Extreme multi monitor on the cheap

Lazybones · May 31, 2006, 04:21:26 PM

Found this program http://www.maxivista.com/

Lets you extend your desktop to other networked computers, so you can turn laptops or old PCs into additional windows displays!

Mr. Analog · May 31, 2006, 04:41:07 PM

Very cool! You should post the pic of your workstation!

Darren Dirt · May 31, 2006, 04:54:48 PM

So I take it this is similar to having a video card with dual outputs, only it uses the network to send out the video data?

Lazybones · May 31, 2006, 05:00:21 PM

Posted a pic of my desk.

You can combine this to have more displays than your single matchine can normaly support. In my case The left and center display are connected to my workstation, the one on the right is produced by an extra computer under my desk. Since that extra computer was already there, this lets me make better use of it.

Adding 3 more displays with software and existing hardware, is much cheaper than purchasing additional video cards.

Mr. Analog · May 31, 2006, 08:05:07 PM

That is so cool

Cova · May 31, 2006, 09:13:59 PM

Hows the performance on network-connected displays? RDP is the fastest protocol I've used for having a remote console, and while its plenty good for regular desktop tasks, even a low-res movie played over a high-speed LAN is painful. And anything using 3D acceleration is pretty much just not gonna work.

Tom · May 31, 2006, 09:27:17 PM

Oh, hey, if you want 3d over a lan connection, look into AIGLX

with NX and/or X's DMX and AIGLX you'll be-able to do GL over any X connection, local or remote. Video will still be an issue, but audio and other device forwarding works quite well over NX.

Lazybones · May 31, 2006, 09:35:57 PM

Quote from: Cova on May 31, 2006, 09:13:59 PM
Hows the performance on network-connected displays? RDP is the fastest protocol I've used for having a remote console, and while its plenty good for regular desktop tasks, even a low-res movie played over a high-speed LAN is painful. And anything using 3D acceleration is pretty much just not gonna work.

Didn't get a chance to test it with video, only got the setup together in some spare time in the afternoon.. The display does lag a little but not much for desktop tasks.. It is always nice to have another screen to put stuff on when you have several remote desktop sessions running.

Cova · May 31, 2006, 11:43:16 PM

Quote from: Lazybones on May 31, 2006, 09:35:57 PM
Didn't get a chance to test it with video, only got the setup together in some spare time in the afternoon.. The display does lag a little but not much for desktop tasks.. It is always nice to have another screen to put stuff on when you have several remote desktop sessions running.

Ya - I always need more screen real-estate at work - usually for remote-desktop sessions or VMWare sessions. My pair of 20" LCD's @ 16x12 just can't hold it all at once.

Also, since it just popped into my head and is kinda related, I'll mention how earlier today from work when I was RDP'd home I noticed an xvid enode I had left running had finished, so I double-clicked the result to see how it turned out. 1920x1080 full-rez HD video over an RDP connection thats over the public internet and also tunneled through an ecrypted SSH session - well it doesn't really work. I got the first frame of video, and locked up the RDP client. I didn't expect it to play well, or even really play, I just wanted to know if my encode had worked and I could barely even tell that until I got home.

Lazybones · June 01, 2006, 10:12:23 AM

Ok, managed to play around with it and even made a trip to apple trailers to watch some video.. I'm impressed.

I increased the image quality setting and now everything looks much better.. The video played back vey well even in the high quality mode.

Worth checking out the demo if you are into having lots of desktop space.