Well, I can edit w/Premiere and view video fine on my 2nd monitor (G450 card), but I can't see QT or Windows Media on it, so it's obviously possible... No big deal though. I just view QT and WM in monitor #1.
Lethal
Lethal
Bluemax: people shouldn't have to work around serious deficiencies like that, from one particular card maker, when every other card maker doesn't have a problem with it.
Aside from that, the #1 port is what's used for bootup display and DOS mode (not a command prompt window since that can go anywhere), anything that's not running in dual mode. It might not come up often, but it'd be annoying having to work on possibly a smaller monitor for that sort of thing, or the monitor that's off to the right or left of your primary workspace, or having to switch monitors when the issue did come up.
Aside from that, the #1 port is what's used for bootup display and DOS mode (not a command prompt window since that can go anywhere), anything that's not running in dual mode. It might not come up often, but it'd be annoying having to work on possibly a smaller monitor for that sort of thing, or the monitor that's off to the right or left of your primary workspace, or having to switch monitors when the issue did come up.
I have an older model dual head G400 at work and was just watching videos on the second head today without any trouble.
My brother at home with a G400 seems to handle video on either head just fine as well.
My brother at home with a G400 seems to handle video on either head just fine as well.
someones setup is screwed because i watch videos (divx,avi,quicktime,real,mpeg,m2v) on my second monitor and tv. I can even minimize the video to status bar and it still plays fine. I have a G400 DH with the newest drivers, My friend has a G550 and his works exzactly like mine so to people who can't watch fullscreen videos on their second monitor/tv then you need to look at your settings again
I use this feature all the time with my Radeon 8500. In fact, it was the primary reason I switched from Nvidia to ATI.
What it is is the fact that I can have an overlay running on my monitor on my desk, so that I can put it in the background while I work on something else, but still have the movie sent fullscreen to my TV in the other room. Invaluable to me, and any card I buy in the future MUST have it. It's called "Theatre mode" and it's in the overlay tab in the advanced functions of the driver.
I hope Matrox's soloution will be able to compete, bacause I've been excited about their new card.
Then again, maybe I'll just pick up a R300 whenever they release it.
What it is is the fact that I can have an overlay running on my monitor on my desk, so that I can put it in the background while I work on something else, but still have the movie sent fullscreen to my TV in the other room. Invaluable to me, and any card I buy in the future MUST have it. It's called "Theatre mode" and it's in the overlay tab in the advanced functions of the driver.
I hope Matrox's soloution will be able to compete, bacause I've been excited about their new card.
Then again, maybe I'll just pick up a R300 whenever they release it.
That's not what I'm hearing. Matrox doesn't seem to be the only ones with "issues" regarding multi-monitor use.
Some people have trouble with any/all of them, others have no troubles. [shrug]
I don't think you can just lump this in a tidy box labelled "Matrox Sucks".
And besides, just because something may have happened with the G400s doesn't have much bearing as to whether it'll happen on the Parahelia. That's like saying all nVidia cards' 2D sucks, even the Ti4600 (which has finally improved to good levels).
So despite the specs, consider the company as well, their history with drivers, and how they treat their customers.
Amen to that. I realized my g200 was never going to get proper driver support when they instead released working drivers for the g400! Not to mention they sold me a stripped-down g200 milleniums with SDRAM rather than the faster SGRAM that all their advertising promised. After waiting an hour on hold, long distance, to get an explanation all I was told was "oh, ya, we sold a bunch of el-cheapo milleniums, so what?"
Amen to that. I realized my g200 was never going to get proper driver support when they instead released working drivers for the g400! Not to mention they sold me a stripped-down g200 milleniums with SDRAM rather than the faster SGRAM that all their advertising promised. After waiting an hour on hold, long distance, to get an explanation all I was told was "oh, ya, we sold a bunch of el-cheapo milleniums, so what?"
Why not watch the video on the first display?
A customer shouldn't have to explain to matrox WHY he wants to play movies on this 2nd display.
Matrox should have to explain to the customer why he was not delivered the promised full-featured 2nd display output.
A customer shouldn't have to explain to matrox WHY he wants to play movies on this 2nd display.
Matrox should have to explain to the customer why he was not delivered the promised full-featured 2nd display output.
Well, I have no idea what any of you guys are talking about, so I'll leave.
I just wanted to say that I'm not "Considering" buying the card. I "will" buy this card, despite any deficiencies.
amish
I just wanted to say that I'm not "Considering" buying the card. I "will" buy this card, despite any deficiencies.
amish
<<A customer shouldn't have to explain to matrox WHY he wants to play movies on this 2nd display.>>
actually thats not true. This is a FEATURE. This is not a MUST. He purchased the cards without doing the proper research or calling Matrox to be sure it worked like that.
Does Maxtor advertise that their card will do overlapped video? If not, then it's not a fault of the card, it's the fault of the end user making assumptions about the card.
Plus many other people have gotten this feature to work. Not sure why some people can get it to work, but he cant?
actually thats not true. This is a FEATURE. This is not a MUST. He purchased the cards without doing the proper research or calling Matrox to be sure it worked like that.
