More video outputs? Please?

August 2, 2006 10:25 AM

I'm looking for an add-on for a pc running Windows XP that will give me additional video outputs (An extra vga port, an rca or s-video port, etc). Any suggestions?

I'd be happy with something internal, like a pci card or whatever, or if there's an external solution a la the audio breakout boxes I've used before, that's good too. The basic situation is that I've been using a laptop exclusively for a while, and I've gotten spoiled by the option of using the panel in the laptop, while also outputting to a projector or monitor with a few choices. Now I've gotten a fairly okay desktop that I'm gonna be doing most of my work on, and it's great except it's only got one VGA and on DVI output, and only one of them can be used at any time. I guess maybe what I'm looking for is just a really top-notch video card, but I'm interested to hear any suggestions whatsoever. Thanks in advance :)

posted by Silent Thomas to computers & internet (7 comments total)

I know in linux, you can just add another video card and use it for a second monitor.. maybe there's something similar to do in Windows?
posted by triolus at 10:39 AM on August 2, 2006

Just buy a crappy PCI video card and stick it in there.
posted by Orange Goblin at 10:43 AM on August 2, 2006

The Radeon 7000 PCI has built-in VGA and rca/s-video and (on some versions) DVI and can be bought dirt-cheap anywhere. And any 2 on the card can be used at the same time, plus whatever else you have on the computer.

The Sapphire version is probably best.
posted by cillit bang at 11:52 AM on August 2, 2006

Matrox makes a gadget that will split a single VGA output into two (or three).

Most mid-range (and even budget) video cards will have DVI and VGA out as well as composite + S-video (my old GeForce 6600 GT is supposed to support dual DVI+VGA or DVi/VGA + composite/s-video).

Presumably, adding additional video cards will up the number of possible outputs (such as when people build flight sim stations with 24 displays).
posted by porpoise at 12:40 PM on August 2, 2006

A USB VGA adapter works if you'd really rather not open the case. There are even Linux drivers.

Don't expect super-high-performance 3D and video, but for extra deskspace for a spreadsheet or something, it works pretty well.

Too bad CompUSA doesn't seem to carry their house-branded one anymore. It was $20 cheaper.
posted by xiojason at 2:34 PM on August 2, 2006

What video card do you have now? What inputs does your main monitor have (DVI, VGA or both?).

Many modern cards have outputs for two monitors as well as video out. Most drivers will let you chose between extending your desktop to stretch over the two monitors, or clone one desktop onto both. I'm not 100% on how they treat the video out when two monitors are in use - I would guess that it is a clone of one of the two displays - that kind of detail will vary a lot by make and model anyway.

You may simply want a second video card..
posted by Chuckles at 3:18 PM on August 2, 2006

An old question which is worth looking at, to see what is possible in the realm of multiple monitors, Could one run 4 monitors off one desktop?

Tomshardware managed to connect 10 displays to one desktop, One Gigabyte Motherboard, Four Graphics Cards.
posted by Chuckles at 3:34 PM on August 2, 2006