Computer question: how do I hook up two monitors sharing one desktop?

[IronFist]

My friend did this in class for a presentation when we were in college. Do you need anything special to hook up two monitors so they function together as one big desktop? I mean like so if you move the mouse off the left edge of the one on the right it will appear on the right edge of the left monitor. Is this useful for browsing two full screen pages at once?

Crap, do I need a second vid card?

Thanks

[Shaolinlueb]

yes, or a video card with a thing for 2 monitors. i got it on my laptop :D dual screenage is nice.

[IronFist]

Sorry, I'm a hardware n00b.

So if my current vid card will allow for two monitors there would be to places to plug them in, right? Can I just install a new vid card in one of these slots? Does the new one have to match the specs of the old one? Could I get an inexpensive vid card for the second monitor and just keep any graphics-intensive stuff on the monitors connected to the good card? I'm asking cuz I have a new Sony Vaio desktop and it came with a pretty good vid card (I forgot what kind), but I don't want to have to spend a few hundred dollars on another one plus the cost of a new monitor.

But other than that would I just install the new card, reboot, go into control panel or something and make sure that both cards are recognized and then hook up the second monitor and it's good to go? How do you set it up to share the desktop? How does it know which is left and which is right, etc?

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

can you tell me what kind of video card you got for sure?

if you forget how to double check just right click on my computer and go to properties, hardware, and device manager. it will tell you under display adapters.

also would be you be getting a new monitor with a dvi hookup or trying to use two monitors with regular hook ups?

[Ming Yue]

Two monitors is nice. Get a big mousepad. :)

you either have to have: one video card that supports dual output, or two separate video cards.

From eHow:

http://www.ehow.com/how_13829_connect-two-monitors.html


here's a VERY nice dual DVI card (you have to have two DVI monitors):
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1121824&Sku=P450-8529

here's a good single output card (I just used one of these and it's great):
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1196213&CatId=935

you can get simple single output video cards for around 20 bucks if you're not looking to edit video, do big graphics work or play games.

[IronFist]

I have a RADEON 9200. It has a CRT output, an S-video output, and a DVI output. My current monitor is CRT. But when I go to the properties screen I don't see the two monitors option. Do I have to actually have the second monitor connected for this to appear?

[blake]

Originally posted by IronFist
I have a RADEON 9200. It has a CRT output, an S-video output, and a DVI output. My current monitor is CRT. But when I go to the properties screen I don't see the two monitors option. Do I have to actually have the second monitor connected for this to appear?

Your two monitor option on the RADEON 9200 will just allow you to view the same screen on two seperate moniters. i.e. Your Monitor and your TV through S-video. You will not be allowed to use another video out connection as a seperate screen, so you wont be able to move the mouse from one to another you will just have two screens of the same thing.

[Ming Yue]

do you have a manual for the card?

ATI has a piece of software bundled with that card called 'Hydravision', that lets you use two monitors on one desktop. You'll have to look at the ATI website and see if your card came with that software and/or if it will suport dual synchronous monitors.

[GLW]

Basically, you have two choices...

First, you can get a video card with two monitor connections... They are NOT that expensive.

You will probably have a lot of problems if you try to simply install two video cards. The video card is more of a singleton item than something that will play well with another video card (for example, if you have an onboard video card with your motherboard and you install a video card, you disable the onboard.

So...the two output card is the easiest...and they almost always come with the required drivers to use both monitors concurrently.

The other option is a video splitter box. They are actually more expensive than the card in most cases.

[omarthefish]

Getting a second video card may require special drivers for the dual output otherwise you may end up just choosing which one. Laptops are generally designed with dual outputs built in. . . .er...a secondary output. The laptop has it's own screen and then most have a VGA, an S-Video or both on the back.

Cheaper than a video swticher, which is not exactly what you want, is a simple VGA splitter. I'm assuming this is not a laptop. It's just a VGA cable that has one end on the input and 2 on the output. At my job I used to have several of them lying around and they were only worth about 5 bucks or so.

The problem with a video switch box is that that will typically have 1 input and 2 outputs that you choose between. You can switch the output between A and B but not do both. They are typically for choosing between 2 sources of video for your display monitor or between 2 inputs for recording without forcing you to rewire each time you want to change.

Anyways, here's an example of your cheapest simplist most software free solution:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41999&item=6738747630&rd=1

edit:

Just search ebay for "VGA splitter" and you get a huge pile of cheap solutions:

http://search.ebay.com/VGA-splitter_W0QQfkrZ1QQfromZR8

edit:
I missed the part where you want the 2 monitors to have separeate outputs. That's a bit more complicated and expensive. The 2 video card solution works if you can find the right software. I doubt it's worth the trouble.

[fa_jing]

dunno but we have the two screens set up at work, it's great for programming webapps and for pair programming. I know you need a special vid card but that's about it.