Multi monitor
Encyclopedia
Multi-Monitor, also called Multi-Display and Multi-Head, is the use of multiple physical display devices, such as monitors, televisions, and projectors
, in order to increase the area available for computer program
s running on a single computer
system. Dual-Display, Dual-Screen and Dual-Monitor are names commonly used to describe a particular type of multi-monitor display, specifically one with two display devices.
s, such as the X Window System
(used by GNU/Linux
) and those used by Microsoft Windows
and Mac OS
, all support simultaneous use of multiple monitors. Multi-monitor support once depended on specialized proprietary video driver
s and support from windowing systems and window manager
s. Support for multiple monitor configurations was added as a standard feature in Microsoft Windows
in Windows 98
, and has been a standard feature of Apple's Mac OS
since the introduction of the first color Macintosh II
in 1987.
or CRT
) and sizes. The operating system manages the monitors' resolutions independently.
Video output on a computer is generated by a video graphics device, typically on a removable card but which may also be integrated into the motherboard as a discrete device or as part of the chipset
logic. The output is interpreted and displayed by a variety of devices. Video outputs are generally connected to a monitor (of either the CRT or LCD type); however, they are increasingly being connected to projection equipment or television sets. As a result of this trend, manufacturers have produced video cards which can connect to several types of display devices using the appropriate interface. A "Dual Head" configuration utilizes a video card that supports two discrete outputs. Users may also utilize two discrete video cards, and sometimes even an integrated motherboard video socket plus a second video card, though often the motherboard disables the integrated video when a discrete video card is used (a limitation that was common on older chipsets featuring integrated AGP
graphics and an AGP upgrade slot).
bus, configurations of more than two monitors were either achieved with an AGP card with dual video outputs or by using an AGP
graphics adapter as the primary device and a conventional PCI graphics adapter as a secondary device. However, given the bandwidth limitations of the older PCI bus, such setups were not common, and maximum overall graphics performance could be obtained only by using specialty solutions such as the Matrox
G450, which features four outputs from one graphics adapter. Now that computers with two or more PCIe
interfaces are popular, middle- and high-end computers are no longer limited to two monitors driven by a single main graphics adapter. If a dual PCIe interface is not available or is otherwise occupied, a standard PCI graphics card can still be used to provide additional video outputs, albeit with performance trade-offs. Specialized application environments such as CAD
, day trading of corporate stocks, and software development are increasingly using six or more monitors on one production system.
Additional monitors can also be connected to PCs via a USB connection such as DisplayLink
.
allows one to use multiple PCs, each with their own monitor or monitors, and transition from one to the other on screen edges as if they were one machine. This allows each machine to be doing a different task, freeing up resources.
Linux users may use Xdmx
, which is an X Window
proxy
. It is possible to have multiple monitors displaying as a single virtual desktop. Multiple university display wall projects use this capability, such as The LambdaVision display by the University of Illinois at Chicago
's Electronic Visualization Laboratory, with 55 LCD monitors which are connected to 32 PCs. This results in a 17600 x 6000 pixel display. As long as the xinerama
extension is enabled, GNOME
can use the entire desktop.
An additional and different approach to multiple monitor systems involves using the monitors of networked computers to display the output of a central computer. By using the graphic cards of the networked computers, stability and speed are dramatically enhanced. This is often a preferred choice for systems in which adding additional graphics cards is problematic, such as laptops.
The additional monitors can be extensions of the desktop or mirrors of the central display. The arrangement of these monitors can be configured within the properties tab in the windows display dialog box, making horizontal, vertical, or other monitor configurations possible. Further, because the additional monitors are powered by networked computers, they can be located wherever the network reaches, both wireless and hardwired.
, EGA
) and monochrome (MGA). Since these devices used fixed areas of the 1 MiB
address space of the 8086/8088 CPU, it was not possible to have more than one of the same type in a machine. However, since color adapters used a different space than monochrome, one of each could coexist. This led to systems using a CGA or EGA for color graphics, and an MGA for monochrome text, on side-by-side monitors.
The Commodore 128
was capable of similar behavior using its C64
compatible 40-column output for graphics on one monitor, alongside its 80-column capable output on another.
In "extended" mode, additional desktop area is created by giving each monitor its own frame buffer. The result is a virtual desktop space comprising multiple adjacent, but not necessarily aligned, rectangular areas. In this considerably more flexible configuration, each monitor can be of different resolution, depth, and refresh rate; and the desktop area is not necessarily rectangular. This mode is actually older than spanning—first appearing in 1986, when Radius
introduced the vertical
Full Page Display for the Macintosh Plus (which was a dramatic increase over the machine's 9" built-in display).
Both of these modes present the display space to the user as a contiguous area, allowing objects to be moved between, or even straddled across displays as if they are one.
Some problems occur when a user wants to define one large spanned view of two 1024x768 displays into one 2048x768 display in Windows Vista
and Windows 7 since only extended desktop is supported and spanned resolutions are non-existent in many applications such as games and presentation software. Windows XP
supports both spanning and extended desktops through older NVidia
and ATI
drivers.
to create one single unified display.
(now a division of AMD
), which supplies graphics hardware and supports its function via ATI's Hydravision Multi-Monitor Management Software; NVIDIA
, also a hardware supplier, which includes software support under the moniker of nView Multi-Display Technology; and Matrox
, a third hardware supplier providing both multi-display add-in boards and a series of external multi-display upgrade units known as DualHead2Go and TripleHead2Go. The technology provided by these companies was once limited to the professional graphics market, but has gradually become more widespread and affordable in the consumer market. The latest version of Microsoft Windows supports up to 64 monitors.
There is also a growing movement in multi-monitor displays as production companies around the world are using this technology to expand their screen setups without the extravagant costs included with multi-screen processors. Now with the commercial systems mentioned above in place, bands and other entertainment based events are able to create technological setups with ease and low cost.
