x1650XT Dual Monitors with TV-Out

[imported_rg]

I recently setup a Hauppauge 1600 tv tuner to use with Vista's Windows Media Center. Now I want to connect my tv but I'm currently using dual monitors (DVIx2) with my ATI x1650XT. I've soured through ATI catalyst control center but it seems to be either second monitor OR tv-out. Is it possible to extend media center to my tv and retain the dual monitors? If not just mirror my second monitor on the tv? If this is just not possible with this card is there any hardware that can achieve a simple tv-out so I can retain my dual monitors with my 1650?

 

[airhendrix13]

Currently using ATI Catalyst Control Center, there isn't any way to maintain all 3 devices. What you can do is maintain your primary display and use you your TV as a secondary (which is what I think you are doing now but I'm not sure). The only way I can see that setup working is by buying another x1650xt and using crossfire because I don't think there is any software out there that can enable all 3 ports, or if it is even possible in the first place.

Good luck,

airhendrix13

 

[imported_rg]

Right now I'm using 2 displays each connected with DVI, the TV is there but not connected as I haven't found a solution. Crossfire seems like a pricey fix as I don't have a crossfire motherboard.

 

[imported_rg]

New idea: If I install a second video card that has tv-out, I should be able to use that for my tv while my x1650 handles my dual monitors. I could look for any PCI video card with tv-out. Would this be functional in Vista?

 

[airhendrix13]

It would work, but the only problem is (i think) the pci-e card would be clocked down to match the speed of the pci card, so I think there will be a large bottleneck, but you might want to ask someone else about that too.

 

[imported_rg]

Well I ordered a pci card already to give it a go. I'll try out some benchmarks before and after to see if there is any substantial bottleneck in speed.

 

[rbV5]

Catalyst Control Center supports as many devices that you have installed as long as they support Catalyst drivers.

Crossfire doesn't suport multi-displays at all, so that is not a solution.


You could just disable one monitor and enable TV-out when you want to run media Center, or purchase another PCIe graphics card to run media Center(if your motherboard supports multiple graphics cards) PCI graphic cards may not work at all for multimonitors on a vendors PCIe platform, so you must check for that particular feature as well.

The cards will run at their respective clock speeds if that configuration is supported, they wouldn't downclock, or match each other's clockspeed.

 

[rbV5]

Originally posted by: rg
Well I ordered a pci card already to give it a go. I'll try out some benchmarks before and after to see if there is any substantial bottleneck in speed.

Hopefully you ordered at least a DX9 hardware level card(probably rare in PCI formfactor) which is required for Media Center.

 

[imported_rg]

Nope, its a radeon 7000. I installed it and I get no video on boot, remove it and I get video fine. $30 paperweight, oh well. I'll just go to the switching my second display between my second monitor and my tv. Seems like such an inconvenience but then what can you expect - it's Microsoft.