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Would it be possible to use some sort of splitter to make Windows display to the other monitor as if I had two ports (both unique, not cloning from the primary.)?
Alexander
Posted 2011-06-08T20:14:33.550
Reputation: 197
Dual-monitors with one VGA port?
Answers
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Theoretically yes, but it would be non-trivial as the device would need to be able to read the DDC information of both monitors and return fake DDC information to the computer for a display large enough to span across both, and then it would need to reprocess the VGA signals coming from the computer and insert appropriate timing sequences for each monitor. I know of no device that does this.
Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams
Posted 2011-06-08T20:14:33.550
Reputation: 100 516
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The Matrox DualHead2Go can do that for you. I believe it simply creates a virtual monitor that is twice as wide as the attached monitors, and then splits the resulting signal and sends it to the respective physical monitor.
As Xantec pointed out in the comments, they also have a 3-monitor version which can handle up to 3 monitors.
Darth Android
Posted 2011-06-08T20:14:33.550
Reputation: 35 133
ah, you beat me. Also available is the TripleHead2Go should you want to use three monitors.
– Xantec – 2011-06-08T20:24:43.7002
There is a device that will add a second VGA connection using a USB port. Is that a possible solution? If so, I can find you a link.
uSlackr
Posted 2011-06-08T20:14:33.550
Reputation: 8 755
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If you have a USB port, you can pick up a USB to DVI or VGA connector cheaper than most video cards.
- Plugable USB to DVI ~$65 - I use this one and it's dead simple to install.
- Plugable USB to VGA ~$45
Adrian J. Moreno
Posted 2011-06-08T20:14:33.550
Reputation: 161
Does that clone from the main display, or is each display show a unique view? – Alexander – 2011-06-09T15:19:16.350
Alexander, it does whatever you want it to do. You can clone an existing display, extend the desktop, turn that display to portrait. It's as if you had another DVI or VGA port available. – Adrian J. Moreno – 2011-06-21T23:17:59.740
I agree, it is possible that there could be a device that splits one VGA signal into one double wide output and then splits it into two monitors. However, I do not know of any device that would do this. – bmbaeb – 2011-06-08T20:21:32.560
1It really just is not practical to do that. You'd spend less just buying a second video card, or one with two ports. nVidia GT 210's are like $30 now – Simon Sheehan – 2011-06-08T20:22:36.400
1@Simon: Sure, if your system can support additional cards, or even cards at all in the first place. It would still be (moderately) useful for embedded devices, which lack such capability. – Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams – 2011-06-08T20:24:03.367
My system can support video cards, but I'm stuck with an AGP port for now (and I don't have the money for a brand-new card.). – Alexander – 2011-06-08T20:27:28.660
2@Alexander: As noted in my answer, there is a device that does exactly what you're looking for, but you'll probably spend just as much on it as you would on a medium-end graphics card. – Darth Android – 2011-06-08T20:30:38.923
There are devices that do more or less this, such as the Matrox products linked in other answers. – Shinrai – 2011-06-08T21:09:41.277
I researched this myself for work recently. The DualHead systems are a couple to several hundred dollars, which prices them out of the casual "I just want two unique monitors from one" field. With a simple splitter, the only option is cloning from a single VGA. Even most DVI only support one monitor as well. – music2myear – 2011-06-08T21:32:06.680