Interesting video cable question

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SarverSystems

Supreme [H]ardness
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Is it possible to do this?

Lets say I have 2 monitors close together. I want 1 cable for the video to go to both monitors, and split off using a DVI cable of some sort. I don't know the technincal name for them, but I've seen them come with older video cards. They have a DVi connector on one end, and 2 DVI connectors on the other end.

I want to use my monitors in panarama mode, or stretch mode, not clone mode.

This is the cable I am referring to : http://images.google.com/images?q=DVI+splitter&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images

Also, if this is possible, does anyone know where to get such a cable with longer than 6" leads? I'd need closer to 24" leads.

To sum it all up, I am looking to run dual LCD monitors in span mode, off of 1 cable.
 
The signal you are putting out from your PC is formatted for the number of displays you have connected independantly.
If you take one output and split it you will get 2 screens showing the same thing.

Why dont you connect 2 monitors to 2 outputs?
 
I am working on an interesting mod involving 2 LCD monitors. I want it to look seamless, and to do that, that means 1 video cable, 1 power cable.
 
Just get some of that cable wrap stuff (the black stuff you use to bundle a bunch of cabels together). There's no way to do what I know you want to do, short of rewiring the DVI links, which would require basically building a custom video card.... :eek:
 
Whatever you set the resolution to in windows is what will be displayed.
2 screens at 1024x768 will give you a full resolution of 2048x768.
You're going to struggle putting 2048x 768 out for 2 screens when the res is only 1024x768 :)

If you have your res set to 1024 pixels across 1 screen and you want that split over 2 screens, you will get a clone or half on each screen stretched to fill them...
thats assuming you get hold of a device that will double the horizontal pixels to stretch them to fit each monitor.

To get windows to ouput double the horizontal resolution you need 2 screens connected to 2 different video ports.

To put it another way, if both monitors are connected to the same electrical connections, they will both receive the same signal so will both display the same thing.
Laws of physics!
 
I was under the impression that each DVI output on my video card could support 2 monitors in span mode. Its a geforce 6800 something something. Oh well. I was really hoping to be able to get away with having only 2 cords running out the back of this thing. Looks like it'll be 3 cords now. Damn it.
 
http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/products/dh2go/home.php

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/products/th2go/home.php

It sounds like it is not the case, but when he first explained he was doing an "interesting mod" I thought he meant some sort of config using a deal like the above...

this explains why I was about to say the "they will both receive the same signal so will both display the same thing" isn't necessarily true: if his "mod" knew to only have one monitor process 1-(x/2) pixels and the other knew to only process (x/2+1)-X pixels, then he could have X pixels spanned across two images with only one output coming out of the video card.

I just didn't understand why he would want to do multiple set-ups of this device for each monitor (which may or may no be doable anyway, as they'd have to have a level of sync that I am not sure is possible without the mods actually talking to each other directly, although his "interesting mod" is never fully explained, so maybe they do talk together?), instead of just one as Matrox has done, which may be the only way possible anyway. (or at least the most sensible as there only needs to be a single "mod")
 
Neat.
They must use a driver to give the extra displays for windows.

Downers are the dual screen version supports 1024x768 and 1280x1024 res displays.
The Triple screen solution supports only 1280x1024 displays.
It doesnt support DVI, only VGA.
 
Er, ummm, before he goes buying cable listed here, let me be clear:

Either the card has to support such an ability (I really, really doubt the 6600 does!), or he has to have an (unknown to me, but who knows what "interesting" mods he is possibly doing) "interesting" mod of some sort to re-establish the signal into some the monitor can natively support...
 
Gawd, I have a bunch of monitors sitting around unused that can do 2048x1536...

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/cadgis/products/mms/g450quad.php

I am tempted to buy one just so I can get a geek-boner at 8192x1536 spanned across four of these...

Yowsers, not only does that take quite a desktop space to attempt, but it is not like these monitors are light at all!

Who the hell does these types of set-ups!?!?!?!?!
 
