Matrox Dualhead2go practical experience

[KillingFrenzy]

So, a friend and I built a screen spanning application for a tour he's doing in Max/Msp/Jitter last year. Our initial version was running acceptably, but definitely slogging through at 20 fps or less with a couple of videos running and some effects on each channel while outputting complex multiplane compositions to two outputs on a Dual G5 2.? machine. By switching to a dualhead2go, we were able to reduce the number of render contexts necessary to create the compositions with no significant loss because of the increased screen size. The result is a system that hits a rock solid 30fps (set to cap out) and stays there. We had some potential screen tearing issues, but this seems to have to do with refresh rates and screen updates on the "source" end, as opposed to the hardware. A little fiddling, and we were up and going.
The real kicker is that my recently upgraded/craiglist acquired Dell laptop with an ATI 9800 in it, is able to spew out 30fps to two screens using the same application. Needless to say, I'll be shelling out $150 bucks for a cheap way to fool with a doublewide playfield. I have lots of ideas for multiple outputs that don't involve them being side by side, but recquire them to be simultaneous and tightly synced.
Just a line to confirm that 1+1 = 2, as promised.

[DrEskaton]

thanks kf.... planning to try the triplehead as well?

[KillingFrenzy]

Triplehead would be interesting, but I have a hard enough time getting cheap promoters to pay for one projector, let alone two, let alone three. So, I'll be working on some setups with two outputs where the second output mirrors and attaches to the middle one.

I think I'd need to step up to a tower at that point, and at that point I might just go with multiple cards. But in theory it should be fine.

[vjpixylight]

I have the triple head 2go box, and it is pretty sweet! The thing is, that it only works with certain graphic cards
I have the ATI Radeon X300 in my Dell, and it doesn't work with it.
It does work however, with the Sager's Geforce 6800 Go(thank God!), but with that card I can also output 1080i, so (TBH) I have yet to use it for any gigs.
anyhow, the TH2Go is really compact, and if you use it on the projector side, all you have to run out of the computer/VJ side is one VGA cable.

KF, if you would like to borrow it for any reason tho, jes let me know..

[MJ]

can you also use it with just two monitors like a dh2go?
or are you just missing a part of the screen in that case?

i would like to use it at home with just two and at gigs with 3
(cause at home i have just two...)

[DrEskaton]

Originally Posted by vjpixylight

I have the triple head 2go box, and it is pretty sweet! The thing is, that it only works with certain graphic cards
I have the ATI Radeon X300 in my Dell, and it doesn't work with it.

what's the exact problem?

have you tried using some kind of advanced monitor control program to force the correct resultion and screen refresh rate?

some guy got it working on a mac mini which is not officially supported. I can't see why the triplehead shouldn't work on any machine as long as you output one of it's officially supported refresh rates and resolutions.

edit: pixy the x300 is listed as supported on this page:
http://www.matrox.com/graphics/offho...patibility.cfm

[sleepytom]

i've been outputting 1536x576 VGA into two TViewpro scanconverters to do 2x PAL outputs - works great apart from the scanconverter shearing on fast motion (which is inevitable and will happen on dh2go too if you convert to video) advantages over the dh2go are that your getting a mixable video signal out instead of VGA and that your able to adjust the screen size and position using the scanconverters to correct poor projector placement.

you can use powerstip to make your graphics card output wierd resolutions like 1536x576

[DrEskaton]

just for interest how much does two TViewPro scan converters cost?

[sleepytom]

list price before they went out of production about ?1200 each

you can pick them up on ebay for about ?100 though - which makes them a bit more expensive than a dh2go but given that you need one anyway for a macbook running windows and you'll need 2 scanconverters if you want to output video from the dh2go...

[DrEskaton]

I don't vj using windows

so no scannies needed..... interesting option but anyway....

I'm just about to test the triplehead2go on a macbook pro, will post success or not here later