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Computer Projector
Hi. Our local astronomy club acquired a used XP SP3 mini-tower for the
clubhouse, only one video port. We have a 15' video cable to hook up a computer projector. Question. What's the best way to hook up the projector? Video cable splitter? A second video card? Replace the video card with a two port unit? Any advice is appreciated...Dennis |
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#2
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Computer Projector
Dennis Allen wrote:
Hi. Our local astronomy club acquired a used XP SP3 mini-tower for the clubhouse, only one video port. We have a 15' video cable to hook up a computer projector. Question. What's the best way to hook up the projector? Video cable splitter? A second video card? Replace the video card with a two port unit? Any advice is appreciated...Dennis A video splitter might work, but the signal would be attenuated, which probably wouldn't provide the sharpness and clarity you'll most likely want/need for your purposes. I'd go with a dual-head video adapter that would support both a monitor and your projector simultaneously. Many are relatively inexpensive. -- Bruce Chambers Help us help you: http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375 They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers. ~ Denis Diderot |
#3
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Computer Projector
Dennis Allen wrote:
Hi. Our local astronomy club acquired a used XP SP3 mini-tower for the clubhouse, only one video port. We have a 15' video cable to hook up a computer projector. Question. What's the best way to hook up the projector? Video cable splitter? A second video card? Replace the video card with a two port unit? Any advice is appreciated...Dennis A video splitter might work, but the signal would be attenuated, which probably wouldn't provide the sharpness and clarity you'll most likely want/need for your purposes. I'd go with a dual-head video adapter that would support both a monitor and your projector simultaneously. Many are relatively inexpensive. -- Bruce Chambers Help us help you: http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375 They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers. ~ Denis Diderot |
#4
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Computer Projector
Dennis Allen wrote:
Hi. Our local astronomy club acquired a used XP SP3 mini-tower for the clubhouse, only one video port. We have a 15' video cable to hook up a computer projector. Question. What's the best way to hook up the projector? Video cable splitter? A second video card? Replace the video card with a two port unit? Any advice is appreciated...Dennis There is price and convenience to consider. Video cards come in PCI, AGP, and PCI Express. All of those can be dual head, having up to three connectors on the faceplate, of which any two can be used at a time. If the card has DVI-I connectors, you can use a (passive) DVI-I to VGA adapter, to make a 15 pin VGA connector for a projector or older monitor. A lot of old CRT monitors would have VGA on them. The cheapest LCDs you can buy now, might only have DVI on them, and no VGA. Very few motherboards with built-in video, that can drive two separate monitors. That is a feature of more modern boards, of the last couple years. And even then, the results aren't always the best. You can get VGA distribution amplifiers, to provide N copies of an original signal. They're used in places like a computer store, to drive all the monitors with the same signal. All connected monitors must be capable of handling the resolution used. So if the projector only handles 1024x768, then the computer monitor receiving the same signal, would also operate at that resolution. If you use a dual head video card, the devices can run at different resolutions. This is the first hit in a search engine for a distribution amp. http://www.svideo.com/extvga145.html VGA 1 to 2 Distribution $ 50 VGA 1 to 4 Distribution $ 56 VGA 1 to 8 Distribution $109 So you'd compare that, to the cheapest dual head video card. The minimum price there, depends on whether it is PCI, AGP, or PCI Express. You can also get USB to VGA, which you could try. But that would not be my first choice. It is bandwidth limited, and makes sense in limited situations (such as a stock trader with relatively static screen display). USB to DVI or VGA. More expensive than a video card. $90 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812125021 Paul |
#5
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Computer Projector
Dennis Allen wrote:
Hi. Our local astronomy club acquired a used XP SP3 mini-tower for the clubhouse, only one video port. We have a 15' video cable to hook up a computer projector. Question. What's the best way to hook up the projector? Video cable splitter? A second video card? Replace the video card with a two port unit? Any advice is appreciated...Dennis There is price and convenience to consider. Video cards come in PCI, AGP, and PCI Express. All of those can be dual head, having up to three connectors on the faceplate, of which any two can be used at a time. If the card has DVI-I connectors, you can use a (passive) DVI-I to VGA adapter, to make a 15 pin VGA connector for a projector or older monitor. A lot of old CRT monitors would have VGA on them. The cheapest LCDs you can buy now, might only have DVI on them, and no VGA. Very few motherboards with built-in video, that can drive two separate monitors. That is a feature of more modern boards, of the last couple years. And even then, the results aren't always the best. You can get VGA distribution amplifiers, to provide N copies of an original signal. They're used in places like a computer store, to drive all the monitors with the same signal. All connected monitors must be capable of handling the resolution used. So if the projector only handles 1024x768, then the computer monitor receiving the same signal, would also operate at that resolution. If you use a dual head video card, the devices can run at different resolutions. This is the first hit in a search engine for a distribution amp. http://www.svideo.com/extvga145.html VGA 1 to 2 Distribution $ 50 VGA 1 to 4 Distribution $ 56 VGA 1 to 8 Distribution $109 So you'd compare that, to the cheapest dual head video card. The minimum price there, depends on whether it is PCI, AGP, or PCI Express. You can also get USB to VGA, which you could try. But that would not be my first choice. It is bandwidth limited, and makes sense in limited situations (such as a stock trader with relatively static screen display). USB to DVI or VGA. More expensive than a video card. $90 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812125021 Paul |
