Displaying one program on computer screen and another on a TV screen

[Bud H]

"Low end" desktop computer (perhaps a Dell Inspiron 560 or 580) is running
64-bit Windows with integrated graphics (Intel GMA X4500) with the computer
monitor connected to the VGA port and a television connected to the HDMI
port.

The desire is to display one running program on the normal computer screen
while displaying another running program on the television screen.

QUESTIONS

1. Can I have two programs running and have one displayed on the computer
monitor and one displayed on the television screen using the integrated
graphics?


2. If so, can I change to have the same program displayed on BOTH screens?


3. If not, does it take a different (more advanced) separate graphics card
to be installed to be able to do this? What would be a fairly inexpensive
graphics card that would allow this to be done?



Thanks in advance for your assistance,

Bud H

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "Bud H" <[email protected]>

| "Low end" desktop computer (perhaps a Dell Inspiron 560 or 580) is running
| 64-bit Windows with integrated graphics (Intel GMA X4500) with the computer
| monitor connected to the VGA port and a television connected to the HDMI
| port.

| The desire is to display one running program on the normal computer screen
| while displaying another running program on the television screen.

| QUESTIONS

| 1. Can I have two programs running and have one displayed on the computer
| monitor and one displayed on the television screen using the integrated
| graphics?


| 2. If so, can I change to have the same program displayed on BOTH screens?


| 3. If not, does it take a different (more advanced) separate graphics card
| to be installed to be able to do this? What would be a fairly inexpensive
| graphics card that would allow this to be done?



| Thanks in advance for your assistance,

| Bud H

If a computer has BOTH HDMI and VGA then yes, you can do that.

My TV (JVC) has a VGA port (1024x768 @ 60Hz) and I connect the VGA to my Dell Latitude D
series docking station and I "extend" my display to the TV.

The concepts are "duplicate" and "extend"

If you duplicate the display then both displays have the same content.

If you extend the display then one display is teh Primary and the other is the Secondary
and you can drag a Window from the Primary Dispaly to the extended Seconary Display.

Now my notebook when docked gives my two displays.

Desktop computers normally only drive one VGA or DVI display. Some Video cards will have
both a VGA and DVI interface. Some Video cards will be able to drive two VGA displays or
two DVI diaplsy via a Y splitter cable on the video card.

I don't know the Intel GMA X4500 so I can't say exactly what you can do nor if the
Inspiron will support this. My Latitude notebook supports two displays because I can use
a Latitude D series docing station. Most Inspiron NBs aren't docking station capable.