Building a htpc/gaming need help on displays.?

[yassterday]

hey guys, so im currently building a semi htpc and semi gaming my problem is im going to connect 3 displays, one is a monitor which is only VGA( im out of money for a new monitor) one is a lg 42inch hdtv (hdmi) and one is a projector which has hdmi, so my question is , is there like a switch thing where i can connect my pc to my monitor and the other 2 displays, and switch between them when i wnt to ? any help is appreciated,

also if you guys have another setup idea it will be nice to read them

i wasnt sure wat category to put this in.. sorry

 

[ssddx]

a 3:1 hdmi switch would work. on one port use a hdmi to vga adapter.

unless all 3 resolutions are the exact same though you are likely to have icons on your desktop shifting all over the place and you may have "no signal" errors when your pc is trying to display a resolution the screen does not support.

what resolutions do the devices support? if two of them match then perhaps the best way might be to use a video card with one hdmi output and one hdmi/dvi/vga output depending on what device has what resolution and "dual screen". one output would connect up as a primary or secondary monitor and the matching resolution screens would use the hdmi switch. honestly this would save TONS of irritation.

list your resolutions here and also when you plan on using them and if you would want to use multiples at one time. if so which ones. we can try to sort out an arrangment once we get all of those details.

 

[Wolfshadw]

In addition to ssddx's recommendations, I'd also ask what graphics card you have installed. It may be that you could set up profiles and/or hot-key toggles to enable/disable monitors with just a keystroke or two.

-Wolf sends

 

[yassterday]

a 3:1 hdmi switch would work. on one port use a hdmi to vga adapter.

unless all 3 resolutions are the exact same though you are likely to have icons on your desktop shifting all over the place and you may have "no signal" errors when your pc is trying to display a resolution the screen does not support.

what resolutions do the devices support? if two of them match then perhaps the best way might be to use a video card with one hdmi output and one hdmi/dvi/vga output depending on what device has what resolution and "dual screen". one output would connect up as a primary or secondary monitor and the matching resolution screens would use the hdmi switch. honestly this would save TONS of irritation.

list your resolutions here and also when you plan on using them and if you would want to use multiples at one time. if so which ones. we can try to sort out an arrangment once we get all of those details.

alright il get back to you on that i know the tv is 1080p the monitor is 720p im not sure about projector i think that is 720 p aswell

,my monitor is " viewsonic va1931wma-led" il post back soon on other

 

[yassterday]

In addition to ssddx's recommendations, I'd also ask what graphics card you have installed. It may be that you could set up profiles and/or hot-key toggles to enable/disable monitors with just a keystroke or two.

-Wolf sends

asus HD7770 Direct cu 1gb gddr5 oc

 

[ssddx]

i googled an image of the asus hd7770 rear panel and it looks like you have one dvi and one hdmi port.

i will ask the question again since i got no answer: do you plan on using multiple screens at once? if so, which ones at the same time?

the following solution should avoid any resolution incompalities and not create any "no signal" errors.

tv connected directly via hdmi
dvi cable to dvi splitter. monitor connected via dvi. projector connected via dvi to hdmi conversion box. this will be your screen 2.

or if you so prefer, you can make the monitor and projector screen 1 and the tv screen 2. your choice entirely.

--

of course you do have the option of making your monitor screen 1 (connect via dvi) and the other devices screen 2 (connect via hdmi with a hdmi 2:1 switch). to avoid any issues disable screen 2 before you log off. using the previously mentioned setup would be better than this though as this way can have issues)

there may be a software suite out there to do all of this automatically but i can tell you from experience that swapping resolutions can definitely be troublesome if you start getting "no signal" errors because of incompatible resolutions. i went through this when i was using multiple monitors in the past.

of course there is always a third option...

get a 1080p monitor and connect it up to a switch with the television and run the projector 720p as monitor 2. this would allow you to use the monitor as your primary screen without any resolution issues and you can swap out to the television for gaming or movie watching on the fly.

-------------

think about your options and what you plan on doing.

