Radeon screen mirroring?

[Phil21]

Hey,

I just picked up a Radeon 6990, and have it attached to a regular monitor via DVI out, this works well.

I also have a projector connected via HDMI to this card as a second monitor. This works fine as well.

I can span desktops across both monitors, as well as play games on either one. However - try as I might - I cannot figure out how to enable "screen mirroring". In Windows, this works fine on the desktop (mirror image), and does exactly what one would expect selecting "duplicate" under display settings.

However, when switching to full screen 3D mode - the Radeon stops sending a signal at all to the non-primary monitor. I've tried just about everything I can think of in Windows, as well as inside Catalyst Control Center. If I switch the primary to the HDMI-connected projector it works fine, but shuts off the DVI output. Vice-versa for switching primary to the DVI-connected monitor.

Is this something that is no longer supported? Am I just (hopefully!) doing it wrong? My goal is to game on the monitor + have the projector displaying the action to guests. I remember this being stupid-simple about 10 years(!) ago at my last netparty...

For what it's worth, the HDMI sound works great on the ATI - I get 7.1 of PCM to my receiver, and Battlefield 3 sounds absolutely exceptional on a full blown home theatre setup.

Any help is *greatly* appreciated on this. Very frustrating problem to have for something that should be dead simple!

-Phil

 

[Obsoleet]

I've done this before with my setup (Samsung plasma + 25.5" LCD) and I don't use duplication. It seems to cause tearing on the 2nd screen for some reason in games, I think it's because of my particular setup. Either way I would enable one or the other unless they're both LCD.

First thing to try is to hook up two lcds and see if that works, if it does then the answer probably lies in the particular projector + LCD setup (for whatever reason).
This isn't the best answer but serious question like this won't get a ton of answers unless you're trying to sell NV product or have some sort of title that draws in the "fans".

 

[Phil21]

Thanks for the reply, going to hook up a second LCD now and test that - good idea.

I have a GTX 570 I can try this with as well - it actually used to be the card in the machine, and honestly I'm pretty sure I've mirrored this exact setup with that card. I'm not certain though, so I'll test that as well just to see.

Thanks!

 

[wahdangun]

This is called "HTPC+HDTV Cloning" Features include cloned logon screens, automatic switching of the OS's default audio device to the audio output nearest the display in use, and automatic dimming of display not in use.

HTPC+HDTV Cloning is typically required where an office HTPC is in a different location than the lounge HDTV, and it is becoming more common as HDTV screen sizes get larger, DVI and Displayport cables get longer/cheaper, HTPC becomes standard in normal PC's and streaming TV off the internet (free and open iTV) availability becomes more familiar.

The best solution so far is Actual Multi Monitors and Coastal Audio Changer, but the developers of these applications have not cooperated to allow information to be sent between their applications, so the two apps need to be used separately.

The best wireless mouse so far is the old fashioned technology in the Gyro Mouse, and the best Universal Remote is the RF version of the Harmony One, but both of these are soon to be displaced by Smartphones with Universal Remote Emulators.

GoogleTV is still trying, but failing, to fix PC + TV integration, and if they eventually succeed, the Android emulator may be the one that stays the most useful.

Hope this helps. Cloning different resolutions is a hardware DRM nightmare, it could open the door to easier BlueRay ripping and slinging videos between devices that Hollywood finds threatening. I suspect the legal issues have stopped this obviously necessary functionality, and it will take a brave open source development team to tackle this one...