Although multi-monitor configurations are increasing in number, single monitor PC users continue to dominate the market. Cost can be one problem for multi-monitor, as there is the cost of the second display and sometimes an additional video adapter as well. Furthermore, growth in 16:9 and 16:10 aspect ratio
wide-screen LCD
technologies has led to decreased cost for larger, wider displays, and some users may find that multi monitor does not add significant utility over a similarly priced widescreen display.
Full-screen software can pose a problem on a multi-monitor configuration. Many full-screen applications make use of the absolute edge of the display to control view movement, and may not work properly on a multi-monitor PC, for example by failing to track the mouse cursor properly when it continues onto the next display of an extended desktop. "Edge-scrolling" can frequently be found in full-screen image viewers, 3D model editors, and RTS (real time strategy) genre video games. Newer software is more likely to either be multi-monitor aware, or else not depend on the endpoints of the visual area as a fixed reference, albeit this does not solve all of the ergonomic problems a user may encounter.
For example, many full-screen applications, even when tolerant of multi-monitor displays, only cover one display area and relegate the other display to secondary use. This can create edge-scrolling problems when the cursor crosses between the display fields. One notable exception is flight simulator
software, which might take over all available displays, e.g. using one display to show a windshield view of the simulated flight and presenting simulated instrumentation and controls on another display.
Problems can also arise if the user clicks outside of the full-screen application's display area—though this is not directly a multi-display problem. Anything that shifts focus
(including clicking elsewhere, pressing the Windows/Super key, typing Alt-Tab or Command-Tab, etc.) away from a game, or any full-screen application, can cause grief—even on a single-monitor system. The full-screen application may drop out of full screen mode. A game may continue running, yet control has been taken away, since the newly focused application is now first in line for console input events.
When software is not multi-monitor aware, or the edge-scrolling problem is encountered, the user must adjust his or her computer usage to minimize it, or engage a work-around solution. One of the most common methods of overcoming the edge-scrolling problem is to set up a multi-monitor orientation on a diagonal. The diagonal orientation means there is no adjacent desktop space on any primary edge, generally preventing the mouse cursor from moving beyond the screen edge. As a downside, a diagonal orientation can make moving the mouse from monitor to monitor difficult, as the user must target a very narrow transition region in order to move the cursor between displays. A diagonal orientation also does not usually correspond to the physical arrangement of monitors, reducing the intuitiveness of the crossover point.
Another method is to temporarily disconnect the unused monitor(s). However it is not always desirable to disable all other displays, and on a Windows operating system platform, the OS will generally compensate for missing displays by reorganizing all desktop shortcuts onto the remaining active monitor(s). This can be overcome by using utilities that can store shortcut locations, such as ATT
.
There are also some programs that provide full workarounds to the issue. One such utility is CSMMT.
ports and/or VGA
. The older CRT monitors will usually use VGA, while higher-end CRTs may include BNC
or DVI. LCDs - depending on the model - usually support either or both. Conventional or high-definition
television outputs are also sometimes provided, although these will commonly disable one of the other display outputs when accessed and cannot be used to create a third display device.
In many professions, including graphic design, architecture, communications, accounting, engineering and video editing, the idea of two or more monitors being driven from one machine is not a new one. While in the past, it has meant multiple graphics adapters and specialized software, it was common for engineers to have at least two, if not more, displays to enhance productivity.
Multi-display setups are also very common in investment banks
, particularly in market making
, where they allow the simultaneous display of several screens of prices as reference data, allowing the trader to keep an eye on the market. Setups of 6 displays (2×3: 2 rows of 3) are common on interest rate
trading desks, which involve many numbers, while 8 displays (2×4: 2 rows of 4) are not uncommon. Financial multi-display setups may also incorporate Bloomberg Terminal
s, or these may be adjunct to the main display.
Now that multi-monitor setups are more budget-friendly, it is not uncommon to see a wide range of business professionals using multiple monitors to increase visual area. This advantage helps promote the concept of a paperless office
by increasing the quantity of simultaneous media that can be viewed digitally, although the advantage of viewing two documents simultaneously is also feasible on many larger widescreen monitors.
, EGA
, or CGA
display for managing the program under development and an independent monochrome Hercules
or MDA card driving a second monitor for displaying debugging information. Many DOS debugging applications supported this configuation. It was possible to operate two display cards in this fashion, even with operating systems such as MS-DOS
which did not support multi-monitor natively, because the Hercules and MDA cards used a different hardware memory address than conventional graphics cards and could operate concurrently without creating hardware conflicts. Modern hardware is not affected by the limitations of earlier systems like these when running modern operating systems, because the hardware and software are both designed such that the operating system can abstract the various hardware devices from each other and then manage them appropriately. The first Macintosh computer to support multiple monitors was the Macintosh II
. The Macintosh SE/30
, which had one slot in it, also supported a second monitor which could be color even though the main monitor was monochrome.
Interactive television sometimes coordinates the use of a television screen and a computer display.
, a driving game by Atari
from 1983, which used a cockpit cabinet with 3 19" CRT monitors side-by-side to give a wide viewing area. It's successor, TX-1 V8 released in 1984, also used the same 3 monitor configuration. Tatsumi released Buggy Boy
in 1985, in both cockpit 3 monitor and upright single monitor cabinets. Darius from 1986 used an upright cabinet which was around half as wide again than a standard arcade cabinet of the time. It used 3 14" FST (flatter squarer tube) monitors but in this case, 2 monitors were mounted on the left and right with the screens pointing upwards and one was mounted in a box at the centre rear of the cabinet, and using a two way mirror a seamless wide image was obtained. A similar effect was seen in Darius II
, also known as Sagaia, (which was also released in twin larger monitor format) and The Ninja Warriors.
