One output split across 4 monitors

[naimcohen]

Hi guys,

What I want to do is output one source, say 1920x1080 HDMI output over 4 monitors set up in a square.

So 4 monitors, two on top of each other, showing one HDMI output.

Is it possible? Ideally I don't want to use and type of PC for this as it is going to be a CCTV recorder connected up to this type of display.

Thanks!

 

[3DVagabond]

Sorry, but no.

 

[naimcohen]

After a bunch of google'ing I have found it is possible with something called a video wall.

Now just to find something at a reasonable price

 

[3DVagabond]

After a bunch of google'ing I have found it is possible with something called a video wall.

Now just to find something at a reasonable price

You can run it off of one card, just not the way you said. You could get an AMD card, a displayport hub, and 3x DP to HDMI adapters. Run one monitor off of the cards HDMI and the other 3 off of the DP hub.

 

[Bubbleawsome]

You can also usually find cards that have something like 6x DP, then monitors that support that.
Also; OP, you're pretty cool, having 231 posts from 2005. I must say I would forget my login and stuff if I didn't use it as often as I do.

 

[3DVagabond]

You can also usually find cards that have something like 6x DP, then monitors that support that.
Also; OP, you're pretty cool, having 231 posts from 2005. I must say I would forget my login and stuff if I didn't use it as often as I do.

Yes, there are ways to do it, but AFAIK there's no way to run 4 monitors as a single display off of one HDMI output.

 

[KingFatty]

What about if you use a regular computer with 4 video outputs (maybe a single card or multiple cards), and then you add a video capture card to that computer to receive the HDMI signal in. Then just output the captured signal to the 4 video outputs?

 

[naimcohen]

Well I guess you can say that I'm more of a lurker than a poster!

I found a company selling 2x2 video wall displays for about £800. I think that's about as cheap as I will be able to do it without using a PC.

OK here's another question then. If I wanted the computer to be displayed over all 4 monitors, all I would need is a graphics card, or 2, with 4 monitor outputs?

What is a displayport hub? and is it only compatible with AMD graphics cards?

Thanks!

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

WRONG LINK HERE...This looks like it will do it, for seventy pounds, there are others available as well

View on ALL displays simultaneously (can be cascaded with more splitters for more displays). Outputs are synchronized and amplified. ZERO-LOSS Full HD Performance << Supports ALL HDMI HDTV >>

EDIT: Sorry, wrong link

View on ALL displays simultaneously (can be cascaded with more splitters for more displays). Outputs are synchronized and amplified. ZERO-LOSS Full HD Performance.

Less than fifty pounds, correct link here

 

[naimcohen]

This looks like it will do it, for seventy pounds, there are others available as well

That is just a splitter, it will split the same image over 4 monitors so wont work for what I need unfortunately

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

That is just a splitter, it will split the same image over 4 monitors so wont work for what I need unfortunately

Multiple windows open, I posted the wrong link. It has been corrected, SORRY!.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cablesson%C2%AE-SPLITTER-Amplifier-VERSION-Splitter/dp/B002HIV73W/ref=pd_sim_sbs_ce_2

The NEW 1x4 hdmi splitter by Cablesson, you can display identical image on four(4) displays from one(1) source

 

[naimcohen]

Multiple windows open, I posted the wrong link. It has been corrected, SORRY!.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cablesson%C2%AE-SPLITTER-Amplifier-VERSION-Splitter/dp/B002HIV73W/ref=pd_sim_sbs_ce_2

As far as I can tell that's the same thing. Still only showing the same source over 4 monitors separately

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

Redacted - I misunderstood

 

[3DVagabond]

It even has a picture showing multiple screens,, showing identical images.
And people saying that it shows the stuff simultaneously.

Have you even read the description, yet ?

He wants the 4 monitors to act as a 1 large single monitor. Not have the same image on 4 different monitors.

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

He wants the 4 monitors to act as a 1 large single monitor. Not have the same image on 4 different monitors.

Thanks. Sorry, I misunderstood.

 

[naimcohen]

Thanks. Sorry, I misunderstood.

Appreciate the help though! I got excited when you said you found one for cheap!

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

Appreciate the help though! I got excited when you said you found one for cheap!

So you want something like the pictures on the right hand side.
They are UK based, and probably expensive, I can't see any prices.

Probably too expensive

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

I'm not 100% sure what country you are in, so that might cause problems with this one, but it is a lot cheaper, more like £200, after currency conversion.

