Dual Display Set Up

[Ron P.]

This is something totally new to me. I just purchased a cheap 14" TV for previewing my video work. The TV is a RCA TruFlat. It has SVideo, and the normal RCA Composite. I have the Nvidia GeForce FX5500 video card in my PC. It just happens to have an Svideo output.

What I thought I could do, and my reasoning for purchasing it, so that I could playback my videos, projects, or DVD's from my PC. I do have a stand-alone DVD player, however that's parked in the Livingroom, on our TV. So wife ties that up, with her regular shows..

Now what I can make happen, is my TV acts as a monitor (a poor one at that). I can see my desktop on it. When I use the Clone setting on my vid-card, and play a clip, in VS, WMP, the video is not seen on the TV, just black on the Preview window.

So is it possible to play a DVD, or my video project on my PC and be able to see it on the TV? If so how or what would I need to do ?

Thanks..

[heinz-oz]

I'm afraid many people fall for that trap. Just because the card has a TV out socket doesn't make it suitable for what you want to do. You need a card with true dual head performance and video overlay on both. Many of the so called dual head cards can have two monitors connected and spread the desktop over the two but video still only plays on the main monitor.

The performance of your TV as a monitor is so bad because the TV's resolution is vastly inferior to any PC monitor. It doesn't matter what size it is, it is still only displaying about 80% of the video standard frame size.

I have an expensive MATROX Parhelia tripple head and had two monitors plus a TV connected at times. The Parhelia only outputs the video overlay to the TV. Even my previews from MSP 7 and 8 are shown full size.

I don't know which other cards can do what you want to do but am sure someone more experienced is going to be around soon.

[Ron P.]

Yes I've looked at the Matrox Parhelia Triple head, and would love to get it. I think your right though. I have fiddled around with every setting on my card, and the overlay just is not transfered to the TV. However this is real strange, I can view the overlay video in VS10+ while it is rendering. Once it's done, and plays, then the overlay disappears.

I'll probably have to get a second DVD player to use.

Thanks for your input Heinz..

[heinz-oz]

Would be cheaper these days than a dual or tripple head video card

It's great though to be able to see every effect and title on the TV while you are editing. Many times I changed my mind after seeing it on the TV even though it looked all right on the monitor.

[sjj1805]

For a number of Nvidia Display cards you need to install Nview which will enable the use of multiple monitors
http://www.nvidia.com/object/feature_nview.html

[skier-hughes]

You can turn acceleration down to zero, should work.
Or
Change the primary monitor to the second monitor.

Not sure if either of these work with tv output though, but will do with multiple monitors

[Ron P.]

Steve,

Yes I had d/l and installed Nview sometime ago. I can get my desktop spread between my monitor and TV. It's just getting the Video to play on the TV. Thanks..

Skier,

I'll try this when I return home from work tonight.. Thanks

Yesterday I did purchase a $30 DVD player, a Magnavox that is capable of playing DivX DVDs, CD RWs, I think it will play doughnuts and Frisbees too

Thanks for your replies

[cheesse]

I have a ati 1900xtx vid card. I have it hooked up to my tv, and before my computer crashed i could play videos on both. The cool thing was, that it played full screen on my tv and I could still mess on my puter with the movie playing on the background. Now I cannot do this!

I have windvd 7 and my multiple monitor option, in the video settings, is grayed out. I do not know why.

I am running xp-sp2 proffecianl, 2-gig ram. I know it can handle most stuff.

Any Ideas?

Thanks