renzokuken
02-04-2009, 05:00 AM
I'm looking to buy this (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-2-Port-DVI-Digital-DVD-Cable-TV-Television-Switch_W0QQitemZ330303482728QQihZ014QQcategoryZ109 015QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem) DVI splitter box so that I can have my two CRT's and an HDTV connected to my computer. The box has 2x DVI inputs and 1x DVI output, although the device is mechanical, so it can be used in reverse (ie, how it functions depends on whether the output device is plugged into the input DVI port or the output DVI port). Basically it has two buttons on the box, and you select which input (or output) you want by pressing the corresponding button.
The way I plan on using this box is to have my secondary CRT always connected directly to one output port on my videocard, and the splitter box's DVI output (which I have already explained can be used an an input as well) connected to the other. I then plan to plug in my primary CRT and HDTV into each of the DVI input ports on the splitter box. What I hope to achieve by doing this is to be able to use my two CRT's in dualview for regular desktop use and then switch my primary display to the HDTV when I want to play a game by simply hitting the button on the switch box (while still being in dualview mode).
On paper this probably looks like it will work but I've thought of one possible problem. The one attribute of the splitter box that allows me to exploit the reverse functionality is also the source of the problem, that being that the splitter box is mechanical. Why could this be a problem? Well, I'm worried that when I switch between my primary CRT and my HDTV I'll lose Dualview mode.
The reason is because there will be a split second between switching from the CRT to the HDTV where there won't be any connected display on the primary videocard port. When this happens, only my secondary CRT will be connected and so it will become my primary monitor and all my desktop icons as well as the startbar will move over to that monitor. I'll then have to activate my HDTV as a secondary monitor and then set it as the primary monitor to play games on it.
This is the kind of hastle that I was hoping to avoid in the first place by purchasing the splitter box. But are my concerns valid? Will I lose dualview when I switch between CRT and HDTV output? Am I overlooking something?
The way I plan on using this box is to have my secondary CRT always connected directly to one output port on my videocard, and the splitter box's DVI output (which I have already explained can be used an an input as well) connected to the other. I then plan to plug in my primary CRT and HDTV into each of the DVI input ports on the splitter box. What I hope to achieve by doing this is to be able to use my two CRT's in dualview for regular desktop use and then switch my primary display to the HDTV when I want to play a game by simply hitting the button on the switch box (while still being in dualview mode).
On paper this probably looks like it will work but I've thought of one possible problem. The one attribute of the splitter box that allows me to exploit the reverse functionality is also the source of the problem, that being that the splitter box is mechanical. Why could this be a problem? Well, I'm worried that when I switch between my primary CRT and my HDTV I'll lose Dualview mode.
The reason is because there will be a split second between switching from the CRT to the HDTV where there won't be any connected display on the primary videocard port. When this happens, only my secondary CRT will be connected and so it will become my primary monitor and all my desktop icons as well as the startbar will move over to that monitor. I'll then have to activate my HDTV as a secondary monitor and then set it as the primary monitor to play games on it.
This is the kind of hastle that I was hoping to avoid in the first place by purchasing the splitter box. But are my concerns valid? Will I lose dualview when I switch between CRT and HDTV output? Am I overlooking something?