On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 15:59:45 +0200, "Andy@nospam.co.uk"
<me RemoveThis @privacy.net> wrote:
>HammerToe <HammerToe RemoveThis @online.com> wrote:
>
>>I'm current running TWO 19" analog monitors @ 1600x1200 (each), 32 Bit
>>Color in 'INDEPENDENT' mode.
>>
>>I would LIKE to consider adding a THIRD 19 incher BUT using only the
>>capabilities of the P750, I can only do so IF I 'drop down' to
>>(something like - it was quite awhile ago that I did the experiment)
>>3840x1024 - a 'STRETCHED' mode which I don't like much. I don't get
>>any more (for all intents and purposes) 'pixels' to display more info;
>>everything simply gets larger. ALSO I really don't like having my
>>TaskBar stretched across the three monitors and it also complicates
>>the use of Wallpapers....
>>
>
>The best place I have found for information
>http://www.realtimesoft.com/multimon/
>
>I have in the past run up to 4 separate Video Cards in one system with for
>example a Matrox G400MAX in the AGP slot, a G400 PCI Dual Head and a Matrox
>G200 PCI.
>
>This gave me a total of 5 screen all with independent control of the colour
>depth, resolution and size.
>
>I am only up to a P650 so cannot help you for certain with the P750 apart
>from the fact that the 3rd screen is in stretched mode according to the web
>site.
>
>I would suggest getting a Matrox PCI card 2nd hand plug it in and get a 3rd
>or 4th screen up and running. One potential problem is some Motherboards
>may have problems with this but the risk is not high.
>
>I am back to 2 screens at the moment as I have change to LCD screens and
>these (20") are a little expensive for me to get 5 at once. 
>
>Hope this lot helps
>
>Andy
Hmmm. This is kind of interesting...
In the end, I thought the only way to find out for sure was to TRY
something so... I 'scouted around' in my Olde Parts bin and discovered
that I had a PCI Video card around - an old ATI All-In-Wonder Pro
based upon ATI's 'Rage Pro' chipset. The card only has 8MB of memory
on it but that is enough to give me 24bit color at 1600x1200. So, I
thought I'd give it a whirl...
I installed the card and attached a 3rd 19" monitor to it. I then had
to diddle a bit in the BIOS to init the ATI (PCI) Card first (the
setting had been AGP card first; seem to recall ready that it/ATI
'insists' that it be this way and booted a couple of times...
Windows XP discovered AND installed all the necessary drivers - not
just the normal video display drivers but ALSO drivers for the TV
tuner, a Video-Audio Crossbar driver and a couple of WDM drivers. I
should have checked before I did the install to see EXACTLY what it
might have added BUT the bottom line is that as far as I can tell (and
according to windows), there are no read x's or yellow !'s and
everything is functioning normally!!!
And, bottom line: EVERYTHING (so far, anyway) seems to be working
EXACTLY as I had hoped!
Pre the ATI PCI card installation. the two monitors driven by the P750
were running at 1600x1200 in Independent Mode, and I did not have to
do ANTHING with respect to the P750/PowerDesk and/or ITS monitors to
get the third one going. I left all the settings EXACTLY as they were.
***ALL*** I had to do was go into Display Properties->Settings ,
select Monitor 1 (the new Monitor hosted by the ATI card; now number 1
since the PCI card inits first) and 'turn on' 'Extend my Windows
Desktop onto this monitor' and VOILA!, it (the new monitor) 'came
up'/turned on.
The bottom line is that the new 3 monitor configuration is now runnig
as folows:
Monitor 1 (RHS, ATI card): 1600x1200 in 24 bit color @ 76Hz.
Monitor 2 (LHS, MM P750): 1600x1200 in 32 bit color @ 70Hz.
Monitor 3 (Center, MM P750): 1600x1200 in 32 bit color @ 70Hz.
Again, I didn't have to 'touch' the 750/its monitors/change anything
in Powerdesk AT ALL!!!!
***AND*** - the BEST part: I basically HAVE exactly what I wanted:
"INDEPENDENT MODE' across the three monitors:
a) My Taskbar is *still constrained to appareaing on a single monitor*
- Monitor #2, where it was 'originally' pre any of this tinkering,
AND
b) The 'standard' 1600x1200 wallpaper I was using also pre any of this
DISPLAYS CORRECTLY - each physical monitor showing it 'independently',
in full/undistorted...
The only wierd thing I've noticed so far (completely liveable, and I
think I may be able to tune/reconfigure it out) is that the PCI
card/monitor 'comes up first' at boot time and you must 'log in
on/thru IT' and then the Taskbar appears on #2 as described above.
Again, I think I can tune this out by specifying #1 as my Primary
Monitor in Display Properties and physically reorganizing the montor
so that it becomes the left-most one on my desktop (later test) but
even as things stand, I can live with things the way they are.
So, Bottom Line:looks like I've got essentially EXACTLY what I wanted:
3-19 inchers running at 1600x1200 in 'Independent Mode' (to use
Matrox's terminology) WITH my Taskbar and Wallpaper operating EXACTLY
as I would like.
I've got a bit more Tinkering to do... The next thing I want to try is
to install the corresponding ATI Multimedia Center software, connect
up a TV cable and see how the ATI TV works under XP/in this
configuration. My 'gut' teels me that I may have to leave the new
monitor as #1 and 'on my right' and live with logging in through IT
because I have this feeling that the TV won't display (for what seem
to be pretty obvious reasons) on Monitors 2 or 3 and I WANT the TV
picture on my right-most physical monitor ANYWAY.
Anyway, will post an update when I get complete my
experimentation/final setup.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
>> Stay informed about: 'How'?-THREE Monitors in 'Independent Mode'-P750???? 
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