As arcade technology entered the 1990s larger cabinets were being built which in turn also housed larger monitors - such as the 3 28" screen version of Namco's
Ridge Racer
from 1993. Although large screen technology such as CRT rear projection was beginning to be used more often, multi-monitor games were still occasionally released, such as Sega's
F355 Challenge from 1999 which again used 3 28" monitors for the sit-down cockpit version.
Other games such as Guild Wars
and World of Warcraft
can also be made to run in multi-monitor set-ups, with the addition of third party software to enable the ability, or by running the game in windowed mode. A larger list of games that support dual/multi screen modes is available at WSGF.
Video projector
A video projector is an image projector that receives a video signal and projects the corresponding image on a projection screen using a lens system. All video projectors use a very bright light to project the image, and most modern ones can correct any curves, blurriness, and other...
, in order to increase the area available for computer program
Computer program
A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
s running on a single computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
system. Dual-Display, Dual-Screen and Dual-Monitor are names commonly used to describe a particular type of multi-monitor display, specifically one with two display devices.
History
Contemporary windowing systemWindowing system
A windowing system is a component of a graphical user interface , and more specifically of a desktop environment, which supports the implementation of window managers, and provides basic support for graphics hardware, pointing devices such as mice, and keyboards...
s, such as the X Window System
X Window System
The X window system is a computer software system and network protocol that provides a basis for graphical user interfaces and rich input device capability for networked computers...
(used by GNU/Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
) and those used by Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and Mac OS
Mac OS
Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
, all support simultaneous use of multiple monitors. Multi-monitor support once depended on specialized proprietary video driver
Device driver
In computing, a device driver or software driver is a computer program allowing higher-level computer programs to interact with a hardware device....
s and support from windowing systems and window manager
Window manager
A window manager is system software that controls the placement and appearance of windows within a windowing system in a graphical user interface. Most window managers are designed to help provide a desktop environment...
s. Support for multiple monitor configurations was added as a standard feature in Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
in Windows 98
Windows 98
Windows 98 is a graphical operating system by Microsoft. It is the second major release in the Windows 9x line of operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on 15 May 1998 and to retail on 25 June 1998. Windows 98 is the successor to Windows 95. Like its predecessor, it is a hybrid...
, and has been a standard feature of Apple's Mac OS
Mac OS
Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
since the introduction of the first color Macintosh II
Macintosh II
The Apple Macintosh II was the first personal computer model of the Macintosh II series in the Apple Macintosh line and the first Macintosh to support a color display.- History :...
in 1987.
Single PC multi-monitor
A multiple monitor setup increases the net display area of a system and can be an inexpensive way of improving computer usage. Resulting display area after upgrading to a multi-monitor configuration is limited by the size, resolution and number of monitors. The monitors used for multi-monitor can be different types (LCDLiquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is a flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals . LCs do not emit light directly....
or CRT
Cathode ray tube
The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...
) and sizes. The operating system manages the monitors' resolutions independently.
Video output on a computer is generated by a video graphics device, typically on a removable card but which may also be integrated into the motherboard as a discrete device or as part of the chipset
Chipset
A chipset, PC chipset, or chip set refers to a group of integrated circuits, or chips, that are designed to work together. They are usually marketed as a single product.- Computers :...
logic. The output is interpreted and displayed by a variety of devices. Video outputs are generally connected to a monitor (of either the CRT or LCD type); however, they are increasingly being connected to projection equipment or television sets. As a result of this trend, manufacturers have produced video cards which can connect to several types of display devices using the appropriate interface. A "Dual Head" configuration utilizes a video card that supports two discrete outputs. Users may also utilize two discrete video cards, and sometimes even an integrated motherboard video socket plus a second video card, though often the motherboard disables the integrated video when a discrete video card is used (a limitation that was common on older chipsets featuring integrated AGP
Accelerated Graphics Port
The Accelerated Graphics Port is a high-speed point-to-point channel for attaching a video card to a computer's motherboard, primarily to assist in the acceleration of 3D computer graphics. Since 2004 AGP has been progressively phased out in favor of PCI Express...
graphics and an AGP upgrade slot).
More than two monitors
Prior to mainstream adoption of the PCIePCI Express
PCI Express , officially abbreviated as PCIe, is a computer expansion card standard designed to replace the older PCI, PCI-X, and AGP bus standards...
bus, configurations of more than two monitors were either achieved with an AGP card with dual video outputs or by using an AGP
Accelerated Graphics Port
The Accelerated Graphics Port is a high-speed point-to-point channel for attaching a video card to a computer's motherboard, primarily to assist in the acceleration of 3D computer graphics. Since 2004 AGP has been progressively phased out in favor of PCI Express...
graphics adapter as the primary device and a conventional PCI graphics adapter as a secondary device. However, given the bandwidth limitations of the older PCI bus, such setups were not common, and maximum overall graphics performance could be obtained only by using specialty solutions such as the Matrox
Matrox
Matrox is a producer of video card components and equipment for personal computers. Based in Dorval, Quebec, Canada it was founded by Lorne Trottier and Branko Matić....
G450, which features four outputs from one graphics adapter. Now that computers with two or more PCIe
PCI Express
PCI Express , officially abbreviated as PCIe, is a computer expansion card standard designed to replace the older PCI, PCI-X, and AGP bus standards...
interfaces are popular, middle- and high-end computers are no longer limited to two monitors driven by a single main graphics adapter. If a dual PCIe interface is not available or is otherwise occupied, a standard PCI graphics card can still be used to provide additional video outputs, albeit with performance trade-offs. Specialized application environments such as CAD
Computer-aided design
Computer-aided design , also known as computer-aided design and drafting , is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design-documentation. Computer Aided Drafting describes the process of drafting with a computer...
, day trading of corporate stocks, and software development are increasingly using six or more monitors on one production system.
Additional monitors can also be connected to PCs via a USB connection such as DisplayLink
DisplayLink
DisplayLink is a semiconductor and software startup company. DisplayLink USB graphics technology is designed to connect computers and displays using USB and Wireless USB, allowing multiple displays to be connected to a single PC...
