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Question

Monitors over dvi and vga

Feb 22, 2016 1:44PM PST

Ok so here's the set up. The desktop has two monitors and a TV that is supposed to copy the display off the second monitor.(the second monitor is an extension, not a duplicate of first). The VGA output on the PC doesn't work. So the monitors are fed via the dvi output on PC that splits into a dual dvi output, one for each monitor. The TV is fed via a VGA cord so they have a VGA splitter(1 VGA input two VGA output)

since the PC VGA output doesn't work I got a dvi to VGA and put it on the dvi output for the second monitor. I then plugged a VGA into the the dvi that is now changed to a VGA and used that to feed the splitter. Then I used a VGA to connect from one of the splitters outputs and plugged it into the second monitor and used the VGA that goes to TV to plug into the second output on splitter. This worked in that the second monitor displays the extended picture from the PC and so does the tv, however it causes the first screen(with all the controls and desktop icons) to become pixelated and unusable.

Is this because the first monitor is fed with dvi and the second is plugged in as VGA?(second monitor starts as dvi but has a VGA adapter so it can plug into VGA splitter) Can I fix this by buying a second dvi to VGA adapted and plugging in both monitors as VGA? Or is there a display setting that needs to be changed?

I hope that makes sense. Thanks for any help.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Given the price of splitters, cables and aspirin.
Feb 22, 2016 4:19PM PST

I'd get some USB video card and be done with this. Splitting DVI is hairy due to HDCP. So splitting there is more than a video card.

Nod to better video cards or USB video card.

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USB video card.
Feb 22, 2016 4:52PM PST

What would I use the usb video card for? How would I use it to fix the problem?

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(NT) I would use it so I don't use splitters.
Feb 22, 2016 5:51PM PST