roger2
I am actually running 5 monitors right now becuase the Matrox Marvel G450 etv AGP card only has one SVGA connector. The other output is for S-video. I do not have a TV with S-video so I am currently not using that connector. All my TV sets are very old sets, but even if I had a TV with S-video input I could not use it as a monitor anyway because the resolution would not be good enough to read web pages. Some of the new HDTVs are now coming out with an SVGA input so you can connect them directly to your computer via an SVGA cable. With that you have better quality than S-video and component video and then the TV set turns into a large montior with roughly the same resolution as any monitor. Those HDTVs are usally 32" or 36" or larger in size. Last year they cost about $2500.00, now they are about $1300.00. Best Buys and COSTCO carry some brands. I am currently working with 2 19" monitors, one 17" monitor, one 15" monitor and one 14" monitor. I have another four 14" monitors waiting to be connected. The only monitor that I paid for was one 19" monitor. The others were all free, so that is why I am spending a little money on very inexpensive dualhead video cards to add more desktop space. Since they are small monitors, I just need more of them to make up the desktop space I need. I should be able to run all my charts in both one minute and five minute timeframes when I am done. I will buy all 19" monitors once I make money trading to replace the older smaller ones. I can get a .25 dot pitch Sylvania F97 19" at COSTCO right now for $200.00 and the prices are coming down every three months or so. The other alternative is to buy one of those 36" HDTVs and replace like 6 monitors all at once. I am just waiting for the prices to come down more. Not all brands and models come with the SVGA connectors, but more and more are coming out that way now. Many people buy those TVs for the video quality and never use the SVGA connector on them. I found a lot available for sale on EBAY at very discounted prices, but I hesitate to buy a sligltly used TV on EBAY and then have it shipped. They weigh from 140 to 200 lbs depending on the brand and the size of the screen.
I have my 19" on the center of a 6 foot table. Then I have two others on each side. Then I have a white wire mesh 6 foot 16" wide shelf that I bought at Home Depot mounted on the wall behind the table and 20" above the table, that will hold my other four. I chose that type of shelving so that the heat coming out of the monitors could escape. I plan to place a fan on the side of them to blow air across the top of them to prevent them from overheating. The five on the table are sort of wrapped around me so that my head is no further than 18 to 24 inches from any of them.
I hope this answers your questions. Thanks for asking.