.
Multiple PC multi-monitor
Software such as Maxivista for Windows and ScreenRecycler for Mac OS X let one set up multiple PC multi-monitor mode through virtual display drivers and client-side software. Similarly, software such as InputDirector or SynergySynergy (software)
Synergy is a software application for sharing a keyboard and mouse between multiple computers. It is used in situations where several PCs are used together, with a monitor connected to each, but are to be controlled by one user...
allows one to use multiple PCs, each with their own monitor or monitors, and transition from one to the other on screen edges as if they were one machine. This allows each machine to be doing a different task, freeing up resources.
Linux users may use Xdmx
Xdmx
Xdmx or DMX is the Distributed Multihead X Project. It acts as a proxy X server for multiple back-end X servers...
, which is an X Window
X Window System
The X window system is a computer software system and network protocol that provides a basis for graphical user interfaces and rich input device capability for networked computers...
proxy
Proxy server
In computer networks, a proxy server is a server that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers. A client connects to the proxy server, requesting some service, such as a file, connection, web page, or other resource available from a different server...
. It is possible to have multiple monitors displaying as a single virtual desktop. Multiple university display wall projects use this capability, such as The LambdaVision display by the University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop...
's Electronic Visualization Laboratory, with 55 LCD monitors which are connected to 32 PCs. This results in a 17600 x 6000 pixel display. As long as the xinerama
Xinerama
Xinerama is an extension to the X Window System which enables multi-headed X applications and window managers to use two or more physical displays as one large virtual display.It was originally developed by Madeline T...
extension is enabled, GNOME
GNOME
GNOME is a desktop environment and graphical user interface that runs on top of a computer operating system. It is composed entirely of free and open source software...
can use the entire desktop.
An additional and different approach to multiple monitor systems involves using the monitors of networked computers to display the output of a central computer. By using the graphic cards of the networked computers, stability and speed are dramatically enhanced. This is often a preferred choice for systems in which adding additional graphics cards is problematic, such as laptops.
The additional monitors can be extensions of the desktop or mirrors of the central display. The arrangement of these monitors can be configured within the properties tab in the windows display dialog box, making horizontal, vertical, or other monitor configurations possible. Further, because the additional monitors are powered by networked computers, they can be located wherever the network reaches, both wireless and hardwired.
Clone mode
Since before personal computers existed, video signals have been split with simple Y-adapters to provide duplicate signals to multiple monitors for various reasons. When personal computers came to have video outputs, this naturally carried over—sometimes for the purpose of presentation, and sometimes to provide a different representation of the same output (for example color alongside the higher resolution monochrome interpretation of the output of an Apple II). Later systems—particularly portable machines with built-in displays—provided built-in redundant outputs for this. Even later systems, in addition to being capable of the discrete modes described below, are able to mimic this "cloning" or "mirroring" behavior (typically defaulting to it upon power-up/reset).Multi-mode
In the early days of the IBM-PC and its clones, there were two main types of display adapter: color (CGAColor Graphics Adapter
The Color Graphics Adapter , originally also called the Color/Graphics Adapter or IBM Color/Graphics Monitor Adapter, introduced in 1981, was IBM's first color graphics card, and the first color computer display standard for the IBM PC....
, EGA
Enhanced Graphics Adapter
The Enhanced Graphics Adapter is the IBM PC computer display standard specification which is between CGA and VGA in terms of color and space resolution. Introduced in October 1984 by IBM shortly after its new PC/AT, EGA produces a display of 16 simultaneous colors from a palette of 64 at a...
) and monochrome (MGA). Since these devices used fixed areas of the 1 MiB
MIB
MIB may refer to any of several concepts:* Master of International Business, a postgraduate business degree* Melayu Islam Beraja, the adopted national philosophy of Brunei* Motion induced blindness, a visual illusion in peripheral vision...
address space of the 8086/8088 CPU, it was not possible to have more than one of the same type in a machine. However, since color adapters used a different space than monochrome, one of each could coexist. This led to systems using a CGA or EGA for color graphics, and an MGA for monochrome text, on side-by-side monitors.
The Commodore 128
Commodore 128
The Commodore 128 home/personal computer was the last 8-bit machine commercially released by Commodore Business Machines...
was capable of similar behavior using its C64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
compatible 40-column output for graphics on one monitor, alongside its 80-column capable output on another.
Span or extended desktop mode
Most —if not all—current multi-head video cards are able to "span" a single frame buffer across two monitors. The result is one large rectangular desktop space, of double either the horizontal or vertical resolution. (For example, when two 1024x768 displays are used, they can have a combined virtual resolution of either 2048x768 or 1024x1536.) Both monitors operate at the same resolution and depth settings, and usually the same refresh rate. This mode requires very minimal operating system support, as the total display area is a simple rectangle.In "extended" mode, additional desktop area is created by giving each monitor its own frame buffer. The result is a virtual desktop space comprising multiple adjacent, but not necessarily aligned, rectangular areas. In this considerably more flexible configuration, each monitor can be of different resolution, depth, and refresh rate; and the desktop area is not necessarily rectangular. This mode is actually older than spanning—first appearing in 1986, when Radius
Radius (computer)
Radius was an American computer hardware firm founded in May 1986 by Burrell Smith, Andy Hertzfeld, Mike Boich, Matt Carter, Alain Rossmann and other members of the original Mac team specializing in Macintosh equipment....
introduced the vertical
Page orientation
Page orientation is the way in which a rectangular page is oriented for normal viewing. The two most common types of orientation are portrait and landscape...
Full Page Display for the Macintosh Plus (which was a dramatic increase over the machine's 9" built-in display).
Both of these modes present the display space to the user as a contiguous area, allowing objects to be moved between, or even straddled across displays as if they are one.
