Triple Display with Projector
 

I currently have a Mass Multiple Dual Display setup, and wanted to add a projector so that I can display Powerpoint presentations during conference calls, and everyone in the meeting can clearly see what's going on.

Any recommendations on how to go about doing this. I believe the video card can handle it. Currently the monitor output splits to a dual channel allowing me to plug in both monitors. Could I just snag a triple splitter like this to pull this off?

Any suggestions as far as a projector to snag for displaying powerpoints on about a 6'x4' wall?

I'm not sure you will find a triple splitter.

As far as throwing additional display devices at your machine, I think Windows XP has no real limitations to the number of video cards you can put in your system. You're only limited by physical slots on the MB. If all else fails, you could just buy another (cheap) video card and put it in there.

i'm assuming your video card doesn't have dual output since you are using a splitter, you could get a cheap card to add to the system to just run off the projector, or you could get a card that has dual output, use the splitter in one, and then projector for the other.

the caveat there will be that the projector will only show ONE of the dual monitors and cannot accommodate the wide view of teh dual desktop.

If I did a second video card for the projector would Windows XP handle displaying all three at the same time? Since the projector would only be used during conferences I could handle just one monitor and the projector functioning as a cooperating display. I would still want the projector to be like a seperate screen (not showing what the monitor has on it).

well, IMO you'd have to change your setup for the presenations to enable the other video card in that manner. otherwise you'd not have one section of your desktop during times when there is no presentation.

I assume you have your dual monitors in dual view, for the projector setup you'd enable it to be toss things off to monitor number 3 so that you can work privately on number 1 and 2, but move things to 3 when needed to be on the projector.

Yes, as I said earlier, Windows XP has no limitations to the number of displays/video cards.

You'd just go into setup and tell windows to "Extend your desktop" to the second and third display devices. In the case of your projector you'd drag the PPT to it when you needed to. Then when the projector was off, you just stop extending your desktop to that card.

At least in theory.

Good deal, I'll dig up a spare video card, slap that in and start playing.

Every time i see those things i drool and wonder what it would be like for gaming. Would be nifty to be able to play a game streched across three screens. Kinda doubt it would work for most games though.

So wait, your video card only has one head (output) on it? Then you run that into a splitter to two monitors but you are projecting one large desktop image?

What you need is a dual-head card where you have one monitor operating as your main, and then another line to the secondary monitor. The secondary line, however, feeds to a 2-port VGA replicator which clones to the projector.

You have your dual monitors, and come presentation time, all you need to do is *turn on* your projector, and it will display whatever is on the second monitor. To me, this is a much better solution than adding a second video card. I'm going to go out on a limb and say if your card lacks two heads then it is probably not too incredibly up to date.. correct me if I'm wrong, anyone.

actually WoW looks quite distorted since it's not a standard screensize so the ratio screws it all up.

I am currently running Win Xp with 3 monitors.
I've got 2 monitors running on an agp video card with dual outputs and the 3rd monitor is run by a pci video card. the set up works quite well and is very easy to do. any time you have multiple video outputs available with multiple monitors plugged into them you can then run whatever apps you want on whatever monitor you want. Windows knows how many monitors you are running and that they are indeed separate monitors that should also follow if you have a projector plugged into a monitor plug. when running full screen apps they will display at full screen on whatever monitor you put it on, so for your PP presentation you would be displaying it at full screen on your projector and still have your regular desktop on your other monitor(s).
I also use a small program called ultramon to help manage how I want things to display on the different monitors. it gives added control over your task bar screen saver and desktop wallpaper among other things.
Hope this helps feel free to ask more questions if you have them. I'm pretty handy with multiple monitors. once you have 3 you'll never go back to just 2!
And then you will wrack your brain trying to figure out where you could squeeze in a 4th!