Networking LCD TV with multiple PC's .... how??
Discussion
Hi guys,
I want to set something up in our office but not sure how to go about it.
We have multiple PC's on a network, all accessing (sharing) via a router / hub internet access / printer / file server.
We want to buy a phat LCD TV (40 inch ish) that we can also use as a monitor from any PC, but also as a TV.
The dream concept is...
TV on wall... from any PC you can do something that outputs your monitor onto the TV instead. That way any of us can present stuff, or show stuff to others in the office. I kind of imagine it working like you would from a laptop & projector.... i.e. press F button to change output to projector. I guess we need to change the channel on the TV to look at the shared channel or something but that's fine.
I'm guessing we need some kind of switch / hub or whatever to link this all up but I really don't know. If anyone's got any experience doing this please stick products / info here, or PM me.
I hope this kind of makes sense??
Thanks in advance guys!
I want to set something up in our office but not sure how to go about it.
We have multiple PC's on a network, all accessing (sharing) via a router / hub internet access / printer / file server.
We want to buy a phat LCD TV (40 inch ish) that we can also use as a monitor from any PC, but also as a TV.
The dream concept is...
TV on wall... from any PC you can do something that outputs your monitor onto the TV instead. That way any of us can present stuff, or show stuff to others in the office. I kind of imagine it working like you would from a laptop & projector.... i.e. press F button to change output to projector. I guess we need to change the channel on the TV to look at the shared channel or something but that's fine.
I'm guessing we need some kind of switch / hub or whatever to link this all up but I really don't know. If anyone's got any experience doing this please stick products / info here, or PM me.
I hope this kind of makes sense??
Thanks in advance guys!
Dead easy. Have one PC which uses the big LCD as its display, and use MaxiVista to access it over the network from any other PC. You have the MaxiVista clent running permanently on the PC, then anyone wanting to do stuff on the big screen runs MaxiVista server on their PC and they can either use the big screen as an extended desktop, or use it in remote control mode to run software on the "common" PC.
Cheap, fast, but get verson 2 if you can, v3 has a few "issues".
I've been using v2 for ages. I'm typing this on a notebook that has its own 1920x1200 screen and a secondary 1920x1200 24" TFT both driven by the notebooks video card, plus a 1600x1200 20" TFT MaxiVista client screen running on my server (which hosts multiple servers in VMware), a second server running another MaxiVista client on a 1280x1024 17" TFT, and a second notebook running a third MaxiVista client on its 1024x768 TFT. I can have all five screens as one huge extended desktop (your mouse will roll seamlessly across all five screens), or flip the three computers running MaxiVista clients into remote control mode where my keyboard and mouse operate each computer independantly - much better than a KVM switch as I just roll off one screen onto another computer, you have to see it to believe it. The "client" PC doesn't need to be anything flash either, the client software is tiny and very fast. The second notebook I am using is just an old Dell I7000, 300MHz PII processor with 512Mb RAM.
Amazing stuff for peanuts money.
Here's my Windows desktop display properties:
Not bad for a $40 investment!
Cheap, fast, but get verson 2 if you can, v3 has a few "issues".
I've been using v2 for ages. I'm typing this on a notebook that has its own 1920x1200 screen and a secondary 1920x1200 24" TFT both driven by the notebooks video card, plus a 1600x1200 20" TFT MaxiVista client screen running on my server (which hosts multiple servers in VMware), a second server running another MaxiVista client on a 1280x1024 17" TFT, and a second notebook running a third MaxiVista client on its 1024x768 TFT. I can have all five screens as one huge extended desktop (your mouse will roll seamlessly across all five screens), or flip the three computers running MaxiVista clients into remote control mode where my keyboard and mouse operate each computer independantly - much better than a KVM switch as I just roll off one screen onto another computer, you have to see it to believe it. The "client" PC doesn't need to be anything flash either, the client software is tiny and very fast. The second notebook I am using is just an old Dell I7000, 300MHz PII processor with 512Mb RAM.
Amazing stuff for peanuts money.
Here's my Windows desktop display properties:
Not bad for a $40 investment!
Edited by victormeldrew on Wednesday 24th January 17:02
victormeldrew said:
Dead easy. Have one PC which uses the big LCD as its display, and use MaxiVista to access it over the network from any other PC. You have the MaxiVista clent running permanently on the PC, then anyone wanting to do stuff on the big screen runs MaxiVista server on their PC and they can either use the big screen as an extended desktop, or use it in remote control mode to run software on the "common" PC.
Cheap, fast, but get verson 2 if you can, v3 has a few "issues".
I've been using v2 for ages. I'm typing this on a notebook that has its own 1920x1200 screen and a secondary 1920x1200 24" TFT both driven by the notebooks video card, plus a 1600x1200 20" TFT MaxiVista client screen running on my server (which hosts multiple servers in VMware), a second server running another MaxiVista client on a 1280x1024 17" TFT, and a second notebook running a third MaxiVista client on its 1024x768 TFT. I can have all five screens as one huge extended desktop (your mouse will roll seamlessly across all five screens), or flip the three computers running MaxiVista clients into remote control mode where my keyboard and mouse operate each computer independantly - much better than a KVM switch as I just roll off one screen onto another computer, you have to see it to believe it. The "client" PC doesn't need to be anything flash either, the client software is tiny and very fast. The second notebook I am using is just an old Dell I7000, 300MHz PII processor with 512Mb RAM.
Amazing stuff for peanuts money.
Cheap, fast, but get verson 2 if you can, v3 has a few "issues".
I've been using v2 for ages. I'm typing this on a notebook that has its own 1920x1200 screen and a secondary 1920x1200 24" TFT both driven by the notebooks video card, plus a 1600x1200 20" TFT MaxiVista client screen running on my server (which hosts multiple servers in VMware), a second server running another MaxiVista client on a 1280x1024 17" TFT, and a second notebook running a third MaxiVista client on its 1024x768 TFT. I can have all five screens as one huge extended desktop (your mouse will roll seamlessly across all five screens), or flip the three computers running MaxiVista clients into remote control mode where my keyboard and mouse operate each computer independantly - much better than a KVM switch as I just roll off one screen onto another computer, you have to see it to believe it. The "client" PC doesn't need to be anything flash either, the client software is tiny and very fast. The second notebook I am using is just an old Dell I7000, 300MHz PII processor with 512Mb RAM.
Amazing stuff for peanuts money.
Thanks mate - that sounds like an idea... we use VNC for remote desktop to our server so we could either try that or MaxiVista whcih i need to look at cost wise. We do have an old PC which we could use to connect up to the PC so could be a solution... thanks!
I use VNC as well; UltraVNC. MaxiVista is WAY quicker! The difference is it doesn't mirror the remote desktop, it just puts your mouse/keyboard onto the remote desktop. Great when you can see the screen you are using, but hopeless for real remote support. Fine for what you want I suspect.
Two of my MaxiVisa screens are actually on the desk behind me - I can see what is happening with the mouse if I squint, but I wouldn't want to do any detailed work on there! I can pick up the cordless mouse and scoot across my office 3ft if need be.
Two of my MaxiVisa screens are actually on the desk behind me - I can see what is happening with the mouse if I squint, but I wouldn't want to do any detailed work on there! I can pick up the cordless mouse and scoot across my office 3ft if need be.
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