Some problems occur when a user wants to define one large spanned view of two 1024x768 displays into one 2048x768 display in Windows Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
and Windows 7 since only extended desktop is supported and spanned resolutions are non-existent in many applications such as games and presentation software. Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
supports both spanning and extended desktops through older NVidia
NVIDIA
Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
and ATI
Ati
As a word, Ati may refer to:* Ati, a town in Chad* Ati, a Negrito ethnic group in the Philippines* Ati-Atihan Festival, an annual celebration held in the Philippines* Ati, a queen of the fabled Land of Punt in Africa...
drivers.
Hybrid Span mode
This is a technique that allows using multiple GPUsGraphics processing unit
A graphics processing unit or GPU is a specialized circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory in such a way so as to accelerate the building of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display...
to create one single unified display.
Commercial systems
Major players in the visual computing technologies currently include ATI TechnologiesATI Technologies
ATI Technologies Inc. was a semiconductor technology corporation based in Markham, Ontario, Canada, that specialized in the development of graphics processing units and chipsets. Founded in 1985 as Array Technologies Inc., the company was listed publicly in 1993 and was acquired by Advanced Micro...
(now a division of AMD
Advanced Micro Devices
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. or AMD is an American multinational semiconductor company based in Sunnyvale, California, that develops computer processors and related technologies for commercial and consumer markets...
), which supplies graphics hardware and supports its function via ATI's Hydravision Multi-Monitor Management Software; NVIDIA
NVIDIA
Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
, also a hardware supplier, which includes software support under the moniker of nView Multi-Display Technology; and Matrox
Matrox
Matrox is a producer of video card components and equipment for personal computers. Based in Dorval, Quebec, Canada it was founded by Lorne Trottier and Branko Matić....
, a third hardware supplier providing both multi-display add-in boards and a series of external multi-display upgrade units known as DualHead2Go and TripleHead2Go. The technology provided by these companies was once limited to the professional graphics market, but has gradually become more widespread and affordable in the consumer market. The latest version of Microsoft Windows supports up to 64 monitors.
There is also a growing movement in multi-monitor displays as production companies around the world are using this technology to expand their screen setups without the extravagant costs included with multi-screen processors. Now with the commercial systems mentioned above in place, bands and other entertainment based events are able to create technological setups with ease and low cost.
Disadvantages
The primary hardware disadvantage to multi-monitor use is that common resources of the video card are divided between each display's output duties. For example, if a user is showing a 2D widescreen desktop display at 1680x1050 resolution and 32-bit color depth on a second monitor while playing a game on the primary monitor, nearly 7 MB of video memory (VRAM) will be consumed by the second display image, making it unavailable to the game. In some cases, the decreased processing power and VRAM available to each display may lead to unacceptable performance on both devices. When this situation is encountered, the common remedy is to install an additional video adapter and connect the additional display to the new device. Ongoing improvements in graphics technology have minimized this issue in recent years, with many mainstream graphics adapters now supporting 1 GB or more of VRAM and a graphics core purpose-built around two or more video outputs.Although multi-monitor configurations are increasing in number, single monitor PC users continue to dominate the market. Cost can be one problem for multi-monitor, as there is the cost of the second display and sometimes an additional video adapter as well. Furthermore, growth in 16:9 and 16:10 aspect ratio
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,...
wide-screen LCD
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is a flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals . LCs do not emit light directly....
technologies has led to decreased cost for larger, wider displays, and some users may find that multi monitor does not add significant utility over a similarly priced widescreen display.
Full-screen software can pose a problem on a multi-monitor configuration. Many full-screen applications make use of the absolute edge of the display to control view movement, and may not work properly on a multi-monitor PC, for example by failing to track the mouse cursor properly when it continues onto the next display of an extended desktop. "Edge-scrolling" can frequently be found in full-screen image viewers, 3D model editors, and RTS (real time strategy) genre video games. Newer software is more likely to either be multi-monitor aware, or else not depend on the endpoints of the visual area as a fixed reference, albeit this does not solve all of the ergonomic problems a user may encounter.
For example, many full-screen applications, even when tolerant of multi-monitor displays, only cover one display area and relegate the other display to secondary use. This can create edge-scrolling problems when the cursor crosses between the display fields. One notable exception is flight simulator
Flight simulator
A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and various aspects of the flight environment. This includes the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they react to applications of their controls and other aircraft systems, and how they react to the external...
software, which might take over all available displays, e.g. using one display to show a windshield view of the simulated flight and presenting simulated instrumentation and controls on another display.
Problems can also arise if the user clicks outside of the full-screen application's display area—though this is not directly a multi-display problem. Anything that shifts focus
Focus (computing)
In computing, the focus indicates the component of the graphical user interface which is currently selected to receive input. Text entered at the keyboard or pasted from a clipboard is sent to the component which currently has the focus. Moving the focus away from a specific user interface element...
(including clicking elsewhere, pressing the Windows/Super key, typing Alt-Tab or Command-Tab, etc.) away from a game, or any full-screen application, can cause grief—even on a single-monitor system. The full-screen application may drop out of full screen mode. A game may continue running, yet control has been taken away, since the newly focused application is now first in line for console input events.
When software is not multi-monitor aware, or the edge-scrolling problem is encountered, the user must adjust his or her computer usage to minimize it, or engage a work-around solution. One of the most common methods of overcoming the edge-scrolling problem is to set up a multi-monitor orientation on a diagonal. The diagonal orientation means there is no adjacent desktop space on any primary edge, generally preventing the mouse cursor from moving beyond the screen edge. As a downside, a diagonal orientation can make moving the mouse from monitor to monitor difficult, as the user must target a very narrow transition region in order to move the cursor between displays. A diagonal orientation also does not usually correspond to the physical arrangement of monitors, reducing the intuitiveness of the crossover point.
