using matrox triple head to Go and dual head to go is much better - as there is only one graphics card- and nothing needs to be transferred between them - there is no cpu/dma/pci hit at all using a triple head.

the problem is that there is no direct internal way for two graphics cards to share the same movie data without it going through the cpu/dma/pci bus - twice - the texture needs to be uploaded to all graphics cards - not just one...

using another graphics card could have a huge impact on performance - and might make the whole setup not work- possible - 25-50% degradation and playback instability- not performance neutral. not a no cost path...

using triple head has no impact on performance or on playback stability.


and you can use a triple head to go with a mix or layer preview mix..... you can preview anything on them.

the way people use this stuff- with the same movie data texture shared across all graphics cards - means that this is the technical limitation- and might kill the performance of the machine ( depending on how apple implements sharing textures between graphics cards .... )

people want to preview on a 3rd monitor - on a second graphics card - unfortunately thats the hardest thing to do - as ALL the movie textures then need to be on all graphics cards......

fine for games - but when people are doing what they are trying to do with this- it double or triples the pci data transfers with completely unpredictable results.

AND the only cards that you an use more than 1 - are the low end graphics cards...

Quote Originally Posted by Technickal28 View Post
Nev.

Thanks for the tips. I've been doing some testing with the machine, and while I don't think I'd take it showside without some serious testing, I do believe there's some functionality built in for Catalyst recognizing more than one video card/two outputs.

I completely agree with you that the software currently only generates TWO full screen video outputs. with no preview capabilities on the Output1 and Output2 windows. I've worked with it enough to know that. I'm still stubbornly looking for a third output / monitor option

The first inkling I got of this was when I had four monitors attached, and two full screen outputs, with the control and library windows on a third and fourth screen (respectively). I did this by just installing an apple supported video card, and dragging the windows onto the other screens. When I closed the program, and reopened, the windows reappeared on the third and fourth monitors telling me that Catalyst recognized that they were there.

In further digging, I found the screen shot you'll see attached. It seems like deep in the Catalyst software it's seeing all the displays that Mac is seeing.

Maybe this thread is shifting into the requests section of the forum that deals with what we'd like Catalyst to do. It seems like with the constant increase of Mixes, Layers, Universes, etc. . . that full screen outputs could be one of those things that goes up in the next coupla versions.

Just some thoughts.
Nick
www.digitalmediadesigns.net