playing over dual monitors is ....

[legoman666]

I have been a long time user of dual montiors, however I just discovered the "stretch" mode in the catalyst control center. This makes Windows think that you just have a single, really big, monitor. Great for watching movies (HD ones anyway, normal content looks rather crappy blown up that big). I fired up HL2 ep2 just to check it out at 2560x1024.

screenshot

It looks great, but playing for a bit is.... weird. In the corners of the "screen," everything is stretched. I tried increasing the field of vision from 75 to 90, but I'm not sure if I actually did anything. (I typed fov_default 90 and fov 90 in the console). Anyone know the proper FOV for 2 19" monitors?

 

[Auryg]

Wouldn't the reticle be right in the middle of the monitors?

 

[CKent]

Can't imagine playing with the two bezels in the middle of my game and the resulting ~1-1.5" blank spot. I dual-mon too but I have one widescreen that I use for games, and a 4:3 that's there for extra space and to make my desk look sexy.

 

[Elcs]

Try plauing X2: The Threat on dual monitors in a battle ship.

One monitor to track 3 turrets and your rear, and the other monitor guiding you forward. Its a surreal experience.

Dont think Id ever use Splitmode.

 

[Billb2]

Ultramon:
http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/

I don't game much, but it sure make multiple monitor usage sweet.

 

[Lonyo]

Try playing racing games on triple monitors

 

[legoman666]

Originally posted by: Auryg
Wouldn't the reticle be right in the middle of the monitors?

yes, but I'm hoping that after a while, my mind will ignore it...

Originally posted by: Billb2
Ultramon:
http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/

I don't game much, but it sure make multiple monitor usage sweet.

I do use UltraMon, and yes, it is sweet.

 

[Inspector Jihad]

would that make more sense with 3 monitors?

are there any other games out there, besides x2, that are designed with 2 monitors in mind? i know in supcom, you can have the 2nd monitor display the map.

 

[legoman666]

yea, I was thinking that 3 monitors would actually be decent, but to do that I'd either need one of those matrox triple head DVI adapters or a 2nd video card. With the matrix triple head, I'm sure everything would work fine. But i'm not sure if a game can use 2 video cards at the same time to output to 3 monitors. Either way, I'd need to buy a 3rd LCD and either a triple head thingy or a second video card. Not going to be cheap.

 

[Aikouka]

Originally posted by: CKent
Can't imagine playing with the two bezels in the middle of my game and the resulting ~1-1.5" blank spot. I dual-mon too but I have one widescreen that I use for games, and a 4:3 that's there for extra space and to make my desk look sexy.

Eww, Kent, two different sizes just looks tacky. I used to have a 19 and a 17, but I switched that for two 20.1's and it looks sooooo much better.

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Originally posted by: legoman666
yea, I was thinking that 3 monitors would actually be decent, but to do that I'd either need one of those matrox triple head DVI adapters or a 2nd video card. With the matrix triple head, I'm sure everything would work fine. But i'm not sure if a game can use 2 video cards at the same time to output to 3 monitors. Either way, I'd need to buy a 3rd LCD and either a triple head thingy or a second video card. Not going to be cheap.

yeah thats a good point. anyone know if its possible to run a game on 3 monitors with 2 cards?

 

[CKent]

Originally posted by: Aikouka

Originally posted by: CKent
Can't imagine playing with the two bezels in the middle of my game and the resulting ~1-1.5" blank spot. I dual-mon too but I have one widescreen that I use for games, and a 4:3 that's there for extra space and to make my desk look sexy.

Eww, Kent, two different sizes just looks tacky. I used to have a 19 and a 17, but I switched that for two 20.1's and it looks sooooo much better.

Meh, maybe, but I can't justify another ~$250 just for a second 22" for the simple reason that it would look nicer, as I get the functionality I want already.


Well... we'll see what my account goes for

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad

Originally posted by: legoman666
yea, I was thinking that 3 monitors would actually be decent, but to do that I'd either need one of those matrox triple head DVI adapters or a 2nd video card. With the matrix triple head, I'm sure everything would work fine. But i'm not sure if a game can use 2 video cards at the same time to output to 3 monitors. Either way, I'd need to buy a 3rd LCD and either a triple head thingy or a second video card. Not going to be cheap.

yeah thats a good point. anyone know if its possible to run a game on 3 monitors with 2 cards?

