ATI Radeon: can i have two cloned displays with different resolutions?

[ZippyDan]

ok, so i know that strictly speaking, a two monitor setup with the two different monitors is not a clone... but that is what i want to accomplish

i know for a fact i can have two mirrored displays on an intel imac from 2 years ago using different resolutions on each monitor (i just tested) - and i think they use nvidia chipsets?

i'm fairly sure i've done mirrored displays on an nvidia card with two different resolutions (though i cant test right now)

but using the latest ATI Catalyst control center, i cannot for the life of me figure out how to have one resolution on my monitor, and another for the mirrored output going to my HDTV...

 

[HarlanPepper]

Not sure. I don't see the clone/extend option in the CCC, but it is in the windows control panel. When using clone, I'm limited to the same resolution (it's grayed out) on my monitor (1680x1050) and TV (1280x720), which makes my TV flip out when I select 1680x1050. Not really helping, other than to say I can't do it either - though I've never tried before.

 

[dflynchimp]

the issue with cloning monitors with different resolutions is that due to the pixel count difference there needs to be (or perhaps lacks) an algorithm that compensates for the disparity in movement (ie mouse cursor, video playback). I have a feeling that this is what limits cloning to identical resolutions.

 

[ZippyDan]

the issue with cloning monitors with different resolutions is that due to the pixel count difference there needs to be (or perhaps lacks) an algorithm that compensates for the disparity in movement (ie mouse cursor, video playback). I have a feeling that this is what limits cloning to identical resolutions.

granted, that's why i said it is technically not a clone. Apple calls it a mirror. and it handles it fine on a two-year old machine. and i'm sure i've done it before myself on a pc several years ago, i just can't remember with what hardware.

remote access software also has to deal with this issue (rdc, citrix) etc. as the connecting computer may be using a different resolution than the remote computer. considering how many people are using their pcs as HTPCs these days, it seems rather ridiculous that ATI doesn't support this by now.

 

[WelshBloke]

What OS are you using?

For win7 use the windows key+P for your multimon goodness, then choose duplicate.

 

[dfuze]

I have Win 7, an ATI 4890, and a 24" lcd and 17"lcd as my second screen and while I can use the window key + P and select duplicate, it will not allow me to use separate resolutions. It only lets me use the max resolution from my smaller lcd.

 

[WelshBloke]

.......[snip].............. it will not allow me to use separate resolutions. It only lets me use the max resolution from my smaller lcd.

Well thats what mirrored displays are. It's the same with nVidia.

I know thats not quite what the OP was looking for but without finding some esoteric third party software thats how PC's work.

 

[gorobei]

Well thats what mirrored displays are. It's the same with nVidia.

I know thats not quite what the OP was looking for but without finding some esoteric third party software thats how PC's work.

Not really.
all that's new is not necessarily progress.

nvidia and ati had the ability to run 2 monitors at different resolutions back in the win2k/xp days. NV called it twinview or dualview(don't remember which) the primary could be a 24" lcd at native res and the secondary could be a 19" crt at any res that functioned like a spanned/extended desktop, only you couldnt have apps spanning both monitors. games would even play on the primary while you still had active access to the windows apps on the other monitor with an alt-Tab toggle over. desktop manager was even pretty comparable to ultramon.

the vista/7 drivers did away with some of this functionality. while span, clone, tv out, and extend have made it back into the video control options; it's still nowhere as complete as before.

The ati eyefinity6 controls look like they bring back those features and more.

 

[WelshBloke]

Not really.
all that's new is not necessarily progress.

nvidia and ati had the ability to run 2 monitors at different resolutions back in the win2k/xp days. NV called it twinview or dualview(don't remember which) the primary could be a 24" lcd at native res and the secondary could be a 19" crt at any res that functioned like a spanned/extended desktop, only you couldnt have apps spanning both monitors. games would even play on the primary while you still had active access to the windows apps on the other monitor with an alt-Tab toggle over. desktop manager was even pretty comparable to ultramon.

the vista/7 drivers did away with some of this functionality. while span, clone, tv out, and extend have made it back into the video control options; it's still nowhere as complete as before.

The ati eyefinity6 controls look like they bring back those features and more.

I agree with most of your points and I've had a few whiny threads of my own about the gimping of mutimoniter options with newer windows versions, but the bolded in your quote is not mirrored/cloned screens.

You still can have two screens doing what you suggest (thats how I use my monitors). The only missing option is spanned AFAIK.

Mirrored desktops are, by definition, exactly the same. You need two monitors that look the same to the OS (ie the same resolution).

 

[gorobei]

whoops missed what the OP was trying to do.

i cant remember exactly how i did it, but i think you use the mirror function for the lower res monitor if you run a custom resolution and the monitor has it's own hardware scaling. (it might have been an overscan issue)I remember messing around with a ati laptop video out that mirrored the display to a tv. obviously it will look terrible, but should be close to a 2 resolution clone.

 

[ZippyDan]

I agree with most of your points and I've had a few whiny threads of my own about the gimping of mutimoniter options with newer windows versions, but the bolded in your quote is not mirrored/cloned screens.

You still can have two screens doing what you suggest (thats how I use my monitors). The only missing option is spanned AFAIK.

Mirrored desktops are, by definition, exactly the same. You need two monitors that look the same to the OS (ie the same resolution).

once again I will point out that I can do exactly what I want on a two year old iMac. and it even calls it "Mirrored"

 

[WelshBloke]

once again I will point out that I can do exactly what I want on a two year old iMac. and it even calls it "Mirrored"

Yeah but Mac's are weird :sneaky:

 

[v8envy]

You can do this with all NV and ATI drivers I'm aware of. Untick "show modes this monitor can't display" in windows, choose the same resolution for both and there you go.

The smaller resolution monitor will "pan" to show the entire resolution. You can even use this trick to have a free higher resolution "virtual desktop" with a single monitor.

I know this because I set my mom up to use an external 1920x1200 monitor with a 1280x800 laptop this way.

Edit: oops this is with XP and below. I haven't tried with vista or win7.

 

[ZippyDan]

ugh. i don't want to pan either. thanks though. on the mac i dont have to pan! i dont even own a mac but im starting to become a fanboi

 

[Martimus]

whoops missed what the OP was trying to do.

i cant remember exactly how i did it, but i think you use the mirror function for the lower res monitor if you run a custom resolution and the monitor has it's own hardware scaling. (it might have been an overscan issue)I remember messing around with a ati laptop video out that mirrored the display to a tv. obviously it will look terrible, but should be close to a 2 resolution clone.

I was able to do this with a Voodoo 5 5500 about 10 years ago. I am somewhat suprised it isn't an option today. (Also was possible with a geforce 4200) This was using either Windows 98 or Windows 2000, (I can't remember) but I remember doing this so I could use my computer as a DVD player when I lived at school. You are right that the scaling looked horrible for most things, but for movies it wasn't noticable.