I have NOT downloaded the manual, but it seems to be available on their web site.

Cheaper one

 

[naimcohen]

Its funny you link to that one as that's the one I was talking about in my post earlier for about £800 each!

I'm in the UK, London to be more specific. I had a look at the one you linked to but seems that if something were to go wrong with the unit I would probably be stuck with it. Nevertheless I'll do some more research into it and see what I come out with.

It seems that you need one device per monitor on the cheaper one. So now works out pretty expensive lol oh well

Thanks!

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

Its funny you link to that one as that's the one I was talking about in my post earlier for about £800 each!

I'm in the UK, London to be more specific. I had a look at the one you linked to but seems that if something were to go wrong with the unit I would probably be stuck with it. Nevertheless I'll do some more research into it and see what I come out with.

It seems that you need one device per monitor on the cheaper one. So now works out pretty expensive lol oh well

Thanks!

You're Welcome!

When I look at it, it comes up with a price (In UK £, via switch-able drop down web page menu), of ...

179.70 GBP

But maybe I have chosen the wrong box on their website, and your £800 is the correct price, I don't know.

Guarantee is an issue, but as you say, you have to take your chances with stuff like this, or pay sky high prices, to a UK company, who probably just end up buying something like this for you, and then adding tons of £'s to the price.

The market for stuff like this is probably tiny, so high prices, and little competition/choice, make sense.

 

[KingFatty]

Well when I look at the following site, it suggests that eyefinity will support 2x2 configuration. So you can just do that with a single video card that supports eyefinity, I think? There are older eyefinity 6 cards that have 6 video outputs right on the card, so you don't even need a hub.

But, I think you could also do a 2x2 output with 2 very cheap basic cards that each support 2 displays. It's just a matter of arranging the displays in windows to form the 2x2 grid. The drawback in this non-eyefinity solution is that you can't game on it, it's just for windows.

The trick would be to use a video player software that runs in a window, and just stretch it across all 4 screens, thereby letting you use eyefinity or dual video cards:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-ati-eyefinity,2567-4.html

 

[3DVagabond]

Well when I look at the following site, it suggests that eyefinity will support 2x2 configuration. So you can just do that with a single video card that supports eyefinity, I think? There are older eyefinity 6 cards that have 6 video outputs right on the card, so you don't even need a hub.

But, I think you could also do a 2x2 output with 2 very cheap basic cards that each support 2 displays. It's just a matter of arranging the displays in windows to form the 2x2 grid. The drawback in this non-eyefinity solution is that you can't game on it, it's just for windows.

The trick would be to use a video player software that runs in a window, and just stretch it across all 4 screens, thereby letting you use eyefinity or dual video cards:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-ati-eyefinity,2567-4.html

Another trick is he said he needs 4xHDMI. I think he's going to require 1 or 2 active adapters plus 1 or 2 passive adapters (depending on the specific card) because HDMI requires a sync. clock and no cards have 4 of them. There are 2 or 3 depending on the card.

 

[naimcohen]

I doesn't have to be HDMI, I can use vga too.

I think the solutions are either the Video Wall Controller from iiview.com or using multiple video cards in a single PC.

I've ordered an old matrox card with 4 x video outputs, by old I mean PCI lol so if that works I should be good. Its not showing hi-res content so we'll see how it turns out! I will keep this updated.

Thanks for the help guys

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

Also I think you would get hit with a large Customs import duty bill, of around £150 to £250 (depending on price of converters, not sure of exact VAT/duty rate, but something like 20%..25% + admin charges), if you import them.

-----------------------------------

This seems to be exactly what you want, and they claim it is low cost as well

 

[3DVagabond]

I doesn't have to be HDMI, I can use vga too.

I think the solutions are either the Video Wall Controller from iiview.com or using multiple video cards in a single PC.

I've ordered an old matrox card with 4 x video outputs, by old I mean PCI lol so if that works I should be good. Its not showing hi-res content so we'll see how it turns out! I will keep this updated.

Thanks for the help guys

Anything you convert DP to is going to require an active adapter. That's not a big deal. They don't cost heaps. The other thing is the output to the DVR. With AMD's eyefinity you can run 5 outs from a single card. You could do the (2*2)+1 setup to do the monitors and the DVR straight off of one card. Which card to use and what adapters you'll need, if any, depend on the available connections on the monitors and the DVR.