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Multiple monitors on Macbook Pro?

J

Just1nCase

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 14, 2006
75
0
I was wondering if there is a way to use multiple external monitors on my MacBook Pro using the single DVI-output provided. From reading previous posts, I heard you can be able to use Matrox's DualHead2Go for splitting the DVI-output. Is this device capable with MacBook Pro even though Matrox device requires an Analog output?

Please let me know. Thanks.
 
Matrox's Dual Head 2 Go product will work on a MacBook Pro just fine. You need to use the included DVI to VGA adaptor, then plug the Matrox box into that, then plug your monitors into the Matrox box.

With their digital (DVI) version, you can even run two Apple 23" displays off it. (Or any pair of DVI monitors with a resolution up to 1920x1200 each.)

With the analog version, it can run two monitors of up to 1280x1024 each. (A 17-19" LCD, or a 17" CRT.)
 
ehurtley said:
Matrox's Dual Head 2 Go product will work on a MacBook Pro just fine. You need to use the included DVI to VGA adaptor, then plug the Matrox box into that, then plug your monitors into the Matrox box.

With their digital (DVI) version, you can even run two Apple 23" displays off it. (Or any pair of DVI monitors with a resolution up to 1920x1200 each.)

With the analog version, it can run two monitors of up to 1280x1024 each. (A 17-19" LCD, or a 17" CRT.)
Click to expand...

Nice, thanks for the reply. I have one more question before I plan on purchasing one. Will the external monitors act as separate screens or do they act as one stretched screen? Because I plan on using this device to hook it up to my 19" LCD and 16" CRT Monitor. Please let me know whenever you get the chance.
 
Just1nCase said:
Nice, thanks for the reply. I have one more question before I plan on purchasing one. Will the external monitors act as separate screens or do they act as one stretched screen? Because I plan on using this device to hook it up to my 19" LCD and 16" CRT Monitor. Please let me know whenever you get the chance.
Click to expand...
The two will act as one monitor.
 
Just1nCase said:
Nice, thanks for the reply. I have one more question before I plan on purchasing one. Will the external monitors act as separate screens or do they act as one stretched screen? Because I plan on using this device to hook it up to my 19" LCD and 16" CRT Monitor. Please let me know whenever you get the chance.
Click to expand...

Temujin is correct, they will act as one single monitor. The Dual Head 2 Go product appears as a single monitor, double width. So if you are using two 1280x1024 screens, your Mac will think you have one 2560x1024 screen. You will be able to place this single 'screen' however you want in relation to the internal screen (using the digital model at full 2x1920x1200 resolution requires the laptop be used in lid-closed mode, though,) but you cannot change the two external screen's location with respect to each other. You have to place them side-by-side with 'monitor 1' on the left, and 'monitor 2' on the right. (Numbers based on the ports on the Matrox box.) They can be physically different monitors, such as yours, but they must both support the same resolution. (If the CRT only supports 1024x768, you can use the 2x1024x768 resolution on the Matrox box, which will present to your computers as a single 2048x768 monitor.)
 
ehurtley said:
Temujin is correct, they will act as one single monitor. The Dual Head 2 Go product appears as a single monitor, double width. So if you are using two 1280x1024 screens, your Mac will think you have one 2560x1024 screen. You will be able to place this single 'screen' however you want in relation to the internal screen (using the digital model at full 2x1920x1200 resolution requires the laptop be used in lid-closed mode, though,) but you cannot change the two external screen's location with respect to each other. You have to place them side-by-side with 'monitor 1' on the left, and 'monitor 2' on the right. (Numbers based on the ports on the Matrox box.) They can be physically different monitors, such as yours, but they must both support the same resolution. (If the CRT only supports 1024x768, you can use the 2x1024x768 resolution on the Matrox box, which will present to your computers as a single 2048x768 monitor.)
Click to expand...

Oh, really? Then, I think I'm better off getting a Griffin Elevator and just attach my LCD monitor for a simple dual monitor set-up because I won't be able to use the maximum resolution of my LCD monitor. But if I do get an identical LCD Monitor, I may consider getting it. Thanks for the replies.
 
Just1nCase said:
Oh, really? Then, I think I'm better off getting a Griffin Elevator and just attach my LCD monitor for a simple dual monitor set-up because I won't be able to use the maximum resolution of my LCD monitor. But if I do get an identical LCD Monitor, I may consider getting it. Thanks for the replies.
Click to expand...

