is it possible to run a movie on a 2nd monitor!, please read for the rest !

truewraith · 6 May 2007 at 15:20

hi

I just wondered if it was possible to have 2 monitors connected to my one comp, and say be playing a game on 1 screen and have a movie or something runing on the other monitor?

My graphics card is a Nvidia 6600GT.

many thanks

Rebelius · 6 May 2007 at 15:26

definitely possible if you have the game windowed - I don't know about full screen though. I used to watch TV and play guild wars all the time.

waxapple · 6 May 2007 at 15:38

Ultramon is a very nice tool for a dual monitor setup.

http://130.94.74.217/ultramon/

truewraith · 6 May 2007 at 17:12

thanks for info, i mainly play online games and just when it gets boring want to have a movie on my other monitor which is mounted ont he wall above my comp but not setup yet as only just got it

Mud · 6 May 2007 at 17:17

It's possible, but the movies tends to jerk and the game framerate tends to suffer too...I've just upgraded to a Q6600...I'll try it now and see if matters have improved over an X2 4600+.

edit: Supreme Commander may not have been the best game to test with (given its multiple monitor support), but that just worked fine for me with a video playing, both fullscreen. Graphics card is a 7950GT.

drunkenmaster · 6 May 2007 at 18:45

most games are ok with it. even fullscreen games on one screen, some games give issues and some are fine. trying to think, i used to play a little cs:s with vid on other screen, i used to do it with single core comps and i'm sure theres been way less stutter on the vid. i think vista is also actually very VERY useful for it. under winxp AFAIK it can only accelerate one thing at a time, so i would play some WOW windowed and video would sometimes get laggy/stutter and i would need to click on the video and maybe click on the seek bar to resync it then it would be fine for a while. Vista is much better for multiple screens and windows being accelerated at the same time. i now have almost no issues when watching tv and playing games windowed. deffo had some issues with 8800 + vista + drivers a couple months ago, but that was probo half down to playing lotro beta which nvidia drivers simply suck for on vista and that game.

aphex · 6 May 2007 at 19:01

I keep getting flickering on the video being played if I try to play CSS. Doesn't matter if CSS is windowed or not either.

truewraith · 6 May 2007 at 23:51

ah right cool i will try it soon i use win xp and aint got vista yet

And i too play wow and want to watch a movie while boring mining is taking place lol

cheers

FrankJH · 7 May 2007 at 04:17

you dont seem to be able to have two movies going at the same time - not entirely sure why

It used to be because of "overlays" you could only have a game or video operational on one monitor at a time but recent cards have changed this I believe

NathanE · 7 May 2007 at 10:40

FrankJH said:
you dont seem to be able to have two movies going at the same time - not entirely sure why

It used to be because of "overlays" you could only have a game or video operational on one monitor at a time but recent cards have changed this I believe

Nope, overlays are essential for fast video playback on pre-Vista OSes.

Vista has ditched overlays entirely (unless you turn Aero off). In Aero Glass mode video content is rendered using the same technique that games have used for years. This means you can have a video spanning multiple monitors with ease.

fs123 · 7 May 2007 at 12:38

I know you can play a movie while playing a game but how do you sort out the issue of sound playing from from the movie and the game at the same time through the same speakers...? :confused:

james.miller · 7 May 2007 at 12:43

fs123 said:
I know you can play a movie while playing a game but how do you sort out the issue of sound playing from from the movie and the game at the same time through the same speakers...?

what issue? do you mean youd want everything separate? thats easy enough if you have two soundcards, two sets of speakers ect.

truewraith · 7 May 2007 at 14:00

so if the tft monitor as speakers on the sides then just another sound card ?

all the info is great on here thanks again

hoping to get vista soon as well, wasnt gonna bother but sure it cant be that bad eh !

james.miller · 7 May 2007 at 14:30

truewraith said:
so if the tft monitor as speakers on the sides then just another sound card ?

yep, very easy to do. even easier if you have a recent motherboard with outboard sound that can run 2 separate line outs. my auss p5w dh deluxe has 7.1+2 sound for example - it has a second separate output that could be used for exactly what you'd want to do.

FrankJH · 7 May 2007 at 16:44

NathanE said:
Nope, overlays are essential for fast video playback on pre-Vista OSes.

Vista has ditched overlays entirely (unless you turn Aero off). In Aero Glass mode video content is rendered using the same technique that games have used for years. This means you can have a video spanning multiple monitors with ease.

Appologies - completely correct - I was thinking of XP and before

truewraith · 8 May 2007 at 17:55

can i be cheeky and ask u guys to recommend 2 cheapish 19' LCD monitors please that will connect to my 6600GT

MAssive thanks

i borrowed 1 off my friend but gave back now wanted check it worked and it did

so on to my crt for now lol