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Computer Video Cards-too smart for their own good.
Along with video production, our team does a number of live conference event setups every year.
This usually involves connecting WXGA or XGA computer outputs to one of the following:
-Switchers/Scalers
-Cat 5 distributionWe have had lots of trouble connecting to these kinds of devices because many video cards are too smart. They require feedback (about allowable resolutions, etc) from the monitor they are connected to. Unfortunately switchers or distribution networks that we have access to, don’t provide this feedback to the card.
In many cases we have trouble even getting the outputs to turn on and in other cases, they will only send out a basic “safe” resolution.
For a while, Nvidia cards worked well for this becuase they would let you push anything to the output at any time (we had to completely abandon ATI for these uses. It seems that Nvidia is getting “smater” too now.
What have people done to overcome these limitations.
Thanks, Mike
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3 Replies
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[Mike Libby] “We have had lots of trouble connecting to these kinds of devices because many video cards are too smart. They require feedback (about allowable resolutions, etc) from the monitor they are connected to. Unfortunately switchers or distribution networks that we have access to, don’t provide this feedback to the card.”
If you are using DVI, you might look into Gefen DVI Detectives.
You program them with the display’s EDID information, then connect them to your computer before the switcher or router.
Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
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Thanks, I’ve found other manufacturers that have VGA and DVI version to now. I wish I’d have asked the question a long time ago–since we’ve been fighting this for a while.
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Take a look at this
https://www.extron.com/product/product.aspx?id=edid101v&search=edidThey have a D model for DVI also.
This little device saved us from an embarrasing Exec conf room issue with new Dell laptops not being able to output to large LCD monitor on wall.
By the way, not to slam Dell, but their laptops are notorious in syncing up with live event hardware. HP, Macbooks, etc all plug an play.
Good luck
Ken
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