Yup. Probably better to just use internal screen plus the external LCD for now, and if you really need the extra space (or just don't like the internal screen,) you can go for a second external LCD later and a Matrox box. (It doesn't have to be the same model LCD, as long as it supports the same resolution. But the desk will look better with two identical monitors. :) )

And if the monitors only support 1280x1024 max, you can go with the cheaper analog Matrox box. And again, if the max resolution on the external monitors is 1280x1024 or less, then you can use both of them PLUS the internal screen. You only need to disable the internal screen if you are using the digital Matrox box along with two 1920x1200 monitors.

(On a Mac, the digital box only supports 1024x768, 1280x1024, and 1920x1200. Which means the only Apple display that will work at full resolution is the 23" Cinema HD Display.)
 
ehurtley said:
Yup. Probably better to just use internal screen plus the external LCD for now, and if you really need the extra space (or just don't like the internal screen,) you can go for a second external LCD later and a Matrox box. (It doesn't have to be the same model LCD, as long as it supports the same resolution. But the desk will look better with two identical monitors. :-
Click to expand...

I've got a 40" monitor and a 21" monitor and I'd like to run both of them simultaneously off my MacBook Pro at different resolutions. Is there any available solution for this? Clearly the Matrox box is not it.
 
I have heard someone suggest using the dvi for one and a usb to vga adapter for another, but I havent been able to find any info that this works. Most usb to vga adapters have windows drivers, I guess you could run them with parallels or vmware fusion. I might just be crazy, but I would love to see if this worked, because I have an extra old monitor layin around I would love to use on the other side of my macbook pro. willing to try?
 
itsallinurhead said:
no.
Click to expand...

could you verify somewhere that someone has disproved my possible solution. I am not a computer geek or anything but it seemed that it would work out. also, there is a way he could I believe another user on the forum named screen has done so but it is expensive. he said
"I now have multiple monitors working from my MacbookPro pro using the Magma ExpressBox1 Pro along with a NVidia GeForce 7300GT. It's not a cheap solution but it is the first I've seen working with each monitor treated as such by osx."
He supplied a picture of it in action here:
https://forums.macrumors.com/archive/index.php/t-214102.html
make sure you view full version.
so yes, there are ways to do this I believe, whether they are affordable, im not sure. Not for me unless my hypothetical works.
 
Correct, it is possible, but at about $1000 for the external PCI Express box, it's not economically realistic. (i.e. You can just buy a MacBook to go with your MacBook Pro for almost the same.)

But, if you really insisted on having lots of monitors, you could get one of these external PCI Express boxes, throw in a dual-DVI video card, and run one monitor off the MacBook Pro's internal DVI, and two more off the external video card's DVI. (Or even run 9 monitors by using Matrox TripleHead2Go's on each of the 3 DVI ports.)
 
ehurtley said:
Correct, it is possible, but at about $1000 for the external PCI Express box, it's not economically realistic. (i.e. You can just buy a MacBook to go with your MacBook Pro for almost the same.)

But, if you really insisted on having lots of monitors, you could get one of these external PCI Express boxes, throw in a dual-DVI video card, and run one monitor off the MacBook Pro's internal DVI, and two more off the external video card's DVI. (Or even run 9 monitors by using Matrox TripleHead2Go's on each of the 3 DVI ports.)
Click to expand...

but still what about a usb to vga adapter. even if they all use windows drivers, you can use them through parallels or vmware fusion. Those are like 50 bucks. could that be on vid to vga out and thne the dvi to vga be another? thats 2 externals, seperately, for 50$$
 
The matrox dual head to go (digital) sounds like almost the perfect solution for me. I have two 1900x1200 DVI monitors I want to drive. My confusion is when I check the digital edition it has a analog input connector???. Why is this not digital from MBP to H2G and then DVI to both monitors. I guess I'd need to buy an DVI->Analog cable?? or is this box analog inside and will lose quality on output. Bit confused...

TIA
Peter
 
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whitehexagon said:
The matrox dual head to go (digital) sounds like almost the perfect solution for me. I have two 1900x1200 DVI monitors I want to drive. My confusion is when I check the digital edition it has a analog input connector???. Why is this not digital from MBP to H2G and then DVI to both monitors. I guess I'd need to buy an DVI->Analog cable?? or is this box analog inside and will lose quality on output. Bit confused...

TIA
Peter
Click to expand...

