Matrox DualHead2Go Digital ME or just run out of the MacBook?

[tonybones]

I'm a newby to QLAB4 & part of my initiation was finding that my MacBook Air that i planned to use was not going to be powerful enough to run QLAB4 for 2 DMX lights, sound & two different projectors displaying different video content during my 40 minute show. I had purchased a Matrox DualHead2Go Digital ME (second hand) to allow the MacBook Air to send out 2 different video signals, but on finding that the Air did not have the processing speed for what I wanted to do I have upgraded to a 2015 11,5 MacBook Pro with the discrete graphics card (AMD Radeon R9 M370X with 2GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching) to handle the load. This upgrade also includes "Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 3840 by 2160 pixels on up to two external displays, both at millions of colors". My question is this: Is there ANY benefit at all to using the Matrox DualHead2Go Digital ME to create 2 video feeds if the MacBook Pro can do it now on its own? I'm happy to resell the Matrox if I don't need it, but don't want to if there is some benefit to using that instead of running 2 ports out of the Mac. Thanks to anyone who knows the answer. Cheers, Tony

[Mike Post]

My vote is no.  If the Macbook can support two external displays then adding the Matrox in only gives you another point of failure and some overhead in a memory resident driver.  I like keeping things as simple as possible.

Mike Post

mdp...@mac.com

http://mdpostdesign.com

(601) 307-8657

On Feb 6, 2018, at 10:21 PM, tonybones <tonybone...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm a newby to QLAB4 & part of my initiation was finding that my MacBook Air that i planned to use was not going to be powerful enough to run QLAB4 for 2 DMX lights, sound & two different projectors displaying different video content during my 40 minute show. I had purchased a Matrox DualHead2Go Digital ME (second hand) to allow the MacBook Air to send out 2 different video signals, but on finding that the Air did not have the processing speed for what I wanted to do I have upgraded to a 2015 11,5 MacBook Pro with the discrete graphics card (AMD Radeon R9 M370X with 2GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching) to handle the load. This upgrade also includes "Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 3840 by 2160 pixels on up to two external displays, both at millions of colors". My question is this: Is there ANY benefit at all to using the Matrox DualHead2Go Digital ME to create 2 video feeds if the MacBook Pro can do it now on its own? I'm happy to resell the Matrox if I don't need it, but don't want to if there is some benefit to using that instead of running 2 ports out of the Mac. Thanks to anyone who knows the answer. Cheers, Tony

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[Sam Kusnetz]

Hi Tony

The only potential benefit to using the Matrox is that it allows you to use a single physical port on your Mac for two video outputs, which could be helpful if you’re connecting a lot of other stuff to the Mac.

Otherwise, there’s no advantage and, as Mike says, it really just adds another point of failure.

Best

Sam

—

Sam Kusnetz | Figure 53

s...@figure53.com

On February 7, 2018 at 1:21:22 AM, tonybones (tonybone...@gmail.com) wrote:

I'm a newby to QLAB4 & part of my initiation was finding that my MacBook Air that i planned to use was not going to be powerful enough to run QLAB4 for 2 DMX lights, sound & two different projectors displaying different video content during my 40 minute show. I had purchased a Matrox DualHead2Go Digital ME (second hand) to allow the MacBook Air to send out 2 different video signals, but on finding that the Air did not have the processing speed for what I wanted to do I have upgraded to a 2015 11,5 MacBook Pro with the discrete graphics card (AMD Radeon R9 M370X with 2GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching) to handle the load. This upgrade also includes "Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 3840 by 2160 pixels on up to two external displays, both at millions of colors". My question is this: Is there ANY benefit at all to using the Matrox DualHead2Go Digital ME to create 2 video feeds if the MacBook Pro can do it now on its own? I'm happy to resell the Matrox if I don't need it, but don't want to if there is some benefit to using that instead of running 2 ports out of the Mac. Thanks to anyone who knows the answer. Cheers, Tony

[tonybones]

Thanks for that Mike. I was leaning that way too. I've just got a response from the Matrox tech team who have said "An advantage of using the DualHead2Go Digital ME is that the unit behaves as a single display.  A single display is somewhat easier for the graphics system of the computer to draw.  However, a very powerful graphics system may not slow down perceptibly when using two separate display connectors.  You may wish to experiment with both configurations. Note that some Mac users have reported that older MacBook Pro computers (before the current model) may not support two DVI, HDMI, or DisplayPort  connected displays (one display may have to be an apple Thunderbolt display).  This would be something to verify with apple for that specific model of Mac computer."

I am certainly going to trial both options, but I'm thinking I'll run one projector out of the MacBook HDMI port & the other out of one of the Thunderbolt 2 ports via an adapter to HDMI. If it works in the trials then I'll stick with that. I can still use the Matrox to run a couple of displays on my older MacBook Air to use for office work, so it will still come in handy (if not for what it was purchased for). Thanks for taking the time to reply & offer your advice. Cheers, Tony

[tonybones]

Hi Sam, Thanks for that advice. As I've said above, Matrox themselves have suggested that there is not a lot to gain with the upgraded computer I have as long as the 2 projectors behave themselves without having one run Thunderbolt to Thunderbolt. Time will tell with me just having to purchase a Thunderbolt 2 to HDMI adapter, so no biggie. Thanks again for offering your advice. Cheers, Tony