Does Maxtor advertise that their card will do overlapped video? If not, then it's not a fault of the card, it's the fault of the end user making assumptions about the card.
Plus many other people have gotten this feature to work. Not sure why some people can get it to work, but he cant?
What do you suppose full featured no compromise dual head capability means on the new Parhelia? That is not an exact quote, but that's the equivalent of what I read the other day. The 3rd head will have limited capabilities & features.
I'm dumbfounded more people don't know about this feature.
I've yet to try a GF4, but I don't think it can to 2nd monitor overlay -> fullscreen.
I've yet to try a GF4, but I don't think it can to 2nd monitor overlay -> fullscreen.
thats called an "OEM" version, also sold all around the world
It's called "misleading the customer". This wouldn't have bothered me at ALL if maxtor had admitted up front that they were releasing 3 different g200s, instead of merely 2.
As it was, most people only found out after a tech site "broke the story". Obviously maxtor likes to keep unflattering, yet important product specs hush-hush.
It's called "misleading the customer". This wouldn't have bothered me at ALL if maxtor had admitted up front that they were releasing 3 different g200s, instead of merely 2.
As it was, most people only found out after a tech site "broke the story". Obviously maxtor likes to keep unflattering, yet important product specs hush-hush.
actually thats not true. This is a FEATURE. This is not a MUST. He purchased the cards without doing the proper research or calling Matrox to be sure it worked like that.
Matrox blatantly implies, if not says outright, that you can use a second monitor just like you can use the first. The onus is on them to qualify that claim with any exceptions.
Plus many other people have gotten this feature to work. Not sure why some people can get it to work, but he cant?
Ya it's funny how "some people" are so much more adept at getting their matrox cards to work than Matrox engineers.... maybe these brilliant minds would deign to tell matrox how to enable this feature which, as far as they know, they conciously did not include on their cards...
Matrox blatantly implies, if not says outright, that you can use a second monitor just like you can use the first. The onus is on them to qualify that claim with any exceptions.
Plus many other people have gotten this feature to work. Not sure why some people can get it to work, but he cant?
Ya it's funny how "some people" are so much more adept at getting their matrox cards to work than Matrox engineers.... maybe these brilliant minds would deign to tell matrox how to enable this feature which, as far as they know, they conciously did not include on their cards...
The new card has duel overlay by the way. I am a regular on AVS (regular lurker anyhow) and use overlays tweaks endlessly for DVD viewing on a projector setup as well as HDTV. I know exactly what you are referring to.
SO any issues you have should be muted. As for driver support they have been good in the past, I do not see that changing.
Dual overlay will be great to have one PC run dual entertainment centers for DVD watching. I catalog my DVD's on HD and hve an interface for picking which to watch using a pronto remote with IR keyboard. DVD_Lobby is the software to browse. Now I will be able to watch it on both. Hope the CPU handles it (as well as the vid card).
SO any issues you have should be muted. As for driver support they have been good in the past, I do not see that changing.
Dual overlay will be great to have one PC run dual entertainment centers for DVD watching. I catalog my DVD's on HD and hve an interface for picking which to watch using a pronto remote with IR keyboard. DVD_Lobby is the software to browse. Now I will be able to watch it on both. Hope the CPU handles it (as well as the vid card).
I can't find a chipset layout for the G400 line to compare to the one Anand has for the Parhelia (I really really prefer model numbers like GXXX or TNTx than "named" models, they sound fruity). However I think the lack of overlay on the second monitor was due to the fact that the second display wasn't actually passing through the primary RAMDAC on the G400, and I presume on the later cards. It was passing through a second chip that ran the second display port. (I had to go back and look at old AT articles to find it.) I assume that there was processing being done in the primary chip which didn't get done in the secondary chip.
This post on the Matrox support forums has a Matrox tech specifically stating that overlay does not function on the second display (2nd post in the thread).
Is it possible that some of the people that are getting AVI, et cetera to work on the second display aren't displaying in overlay mode? (I don't know enough about the video playing to know for sure if that's the only way it works.)
DVD as has been mentioned does work on these chipsets, and fullscreen (DVDMax) seems to have been a feature on the second monitor through all of them as well.
As for the Parhelia, I'm not sure how the triplehead feature is set up exactly. I assume that you can put an adapter cable onto the primary port which allows you to use 2 monitors (as the controller #1 has two RAMDAC's), and a single monitor on the second port (Anand doesn't specifically mention it and I don't feel like reading any other articles). Based on this, since the "third" display will have limited capabilities, it is possible that the second port again won't support video overlay, and that in order to have dual monitor overlay, you'd have to have both monitors running on the primary port with the two-port adapter in use (more than likely that'd be the way to do it anyway, due to higher resolution being supported and all other features being available on that port).
This post on the Matrox support forums has a Matrox tech specifically stating that overlay does not function on the second display (2nd post in the thread).
