Video Wall using multi output graphic cards

Q: Is this for professional use or personal use?

For professional use, you may want to check out Datapath Fx4 or x4 Display Controllers, then just feed your external computer mirrored to the wall. There is also Dataton Watchout or AvStumpfl Wings Platinum, both being multi-display software on a medium to high end Windows PC(s) with, say, an AMD Firepro W4100, W4300 or W5100 for 4-outputs direct to the TVs, or the Firepro W600 for 6 outputs. The W600 has limitations handling 6 outputs in full HD depending on the codec used for video files. For a more powerful solution the Firepro W9100 is a safer choice if you cannot control the video codec used for the video files. If it is just Windows desktop, the W600 is not a problem.

You said:
"...Along with that, to give the input to the video wall from any external system for which I thought of installing another graphic card with an HDMI/DP input port. Both graphic card will be connected to each other via Crossfire/SLI."

As far as I know the above will not work. Two graphics cards in the same PC connected via Crossfire/SLI will not capture the output of one into the other the way you want. Generally graphics cards do not capture inputs - some variants may but this is not normal. Instead, we usually install a Capture Card instead. This Capture Card captures the output of an external PC or video source (cameras, switchers, etc) usually via HDMI/DVI or SDI, and internally feeds the captured signal(s) to the graphics card under control of a multidisplay software (Dataton Watchout or AvStumpfl Wings Platinum). Capture Cards can be from Datapath (eg. VisionAV range), Magewell (China equivalent of Datapath at about 60-70% of the Datapath price), or Blackmagic's Decklink series.

Another (much cheaper) option is to capture the external computer's output via Ethernet - simple Cat5 cable. I know for certain that Dataton's Watchout has this feature. However, it involves installing a VNC software like realVNC or UltraVNC in the source computer. Be aware that corporate clients may not allow you to do this - install remote control software into their pc.

Thomas Leong

A1. Yes they do. The capture cards have options to capture DVI (HDMI would be with a DVI-HDMI adapter or adapter cable; the Magewell I have came supplied with one such adapter), and/or SDI, and even old analog. Just study the various models carefully before choosing.
Drivers are required, else Windows cannot communicate with the installed device. The cards come with their own capture software, but these are quite basic. If you want to position, scale, assign the output to 1 or more of the graphics card's multi-outputs, then more sophisticated software is required (Some are cheap, some expensive...depending on user needs and level of sophistication. I use Watchout and/or Wings - expensive).

A2. If I read your question correctly, yes, the captured stream is internally transferred ( the better more expensive ones via DMA - Direct Memory Access - for lower latency) to the multi-output graphics card. The 'control software' such as Dataton Watchout allows you to scale, position and direct the captured stream to the output of your choice, eg. sharing half between output 1 and 2, or shared over all outputs.

A3. basroil has given the approx prices of Blackmagic cards (as published on their website). They come with driver and Blackmagic Desktop_Video_Windows or Mac capture software.
Magewell cards are sold on Amazon and bhphotovideo from US$300 - 900 range. They come with driver, but not capture software. Magewell cards use the shareware amcap instead, or the free vidcap32.exe.
Datapath are sold through their appointed resellers/distributors only and are the more expensive, but also with the least latency (important when doing live audio with a video closeup of the speaker-on-stage situation). For example, the Datapath VisionRGB E2S is around US$1,500, the VisionAV-SDI around US$1,800, VisionSDI 2 about US$1,700, etc. - Datapath is from the UK so prices may vary depending on where you are. Datapath cards come supplied with driver and their own capture Vision software.

I did a simple test today with AMD's Eyefinity using my 4-output el cheapo AMD Firepro W4100. I have never tried Eyefinity till now because the multi-display software I usually work with do not use Eyefinity and uses the various displays in Extended mode only.

Eyefinity comes as part of the AMD driver/controller CD or is downloaded from AMD's website. Works fine in grouping all my 4 outputs as one big display of 3840x2160 resolution (4 units of 1920x1080 arranged as 2x2; other arrangement options are also available in the Eyefinity setup pages).

Thereafter, Windows desktop, etc will just fill the videowall as one image. Did a test capture with my small Magewell Xi102XE-HD capturing my 1920x1080 laptop's output via HDMI. Works fine with the shareware/free amcap software.

So you do not need the expensive software such as Dataton Watchout or Stumpfl's Wings or others, though these do provide more versatility and options in operation.

