Dual 5:4 LCD's

[Lonyo]

I have 1x17" 1280x1024 LCD and I'm thinking of getting a second, but can you stretch like a DVD or video across both screens? Obviously there'd be a break in the middle, but not too huge.

7800GT with 2x17" LCD (VGA input), Win XP Pro.

 

[Peter]

Normally not. Video windows ("overlays") are limited to a single screen. Besides, even if it worked, you'd always have the center action cut in half - so you want to stretch across three monitors

 

[Matthias99]

You *can* do this, however, if:

1) You use an NVIDIA/Matrox card and set it to "span" mode (I'm not sure if the latest ATI cards support this or not). This gives you one big desktop at 2560x1024, and you can use just one overlay surface to cover both.

2) You use a video player that can render in a software mode (or most methods other than overlay surfaces). Then you can put the window wherever you want, even if you don't use span mode.

The same thing applies to 3D apps. But like Peter said, you will have a break right in the middle of the screen.

 

[rbV5]

1) You use an NVIDIA/Matrox card and set it to "span" mode (I'm not sure if the latest ATI cards support this or not).

Span or Stretch modes have been available for sometime in Catalyst drivers for Radeon cards.

Yes Peter it works....still.

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: Matthias99
You *can* do this, however, if:

1) You use an NVIDIA/Matrox card and set it to "span" mode (I'm not sure if the latest ATI cards support this or not). This gives you one big desktop at 2560x1024, and you can use just one overlay surface to cover both.

2) You use a video player that can render in a software mode (or most methods other than overlay surfaces). Then you can put the window wherever you want, even if you don't use span mode.

The same thing applies to 3D apps. But like Peter said, you will have a break right in the middle of the screen.

Even if the break is very annoying, I can still have a film/TV show on one and something else on the other.
It just sucks having huge amounts of wasted space on a 5:4 LCD with 2.35:1 films.