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Dual-Head video card for Avid Symphony
Hi, folk. I just got two new widescreen Dell 2405FPW LCD monitors for our Avid Symphony system and it looks like we’re going to need a new dual-head video card to drive them. The monitors have an aspect ratio of 1.6:1 (native resolution 1920×1200), but the Matrox Millennium G450 DualHead video card we are currently using only has 1.33:1 resolutions. The upshot is that everything on the monitors is vertically squeezed. As you can imagine, this is unacceptable.
So I’m looking for advice regarding a suitable dual-head video card that will support 1920×1200 or any other 1.6:1 aspect ratio that is compatible with my Symphony system. The Symphony is built around a Compaq Evo W8000 and the card slot is PCI.
Thanks for any information and help you can provide.Keith Putnam
Editor
Tobin Productions -
4 Replies
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You don’t need a dual-head card, just one that supports the resolution.
NVidia Quadro card should be your choice.
Also, the Composer Window monitor must be driven by the EDC card. You can’t use the second output of the system video card to drive the second monitor.
Unless you are talking about 3 monitors? That I have never tried.
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No, just the two monitors for the computer and, of course, the NTSC client monitor taking the feed from the Avid I/O.
From a response on a post I made to the Avid user forum, it looks like I might be screwed. Avid still only really supports 1024×768 and I didn’t realize I was required to use the EDC card… shoulda figured that with anything Avid you have to do only what they want you to do at all times.
If I can run the monitors at 1024×640 that would solve my aspect ratio problem and still be within Avid specs… I guess it’s a matter of finding an EDC card that will do 1024×640. -
It looks like I MAY be screwed here (surprise! it’s Avid). The company that made the EDC card currently in my Symphony, Number Nine Technology, went out of business in early 2000. So I guess I need to find out who, if anyone, is manufacturing the display cards that ship with Meridien systems or at least shipped with Meridien systems when they were still being sold. And then I need to find out if any of their cards will do 1024×640 so I can have my 1.6:1 aspect ratio but still be within the resolution restrictions for the Composer window. Argh.
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Send back the monitors and get 2X20″ LCDs. Not worth the hassle.
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