#6
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Computer Projector
"Dennis Allen" wrote in message ... Hi. Our local astronomy club acquired a used XP SP3 mini-tower for the clubhouse, only one video port. We have a 15' video cable to hook up a computer projector. Question. What's the best way to hook up the projector? Video cable splitter? A second video card? Replace the video card with a two port unit? Any advice is appreciated...Dennis Option 3. A dual head video card. It would have the advantage that you can feed the rquired display to the projector, but display something like the speaker's notes on the second monitor. Office PowerPoint supports this as supplied (and I'm sure several other applications do as well). |
#7
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Computer Projector
"Dennis Allen" wrote in message ... Hi. Our local astronomy club acquired a used XP SP3 mini-tower for the clubhouse, only one video port. We have a 15' video cable to hook up a computer projector. Question. What's the best way to hook up the projector? Video cable splitter? A second video card? Replace the video card with a two port unit? Any advice is appreciated...Dennis Option 3. A dual head video card. It would have the advantage that you can feed the rquired display to the projector, but display something like the speaker's notes on the second monitor. Office PowerPoint supports this as supplied (and I'm sure several other applications do as well). |
#8
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Computer Projector
"Dennis Allen" wrote in message ... Hi. Our local astronomy club acquired a used XP SP3 mini-tower for the clubhouse, only one video port. We have a 15' video cable to hook up a computer projector. Question. What's the best way to hook up the projector? Video cable splitter? A second video card? Replace the video card with a two port unit? Any advice is appreciated...Dennis My 2 cents worth. I work in a dual environment where I show PowerPoint shows and movies using Windows Media Player or as a movie from within PowerPoint. In one environment I have to use an amplified video splitter to a mounted projector and a monitor all hooked to a desktop computer. While this method precludes using PowerPoint's speaker notes feature I can see the slides projected or on the monitor depending on where I am speaking from. The output on the projector is just as sharp as that on the CRT monitor when it is hooked directly to the computer's output without the splitter. In my other environment I use a laptop which has a VGA output and can use the PowerPoint speaker notes feature, pushing the slides and movies to the projector and keeping the speaker notes on the laptop. I very seldom use this feature as I normally use the material on the slides as my speaker notes (been doing the lessons for many years now.) Since you have a computer now, the choice has to be yours. If you want to use a video splitter ensure that you get one that is amplified and will handle the resolution that you will show and that will cut down on issues with the cable run that Bruce mentioned. If you decide on purchasing a dual channel (output) video card make sure that it has the proper drivers for the OS and that it will actually fit into the computer. You mentioned that the computer was a mini-tower and that is why I mentioned the fit issue. Some of them are really small and don't have the expansion capability to take a video card well. |
#9
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Computer Projector
"Dennis Allen" wrote in message ... Hi. Our local astronomy club acquired a used XP SP3 mini-tower for the clubhouse, only one video port. We have a 15' video cable to hook up a computer projector. Question. What's the best way to hook up the projector? Video cable splitter? A second video card? Replace the video card with a two port unit? Any advice is appreciated...Dennis My 2 cents worth. I work in a dual environment where I show PowerPoint shows and movies using Windows Media Player or as a movie from within PowerPoint. In one environment I have to use an amplified video splitter to a mounted projector and a monitor all hooked to a desktop computer. While this method precludes using PowerPoint's speaker notes feature I can see the slides projected or on the monitor depending on where I am speaking from. The output on the projector is just as sharp as that on the CRT monitor when it is hooked directly to the computer's output without the splitter. In my other environment I use a laptop which has a VGA output and can use the PowerPoint speaker notes feature, pushing the slides and movies to the projector and keeping the speaker notes on the laptop. I very seldom use this feature as I normally use the material on the slides as my speaker notes (been doing the lessons for many years now.) Since you have a computer now, the choice has to be yours. If you want to use a video splitter ensure that you get one that is amplified and will handle the resolution that you will show and that will cut down on issues with the cable run that Bruce mentioned. If you decide on purchasing a dual channel (output) video card make sure that it has the proper drivers for the OS and that it will actually fit into the computer. You mentioned that the computer was a mini-tower and that is why I mentioned the fit issue. Some of them are really small and don't have the expansion capability to take a video card well. |
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