Referring back to your original post, a 3x3 arrangement is 9 displays. In such case, the only 9-output graphics card I know of is the Matrox C900. As far as I know, be aware that Matrox cards are known to work only with their software (i.e. chances are they do not work well with controller software from other companies).

Good luck!

Yes, no extra software was used except for the amcap shareware/freeware. Tried vidcap32 but amcap has more options.

Did not try rotation of individual screens. Should be do-able before applying Eyefinity. If after Eyefinity, would have to be done as a group. I can try that over the weekend, and will revert.

I have tried vertical mode with my own 2-monitor desktop before and do not advise anyone to go that way unless you are sure there will be no more BIOS or Windows tweaking/troubleshooting/etc...because vertical mode (rotate +/-90 degrees) does not take place until the graphics drivers are loaded. This means before that occurs, one has to work (trouble-shoot/tweak/etc) with figuring out which direction the mouse/keyboard arrow keys move since monitors are rotated. After the gfx driver is loaded, it is not so confusing.

Yes, Magewell products do not come with an application software unlike Datapath and Decklink. Magewell uses the shareware/freeware amcap. Guest computer does not need any software installed for the capture to take place. Just connect up HDMI out of it, enable mirror mode in Windows and that's it.

Ok, went into office today (mistakenly thought it was Friday yesterday!), and tried Rotation with Eyefinity. After some failures, following is what I have noted to ensure a successful Eyefinity install for a videowall -

2x2 Landscape Eyefinity:
Quite straightforward.
Right-click on desktop > AMD Firepro Settings > select Layout > 2x2 > Next > click and drag each 'Available Display' to 2x2 configuration > Create AMD Eyefinity.

2x2 Portrait Eyefinity with 1xLandscape standalone.
This is my recommended solution - to have a 6-output graphics card like the Firepro W600, and use only 4 outputs for a Portrait 2x2, and 1 output for a landscaped monitor for settings, normal operation, starting/previewing applications/video, etc.

1. In Windows desktop, make Display 1 your Main Display, and change Displays 2, 3, 4 & 5 to Portrait mode in Windows. Arrange Displays to the configuration you intend, eg. 2x2. Depending on the bezel thickness of the displays, one or more may require 'Portrait flipped'. Display 1 should be the monitor in front of you for easier operations from here on, in Landscape mode.

2. right-click in Windows Desktop > AMD Firepro Settings > Eyefinity > Advanced Setup to bring up the AMD Eyefinity Pro Configuration Tool window. If the AMD Firepro Settings window opens in one of the portrait mode displays, the mouse orientation will be confusing. Carefully click and drag it to the Landscape display 1 for easier operation.

3. If the diagram shown does not reflect the Windows settings for Portrait mode, then in this AMD window, left-click on each relevant display again > select Rotation to Portrait.

4. 'Select Layout' > 2x2

5. 'Next'

6. click-drag-and-drop 'Available Displays' to the diagram shown. In my case, because I only have a 4-output gfx card, I selected displays 2, 3 & 4 for a 3x1 Portrait leaving display 1 out which remained in Landscape mode. The diagram shown will initially be in landscape mode, which will changeover to Portrait mode as each display is dragged-and-dropped onto it, and as along as Steps 1-3 above were done.

7. select Create AMD Eyefinity Configuration.

8. Check by opening an application or Windows Explorer, drag over to the Eyefinity display, click to fill screen. Try a capture if you have a capture card installed.

Additionally forgot to mention that for anything more than 2 outputs, you must use ACTIVE miniDisplayPort-to-DVI adapters. Passive adapters will give EDID problems (a passive adapter should come bundled with the graphics card). ACTIVE adapters are slightly more expensive - eg. brands I know are from Sapphire, Accel, etc. If the input to your monitors/TV is HDMI, then a DVI-HDMI adapter is also required. So it is miniDP-DVI, then DVI-HDMI, then HDMI-HDMI cable to monitor, for each monitor. Note that miniDP-HDMI adapters connected direct to the graphics card's outputs may not work (read: likely not work). Could be the electrical conversion, or DP or HDMI versions in these types of adapters. ACTIVE miniDP-DVI adapters are safer (but get spares; may overheat and fail at times), and DVI-HDMI adapters thereafter is a straight digital-to-digital connection so will always work.

Good luck!