matrox or Sony's?

I have another video monitor connected via the usual firewire - I just wondered how the Secondary feature worked, particularly for HDV.

I'll see if there are any newer drivers - I did update them a year or so ago ..... I think ...

Cheers

Peter

I've got 2 x 24" Dells, normally set up as a single desktop so I can drag things where I like.

OK! Got it!

However, if the Secondary Preview (yes - I am hoping to occasionally use the full preview in Vegas Options) need these to be set up differently, I'll try anything!

I don't know if this IS true. I was trying to see a way through a potential "clash" of setups that is giving you this refusal you are getting - interesting.

The "Supported Monitor configurations" table - is that Matrox or Sony's?

Oh, it's the one in that Matrox Data sheet link.

I have another video monitor connected via the usual firewire - I just wondered how the Secondary feature worked, particularly for HDV.

Not having HDV I wouldn't know. But maybe there is some further overhead or clash of drivers that is getting in the way?

I'll see if there are any newer drivers - I did update them a year or so ago ..... I think ...

Oh, maybe. I can only guess that IF there have been any "issues" in the last 2 years OR new technology OR drivers getting corrupt .. . an update will at the very least remove those 3 from the equation ( maybe - LOL! ) and we can see if that gets you any further forward.

BTW I recently updated my nVidia drivers. I appear to have "lost" the ability to extend my Quick Start bar across both monitors. Some people see that as a feature. I see it as regressive. I'm hoping you will NOT get such a step backwards.

Thanks Grazie - no time to check out anything else till Monday - I'm off to stay with some friends, an hour south of Perth .......

Peter

I have to remind myself how to do this with my 450 almost every time.
You do need to heads to appear and once you've got spanning, or TV-out modes, you may well find yourself giving the settled driver a real good whacking to get it across to the exact mode that it needs to be in.

I can't recall the exact details, if nobody pitches in soon, I'll find this out for you on your return. However I can recall going back by uninstalling the driver, booting in VGA mode and then rerunning the Matrox installer (I think I am on a WHQL one right now, but I am not at home right now to check). Then take note of which mode you install and if it isn't the first one you try, it might be the other one!

The words "independent resolution" seem to ring a bell with me. You'd have thought that you do want independent resolution modes but it actually might be the other way around when you select the driver. G-series drivers are a bit thick, IMHO.

Neither the windows control panel interface or powerdesk really make much sense to me. Then again, dual head nvidia and ati are hard to buy online as the retailers don't seem to make much of a big deal about whether the cards are dual head or not.

Once you've got the driver mode right, you probably won't be doing it again until you next install/reinstall a copy of Windows.

I've got the 550 and it works fine. Just make sure that it is properly enabled. To check from your Desktop, bring up display properties, select advanced and then the DualHead tab. Then select Features and DualHead Multi Display. A box will appear with the settings. The value should be Enabled and active. Enter Change Settings and you should see Use DualHead Multi-Display checked and the first radio button Use Separate Resolutions.... also checked. Once OK, go back to the box showing the two displays (1 and 2), select 2 and make sure the box "Extend my Windows Desktop..." is ticked.

Then in Vegas under preview device preferences, select Windows Secondary Display. That should do it--at least it works for me. I've found that the G550 is OK for displaying SD imagery, but not HDV. Good luck.

wwaag

Thanks wwag - I checked and found my settings were already EXACTLY as you described, yet when I select Windows Secondary Display I still get Device unavailable.

I wonder if the resolutions make a difference - I have both set to 1920 x 1200.

Peter,
that might just be the issue, can the G550 run two independant monitors at that resolution?

I've got a Nvidia card and at times run 2x 24", at other times one at 1280x1024 and the other display at 1920x1200 and all works although it's never felt like it's 100% rock solid it does work and I suspect the wobbly bit is more Windoz than Vegas. Woks fine at full HDV resolution and SD can be displayed at native res or scaled to fill the screen.

I know this doesn't help much as you have a different card.

I think this Secondary Display thing might work through DirectX, are your DirectX drivers (or whatever that is) up to date?

Bob.

The G450 isn't different enough from the G550 for all my words to have been redundant. Try uninstalling the current driver set, setup the G550 as a VGA/SVGA generic device and then retry installing the latest G series driver set.

Go steady and record the options you specify as you go through the installer.
I've been in this exact same pickle and by rejigging everything a couple of times around - it started working.

The res you set is not relevant, the software model you apply is important. Vegas opens up it's own screen res. anyway just like a game goes, but on the "2" head.

I recall not having all the powerdesk options that you get in the advanced tab, but that is an observation. I think you lose the Clone and DVD options in the mode you require.

This was quite well covered by other posts (including my own I think) from when Vegas6 was released. So it might be worth doing a good old search here. But the earlier post you said matched your settings did sound right, and it certainly is right for the poster.

Give it a good re-install after uninstalling the driver in the Windows control panel and then by uninstalling the matrox powerdesk. Then re-install.

You have to be persistent, or I suppose you could rip out the aging card and go nvidia or ATI in the hope that GPUs start making a real difference outside BorisFX for Vegas.....

I suspect that farss is correct. If you select dual-head display capabilities, it shows that the max resolution for the secondary display is 1280x1024. I'd change your resolution to that and see if you now get secondary display. Good luck.

wwaag

Thanks for the idea, but tried the 1280x1024 with the same result - "Device not available"

I'll have a go at RBartlett's approach when I have a bit of time.