Dual Monitors
 

Ok, I've been toying with this idea for a while now, but I just bought a brand new NEC flat panel LCD monitor, and now I have another monitor sitting here, and I want dual monitors. My system is as follows:

Pentium 4 2.67ghz
1.00 gb RAM
ATI Raedon All-In-Wonder 8500dv video card
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum sound card


What do I need to hook up my 2nd monitor and have it work? I have ATI's Hydravision, and have had limited success with using my tv as a preview monitor in premiere, but I want something that is alot higher quality than that. What do I need to get?

I'm not exactly sure what question you are asking. Are you asking
which monitor to get or do you want to know what you need to
do to get a multiple monitor setup?

In case of the latter: does your card have multiple VGA and/or
DVI connectors? If so, then you only need to get a second screen
with the right connector and hook that up.

If not you will need to either buy a dualhead VGA card or get
an additional PCI (!!) based VGA card to put in your system as
the second video card. Do check whether you have room for this
in your case and you have enough free PCI slots on your mother-
board (most AGP cards take at least 1 PCI slot away).

I want to do a multiple monitor setup...I already have the 2 screens. I have only 1 VGA output on my video card, so I'm assuming I'll have to get a PCI video card as well. Anything you would recommend? And how do I set this up so when I put it in it doesn't totally screw up the system and confuse it on which one to use? Thanks for your help...

Ross-

The best solution is to purchase a new video card that has dual outputs. You could simply add another video card as you said, but I think you're asking for bugs and trouble going this route.

You can purchase a basic 64mb video card with a VGA and a DVI output pretty cheap. Most include a DVI-VGA adaptor. This is what I use and works great.

This way, all your desktop is processed using a single card, as it was designed. I have an ATI Radion 9200 card, which I purchased more than a year ago for about $75. For 2d graphics and desktop stuff (video) it works great.

I love using dual monitors with Vegas Video. I have two flat screens side by side and can spread out all my editing tools on both monitors. Saves the constant resizing of the windows within Vegas.

Would it be possible for me to just use a splitter or something? or get like a scan converter, only convert the RCA output to VGA? Just wondering...

Don't do that Ross. It would cost more than an extra PCI card
or a dualhead card and would look way worse.

I've had little problems with a PCI adapter as an extra device,
but you might, ofcourse, not be so lucky. To me it would boil down
to cost.

I normally like to play a game from now and then and do have
a graphics card in my machine that can handle that (not truly
high-end though). It would be more costly for me to replace this
card with an equal performing dual-head card then it is for me
to stick in an already lying PCI card or to get one of those earlier
nVidia models for $25 or so.

Your computer should not be confused about two graphics cards.
Make sure your BIOS is setup to indicate which graphics card is
the default/master card (normally this is AGP I think). This is the
screen on which you will see the whole bootup process before
you get into Windows.

Inside Windows you can go to display properties and then select
the extra monitor. Now click on "extend my desktop to this screen"
and voila. It is done. You can also move the screens around on
this panel to indicate where the monitors are located in regards
to eachother so windows can properly extend your desktop and
mouse region.