Another method is to temporarily disconnect the unused monitor(s). However it is not always desirable to disable all other displays, and on a Windows operating system platform, the OS will generally compensate for missing displays by reorganizing all desktop shortcuts onto the remaining active monitor(s). This can be overcome by using utilities that can store shortcut locations, such as ATT
ATI Tray Tools
ATI Tray Tools is a freeware program developed by Ray Adams for ATI Radeon video cards.ATI Tray Tools is an advanced tweaker-application that resides in the notification area of the Windows taskbar and allows instant access to video options and settings via a right-click menu...
.
There are also some programs that provide full workarounds to the issue. One such utility is CSMMT.
Graphics cards
These display adapters are built with two or more outputs of various types. Typically these will be DVIDigital Visual Interface
The Digital Visual Interface is a video interface standard covering the transmission of video between a source device and a display device. The DVI standard has achieved widespread acceptance in the PC industry, both in desktop PCs and monitors...
ports and/or VGA
VGA connector
A Video Graphics Array connector is a three-row 15-pin DE-15 connector. The 15-pin VGA connector is found on many video cards, computer monitors, and some high definition television sets...
. The older CRT monitors will usually use VGA, while higher-end CRTs may include BNC
BNC connector
The BNC connector ' is a common type of RF connector used for coaxial cable. It is used with radio, television, and other radio-frequency electronic equipment, test instruments, video signals, and was once a popular computer network connector. BNC connectors are made to match the characteristic...
or DVI. LCDs - depending on the model - usually support either or both. Conventional or high-definition
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
television outputs are also sometimes provided, although these will commonly disable one of the other display outputs when accessed and cannot be used to create a third display device.
Multi-display setups in the workplace
Multi-display setups are also very common in investment banks
Investment banking
An investment bank is a financial institution that assists individuals, corporations and governments in raising capital by underwriting and/or acting as the client's agent in the issuance of securities...
, particularly in market making
Market maker
A market maker is a company, or an individual, that quotes both a buy and a sell price in a financial instrument or commodity held in inventory, hoping to make a profit on the bid-offer spread, or turn. From a market microstructure theory standpoint, market makers are net sellers of an option to be...
, where they allow the simultaneous display of several screens of prices as reference data, allowing the trader to keep an eye on the market. Setups of 6 displays (2×3: 2 rows of 3) are common on interest rate
Interest rate
An interest rate is the rate at which interest is paid by a borrower for the use of money that they borrow from a lender. For example, a small company borrows capital from a bank to buy new assets for their business, and in return the lender receives interest at a predetermined interest rate for...
trading desks, which involve many numbers, while 8 displays (2×4: 2 rows of 4) are not uncommon. Financial multi-display setups may also incorporate Bloomberg Terminal
Bloomberg Terminal
The Bloomberg Terminal is a computer system provided by Bloomberg L.P. that enables financial professionals to access the Bloomberg Professional service through which users can monitor and analyze real-time financial market data movements and place trades on the electronic trading platform...
s, or these may be adjunct to the main display.
Now that multi-monitor setups are more budget-friendly, it is not uncommon to see a wide range of business professionals using multiple monitors to increase visual area. This advantage helps promote the concept of a paperless office
Paperless office
A paperless office is a work environment in which the use of paper is eliminated or greatly reduced. This is done by converting documents and other papers into digital form. Proponents claim that "going paperless" can save money, boost productivity, save space, make documentation and information...
by increasing the quantity of simultaneous media that can be viewed digitally, although the advantage of viewing two documents simultaneously is also feasible on many larger widescreen monitors.
Programming
Programming multiple monitors is challenging because each screen will have its own graphics buffer. One possible scenario for programming is to present to OpenGL or DirectX a continuous, virtual frame buffer in which the OS or graphics driver writes out to each individual buffer. With some graphics cards, its possible to enable a mode called "horizontal span" which accomplishes this. The OpenGL/DirectX programmer then renders to a very large frame buffer for output. In practice, and with recent cards, this mode is being phased out because it does not make very good use of GPU parallelism, and does not support arbitrary arrangements of monitors (they must all be horizontal). A more recent technique uses the wglShareLists feature of OpenGL to share data across multiple GPUs, and then render to each individual monitor's frame buffer.Older uses
From the mid 1980s through 1990s, a popular configuration for software developers was to employ a general-purpose VGAVideo Graphics Array
Video Graphics Array refers specifically to the display hardware first introduced with the IBM PS/2 line of computers in 1987, but through its widespread adoption has also come to mean either an analog computer display standard, the 15-pin D-subminiature VGA connector or the 640×480 resolution...
, EGA
Enhanced Graphics Adapter
The Enhanced Graphics Adapter is the IBM PC computer display standard specification which is between CGA and VGA in terms of color and space resolution. Introduced in October 1984 by IBM shortly after its new PC/AT, EGA produces a display of 16 simultaneous colors from a palette of 64 at a...
, or CGA
Color Graphics Adapter
The Color Graphics Adapter , originally also called the Color/Graphics Adapter or IBM Color/Graphics Monitor Adapter, introduced in 1981, was IBM's first color graphics card, and the first color computer display standard for the IBM PC....
display for managing the program under development and an independent monochrome Hercules
Hercules Graphics Card
The Hercules Graphics Card was a computer graphics controller made by Hercules Computer Technology, Inc. which, through its popularity, became a widely supported display standard. It was common on IBM PC compatibles connected to a monochrome monitor . It supported one high resolution text mode and...
or MDA card driving a second monitor for displaying debugging information. Many DOS debugging applications supported this configuation. It was possible to operate two display cards in this fashion, even with operating systems such as MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
which did not support multi-monitor natively, because the Hercules and MDA cards used a different hardware memory address than conventional graphics cards and could operate concurrently without creating hardware conflicts. Modern hardware is not affected by the limitations of earlier systems like these when running modern operating systems, because the hardware and software are both designed such that the operating system can abstract the various hardware devices from each other and then manage them appropriately. The first Macintosh computer to support multiple monitors was the Macintosh II
Macintosh II
The Apple Macintosh II was the first personal computer model of the Macintosh II series in the Apple Macintosh line and the first Macintosh to support a color display.- History :...