Agreed, you need a Matrox card to use those cables.
I dont know whether they are dependant on extra hardware in the Matrox cards to function or whether its just the driver that allows them to work.

If only LCD's weren't made without a blank area round the edge of the LCD glass.
Putting 2 big 1280x1024 LCDs together in a custom housing would give a really nice extra widescreen HD setup that can do 1080p (minus a few pixels) and 33% wider for those really widescreen films!
 
Chernobyl1 said:
Agreed, you need a Matrox card to use those cables.
I dont know whether they are dependant on extra hardware in the Matrox cards to function or whether its just the driver that allows them to work.

If only LCD's weren't made without a blank area round the edge of the LCD glass.
Putting 2 big 1280x1024 LCDs together in a custom housing would give a really nice extra widescreen HD setup that can do 1080p (minus a few pixels) and 33% wider for those really widescreen films!
Click to expand...

Well, while splitter cables are around (he had a link to them), the Matrox cables are completely wired differently as it is two completely separate signals coming out of each. So the Matrox cables aren't what he needs, but even the cables he linked to won't work without a mod on the end to re-process the signal before it hit the monitor...

But y what he was suggesting is possible, but I doubt he has any "interesting" mod as the geek in me like to believe he might have...

As far as 1080p, I dunno about the price of quality lower flatpanels, but my 37" Westinghouse is perfect, the price wasn't outrageous ($1,200) when considering what you need to buy (two monitors, etc) to do the same with a multi-monitor set-up, and it has two DVI, one HDMI, one VGA, two component and one composite input.

It's really not bad at all for $1,200.

Oh, did I mention it is a really, really quality screen as well?

For price, it beats the Dell 30"ers, I will tell ya...
 
You guys hit the nail on the head.

Here's the mod I had in mind:

Dual 19" widescreens mounted behind a custom-made plexi panel. 1 power cord to power both, 1 video cable to drive the units.

2880X900
 
Tolyngee said:
Well, while splitter cables are around (he had a link to them), the Matrox cables are completely wired differently as it is two completely separate signals coming out of each. So the Matrox cables aren't what he needs, but even the cables he linked to won't work without a mod on the end to re-process the signal before it hit the monitor...

But y what he was suggesting is possible, but I doubt he has any "interesting" mod as the geek in me like to believe he might have...

As far as 1080p, I dunno about the price of quality lower flatpanels, but my 37" Westinghouse is perfect, the price wasn't outrageous ($1,200) when considering what you need to buy (two monitors, etc) to do the same with a multi-monitor set-up, and it has two DVI, one HDMI, one VGA, two component and one composite input.

It's really not bad at all for $1,200.

Oh, did I mention it is a really, really quality screen as well?

For price, it beats the Dell 30"ers, I will tell ya...
Click to expand...

Sweet, I've read good things about the big Westinghouse sets :)

A couple of years ago I wanted to get a new big telly but they were so expensive then.
Thats when Tomshardware showed how easy it is to put a LCD on an OHP to make a projector.
I jumped on it and made one. The result amazed me but during a few rebuilds, the LCD died.
The second LCD is much better and still going strong almost 2 years later.

I replaced the light system with a 250W metal Halide to fix the colour, get more light and make the bulb last longer.
In all it has cost about £600 (including mistakes) to get a 2.9 metre screen @ 1024x768 res.
Bulbs are £30 to replace and last a year with 18hrs a day use :D
Its terribly good.
If you dont mind a few viewing issues you can build one now for less than £200 using second hand bits!!

I'm speccing up a HD 1080p projector which should cost about the same (with no mistakes ;)) but man is it hard work finding the right bits and where you can buy 1 off.
The datasheets for the LCD are taking weeks to get hold of but I'm hopeful I'll have them by the end of next week :)
 
SarverSystems said:
You guys hit the nail on the head.

Here's the mod I had in mind:

Dual 19" widescreens mounted behind a custom-made plexi panel. 1 power cord to power both, 1 video cable to drive the units.

