2 monitors via DVI "Y" cable?
DaveC
about the cable that determines the output (ie resolution)? Or is all that
controlled by software in Sys Prefs, etc.?
I want to drive a large plasma display as well as a smaller LCD display, one
for watching downloaded videos, the other for regular computer work. Usually
the only way to do this is to swap cables and reboot the computer (or is it
OK to hot-swap cables?). A "Y" cable would eliminate the need to swap cables
and reboot (if that's required).
Mac Intel Mini 1.83 GHz / 2 GB / 230 GB
OS X 10.5.6
Thanks,
--
DaveC
m...@bogusdomain.net
This is an invalid return address
Please reply in the news group
DaveC
^^^^^
Well, I think it will but I don't like to base decisions on what I or others
"think", but rather what they can support.
G-squared
> In article <0001HW.C5B5091A0062B3C0B01AD...@news.sf.sbcglobal.net>,
>
> DaveC <m...@bogusdomain.net> wrote:
> > Is it possible to drive 2 monitors via a DVI "Y" cable? Is there anything
> > about the cable that determines the output (ie resolution)? Or is all that
> > controlled by software in Sys Prefs, etc.?
>
> > I want to drive a large plasma display as well as a smaller LCD display, one
> > for watching downloaded videos, the other for regular computer work. Usually
> > the only way to do this is to swap cables and reboot the computer (or is it
> > OK to hot-swap cables?). A "Y" cable would eliminate the need to swap cables
> > and reboot (if that's required).
>
> > Mac Intel Mini 1.83 GHz / 2 GB / 230 GB
> > OS X 10.5.6
>
> > Thanks,
>
> switch instead.
>
> --
> DeeDee, don't press that button! DeeDee! NO! Dee...
> [I filter all Goggle Groups posts, so any reply may be automatically by ignored]
They do work like analog but digital can't tolerate the signal
strength change and the impedance change causing all sorts of waveform
distortions. KVM is definitely the way to go.
G²
Phil Stripling
DaveC <m...@bogusdomain.net> wrote:
> Is it possible to drive 2 monitors via a DVI "Y" cable?
I have an original Mini. I have a Y cable that is VGA. It connects to a
converter that's on the Mini. From there, one of the legs goes to my
seven-inch touchscreen which is what I control the computer with. The
other Y goes to a scan converter which then connects to my CRT-style TV
set. I control the settings of each monitor through the System Prefs.
I use the touchscreen to start up iTunes, then I watch music videos on
the TV screen, with sound over the external speakers of my stereo
system. Both the TV and the touchscreen show the same thing.
This set up is somewhat different from yours, but I think the proof of
concept is that a y-cable without further gear is useable for your set
up.
I got a big-screen flat TV for Christmas that accepts VGA input
directly. I need a male to male VGA cable, but I intend to connect my
Mini directly to the TV without the scan converter as soon as I get my
hands on that cable. I don't know why it won't work, but I've been
wrong before. :->
Andreas Rutishauser
In article <0001HW.C5B5091A...@news.sf.sbcglobal.net>,
DaveC <m...@bogusdomain.net> wrote:
> Is it possible to drive 2 monitors via a DVI "Y" cable? Is there anything
> about the cable that determines the output (ie resolution)? Or is all that
> controlled by software in Sys Prefs, etc.?
>
> I want to drive a large plasma display as well as a smaller LCD display, one
> for watching downloaded videos, the other for regular computer work. Usually
> the only way to do this is to swap cables and reboot the computer (or is it
> OK to hot-swap cables?). A "Y" cable would eliminate the need to swap cables
> and reboot (if that's required).
>
> Mac Intel Mini 1.83 GHz / 2 GB / 230 GB
> OS X 10.5.6
you could try a Matrox DualHead2Go
<http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/gxm/dh2go/>
Cheers
Andreas
--
MacAndreas Rutishauser, <http://www.MacAndreas.ch>
EDV-Dienstleistungen, Hard- und Software, Internet und Netzwerk
Beratung, Unterstuetzung und Schulung
<mailto:and...@MacAndreas.ch>, Fon: 044 / 721 36 47
DaveC
> <http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/gxm/dh2go/>
That's a bit of overkill for my application. I don't need monitor "spanning"
(side-by-side desktop space), just mirroring, or even simpler, just one
monitor on at a time. (I'll be watching videos on the big monitor when I'm
not working on the Mac.)
I've found some on-line discussions about successfully connecting a DVI
monitor and a VGA monitor via a "Y" cable, but turning on only one at a time.
Cheers.
Malcolm
> Is it possible to drive 2 monitors via a DVI "Y" cable? Is there anything
> about the cable that determines the output (ie resolution)? Or is all that
> controlled by software in Sys Prefs, etc.?
The two outputs of a DVI splitter are not the same. The display on the
main output determines the resolution. The second display has to run
at the same resolution as the main display. You can get simple cable
splitters
<http://cables.cablesunlimited.com/cables/Dvi%20Splitter>
which may work if your DVDi cables are short, or powered boxes that
regenerate the signals, so each output gets a full strength signal
<http://www.gefen.com/kvm/dproduct.jsp?prod_id=4906>
> I want to drive a large plasma display as well as a smaller LCD display, one
> for watching downloaded videos, the other for regular computer work. Usually
> the only way to do this is to swap cables and reboot the computer (or is it
> OK to hot-swap cables?). A "Y" cable would eliminate the need to swap cables
> and reboot (if that's required).
It will work only if both displays can run at the same resolution.
Matthew Russotto
>about the cable that determines the output (ie resolution)? Or is all that
>controlled by software in Sys Prefs, etc.?
Search for "DVI splitter". I don't know for sure how they handle the
handshaking issues, but my guess would be that one of the monitors is
connected to the handshaking lines and so sets the available
resolutions. You will need to be careful to pick a resolution which
works for both displays, of course.
>I want to drive a large plasma display as well as a smaller LCD display, one
>for watching downloaded videos, the other for regular computer work. Usually
>the only way to do this is to swap cables and reboot the computer (or is it
>OK to hot-swap cables?). A "Y" cable would eliminate the need to swap cables
>and reboot (if that's required).
You can hot swap cables. I believe the Mac will detect when you do
that and re-do display detection.
--
It's times like these which make me glad my bank is Dial-a-Mattress
DaveC
Or if I change resolution when I want to watch the other monitor?
This is a small hassle, but it's way better than rebooting the Mac.
Thanks.
Malcolm
>> It will work only if both displays can run at the same resolution.
>
> Or if I change resolution when I want to watch the other monitor?
>
> This is a small hassle, but it's way better than rebooting the Mac.
>
> Thanks.
The "Displays" system preference will only show resolutions supported
by the first monitor.