3 monitor setup

[Drow]

Howdy

I use a dual screen screen setup atm. I generally play my games on my left monitor, and everything else on my second, MSN, music, a movie - whatever. I'd also like to add a 3rd screen, that being my HD TV.

Basically I'm already using up both of my DVIs for my two monitors. Also my HD TV doesnt have a DVI slot on it, so my question is:

Can I use my TV in/out port to connect to my HDTV and use it as a 3rd monitor? Reason being I'd like to run movies and such without cracking out my DVDs and using my DVD player.

If I can infact do this, do you know what connectors I would need and where they would connect in regards to the TV?

Thanks folks.

[fynn]

in thory you should be alble to, all you will need is a S-video cable and addapter (for the graphics card) and possibly some audio cables, unless your going to use the speakers on the comp, just make sure that the graphics card does surrport HDTV when using a S-video cable (but then i could be wrong........lol)

[PeteA]

most will take the primary or secondary monitor. If you want a 3rd you could get a cheap PCI graphics card

[Drow]

Yeah my card definately supports it. All the Nvidia software is saying about how to make the TV a monitor but it all seems to focus on using it as a second monitor not a 3rd. I'll buy some cables and try to connect them all up. Even if the TV ends up cloning my second monitor that'd be good enough. Although I'd prefer being able to use the 2 monitors and 1 TV as one long desktop.

Is this the adapter you mean?:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31NSZWZQHAL._AA280_.jpg

The problem for me is getting all the male-male, female-male stuff the right way around.

I guess I could try using something like a:

http://www.pccables.com/images/01700.jpg

And swap my HDTV for one that has a DVI port.

In the mean time...off to tesco to buy some wires!

[fynn]

yep, that looks like the S-video addapter cable you should need

[PeteA]

that splitter will display the same thing twice, it wont actually split the screens

[Nox]

matrox triplehead to go may be worth considering

Nox

[djgandy]

matrox triplehead to go may be worth considering

Nox


Or just buy a cheap secondary card

[Drow]

If I was to buy a second card, I would have to by a HDTV that has a DVI slot. Or use those splitters I posted and others said about :(

Ideally looking for a way to make use of the S-video port thing. I've got a wire that looks similar to the one I posted before but the image appears in black and white on my TV. So it's half working o.o;

[djgandy]

S-Video is awful though. Plugging S-Vid into an HDTV is a hangable offence ;)

What ports does your HDTV have? They usually have some kind of input that is compatible with HD sources. If it doesn't have DVI it must have HDMI or VGA?

I don't get why if you buy another graphics card you need to a new hdtv but a DVI splitter will work? If a DVI splitter works why not just plug the second graphics card straight in using DVI?

If it's black and white you have the wrong input. A lot of TV's have multiple AV settings. Something like AV1 then SAV1. SAV1 always gives black and white though.

[Ben]

One of these (http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/products/th2go/digital/home.php) any good?

[Drow]

What ports does your HDTV have? They usually have some kind of input that is compatible with HD sources. If it doesn't have DVI it must have HDMI or VGA?


It has one HDMI slot but my card doesn't.



I don't get why if you buy another graphics card you need to a new hdtv but a DVI splitter will work?

The Splitter won't work. I would need a different HDTV for the splitter to work. I would use something like the splitter if I couldn't get the S-video option to work and change my TV.

------

The problem isn't the amount of DVI slots I have. It's the fact my HDTV isn't compatible with a DVI type of cable _and_ the only free port left on my GFX card is an s-video port.

So even if I buy another GFX card - I would still need to replace my HDTV for one that has a DVI or VGA port.

[djgandy]

What ports does your HDTV have? They usually have some kind of input that is compatible with HD sources. If it doesn't have DVI it must have HDMI or VGA?


It has one HDMI slot but my card doesn't.



I don't get why if you buy another graphics card you need to a new hdtv but a DVI splitter will work?

The Splitter won't work. I would need a different HDTV for the splitter to work. I would use something like the splitter if I couldn't get the S-video option to work and change my TV.

------

The problem isn't the amount of DVI slots I have. It's the fact my HDTV isn't compatible with a DVI type of cable _and_ the only free port left on my GFX card is an s-video port.

So even if I buy another GFX card - I would still need to replace my HDTV for one that has a DVI or VGA port.

Get a DVI -> HDMI

http://www.google.co.uk/products?hl=en& ... &scoring=p (http://www.google.co.uk/products?hl=en&q=dvi+to+hdmi&scoring=p)

[Drow]

Excellent this should do the trick. TYVM.