[kwlug-disc] (Cheap) PCIEx1 dual (triple?) monitor cards, for old HDMI TV?

[B.S.]

One answer ... I see from reviews at 
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500355&nm_mc=OTC-sho6b0tCA&cm_mmc=OTC-sho6b0tCA-_-Video+Card+-+Nvidia-_-ZOTAC-_-14500355 someone is running two of these together to get 6 monitors. So ... yes, 3 of 3 displays! Cool.


----- Original Message -----
> From: B.S.
> To: KWLUG discussion <kwlug-disc at kwlug.org>
> Cc: 
> Sent: Monday, October 26, 2015 5:46 PM
> Subject: Re: [kwlug-disc] (Cheap) PCIEx1 dual (triple?) monitor cards, for old HDMI TV?
> 
>T hanks.
> 
> Can't seem to figure out (buried in the babble) ... would you happen to know 
> ... limited to any 2 of the 3, not all 3, displays? And ... do these things have 
> hw acceleration on them so a H.264 or .mkv file going across it takes less CPU 
> load?
> 
>> ________________________________
>>  From: L.D. Paniak
>> To: KWLUG discussion <kwlug-disc at kwlug.org> 
>> Sent: Monday, October 26, 2015 2:36 PM
>> Subject: Re: [kwlug-disc] (Cheap) PCIEx1 dual (triple?) monitor cards, for 
> old HDMI TV?
>> 
>> 
>> I have successfully used this card in the past:
>> 
>> http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500355
>> 
>> 
>>> On Mon, 26 Oct 2015 at 14:03 B.S. wrote:
> 
>>> 
>>> So, my AGP oldies on my P4 ~3.0GHz's are getting long in the tooth. 
> I don't game, but I do like my HDMI with digital audio out to my TV. As it 
> stands now on the AGP, vlc to the TV at 480 is fine, 720p if there aren't 
> too many small objects flying everywhere is also sufficient (before pixelation 
> kicks in / things slow down), but 1080i/p is right out. The ol' P4 just 
> can't keep up. For all I know the nvidia's I'm currently using have 
> some hardware decompression on board facilitating things.
>>>> 
>>>> Looks like Rogers is going to kill analogue cable on me Dec. 1. Now 
> have OTA (thanks Khalid!), but if/when that happens I'll also have to be 
> going to the websites to stream some shows.
>>>> 
>>>> Side Note: Acanac/Zazeen (only non-Rogers in-band inet TV with local 
> PVR provider) plans have gone weirder. Zazeen is now offering internet, not just 
> TV, but plans now have lower caps, or per GB cost for all 6pm-12pm traffic, 
> making cost higher than Acanac's. Just when you thought it's not 
> possible, comparing plans has become even more baffling.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Anywho, I notice I have one system with a PCI Express x1 slot.
>>>> 
>>>> I also notice that kijiji has some apparently reasonable dual core 
> single monitor systems for around $200/$250. I expect Computer Recycling has 
> similar, but likely not dual core Intel ~3+GHz systems with Hyperthreading. The 
> $200 dual core price point on kijiji doesn't seem to offer HT either. My 
> point about kijiji is only to say they're not dual or triple monitor either, 
> so I wonder if it's possible an x1 purchase now will move into a x16 slot 
> later, when such HT kijiji offerings become cost reasonable. (vs $650 - $1,500 
> for a new i7 with onboard triple monitor out ability. 16GB+ memory being the 
> killer added cost there.)
>>>> 
>>>> Dual monitor is fine, triple monitor is even better. Even if I clone 
> the 2nd monitor to the TV, so I can adjust the video window to nix the TV's 
> extreme overscan. Can't read text on the TV, so the monitor would let me 
> adjust things before switching to the comfy chair in front of the TV.
>>>> 
>>>> Are there such dual/triple monitor x1 cards out there (with one a 
> VGA out?), preferably with onboard hardware decompression for up to 1080p, and 
> what sorts of beasties am I looking at or for? Been partial to nvidia as their 
> proprietary linux drivers seem to work well enough, but I'm seeing hints 
> that the ATI (but not AMD?) cards also now work well enough - unlike the past.
>>>> 
>>>> Thoughts?