Computer Projector

[Dennis Allen]

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

 

[Bruce Chambers]

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

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killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[Paul]

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/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812125021

Paul

 

[M.I.5¾]

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).

 

[LVTravel]

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.