DualHead sucks

[Diddl14]

Reading all these nice Matrox marketing brochures I really got the impression that DualHead would allow me to connect two monitors showing either the same or a different part of the desktop with independent resolutions (!) and refresh rates (!!).

Well this is what Tech Support has to say:
"I have tested what you would like to do and this is simply not possible in
Clone mode. Both monitors will always use the same
resolution (!!!). Furthermore, they will both be at 60 Hz refresh
rate (!!!!!).... Unfortunately, what you were doing right now with zoom option is
the only thing that will work. Only Multiple display will allow you to use
different resolution."

Looking forward to some input on the usability of DualHead.

PS: Here my original question to Matrox and their first response:
>Thanks for your response. Unfortunately it didn't solve my problem. The
>problem is that for Clone both monitors must use the same resolution. I want the main
>monitor to be 1024x768x32 and the second monitor 640x480x32@60hz. Zoom seems to do the
>trick but is disabled each time the computer is restarted or switches graphic mode. For
>example the Matrox G400 TechDemo switches to 640x480 meaning Zoom gets disabled.
>Because the DualHead hot-keys don't work within the demo there is no way I can display
>it on my second monitor (=16:9 TV with VGA input). I assume that the G400 hardware is
>capable of doing this.
>>
>> You can make display scheme threw the powerdesk and jump from scheme to
>> scheme. The max out to TV resolution should be 1024x768 unless you are using
>> Microsoft TV definition (640x480).
>>
>> Cris Jerez
>> Technical Support
>> cjerez@matrox.com
>>
>>> Main reason for buying G400DH is to clone the hires
>>> desktop to a 32" 16:9 TV with VGA input (similar to 60hz 640x480 monitor).
>>> Problem is that Clone does not seem work with different resolutions and
>>> Zoom always requires a hot-key combination which is not always available,
>>> for example with the Matrox Tech Demo shipped on the driver CD.
>>>
>>> Is there any way to configure DualHead to simply close the hires desktop to
>>> the second VGA port?

[M Buuri]

I hope this teaches you to question those ads. After all Matrox has your money now and they don't care if you are disappointed.
Of course you could demand a refund because of the 'false' advertising.

Now please somebody stand up for Matrox and flame, FLAME BOY..

B

[Ant]

If you are outputting to a TV use the TV output (S-video or composite) instead of the VGA conector and you will be able to do want you want more or less. The only limitation being that the highest res supported to TV out is 1024x768 @ 32-bit but that is what you want so you will be able to clone to the TV.

[ManojM]

Hi!

I have heard that the secondary display is not hardware accelerated. I think I heard that it is more software driven.

Is this true?

Regards,
Manoj Mahtani

[StevieC]

Yes this is true for these drivers...

[M Buuri]

Grr.. Sounds like it always the next drivers, eh?

BTW. Coop, what do you mean by true for these drivers? Do you know or guess that something's gonna be different later?

Oh, and you don't mind being referred to as Coop, do you..

B

[Ant]

The current drivers do not support hardware acceleration on the secondary display, the soon to be released series 5.2x drivers do.

[Kruzin_K]

The 5.2x drivers will also allow you to retain an optimal refresh rate on your primary monitor while in clone mode...no more forced 60Hz for Monitor1 (although Mon2 in clone mode will be 60Hz). The resolution in clone mode still must remain the same as the primary monitor (which makes sense to me...clone mode means copy).

In MM mode, independant resolutions and refresh rates can be set.

[SteveC]

Burri - Ant answered that one for me.
And the Coop thing? I don't mind...

------------------
Cheers,
Steve

[This message has been edited by SteveC (edited 08-09-1999).]

[Bobby]

I am very confused with all this, because I am using Dual-Head right now, and even though I'm having the same resolution on both monitors, one has a refresh rate of 120, and the other 85. I didn't know it wasn't suppossed to be that way.

I do remember that the first time I used Dual-Head, both monitors turned to 60Hz, so I changed the refresh rates under Multimonitor desktop mode (each individually) and everything turned out fine.
I swear.

[Kruzin]

Yes, Bobby, but you are in Multi-Monitor mode. In MM mode, you can have independant res and refresh control. If you switch that to Clone Mode, the second monitor will drop to 60Hz, and you will only be able to control the res and refresh of the main monitor.

[Diddl14]

It was kind of hard finding a supplier with money back guranty. Most didn't know anything about the dualHead features, some didn't even understood the word 'DualHead'. Only thing left to do was try it out myself.

I am currently using TV-out which works pretty well (10m shielded composity cable). Its just a pitty that I can't use the VGA input of my TV (I start repeating myself but I feel kind of sad about this missing feature ).

Missing hardware accelleration on second monitor could be true. I think I read somewhere that this is more a Windows 98 issue. GDI goes directly to the video buffer instead of using the standard driver hooks.

[Diddl14]

Hi Kruzin,

Thanks for the info on new driver update

Reason for wanting to scale in Clone mode to second monitior is simular for doing it with TV-out. In my case I have a TV with VGA input so effectively just behaving as a first generation VGA monitor. Some people might have beamers limited to 640x480 or 800x600. The G400 does a great job of scaling a high-res desktop for use with TV-out. Why not support this same feature with VGA-out so people can laverage these old 'monitors'?

Is this a G400 hardware limitation more a driver issue?

[Bobby]

No Kruzin, i'm in clone mode with two different refresh rates.

[Bobby]

I will try to post a picture of both monitors tomorrow, if someone can tell me how to post it.