. The Macintosh SE/30
Macintosh SE/30
The Macintosh SE/30 is a personal computer that was designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1989 until 1991. It was the fastest and most expandable of the original black-and-white compact Macintosh series....
, which had one slot in it, also supported a second monitor which could be color even though the main monitor was monochrome.
Interactive television sometimes coordinates the use of a television screen and a computer display.
Arcade machines
A number of arcade games were released in the 1980s and 1990s which used a multi-monitor configuration. The earliest of these is the game TX-1TX-1
TX-1 is a 1983 racing arcade video game developed by Tatsumi. It was licensed to Namco, who in turn licensed it to Atari for release in the United States, thus the game is considered a successor to Pole Position II...
, a driving game by Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
from 1983, which used a cockpit cabinet with 3 19" CRT monitors side-by-side to give a wide viewing area. It's successor, TX-1 V8 released in 1984, also used the same 3 monitor configuration. Tatsumi released Buggy Boy
Buggy Boy
Buggy Boy, also known as Speed Buggy, is a driving style arcade game developed by Tatsumi in 1985. The object of the game was to drive around one of five courses in the shortest time possible. Each course has five legs, each filled with obstacles such as boulders and brick walls...
in 1985, in both cockpit 3 monitor and upright single monitor cabinets. Darius from 1986 used an upright cabinet which was around half as wide again than a standard arcade cabinet of the time. It used 3 14" FST (flatter squarer tube) monitors but in this case, 2 monitors were mounted on the left and right with the screens pointing upwards and one was mounted in a box at the centre rear of the cabinet, and using a two way mirror a seamless wide image was obtained. A similar effect was seen in Darius II
Darius II
Darius II , was king of the Persian Empire from 423 BC to 405 BC.Artaxerxes I, who died on December 25, 424 BC, was followed by his son Xerxes II. After a month and a half Xerxes II was murdered by his brother Secydianus or Sogdianus...
, also known as Sagaia, (which was also released in twin larger monitor format) and The Ninja Warriors.
As arcade technology entered the 1990s larger cabinets were being built which in turn also housed larger monitors - such as the 3 28" screen version of Namco's
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
Ridge Racer
Ridge Racer
Ridge Racer may refer to:*Ridge Racer , an arcade game first released by Namco in 1993, later ported to the PlayStation*Ridge Racer , a series of sequels and spin-offs based on the arcade game...
from 1993. Although large screen technology such as CRT rear projection was beginning to be used more often, multi-monitor games were still occasionally released, such as Sega's
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
F355 Challenge from 1999 which again used 3 28" monitors for the sit-down cockpit version.
Multi-monitor support
- OS
- Microsoft (not official): Virtual Display Manager
- X Window: XineramaXineramaXinerama is an extension to the X Window System which enables multi-headed X applications and window managers to use two or more physical displays as one large virtual display.It was originally developed by Madeline T...
and XRandRRandRThe X Resize, Rotate and Reflect Extension is a X Window System extension, which allows clients to dynamically change X screens, so as to resize, rotate and reflect the root window of a screen. The initial X11 design did not anticipate the need for dynamic resizing and it was necessary to restart...
1.2 - Nvidia: nView (Windows) / TwinView (FreeBSD, Linux)
- ATI: HydraVision, Eyefinity
- Citrix Presentation Server (Citrix ICA Client)
- Microsoft Terminal Services (RDP Client) value: RemoteApp
- Multi Display QuadStations -2-12 Displays
Application support
- Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 can have images open on different displays and different viewing styles.
- Bloomberg TerminalBloomberg TerminalThe Bloomberg Terminal is a computer system provided by Bloomberg L.P. that enables financial professionals to access the Bloomberg Professional service through which users can monitor and analyze real-time financial market data movements and place trades on the electronic trading platform...
s use two or four monitors. - Microsoft OfficeMicrosoft OfficeMicrosoft Office is a non-free commercial office suite of inter-related desktop applications, servers and services for the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, introduced by Microsoft in August 1, 1989. Initially a marketing term for a bundled set of applications, the first version of...
applications that do not employ the ribbon interfaceRibbon (computing)In GUI-based application software, a ribbon is an interface where a set of toolbars are placed on tabs in a tab bar. Recent releases of some Microsoft applications have embraced this form with a modular ribbon as their main interface. The Ribbon is a contextual interface that offers functionality...
can have the toolbars moved to the second monitor. Some side panels can be moved to another screen even in recent versions. - Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 supports multiple monitors, with support for multiple document windows and floating tool windows.
- Windows 7 introduces improved support for multiple monitors in extended desktop mode as compared to past releases of Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
.
Games support
The following games support multiple screens inherently:- RailWorksRailWorksRailWorks is a train simulation game. Developed by Rail Simulator Developments. It is a successor to Rail Simulator, and was released online on 12 June 2009 and in stores on 3 July 2009....
(PC) supports double and triple monitor displays when not in full screen. When RailWorks is set to full screen, desktop spanning must be used. This is an issue, as only Windows XPWindows XPWindows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
supports Desktop Spanning. - FlightGearFlightGearFlightGear Flight Simulator is a free, open-source multi-platform flight simulator developed by the FlightGear project since 1997....
(PC) An open source flight simulator that uses clear and simple XMLXMLExtensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
files to configure multiple displays. - Microsoft Flight Simulator XMicrosoft Flight Simulator XMicrosoft Flight Simulator X, also known as FSX, is the latest version of Microsoft Flight Simulator after Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004...
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000Microsoft Flight SimulatorMicrosoft Flight Simulator is a series of flight simulator programs for the Microsoft Windows operating system, although it was marketed as a video game. It is one of the longest-running, best-known and most comprehensive home flight simulator series...
