TV/monitor problems

~Aster Blaster~ · December 09, 2008, 09:58:10 PM

**Repost**
I posted this on a few technical support forums, so I'll post the same message here. In the middle of a problem.
**Repost**

Alright, to start off I'll give a brief explanation of what I'm attempting to do. I'm running dual monitors right now (identical), and I'm attempting to hook my HDTV up to have the same output as my main monitor.

Video Card = Powercolor X1950XT, has dual DVI out and an S-video which for some reason I can't find a cable to go to it.

The two monitors are plugged in straight DVI, no adapters. I purchased a Y cable (one female to two males), and a 20 ft. (so it can of course reach my TV) DVI to HDMI cable. Upon some investigation and some random combinations, I could get one to output onto the TV, but the monitor won't accept the input if its going through the Y cable. I have noticed some large (1 inch in length), cylindrical knobs on my two cable monitors. I'm assuming these are some sort of filter. I do not have this on the cable going to the TV.

I can easily plug the TV into one output and a monitor into the other and it works fine, but the monitor won't go through the Y cable and still recieve a signal, if both the TV and monitor are plugged into the Y cable I get the same result of no signal.

I'm wondering if the Y has some sort of filter that I cannot see, or if the combination of a filter/no filter setup is causing issues. Other possibility that I could think of is that the Y cable interferes with the signal before it reaches the filter, then the filter ruins it.

Really lost on this one, been attempting to crack the problem for a few weeks now. Suggestions much appreciated. Thanks.

Ultimus · December 10, 2008, 08:26:25 AM

Y cables for DVI really arn't a standard by any means.

DVI usually involves some minor two-way communication. The TV needs to detect the signal, and likewise your videocard needs to detect the display.

A Y cable will cause some interference with that. Usually there will be 1 master port that will have 2 way communication, and then a cloned port which will be a copy of that. Usually this will be a powered DVI splitter.

It is very doubtful you will ever get them to work on the Y cable entirely. If so it will be a bit of luck ... at best.

Unfortunately the cable is probably never going to work :(.

Zatanku · December 10, 2008, 09:24:13 AM

So you are basically trying to run 3 monitors off 2 outputs?

KyndaSortah · December 10, 2008, 11:20:25 AM

you can try one of these for the 2 monitors http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/products/gxm/dh2go/, then hook the tv up through the other port, or throught he s-video provided you can find a cable for it. Or, get the triple one and hook them all up to that. The matrox device may take a bit of time to get it configured, but they do work well. I used an analog dual one for a while here before my boss decided to use the other monitor for something else. =\

papalovebear · December 10, 2008, 12:51:03 PM

oh that box is cool.

You actually answered a question we've had in my office. I'm in a satelite office and our IT people don't really care about our questions down here so we just do stuff on our own. We wanted dual monitors but they refused to help us internally upgrade the computers to achieve it but with what you linked it opened up external stuff which we can buy our selves.

Sweet!

Zatanku · December 10, 2008, 01:38:12 PM

Papa, for you if you were going to buy something yourself I would just get a semi cheap video card with dual outputs. It would probably be a cheaper solution to that device.

papalovebear · December 10, 2008, 02:09:40 PM

you mean for my personal computer?

I was talking about a coworker's office computer.

Zatanku · December 10, 2008, 02:17:35 PM

Yes for your work computer. If you were thinking about buying something like she linked, just buy a damn card. Drop it in, if you leave, take it back out.

papalovebear · December 10, 2008, 04:18:10 PM

yea but they have hissy fits when I do stuff on my computer internally. I went out and got ram for a computer we have that we use for rendering and they flipped shit telling me it wasn't my job and that putting in RAM or anything in the computer is a delicate process. Yea. . .those are the type of people I work with :)

Mel/Slap · December 10, 2008, 04:46:49 PM

they just afraid that if everyone knew how easy it was to do some of that stuff they would be out of a job.

~Aster Blaster~ · December 10, 2008, 06:48:20 PM

So is there a cheap solution, because all i want is one of my outputs to mirror, technically its 3 monitors, but technically not. TV + monitor 1 should both be getting the same feed, Monitor 2 should get the other feed.

So how exactly do I use a Y cable then with DVI? I realize it won't work in my situation... but what the heck is it for if it won't work.

Also I don't think that the box link will work for my setup.

So its video card -> output 1 and output 2

Output 1 I want to be on both my monitor 1 and my TV, not a separate feed, the exact same thing
Output 2 Is to go to monitor 2

Zatanku · December 11, 2008, 09:42:36 AM

Can you link your card? I have never seen dual dvi, I have seen dual everything else. All the systems we implement with dual monitors use a single DVI card with a Y spliter.

Zatanku · December 11, 2008, 09:45:48 AM

I take that back its not a DVI output. Its something else. I will see what I can find out.

Beorngar · December 14, 2008, 08:22:37 PM

If by dual DVI you mean 2 dvi outputs on the graphics card, mine has 2 dvi outputs.
Nvidia Gforce 8800 GTS.

~Aster Blaster~ · December 15, 2008, 07:22:55 PM

Yes, end result, this is what I have.

Video card has: 2 DVI out's, 1 S-video out

Monitors have: DVI in's, 1 each

TV has: basically everything except DVI... component, RCA, and 2 HDMI are in use, leaves me with VGA, S-video, and 1 HDMI left