From to 2 to 1 monitor-is this possible?

William3

Junior Member
Nov 7, 2016
17
2
71
I have a desktop with 2 each 19 inch monitors that I would like to consolidate to one large (32") monitor. I have a video camera going into a capture card and that goes out to monitor 1. The video card goes to monitor 2.
Monitor 1 shows the image from the camera. Monitor 2 shows the desktop and I am running OBS Studio for livestreaming. Monitor 2 also shows PowerPoint PPT's and the video card sends that out via a VGA cable which goes to an A-B switch. We can switch the VGA signal so that the PPT from the desktop goes to the stage monitors, or the stage monitors can show VGA input from a second VGA connection (usually a laptop operated from a podium on the stage).

Also, when we play the PPT from the desktop, it will run on monitor2, but we need to drag and drop it from the desktop to the stage monitor.

Is it possible to do all this using only one large monitor? If so, will I need any additional hardware (other than the large monitor) ? In addition, it would be nice if we did not need to drag and drop the PPT off the desktop and onto the stage monitor.
 

Tweak155

Lifer
Sep 23, 2003
11,448
262
126
There are monitors that support PBP (picture by picture) from 2 different input sources. I think this is probably the feature you are looking for.

It allows you to show inputs from 2 different sources at the same time on one monitor.
 

FreshBross

Member
Jul 30, 2018
50
1
6
Some of the ultrawide 34" monitors offer PBP to be able to run two sources independently and split the single screen. Or else, I do not know that it is possible to stream through the capture card without having a second screen connected.
 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,370
8,494
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The camera is plugged into the video capture card, and one monitor displays what the capture card is capping, correct? I assume when you say "capture card" that is a card sitting in a computer, and the output is a window. If that's the case, I don't see any reason it needs to be on a separate monitor.

The stage monitors will just be a separate monitor that you can just drag the PPTs to when you need to
 
Mar 11, 2004
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The camera is plugged into the video capture card, and one monitor displays what the capture card is capping, correct? I assume when you say "capture card" that is a card sitting in a computer, and the output is a window. If that's the case, I don't see any reason it needs to be on a separate monitor.

The stage monitors will just be a separate monitor that you can just drag the PPTs to when you need to

Yeah it depends on how the capture card is. If its in the PC or being fed to the PC (USB for instance) and you're controlling/managing it via software, you could accomplish that now (but it'd be smaller on your current displays). Like in Windows 10 you can have it pretty easily put two windows side by side (and there's tools to accomplish that on other OSes).

I don't think there's any way to send the PPTs to the stage monitor that won't screw up what you're trying to accomplish (as the PPT will cover your display, or you'll be screen mirroring which will then enable the stage monitor to see your split window setup and the video feed; you could possibly screen mirror display 2 now, but then you'd want the separate monitors so you could see the camera feed while the other fullscreens the PPTs).