Is it possible that some of the people that are getting AVI, et cetera to work on the second display aren't displaying in overlay mode? (I don't know enough about the video playing to know for sure if that's the only way it works.)
DVD as has been mentioned does work on these chipsets, and fullscreen (DVDMax) seems to have been a feature on the second monitor through all of them as well.
As for the Parhelia, I'm not sure how the triplehead feature is set up exactly. I assume that you can put an adapter cable onto the primary port which allows you to use 2 monitors (as the controller #1 has two RAMDAC's), and a single monitor on the second port (Anand doesn't specifically mention it and I don't feel like reading any other articles). Based on this, since the "third" display will have limited capabilities, it is possible that the second port again won't support video overlay, and that in order to have dual monitor overlay, you'd have to have both monitors running on the primary port with the two-port adapter in use (more than likely that'd be the way to do it anyway, due to higher resolution being supported and all other features being available on that port).
Originally posted by: Czar
what a weird thread
Right about that one.
There are even more funny threads when some1 comes and asks: "Hey guys, is the new product X made by company Y any good?" .. then you see about 10-15 posts with 50-50 answered yes and no (horror stories about the product X, wonderfull stories about product X, bithcing at company Y, etc etc) and then almost all messages are away from topic, ending up in arguing about product X and company Y.
Poor guy who posted the 1st question must have quickly made up his mind in keeping his old parts
.About this kind of thread ... you should see the guys that NEVER EVER used the 2nd monitor to view fullscreen movies, but now, seeing this thread and the Fun Guy's story, beginning to worry about their card and starting testing it to see if it really works. If not, they want to change it ... trust me, i've seen this kind!! ... Forums and reviews are one big source of noise when it comes to a decision
There is though a post in this thread by Amish with which i agree 100% ... dispite of Fun Guy's 3 boards or any other issues, i *WILL* also buy the Parhelia.
Cheers,
BoG
Here is a pic of the Parhelia and its connectors. It has (as you assumed) a cable with 2 outputs and another with 1.
http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/articles.hwz?cid=3&aid=425&page=3
<sarcasm>The card probably won't make me breakfast, or do my laundry either. Sheesh. What a POS.</sarcasm>
I would have to ask the question, what card WOULD do this (the overlay issue)? Certainly nothing made by Nvidia/ATI or any solution I know of....
I would have to ask the question, what card WOULD do this (the overlay issue)? Certainly nothing made by Nvidia/ATI or any solution I know of....
I remember having a problem with a windowed mov or mpg not showing up when moving it onto the second display. That was back when my drivers stretched the desktop on to my second monitor.
Now that the drivers treat both monitors as indepentent desktops. I am able to watch movies on the second display. I can watch movies in a maximized window, but as soon as I set WMP to fullscreen it uses the first monitor. Maybe this is the problem that you are talking about.
Matrox G400 16Mb DH
1st Monitor: 1600x1200x32bpp 75Hz
2nd Monitor: 1280x768x32bpp 75Hz
Drivers 5.52
GFX BIOS: 1.5 - 22
Windows 2000 Pro
The Gxxx series of cards are all based on the same architecture. They were never true dual output cards. The parhelia is a true dual output card. With very limited Triple output support.
Now that the drivers treat both monitors as indepentent desktops. I am able to watch movies on the second display. I can watch movies in a maximized window, but as soon as I set WMP to fullscreen it uses the first monitor. Maybe this is the problem that you are talking about.
Matrox G400 16Mb DH
1st Monitor: 1600x1200x32bpp 75Hz
2nd Monitor: 1280x768x32bpp 75Hz
Drivers 5.52
GFX BIOS: 1.5 - 22
Windows 2000 Pro
The Gxxx series of cards are all based on the same architecture. They were never true dual output cards. The parhelia is a true dual output card. With very limited Triple output support.
Guys, don't you think this could have to do with the OS you're using? I know win2k has some limitations with DualHead. I suggest the people having trouble list the OS they're using.
As for Parhelia, I'm SURE that the two monitors will have overlay enabled, and will be exactly identical. The third monitor may have some limitations.
And for Matrox tech support, looks to me rather like one of the best tech support in the industry. Go to their forums and try posting a question, you'll have a tech support guru answering you REALLY fast.
As for Parhelia, I'm SURE that the two monitors will have overlay enabled, and will be exactly identical. The third monitor may have some limitations.
And for Matrox tech support, looks to me rather like one of the best tech support in the industry. Go to their forums and try posting a question, you'll have a tech support guru answering you REALLY fast.
as you should know selling oem versions as retail is illegal (though no one follows it), the oem versions are ment for companies like compaq, gateway and hp. "Broke the story" ???, like oem versions are sold of every version of hardware, and oem products are considered common knowledge in the hardware world, if it doesnt come in a box and just in a antistatic bag its most likely oem. Some hardware makers release oem versions that use slightly cheaper components than the retail versions because people who buy oem's dont care , aka. compaq buyers
if you bought an oem card then go to the place you bought it from and complain to them, its not matrox you should be angry at
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