[AG-TECH] Multi Display Cards Recommendation

[Peter DeSantis]

the matrox drivers have amatrox tool to switch between multiscreen and stretch mode.

multiscreen = up to 4 vga screens, each screen can be set to an independant resolution, and bitdepth.  This is equivalent to the "standard" windows multiscreen modes.  We wanted to have screen 1= 1024x768 for the control monitor, then the last 3 screens set to 1280x1024.  In this mode if you maximise a window of any application it maximises only to fill up the screen its located on

stretch mode = up to 4 screens, each screen must be the same resolution and bitdepth. You end up with 1 wide 1x4 desktop. If you maximise a window in this mode it streteches and maximises across the whole 4 screens.

With the PCI express matrox QID the multiscreen mode causes each vic window that you open to pop up on the primary screen, then if you drag it around it leaves trails and video locks up and causes screen corruption all over.

The multiscreen mode did not have this problem.  Last time i looked matrox had not updated the driver that casued this problem, and i am pretty sure its caused by the driver, not for example a hardware issue.

Peter


 >>  what's the difference between strech mode and multiscreen mode??

 >>  ----- Original Message ----- 
 >>  From: "Peter DeSantis" <peter at jumbovision.com.au>
 >>  To: "Derek Piper" <dcpiper at indiana.edu>; "Todd Zimmerman" <toddz at sfu.ca>
 >>  Cc: "'ag-tech'" <ag-tech at mcs.anl.gov>; "Westgrid-AGTECH" 
 >>  <westgrid-agtech-l at majordomo.netera.ca>
 >>  Sent: Friday, June 10, 2005 3:49 AM
 >>  Subject: re[2]: [AG-TECH] Multi Display Cards Recommendation


 >>  > We used the new matrox PCI express variation of the (QID) matrox card.
 >>  >
 >>  > It works fine in the horizontal stretch mode, but in the multiscreen
 >>  mode 
 >>  > the vic windows corrupt the screens all over with screen courruption 
 >>  > occuring as you drag windows around.  We tried to use the multiscreen 
 >>  > mode, so we could have1 screen for the control monitor at a lower res
 >>  than 
 >>  > the other 3 screens.
 >>  >
 >>  > Also the pci express driver dont support 1400x1050 which is comon in new
 >>  
 >>  > projectors today. I emailed matrox repeatedly about them upgrading thier
 >>  
 >>  > drivers to correct the problem, but all i get from them is that "they
 >>  are 
 >>  > not aware on any problems with the product".  This is what i call 
 >>  > "weasonable" behavior
 >>  >
 >>  > Peter
 >>  >
 >>  >
 >>  > >>      What Matrox card did you get that you weren't happy with? We 
 >>  > >> recently
 >>  > >>  got a Matrox QID card (AGP) in our node and it works great. 4 x DVI
 >>  > >>  outputs. We have a Matrox Millenium P650 PCI to drive the 'operators
 >>  > >>  console' TFT, so it's a 5 display machine.
 >>  >
 >>  > >>      Derek
 >>  >
 >>  > >>  Todd Zimmerman wrote:
 >>  > >>  > Hey all,
 >>  > >>  >
 >>  > >>  > I'm just writing up a suggested hardware list and am not sure what
 >>  
 >>  > >> to
 >>  > >>  > suggest for a multi-out (tri or quad) video card - especially
 >>  since 
 >>  > >> the
 >>  > >>  > last experience I had with a quad out card (from Matrox) was less 
 >>  > >> than
 >>  > >>  > satisfactory.
 >>  > >>  >
 >>  > >>  > All of our display machines are G5's - so we just add a second
 >>  dual
 >>  > >>  > display card to get 4 outputs, which works well.  However, for a 
 >>  > >> Windows
 >>  > >>
 >>  > >>  > display computer, I'm not sure this would work.
 >>  > >>  >
 >>  > >>  > Any recommendations??
 >>  > >>  >
 >>  > >>  > Thanks,
 >>  > >>  >
 >>  > >>  > Todd
 >>  > >>  >
 >>  >
 >>  > >>  -- 
 >>  > >>  Derek Piper - dcpiper at indiana.edu - (812) 856 0111
 >>  > >>  IRI 323, School of Informatics
 >>  > >>  Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
 >>  >
 >>  >