It can be.
Doesn't work with everything.
http://www.kegetys.net/SoftTH/

I run a 7800GT and 7200GS using an SLI motherboard (obviously in non-SLI mode) with 1x20" and 1x17" hooked up to the 7800GT and the other 17" hooked up to the 7200GS.
http://img178.imageshack.us/im.../dscf0792resizejq2.jpg <- my setup.

 

[Throckmorton]

Originally posted by: legoman666

Originally posted by: Auryg
Wouldn't the reticle be right in the middle of the monitors?

yes, but I'm hoping that after a while, my mind will ignore it...

Originally posted by: Billb2
Ultramon:
http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/

I don't game much, but it sure make multiple monitor usage sweet.

I do use UltraMon, and yes, it is sweet.

How would your mind ignore it, and why would you want that?

 

[legoman666]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton

Originally posted by: legoman666

Originally posted by: Auryg
Wouldn't the reticle be right in the middle of the monitors?

yes, but I'm hoping that after a while, my mind will ignore it...

Originally posted by: Billb2
Ultramon:
http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/

I don't game much, but it sure make multiple monitor usage sweet.

I do use UltraMon, and yes, it is sweet.

How would your mind ignore it, and why would you want that?

The same way you ignore the flicker at the movie theatre after about 5 minutes. And why wouldn't you want 2560x1024?

 

[CKent]

Originally posted by: legoman666

Originally posted by: Throckmorton

Originally posted by: legoman666

Originally posted by: Auryg
Wouldn't the reticle be right in the middle of the monitors?

yes, but I'm hoping that after a while, my mind will ignore it...

Originally posted by: Billb2
Ultramon:
http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/

I don't game much, but it sure make multiple monitor usage sweet.

I do use UltraMon, and yes, it is sweet.

How would your mind ignore it, and why would you want that?

The same way you ignore the flicker at the movie theatre after about 5 minutes. And why wouldn't you want 2560x1024?

I think it hinges on not having the interruption right in the center of your view. So an odd number of monitors, where the central focal point is in the middle of a panel instead of between two panels, would probably work best, just imo. Given that, a very wide FoV does indeed sound awesome.

 

[Stas]

Use sv_cheats 1 to enable fov change. Then set fov and default_fov. And whoever said something about a blank spot where the bezel is... you're an idiot, there is no blank spot - the image stops on the last pixel of one monitor and continues on the first pixel of the other (with your logic, the farther apart the monitors are, the more of the picture you're missing. the image is dynamically disappearing as you're moving them apart - ROFL).

 

[CKent]

Originally posted by: Stas
Use sv_cheats 1 to enable fov change. Then set fov and default_fov. And whoever said something about a blank spot where the bezel is... you're an idiot, there is no blank spot - the image stops on the last pixel of one monitor and continues on the first pixel of the other (with your logic, the farther apart the monitors are, the more of the picture you're missing. the image is dynamically disappearing as you're moving them apart - ROFL).

The 'blank spot' is the real life gap between the monitors moron ^_^

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Originally posted by: CKent

Originally posted by: Stas
Use sv_cheats 1 to enable fov change. Then set fov and default_fov. And whoever said something about a blank spot where the bezel is... you're an idiot, there is no blank spot - the image stops on the last pixel of one monitor and continues on the first pixel of the other (with your logic, the farther apart the monitors are, the more of the picture you're missing. the image is dynamically disappearing as you're moving them apart - ROFL).

The 'blank spot' is the real life gap between the monitors moron ^_^

lulz

 

[Thyme]

Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad
would that make more sense with 3 monitors?

are there any other games out there, besides x2, that are designed with 2 monitors in mind? i know in supcom, you can have the 2nd monitor display the map.

There are a few, but I don't remember many. When I played Supreme Commander, it had dual monitor support, but it was TERRIBLE.

 

[tranceport]

Man.... HalfLife2 is beautiful isn't it?

 

[legoman666]

Originally posted by: tranceport
Man.... HalfLife2 is beautiful isn't it?

Indeed. Some of the landscapes are just amazing looking.