2880X900
Click to expand...


lol, ace.
Are you doing anything to the LCDs to get rid of the black stripe in the middle?
I'm not sure if you can cut the glass away but I can try and find out if you like.
 
SarverSystems said:
You guys hit the nail on the head.

Here's the mod I had in mind:

Dual 19" widescreens mounted behind a custom-made plexi panel. 1 power cord to power both, 1 video cable to drive the units.

2880X900
Click to expand...

Well, that's a physical mod tho to the screens.

Somewhere along the way the signal needs to be re-processed tho.

That Matrox contraption maybe could do it, (not 1440x900 tho), just need three DVI/VGI adapters (one to turn the DVI signal to VGA out of the card to connect to the Matrox DH2G via its VGA cable), then two DVI/VGA adapters to converts the VGA output of the DH2G outputs into DVI for the panels (assuming the panels are DVI-only for input)...

It's doable, but I am not going to sit here and tell you what quality of picture you'll get out of doing this... That's partly why the DH2G/TH2G has a res limitation, so keep image degredation to a minimum (it's VGA, mind you)...

If you can find a DVI verson of the above, it'll do perfect.

Like I said before, a signal splitter would work, just you need a device that will re-process the signal coming out into something native for the panel(s) you attach it to.

MUCH EASIER SAID THAN DONE THOUGH.

There's a reason why these products aren't just sitting on every best buy shelf. ;)

(altho, since DVI is 100% digital, it's not impossible at all... But a consumer-end product that does it? not likely... I like this to the steep price increases you see on A/V signal repeaters with TBC... the more outputs, the more the prices climbs, as it just ain't your typical hardware...)

Simply put: It ain't gonna be done the way you were thinking...

Using both outputs of your 6600 would be much cheaper, but does that support spanning?

(not to be rude, but I hate spanning across mult screens anyway, that's why I bought my 37"er... although my 1920x1080 is higher res than what you have mentioned anyway... But so many things are just native to it, as mentioned by the inputs it has... While I cannot speak for the Dell 30"er and it's higher res, I can tell you for gaming the W 37"er is (IMO) quite f-ing badass for games... Racing sims with a WS view seems much more natural...)

Like I said, if the dual-outputs of the 6600 don't span, your idea is still doable, but I would expect your image degredation might suck hard... (this is the very reason why many KVMs don't list 2048x1536 as supported...)

Not to mention the price tag may not be worth it over just a big FP monitor, assuming you haven't already purchased the two FPs already...
 
Sarver, your website should read: "This website is only a test. If this was a real website, there would be product in stock that you could put in your cart and buy."

BTW: do you have a brother named Mike?
 
Yeah he should be ok with 2 cables, NVidias drivers support spanning.

The current HDMI spec has a max bandwidth for a DVI port/cable of 165MHz.
This allows 1600x1200 to be displayed natively or 1080p with reduced blanking support (at 162MHz).
Higher resolutions wont go down this wire.

In June this year, the new HDMI 1.3 spec was released which more than doubles the bandwidth so Dual DVI from one cable will become a possibility :)
http://www.hdmi.org/press/pr/pr_20060622.asp

It will need a graphics card that supports the higher DVI bandwidth as well.
 
Tolyngee said:
Sarver, your website should read: "This website is only a test. If this was a real website, there would be product in stock that you could put in your cart and buy."

BTW: do you have a brother named Mike?
Click to expand...

I am changing hosts ASAP. Know of any good ones with lots of space, under $7.95/mo and offer a Dedicated SSL Cert with Dedicated IP?

I have everything ready to roll, but I'm not adding too much yet since I will have to migrate everything over to the new hist anyways.

Back on topic though.

My video card supports spanning. I am using it right now with dual 21" monitors. I wanna dump the monstous 85lb CRTs for soemthing more streamlined. I am not willing to go back to a single monitor EVER AGAIN!!!! I cannot tell you how nice it is to have a web browser open in one window, chat, winamp, and other non-essential things in the other window.
 
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