Recommendations for dual monitor HTPC graphic card?

[Jay]

Need a dual monitor card with HDMI/1080P to HDTV and at least VGA to touch screen.
PCI Express X16. No gaming.

Recommendations?
Thanks

[lpg]

I am an Nvidia fan. I have an 8800 GT w/512mb. I am not playing games just doing Blu-ray and DVD and this works well. I do not know what you are planning to run on your system. I also differ to the ATI guys for their recommendation.

[Jay]

Hey LPG.
I want a dual monitor card in my XLobby server. I'd connect my Hi-Def TV to a DVI/HDMI output configured to XL's 2nd monitor option and the touch screen as 1st monitor on a VGA (or DVI /HDMI output with an adapter).

Wes posted a pix of what I'd like to accomplish in the last story - bottom of page - here:
http://xlobby.com/news/2008/03/
I am assuming the touchscreen is a 2nd monitor and not attached to a client.

Thanks!

[lpg]

Yea it is a touchscreen. Calrad sells a 10.4 inch. I know my card would handle this no problem. Make sure whatever you buy has atleast 512mb to play the HD movies.

Does your current card have two outputs? You could test out how the dual monitors work with two monitors or you TV and a monitor. I have done this with an older vga only card going into my TV in the basement.

Most of the cards now have HDMI outs and a DVI out. If you have to you could always use end converters. I go into my 67inch DLP with vga at 1920x1080 and it looks great. I hope this helps.

[lpg]

If you need to extend the second monitor to a different room or on a wall you could use something like this: http://www.xlobby.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=6195.

[Jay]

OK. I found a ATI 2400 HD series card in the parts drawer and have a DVI monitor on the DVI output and a VGA screen on the VGA output (funny how that works out ;D

I'll get a touch screen now.

Final question, I hope. How do you duplicate XL on both screens like Wes's news artical?


Unrelated - your question about Enter Events occuring on all screens. I'm going to try it. I would think it should only happen on the screen in focus in the skin editor too.

[Jay]

ATI card's not going to cut it.
How about this one?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000V5 ... e=&seller=

[Grooby]

I find UltraMon software a godsend when its comes to multi monitor support at different resolutions.

[Jay]

I'll check it Grooby, thanks.

I'm trying get my ATI card/Catalyst set up in advance of adding a HDTV and touch screen.
Now, my main monitor has a native res of 1680 x 1050. I have a non-touch screen at 1024 x 768.

The non-touch reports out of range when I try to clone. Same when I change the main screen to 1280 x 720. When I do that Cyberlink Ultra 7 won't let me play a HD-DVD - says driver no good.

Grr.

[lpg]

ATI card's not going to cut it.
How about this one?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000V5 ... e=&seller=

That looks like a good card. Make sure you have enough air flow or check reviews to see how hot it gets.

[lpg]

I find UltraMon software a godsend when its comes to multi monitor support at different resolutions.

I took a look at Ultramon. So if I understand right you could run xlobby at 600x800 on a touch screen and a movie at 1920x1080 on the main screen. Is this not possible with native xlobby. Also it seems you need to alt tab between to screen you cannot just drag the mouse.

Larry

[Jay]

I did grab a trial Ultramon. Will play today.
I asked Wes about the config of the touch screen/HDTV system near the bottom of the March news group.
Wes uses dual output S3 card, component output set to 720P for TV, touchscreen running VGA output at 1024 x 768. Card set for mirrored / clone output. He said he could do a virtual desktop setup as well.

[Jay]

It looks my current ATI 2400 HD series will do the job.
I installed UltrMon and was able to move a thin client to the little monitor (to be replaced with a touch screen).
Even though my main screen is 1680 x 1050 - I reskinned XL to fit. XL's thin client on the little monitor resizes perfectly to 1024 x 768.
Every once and a while movies play on both screens and I can't access the controls from the thin client. I'll keep poking around.

[Jay]

Finally got UltraMon to mirror. I'm using Vista and mirroring/cloning doesn't work on the current release. However, I found a beta on their site which does mirror.

Phew.

Hope all of this helps someone else

[lpg]

Jay does the system still run movies on both monitors?