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dual monitor help. only one dvi port
my pc supports dual monitor output. reason is cause i have 1 dvi, 1 vga, 1 s video and even compoosite jacks on the back of my pc. i recently got a dvi to hdmi cord. reason being is that my hd tv older model doesn’t have a vga port on the back. so the dvi cord is currently on the pc monitor but i want a 2nd monitor. that is why i bought the dvi to hdmi cord. will a dvd splitter work and give me dual monitor suport not just the same screen on both? i’ve used 2 monitors before. but the other was a vga.
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5 Replies
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You need to use two ports on the video card to get two monitors that show different things. Since your video card doesn’t have 2 DVI ports, you will have to use the VGA port for one of your monitors. Get a VGA to DVI adapter (most new video cards come with these already). You could then go VGA -> DVI -> HDMI -> HDTV. Not sure how that would look. Alternately you could use VGA -> DVI for your PC monitor and DVI -> HDMI for the HD TV. The key is to use both ports of you want the two monitors to show different things.
~jr
http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com -
a dvi port would be ideal. well what about an s video hookup. i know it only does video but if i’m playing something it will come out of the other monitor and my stereo setup anyways. the s video might be a cheapter alternative. what do you think?
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S-Video will only support 480i. I would NOT drive an HDTV with that signal. Clearly you would not get HD output. Also, S-Video is analog. By using the DVI to HDMI cable, you will be sending a digital signal which will be better than converting to analog first.
~jr
http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com -
Hi,
[John Rofrano] “Get a VGA to DVI adapter (most new video cards come with these already).”
I guess what you mean is really a DVI to VGA adapter, which is quite simple, and indeed, it is bundled to any newly bought videocard. It is simple, because by standard, DVI outputs analog signals also, which are required by VGA monitors. The analog signals are the same on DVI and VGA (DSUB-15).
DVI also outputs digital signals, which are the exact same as on HDMI. So, a DVI to HDMI adapter is quite simple as well. Because the signals are the same, just the connectors differ.I mean both DVI-VGA and DVI-HDMI does not require any circuit, they are just connector adapters.
But a VGA to HDMI adapter would reqiure some ADC (analog to digital converter) to handle the analog VGA signals, and a HDMI encoder, which is not so simple, and needs to be paid…
I bet, a new card with 2 DVI outputs is more cost effective and better solution.Regards
K.L.
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> guess what you mean is really a DVI to VGA adapter, which is quite simple
Yes that is what I meant. I just said it backwards and so my logic was backwards also. So if the card has a DVI port, that can be used for DVI to HDMI, but the VGA port needs a monitor that has a DSUB-15 input (i.e., you can’t just go VGA to DVI without a converter). Good catch!
~jr
http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com
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