Adding an additional monitor

vincerooney · 30-05-2024, 23:24

Hi all,

got a new pc and its connected to my new monitor via hdmi cable. i now have a spare monitor....is there anyway to connect an additional monitor? do i need a special cable?

djmagnifique · 30-05-2024, 23:29

What Graphics card does the new pc have? If your graphics card has more than one output you can connect more displays. I have my pc connected to a monitor and the tv.

Jaymoss · 30-05-2024, 23:46

Even if it has onboard you will be able to connect more than one screen. I have screens connected to onbard and gfx and they all run together

Just plug it into a spare hdmi/displayport and the pc will find it and automatically extend it. You can change the arrangement in display settings

Anonymouse · 31-05-2024, 01:55

True. Even Windows 7 and 8 allowed for dual screens; I imagine it'd be simpler in Windows 10 to just define the second screen as a new device (and doubtless harder in 11 - I don't like the way it does some things, or that there are one or two things it can't do, whereas earlier versions could). Back in '16 my manager used two screens routinely; I think it was possible to do what they did in Avatar, i.e. pass data from one device to another. I think.

Jaymoss · 31-05-2024, 08:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anonymouse

True. Even Windows 7 and 8 allowed for dual screens; I imagine it'd be simpler in Windows 10 to just define the second screen as a new device (and doubtless harder in 11 - I don't like the way it does some things, or that there are one or two things it can't do, whereas earlier versions could). Back in '16 my manager used two screens routinely; I think it was possible to do what they did in Avatar, i.e. pass data from one device to another. I think.

Hahaha I was running multi screen set ups in the early 2000s. My old Geforce 2 MX440 shipped with VGA and SVideo to composite so used to run that to the TV. Most cards had DSUB and DVI so could extend or clone way back to ME and XP OSs never tried with Win98 but it always worked when I did want it too

Windows 11 just sees the screens like all operating systems before it. I run 3 screens all the time and have my TV and Projector connected. They can all run at the same time extended or cloned however I choose. It is all very simple and always has been

peanut · 31-05-2024, 09:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaymoss

Hahaha I was running multi screen set ups in the early 2000s. My old Geforce 2 MX440 shipped with VGA and SVideo to composite so used to run that to the TV. Most cards had DSUB and DVI so could extend or clone way back to ME and XP OSs never tried with Win98 but it always worked when I did want it too

Windows 11 just sees the screens like all operating systems before it. I run 3 screens all the time and have my TV and Projector connected. They can all run at the same time extended or cloned however I choose. It is all very simple and always has been

Totally agree, windows 11 is by far the easiest now due to the task bar set up. My main PC is wired (HDMI) into the AV so any media from the pc gets the full 4k 5.1/7.1/dts/etc to my TV. Which makes everything so simple. You can just pick, extend, or duplicate which screen you want with just 3 clicks of the mouse from the task bar. Codecs setting up, well that's another issue lol.

Jaymoss · 31-05-2024, 10:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by peanut

Totally agree, windows 11 is by far the easiest now due to the task bar set up. My main PC is wired (HDMI) into the AV so any media from the pc gets the full 4k 5.1/7.1/dts/etc to my TV. Which makes everything so simple. You can just pick, extend, or duplicate which screen you want with just 3 clicks of the mouse from the task bar. Codecs setting up, well that's another issue lol.

I use optical out from PC to amp and then set SPDIF to DD/DTS in Media Player Classic just works then. PC directly to TV so split audio and video to 2 different outputs

peanut · 31-05-2024, 10:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaymoss

I use optical out from PC to amp and then set SPDIF to DD/DTS in Media Player Classic just works then. PC directly to TV so split audio and video to 2 different outputs

I use FFDshow pass through which does everything through HDMI from the 4090 to AV.

I hate setting up codecs can take quite a bit of fiddling around. But once it's sorted it works very well. Thing is you only need to do it the once so it's easy to forget the set up when you do a new install which is usually very rare for me.

Jaymoss · 31-05-2024, 11:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by peanut

I use FFDshow pass through which does everything through HDMI from the 4090 to AV.

I hate setting up codecs can take quite a bit of fiddling around. But once it's sorted it works very well. Thing is you only need to do it the once so it's easy to forget the set up when you do a new install which is usually very rare for me.

Optical just sends the raw digital signal and the amp does its thing

peanut · 31-05-2024, 11:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaymoss

Optical just sends the raw digital signal and the amp does its thing

The trouble with that way is you don't get TrueHD or DTS-HD MA sound. And you have to have a separate lead which is not really needed.

Hom3r · 31-05-2024, 15:06

I connect my Laptop to my Sony 32" 3D TV, and use the expanded mode, and set the 32" as the main screen.