Widescreen Gaming Forum

This is certainly a cool idea, and it maximizes the number of pixels available. But, it does reduce your aspect ratio. It takes the 15:4 or 16:4 of Surround, and makes it 15:8 or 16:8. That's almost back to regular widescreen of 15:9 or 16:9. Since it puts a bezel right in the middle of your FOV, I don't see the increased pixel size as a win-win. Now, doing it with projectors - that would be cool.

Tyinsar,

What are you using to mount your 6-monitor setup? I know there are mounts available, but I'm curious which one you use. I've been thinking of going the 6-monitor route also.

FalconAF (also in Las Vegas). :lol:

I run 6 monitors. I was looking for a solution as well for 6 monitors. Ergotron has a triple horizontal stand, but no double stacked option.

I previously had owned a double vertical stand, which has a taller mounting pole.

So......I bought two of the triple horizontal mounts......combined it with my taller mounting pole, and ended up with a double-stacked hex LCD mount.

I'm in the process of making the move to 6 22", buying my 3rd 22 this week and running 3 22" along the bottom, 3 17" along the top.

Here are some pics:

This is the original setup (you can see my vertical mount on the left)



And then the new setup after I assembled the stand



And all together with the computers in place with the top shelf.

Code:

._______ _______ _______
   |       |       |       |
   |   1   |   2   |   3   |  one for each full screen (1,2,3)
   |       |       |       |
   '-------'-------'-------'
    _______ _______ _______
   |               |       |
   |       4       |   3   |  left + center (4)
   |               |       |
   '-------'-------'-------'
    _______ _______ _______
   |       |               |
   |   1   |       5       |  center + right (5)
   |       |               |
   '-------'-------'-------'
    _______ _______ _______
   |   |               |   |  2 screens wide but centered (6) (windowed game)
   | 7 |       6       | 8 |
   |   |               |   |  Half screens on either side of centered grid (7,8)
   '-------'-------'-------' (Skype/<strong>TeamSpeak</strong>/...)

I found Vert- games to be most bearable when run in a window in grid 6.

maybe you might like TeamSpeak Overlay.
it's a free OpenGl and DX hack, that displays channel, current speakers, framerate and time on a side of your screen. easy to install and operate.

Tyinsar,

What are you using to mount your 6-monitor setup? I know there are mounts available, but I'm curious which one you use. I've been thinking of going the 6-monitor route also.

FalconAF (also in Las Vegas). :lol:

Sorry for the long delay in a response, I've been away.

I removed the plastic housings and attached the metal shields on the backs to horizontal 1x6 boards and attached those to vertical 2x4 boards. It's all very temporary since I'm still considering solutions to the bezel issue - I think I have a great idea but time will tell. That, however, will have to wait (probably until at least October) since I have a house to finish and wedding to plan :D

Edit:

...
maybe you might like TeamSpeak Overlay.
it's a free OpenGl and DX hack, that displays channel, current speakers, framerate and time on a side of your screen. easy to install and operate.

Thanks for the heads up on that. I might try it some day but currently my guild and I are using Skype just for simplicity's sake. Also, using Skype / TS / Vent. / ... on the edge was because Guild Wars is Vert- (which sucks) but cutting the Horizontal also cut that back to a playable level.

Actually I've been running six screens on two TH2G units for a while - It's Very Nice. I'm using vertical span mode so my resolution is 3840*2048. It doesn't require any special setup but there are a few issues.

1) Vista drivers don't support any span modes so I have to use XP.

2) Both units have to be on the same card so no SLI etc. This means graphics power is seriously limited for newer games. (I mostly use it for Guild Wars and surfing the net.)

3) At the time I started this the best cards were ATI's 1000 series which did not support ful res on a TH2G. The 2000 series does but I'm now using an 8800GT anyway. I don't know how their 3000 series would do (I really want to try a 3870 x2 but it's not in the budget at the moment).

4) Before I start my system I have to unplug and replug(?) the lower unit otherwise the system won't detect it.

I'm not using any of Matrox's software - at least not since I found GridMove (link) and even made grids for it here: (link)
and Here: (link)

Heyas, I'm following your lead my friend and need some advise... i have ordered my second TH2TG and have all my six monitors debezeled and mounted with minimal spacing pretty nice for a mod job... when i attach the second TH2TG i should have NO matrox drivers installed right?

When i do that what will the computer see my monitors as since from my experience its always needed the drivers to install the monitors as a matrox display under the device manager.

will gridmove support the 5040 wide resolution?



Thanks man and im so glad i found your post PROS to doing this over waiting for the buggy *** drivers and hardware from ATI

is that once this is working i can use ANY video card for the setup even 3 years from now unlike ATI eyefinity 6 where youll have to rebuy

a video card everytime and lets say ATI stops supporting eyefinity 6 your then crap out of luck... and from previous forums ive seen that ATI will only be putting eyefinity 6 on the new 5870 2gb card NOT the 5970s... kind of pathetic...

Lol a little hate directed at ATi there :roll:

Nah sorry, not bashing ATI just seeing that an external unit handling the six or more screens is smarter for future upgrade planning...

Ok issue now i got six screens running and it looks like matrox now supports it!
issue is i have the top 3 screens running at 5040 resolution but the bottom three wont go past 3870 the TH2GO models are the same, firmware, and drivers... if i unplug one the remaining one will then go to 5040... gonna drop to xp and see what happens. ive set my comp up as a triple boot just for this reason lol.

Will report back..

Oh and Matrox now has an 8 to 16 monitor card, starts with 8 monitors on one card but itll cost ya 1700+ dollars.

Voltayr

Hey guys here is my setup and ya i got it almost working in win 7 one set of screens is 5040 wide but i cant seem to get the other set to go 5040 its stuck at 3870 and errors when matrox tries to apply the widescreen mode..

but here is the getup working full wide 5040 in xp

Also modded the screens removed all bezels and rigged a mounting system out of PVC. now the separation is only 1/4 except for the horizontal one im working on that still...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VIzHtsAlfQ
Voltaire

http://www.youtube.com/user/valorboundstudios#p/a/u/0/qUXF-4Qf8mc

Latest reduced horizontal bezel

http://www.youtube.com/user/valorboundstudios#p/a/u/0/qUXF-4Qf8mc

Latest reduced horizontal bezel

to me it seems like the fish eye effect is reduced or disappears with 6 monitors(compared to 3 )in landscape,is that a fact though?