- IL-2 Sturmovik (WW2 flight simulator)
- Supreme CommanderSupreme Commander (video game)Supreme Commander is a real-time strategy computer game designed by Chris Taylor and developed by his company, Gas Powered Games. The game is considered to be a spiritual successor to Taylor's 1997 game Total Annihilation,, alongside the Spring remake...
and World in ConflictWorld in ConflictWorld in Conflict, or WiC, is a real-time tactical video game developed by the Swedish video game company Massive Entertainment and published by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows. The game was released in September 2007...
(DirectX 10 in multiplayer ) both support multiple monitors in a dynamic manner of effectively displaying two aspects of the game simultaneously. - Uplink (PC) featured a multi-monitor setup utilizing the screens of two networked computers. However, this option was removed in the 1.31 patch.
- Early versions of DOOM (1.0 and 1.1) permitted a three-monitor display mode, using three networked machines to show left, right, and center views.
- X²: The ThreatX²: The ThreatX²: The Threat is a computer game developed by Egosoft for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X. It is part of the X Computer Game Series. It was released in 2003 and is a sequel to X: Beyond the Frontier...
(PC) often cited as one of the first video games to utilize a multiple monitor setup - Burnout ParadiseBurnout ParadiseBurnout Paradise is the seventh game in the Burnout racing video game series. It was developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts. It was released in January 2008 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and on February 5, 2009 for Microsoft Windows...
(PC), a racing game (only works in span mode) - DiRT 2Colin McRae: Dirt 2Colin McRae: Dirt 2 is a racing game released in September 2009, and is the sequel to Colin McRae: Dirt. This is the first game in the McRae series since McRae's death in 2007. It was announced on 19 November 2008 and features Ken Block, Travis Pastrana, Tanner Foust, and Dave Mirra...
(Eyefinity only) - R.U.S.E.R.U.S.E.R.U.S.E. is a real-time strategy video game developed by Eugen Systems and published by Ubisoft which was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, in September 2010. R.U.S.E. is a strategy game with systems, intended to be superior to a brute force approach. Instead these...
, a World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Themed online Multiplayer RTSRTSRTS is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:* Real-time strategy, a gaming genre* Reclaim the Streets, an organization* Reformed Theological Seminary, a theological seminary in the United States* Return to Sender...
game. - Clear the Swarm, a web game which utilizes dual screens, a primary for the main game and a secondary for additional information
- Test Drive UnlimitedTest Drive UnlimitedTest Drive Unlimited is an arcade-style racing game, the 9th game of the Test Drive series, it features over 125 licensed sports cars and motorcycles and a terrain modeled after the Hawaiian island of Oahu that features some 1000 miles of roads and highways. Test Drive Unlimited is the ninth main...
works in span mode using older NVidia drivers under Windows XP. - Fallout 3Fallout 3Fallout 3 is an action role-playing game released by Bethesda Game Studios, and the third major installment in the Fallout series. The game was released in North America, Europe and Australia in October 2008, and in Japan in December 2008 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360...
works in span mode using older NVidia drivers under Windows XP. It does not work under Extended Desktop in Windows 7, since extended desktop cannot define one large i.e. 2048x768 or similar spanned resolution. - Ship Simulator 2008Ship SimulatorShip Simulator is a vehicle simulation computer game which simulates maneuvering various ships in different environments, although without the effects of wind and current...
- Deus Ex: Human Revolution
- iRacing.comIRacing.comiRacing.com is an online, subscription-based racing simulation service for Microsoft Windows created by iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations...
(only works with three or more displays)
Other games such as Guild Wars
Guild Wars
Guild Wars is an episodic series of online 3D fantasy role-playing games developed by ArenaNet and published by NCsoft. Although often defined as an MMORPG the developers define it as a CORPG due to significant differences from the MMORPG genre. It provides two main modes of gameplay—a cooperative...
and World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
can also be made to run in multi-monitor set-ups, with the addition of third party software to enable the ability, or by running the game in windowed mode. A larger list of games that support dual/multi screen modes is available at WSGF.
- Star Trek: ArmadaStar Trek: ArmadaStar Trek: Armada is a real-time strategy game published in 2000 by Activision. The game's look and feel is based primarily on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and features a few of its main characters and ships. Playable factions include the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, the...
and Star Trek: Armada IIStar Trek: Armada IIStar Trek: Armada II is a real time strategy computer game published by Activision in 2001, based upon the Star Trek universe. The game was developed by Mad Doc Software. It is the sequel to Star Trek: Armada. Star Trek: Armada II was released by Activision a year after they acquired the full...
(There is an options that appears under Graphics under Display Drivers when a secondary monitor is plugged in. While in battle, the secondary monitor shows a cinema shot of 5(+/-) seconds of any activity at any one place on the map. It continues to cycle through all the action on the map in 5(+/-) second intervals. Although, you have to have the cinema option enabled for it to work.)
See also
- Comparison of multi-monitor softwareComparison of multi-monitor softwarePC setups with multiple monitors become more and more popular not only among professionals but also for home users...
- Dual-touchscreenDual-touchscreenA dual-touchscreen is a computer display setup which uses two screens, either or both of which could be touch-capable, to display both elements of the computer's graphical user interface and virtualized implementations of common input devices, including virtual keyboards...
- Multiseat configuration
- UltraMonUltramonUltraMon is a commercial application for Microsoft Windows users who use multiple displays. UltraMon is developed by Realtime Soft, a small software development company based in Bern, Switzerland.UltraMon currently contains the following features:...
- Video wallVideo wallA video wall consists of multiple computer monitors, video projectors, or television sets tiled together contiguously or overlapped in order to form one large screen...
- XineramaXineramaXinerama is an extension to the X Window System which enables multi-headed X applications and window managers to use two or more physical displays as one large virtual display.It was originally developed by Madeline T...
- Dual-screen software tools showdown: 3 of the best compared (Neowin, 2011-07-25)