 

[Wolfshadw]

@ssddx - Not sure which image you're looking at, but this review of the card shows 1xDVI, 1xHDMI, 2xDisplayPort.

@yassterday - If the above linked review matches your card, then I think the easiest way to connect all three displays would be:

Monitor - DVI port to VGA port using DVI to VGA adapter.
LG 42" HDTV - DisplayPort to HDMI port using Displayport to HDMI adapter.
Projector - Straight HDMI to HDMI connection.

-Wolf sends

 

[ssddx]

@wolfshadow
yes, the image i saw showed the same. i just did not mention the display ports.

@op
i forgot that your monitor was VGA! good catch from wolf on this.

as wolf says you could also run a triple monitor setup using all three ports. i would run the hdtv via hdmi and the projector via displayport though. you will still need to set one screen as your primary. and still may have display issues on the other two if they are not the same resolution and if windows automatically assigns them the display #2 tag.

let us know what you are thinking about doing.

 

[yassterday]

i googled an image of the asus hd7770 rear panel and it looks like you have one dvi and one hdmi port.

i will ask the question again since i got no answer: do you plan on using multiple screens at once? if so, which ones at the same time?

the following solution should avoid any resolution incompalities and not create any "no signal" errors.

tv connected directly via hdmi
dvi cable to dvi splitter. monitor connected via dvi. projector connected via dvi to hdmi conversion box. this will be your screen 2.

or if you so prefer, you can make the monitor and projector screen 1 and the tv screen 2. your choice entirely.

--

of course you do have the option of making your monitor screen 1 (connect via dvi) and the other devices screen 2 (connect via hdmi with a hdmi 2:1 switch). to avoid any issues disable screen 2 before you log off. using the previously mentioned setup would be better than this though as this way can have issues)

there may be a software suite out there to do all of this automatically but i can tell you from experience that swapping resolutions can definitely be troublesome if you start getting "no signal" errors because of incompatible resolutions. i went through this when i was using multiple monitors in the past.

of course there is always a third option...

get a 1080p monitor and connect it up to a switch with the television and run the projector 720p as monitor 2. this would allow you to use the monitor as your primary screen without any resolution issues and you can swap out to the television for gaming or movie watching on the fly.

-------------

think about your options and what you plan on doing.

alright so my main use will be the monitor which is 720p, and no i dont want to use all three at once i got my video card today, it has 2xdvi 1-divi 1xdvid, 1x displa port, 1x hdmi, and i found out my projector resolution it is 720p (http/www.cnet.com.au/panasonic-pt-ae700e_specs-240002606.htm), so i got 2 720p displays and 1080p, the projector i will rarely use for movies, and the tv will be used a few times a week..

 

[yassterday]

@ssddx - Not sure which image you're looking at, but this review of the card shows 1xDVI, 1xHDMI, 2xDisplayPort.

@yassterday - If the above linked review matches your card, then I think the easiest way to connect all three displays would be:

Monitor - DVI port to VGA port using DVI to VGA adapter.
LG 42" HDTV - DisplayPort to HDMI port using Displayport to HDMI adapter.
Projector - Straight HDMI to HDMI connection.

-Wolf sends

hey there,

i see where you're at but if i connect all my display ports on my video card wont it just turn into a retarded eye infinity setup?

i dont want to use all displays at once, just want to swap displays on the go as in movie time- projector , tv - movies/gaming , monitor primary use.

thanks

 

[Wolfshadw]

hey there,

i see where you're at but if i connect all my display ports on my video card wont it just turn into a retarded eye infinity setup?

i dont want to use all displays at once, just want to swap displays on the go as in movie time- projector , tv - movies/gaming , monitor primary use.

thanks

Not sure it's an Eyefinity setup if you're not using all the displays at once. I have a similar set up, but only using two displays; a 720p HDTV and a 1080p projector. Both are connected to my HD4670 graphics card. The HDTV is connected via an HDMI cable. The projector is connected via a DVI to HDMI cable. When it's movie night, I use a preset hot key to swap the displays. I would think you'd be able to do the same with enabling/disabling displays.

-Wolf sends