Curently have 2 monitor set up: need to switch one to a different display

[gsgordon]

Staff member uses PC with 2 identical monitors connected to DVI ports on graphics card.

For meetings, we want to switch one output to drive large monitor (which is a 42" TV) via HDMI cable.

Can you suggest methods to achieve this, ideally without changing any of the PC hardware.

 

[giantbucket]

what is the current computer? specs of board / processor / graphics cards. you may be able to drive 3 monitors, or drive 1 from onboard and 2 from card (or vice versa)

 

[gsgordon]

Don't need 3 monitors active.
Graphic card has 2 x DVI. Prefer not to use onboard.

 

[giantbucket]

then if you don't need audio, it's easy to just unplug the secondary DVI monitor, and use a DVI-to-HDMI cable (eBay!) to connect to your TV when you need that.

though fair warning - you might have issues driving a TV using HDMI. that combination likes to force its own settings, which you might have to manually unforce by using the TV's menus. if VGA is an option, it's actually better (as in simpler and more WYSIWYG)

 

[gsgordon]

How would I use VGA to TV?

Is there a switch I could use instead of unplugging?

 

[giantbucket]

if your TV has a VGA input, and if your card has a DVI-I output (or a VGA output), you could do the same cable swapping thing. i haven't used an electronic switcher for DVI and VGA, and the stuff i find on eBay is $$$$$.

is there any reason you don't want to use onboard for one of the outputs? it might be the simplest solution and if you arrange the windows properly, almost no chance of the user accidentally pushing one of his apps onto there.

 

[gsgordon]

TV has VGA but we have already installed HDMI cable from workstation to wall-mount so prefer to use it. I'll try it tomorrow. Will use DVI/HDMI adapter to connect HDMI to PC.

Is it OK to hot-swap cables at PC to avoid having to switch off and on?

Or will a DVI splitter cable work, given that we are happy to have same image on one monitor and TV. If so, can you recommend a splitter cable?

 

[gsgordon]

DVI/HDMI adapter to HDMI cable to TV works fine, and I'm hot-swapping connections to PC.

Text display on TV is not perfect - can live with it but I would like to find a way to improve that.

I've ordered a DVI splitter cable so that we don't have to swap things over. Hopefully that will work just as well.

 

[gsgordon]

DVI splitter arrived today, plugged in to second PC monitor and TV (via DVI/HDMI adapter and HDMI cable).
TV not displaying.

Tested splitter from one of the PC/DVI connectors on graphics card to both of the identical PC monitors - they display same as expected.
Unplugged from one of the monitors and the other monitor has no display - puzzled?!

Any suggestions?