[AG-TECH] Matrox Parhelia triple head AGP: 3 independent outputs???

[John Hodrien]

On 27 Mar 2003, Gurcharan S. Khanna wrote:

> we recently purchased the matrox parhelia card with triple outputs, hoping
> to use it for 2 projector displays and 1 console display, which requires 3
> independent displays. however, it seems that the drivers only support 2
> independent or stretched displays + 1 "Feature" display (only takes input
> from DVD, etc.???) or 3 stretched displays.
> 
> 1) is this really the case?

We've got a Parhelia outputting to 3 projectors in the stretched mode.  Then
we have a second card (a G200 MMS as it turns out) driving a single display
for console.  The way you describe the situation sounds accurate to me.
 
> the 3 stretched displays work except that if the primary display is an end
> one, then some apps will pop up in the middle display (projector); or if the
> primary display is the middle one, then the icons on the desktop tend to
> live on the leftmost display (another projector).

Does tinkering with the powerdesk HF features for window/dialog placement not
help?

> 2) anyone else encountered this and/or have any suggestions? otherwise, i'll
> have to buy a PCI card for the console display and leave the 3rd parhelia
> output for when i might have a third projector (but it seems a waste not to
> use it).
 
> 3) given the price of the matrox g400 at over $500, are there less expensive
> PCI cards that are of equal performance and that would be compatible with
> the parhelia card to create a single logical display? i'm assuming that
> sticking to the same vendor might be safer?

I'd suggest not bothering to stick with one vendor.  A GeForce 4 MX 400 PCI
would set you back less than 50 ukp (so I assume less than 50 dollars...).  I
don't see other options really if you stick with Matrox.

I've happily run a GeForce 4 MX alongside a Matrox G200 before, so there's no
reason to think your setup won't work.

jh

-- 
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."
                                                     -- Aristotle