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Old July 8th 04, 09:22 PM
Rik
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Default ATI Radeon 9600XT extending desktop (dual head) with two flat panel screens?

Hello,

I recently bought a Sony Vaio RZ504 desktop computer that has the ATI Radeon
9600XT graphics card. I have two flatpanel monitors and would like to use
the second one to extend my primary's monitor desktop to(dual head). I now
have one monitor attached with DVI cable, and the other one with the VGA
cable, but now I see my desktop on both monitors. Before I bought my second
flat panel I was told by many people in forums and newsgroups that I simply
could use a DVI-VGA adapter to extend my desktop (dual head), so I went out
to buy one and it still didn't allow me to extend my desktop. I think the
adapter I bought was the wrong one (the DVI cable did fit, but it looked
like the adapter was the wrong one for my DVI-D cable). I went back to the
store and they told me that they didn't have another one and that there are
different types of DVI-D cables. They told me that I should look more into
the display properties but I see no option at all to extend my desktop. Now
I am wondering if is possible at all to extend my desktop from one flatpanel
to another, since it isn't mentioned on the properties pages. It did say
something about XP having the option to extend the desktop, but I cannot
find any further info on that. Wilt my Matrox card this was so easy to do,
but with this card it seems impossible? If it is possible, what adapter do I
need exactly?

In this review (http://www.tweaknews.net/reviews/9600xt/index5.php) it says:
'There is a VGA (15 pin D-Sub), DVI and an S-Video (TV out). You can easily
run dual VGA monitors with this card, just by using a DVD-VGA adapter.' Did
they actually mean to type DVD-VGA adapter, or did they mean to type DVI-VGA
adapter? Should I be able to extend my desktop with a DVD-VGA adapter?

Here (http://www.svc.com/ati-r9600xt-rbx.html) I read:

'Display Support
VGA connector for analog CRT
S-video connector for TV / VCR 1
DVI-I connector for digital flat panel 2
Independent resolutions and refresh rates for any two connected displays
1 Optional S-Video to Composite Adapter available separately from ATI Online
Store.
2 Optional DVI to VGA adapter allows connection to a second VGA monitor.
Available separately from your retailer or the ATI Online Store.'

It doesn't say anything about two flat panel monitors. I'm not sure what
they mean with '2' in 'DVI-I connector for digital flat panel 2'.

If not, what are my other options? I don't see any use in connecting two
flat panel screens that display exactly the same desktop. Is there ANY way
to extend my desktop with two flat panel monitors? Or would it be possible
with a LCD television? Or would the television also display the same
desktop?

I'm very confused.. Hope someone can tell me more about this!

Cheers,

Rik.