For some strange reason, Matrox has DVI input only on the Triple Head To Go Digital Edition, not the Dual Head To Go, even the Dual Head To Go Digital.
 
whitehexagon said:
The matrox dual head to go (digital) sounds like almost the perfect solution for me. I have two 1900x1200 DVI monitors I want to drive. My confusion is when I check the digital edition it has a analog input connector???. Why is this not digital from MBP to H2G and then DVI to both monitors. I guess I'd need to buy an DVI->Analog cable?? or is this box analog inside and will lose quality on output. Bit confused...

TIA
Peter
Click to expand...

I bought one for this reason, to drive my two 23" ACDs from my MBP. I am unhappy with the performance of 3840*1200 with the ACDs. I wish I had other monitors for this purpose with more adjustment. Send me a PM if you are interested in saving some cash on a used one. Mine sits unused.

It is a great product, but I expected too much. I wanted complete perfection, and at the highest resolution on the Apple monitors, it was not up to my standards.
 
pionata said:
There is a new solution (pre order only)
http://www.villagetronic.com/vidock/index.html
Click to expand...

The Village Tronic people say the Vidock Mac version is due out in early June. The price is not set yet but is expected to be between $300-$400.

Apple should really consider offering a docking station or other method of adding additional monitors for its "Pro" laptop. Dell and Lenovo do so for their business notebooks.

Until then the Vidock looks like a promising solution. Let's hope in works well in reality.
 
gotzero said:
I bought one for this reason, to drive my two 23" ACDs from my MBP. I am unhappy with the performance of 3840*1200 with the ACDs. I wish I had other monitors for this purpose with more adjustment. Send me a PM if you are interested in saving some cash on a used one. Mine sits unused.

It is a great product, but I expected too much. I wanted complete perfection, and at the highest resolution on the Apple monitors, it was not up to my standards.
Click to expand...

Am I missing something here? :confused:

I have two 23" ACD's running off my MBP running without this device.. all I have is the Y connector that allow me to connect the two DVI to the single connect on the MBP.
 
I think this is where the 512mb of vram from the newer (penryn) mbp comes in handy for dual monitor displays splitting it 256vram both ways you will see a noticably better response. But then I dont see the point of dual displays because the mbp already has a display of its own when connected to an external monitor you already have 2 displays.. I thought that's one of the perks that you gain with using a mbp + external monitor.
 
jemo07 said:
Am I missing something here? :confused:

I have two 23" ACD's running off my MBP running without this device.. all I have is the Y connector that allow me to connect the two DVI to the single connect on the MBP.
Click to expand...

Are they in mirror mode?
Could you throw me a link to that adapter please?

jjahshik32 said:
I think this is where the 512mb of vram from the newer (penryn) mbp comes in handy for dual monitor displays splitting it 256vram both ways you will see a noticably better response. But then I dont see the point of dual displays because the mbp already has a display of its own when connected to an external monitor you already have 2 displays.. I thought that's one of the perks that you gain with using a mbp + external monitor.
Click to expand...

In the cold winter here sometimes it's nice to have radiation heat from a third monitor... ;)
 
pionata said:
Are they in mirror mode?
Could you throw me a link to that adapter please?



In the cold winter here sometimes it's nice to have radiation heat from a third monitor... ;)
Click to expand...

Well I guess if you want a 3rd monitor this method should be fine but that 512mb vram would surely look nice for that method.
 
pionata said:
Are they in mirror mode?
Click to expand...
No, no mirror mode.

Connecting two 23" ACDs should work. The newer MacBook Pros have 'Dual-Link' DVI out, which is the bandwidth of two DVI ports (each at up to 1920x1200 res). That's how the 30" monitor is driven.

Or in other words you cannot connect two 30" ACDs to a MacBook Pro because that would require the throughput of 4 DVI ports (2 DVI ports each), but you can connect two standard DVI resolutions, i.e. 23" ACDs.
 
Dreamail said:
No, no mirror mode.

Connecting two 23" ACDs should work. The newer MacBook Pros have 'Dual-Link' DVI out, which is the bandwidth of two DVI ports (each at up to 1920x1200 res). That's how the 30" monitor is driven.

Or in other words you cannot connect two 30" ACDs to a MacBook Pro because that would require the throughput of 4 DVI ports (2 DVI ports each), but you can connect two standard DVI resolutions, i.e. 23" ACDs.
Click to expand...

Could you connect 2 monitors with different resolutions?

Why is everyone wondering about powered adaptors and companies are making them if it's not necessary?
 
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