Dual Monitors: Can a 2nd monitor be 150ft away from the PC?

[Athlon4all]

My Dad just asked something interesting. Here's what He's looking for. He has a Status Program (it's a manufacturing plant) at work that he wants to be displayed on one monitor in one room, and then have a 2nd monitor hooked up on the same PC displaying the same thing, but the 2nd monitor would be like 150ft away from the PC itself. Is there even a cable that would extent that long? If it isn't possible, then do you have any suggestions on how to accomplish this? The program isn't something that can display what it's displaying on multiple PC's (ie the information that is constantly being updated, only comes to this one PC). So, any suggestions would be greatful.

 

[exorr]

Does this program run on an OS? Win2k, NT, etc? I'm not sure about the 150ft monitor cable but I know that there are multiple ways to accomplish such things. One example is PC Anywhere. Where I work we use Netop to get into all our different servers from one console, makes everything easier let me tell you.

Not sure exactly how this program runs though, but if it runs on win2k I would think it wouldn't be too difficult to do something like this.

 

[Adul]

wow that is quit a distance. The signal degradation would be so much that I doubt anything would be legable on the other end. You might want to try remotely located PC with some software that will show what is on his pc on another monitor.

 

[Mingon]

You can use a ethernet based KVM which sends the signal via the network cable and then get 150ft of cable.

 

[Sestar]

Network KVM switches maybe?

 

[BeauJangles]

PC anywhere would do that.. just get a cheap computer (400 mhz, 128 meg RAM, win98, etc) install PC anywhere on the computer you want the screen from and the cheap computer... run the client on the cheap computer and you can watch what is happening on the other monitor.

 

[Athlon4all]

<< Does this program run on an OS? >>

Yea. I know it's Windows, just dunno what version (will know by the end of the day).

Mingon and Sestar. A Ethernet KVM switch sounds like maybe the best option. Turthfully, the only reason I'm not so sure about PC Anywhere+a Cheap PC, is because, even if it's a PII or K6-2, that's still gonna be a lot more expensive (I would think) than a KVM Switch+Dual Monitor Video Card+Ethernet Cable. Let me ask something. Could someone show me a website that's selling a KVM switch? And also, how does it work exactley? Thanks guys! Anyone else have any suggestions?

 

[lorlabnew]

Agree with Mingon & Sestar; get ethernet KVM switch (used to have them at work to connect servers monitors & keyboards). Prepare yourself to pay quite a bit, since this is "business" gear and therefore priced accordingly (or used to be at least)

 

[Jfrag Teh Foul]

PC anywhere would do that.. just get a cheap computer (400 mhz, 128 meg RAM, win98, etc) install PC anywhere on the computer you want the screen from and the cheap computer... run the client on the cheap computer and you can watch what is happening on the other monitor.

 

[Athlon4all]

bump. Can anyone give me any info on the KVM Ethernet switch> Thanx!

 

[rockhard]

How about one of those Via Eden platform PC's running NT4 and VNC?
You could set the box up to autologon and run a script to start the VNC Client app and automatically logon to the VNC host on the PC you want to view.
You could make this client keyboard and mouse less and just have monitor.
Would be a lot cheaper than the network KVM.
Also be a nice project for yourself - dont tell your dad that though

 

[Athlon4all]

Hmmm, that is an interesting idea. Isn't Eden supposted to be $100+Case? Forgive me for being a dummy, but is VNC, PC Anywhere? Thanks for all the suggestions guys!

 

[Adul]

VNC is a free little ap that works pretty well. PC anywhere is another product that does the same thing more or less. There is also another one out there, though I can not think of its name.

 

[flood]

if you go with the kvm option, you can add a 2nd video card (prefferably matrox)
and use ultramon from realtimesoft to mirror the primary display on to the second one

be warned vnc is a bandwidth hog - it can cause lag on a 10megabit connection easily.
netop works lots better, but its not free like vnc is.

 

[FenrisUlf]

Here's a simpler and cheaper soloution. CompUSA sells a wireless transmitter/reciever that can be used to send a monitor signal 100-300 feet. The transmitter features a pass-through so that the original location can still use a monitor. CompUSA's site is down right now, but I think this should be the link. It sounds like what you need rather than having the cost and complexity of an extra computer and cable.

Edit: Oops! Bad link. My cache is playing tricks on me. The correct link is here.

 

[DcHoliday9]

<< wow that is quit a distance. The signal degradation would be so much that I doubt anything would be legable on the other end. You might want to try remotely located PC with some software that will show what is on his pc on another monitor. >>



At Chruch every Sunday we set up a projector with a 100 foot VGA cord and don't experence any signal degradation. I don't think you will have any troubles. The only thing is that the cord costs alot.

 

[Narse]

You can do what we do here at work with 5 monitors, we have a video splitter that boosts the video signal for up to 200ft before any signal. A splitter that does 2 can be found here Video Splitter and the cables should be there too, I bet you can do it for under 200

 

[Bulldog7000]

Just a thought about cable length.

I drive an LCD projector from the second head of a Matrox G400MAX that is 157 ft away. I split the VGA port out to 5 part component (RGBHV) with a Belkin cable and ran each component with their own length of RG-59 75ohm coax via BNC connectors to the projector.

NO SIGNAL DEGRADATION

I run the projector at 1024x768 and it looks beautiful.

BDOG

 

[Athlon4all]

Guys thanks so much for all the suggestions. Keep them coming!

Narse77 - Thanks so much for the link. If we decide to go that route, we will know exactley where to go. And yea, looking at that site, it's $130 for a 150ft cable, $50 for the splitter, and we're looking at about $50 for a Matrox G400/G200 so a tad more than $200 and when I think about it, building a Eden PC, PC Anywhere will prolly still end up being more than $200, and it seems like a KVM switch will very expensive as well, so it looks like my original Idea will be the best option. Thanks so much guys!

edit: just realized with the splitter I won't even need the Matrox Dual Video Card

 

[Narse]

No problem, Those splitters do a great job