Hauppage Colossus + ATI Radeon 5770 + 2 DVI Displays?

[isolte]

I'm trying to hookup my Hauppage Colossus capture card to record PC footage but I'm running into a problem. It is supposedly possible to plug the Colossus into the HDMI out of my video card, but as soon as I plug it in, my computer seems to recognize the Colossus as my MAIN display, shutting the signal off to my two DVI display(s*)! *I've also tried this with only one display plugged in as well, and it still seems to redirect the video to the HDMI out (at least that's what I'm guessing it's doing since I'd need to hookup an HDMI splitter to an HDMI display to see what it's REALLY doing but I don't have one available at the moment.)

Also, I know that my card is not capable of 3 displays without a display port adapter and Eyefinity group setup, but that is not what I'm trying to do here. ---What I'd LIKE to do (if it's possible with my ATI Radeon 5770 HD) is this:

GFX Card DVI 1 out -> Display 1
GFX Card DVI 2 out -> Display 2
GFX Card HDMI out -> Colossus (via HDMI-HDMI cable)

Is this setup even possible? I've seen videos of setups with dual display that WORK, but the difference is their MAIN display is HDMI, and they are hooked up to their Colossus via DVI out (from video card) to HDMI in (on the Colossus).
Like this:
GFX Card HDMI out -> Display 1
GFX Card DVI 1 out -> Display 2
GFX Card DVI 2 out -> Colossus (via DVI-HDMI cable)

They have Display 1 mirrored onto the Colossus (which is what I want to do too!) But I can't even change the "arrangement" of my displays as soon as I plug the Colossus in! DX

I'm guessing that an HDMI splitter from my video card to both an HDMI display AND the Colossus would at least help me figure out what is going on (like if my computer really is, in fact, recognizing the Colossus as my main display as soon as I plug it in)... But I don't have an HDMI display conveniently available at this time.

Anyone know what I'm doing wrong here (besides being a woman... Yeah, don't even start... ) THANKS!

 

[Spaniard United]

Anyone know what I'm doing wrong here (besides being a woman... Yeah, don't even start... ) THANKS!

I laughed.

You say that your 5770 is capable of output to 3 displays without the use of displayport or an adapter, so I assume you own the Sapphire FleX HD 5770 with 2 DVI ports, 1 HDMI port, and 1 Displayport?

What Windows version are you running?

 

[Wolfshadw]

The problem you're running into is your graphics card is automatically setting whatever is connected to the HDMI port as the primary display. I have NO IDEA why AMD did this. I think what you're going to need to do is:

1) Connect the monitor you want as the primary display to the DVI port and the other monitor to the HDMI port.
2) Boot up your system (the HDMI connected display should be the primary).
3) Go into Catalyst Control Center and change the primary display to the DVI connected display.
4) Reboot the system to test. If the setting held, the DVI connected display is still the primary display.
5) Shut down, pull the HDMI cable from the other monitor and connect to the Colossus.
6) Start up and you should be good to go (in theory).

-Wolf sends

 

[isolte]

@Spaniard United- Yes, I do have the Sapphire 1GB 5770. (2 DVI ports, 1 HDMI port, 1 DisplayPort.) And I am running Windows 7 (64 bit)

@Wolfshadw- I agree with you. I'm guessing that AMD was thinking, "HDMI is the new hotness, so if you plug in ANYthing HDMI, you should be using it even if you don't want to!" Hehe...

Well, anyway, between now and my original post, I've acquired a DVI-HDMI adapter, a DisplayPort-DVI adapter, an HDMI splitter (2 Outputs), and a "manually edited" HDMI cable. (Lol, my friend advised that if I disable the "Hot Plug Detect pin" by taping the teeny tiny thing up, it might bypass the autodetect thing.)

Here are all the configurations I've tried and their results:

---Config 1a---
GFX Card DVI OUT 1 > Display 1 (1600x900)
GFX Card DVI OUT 2 > Display 2 (1600x900)
GFX Card HDMI OUT > "edited" HDMI cable > Colossus

---Config 1b---
GFX Card DisplayPort > DisplayPort-DVI adapter > Display 1 (1600x900)
GFX Card DVI OUT 1 > Display 2 (1600x900)
GFX Card HDMI OUT > "edited" HDMI cable > Colossus
RESULTS: Both Display 1 and 2 worked as normal because the PC didn't detect anything plugged into the HDMI port upon startup. =3 I went to change the desktop arrangement and (as expected) only 2 Displays were showing up. As soon as I manually "Detected Displays" in order to setup the 3rd (the Colossus), my DVI displays shut down.

Restart. I got on Skype with a friend and Screen Shared to see if she could see my desktop when my displays shut off, and (Surprise! Surprise!) she could! We then tried Team Viewer so she could remotely change my Desktop Arrangement, but that didn't work. (Team Viewer went black for her when she manually Detected my displays! lol)

Restart. Got back on Skype and Screen Shared, but this time she vocally directed my mouse movements (hilarious teamwork, btw). But that didn't work either. And mind you, we tried everything: Creating an Eyefinity Display Group, Arranging Desktops, Mirroring, etc.. But we still kept getting errors. I gave up on that config.

---Config 2a--- (Let's try the HDMI splitter!)
GFX Card HDMI > Splitter OUT 1 > Display 1 (1600x900)
GFX Card HDMI > Splitter OUT 2 > "edited" HDMI cable > Colossus
GFX Card DVI OUT 1 > Display 2 (1600x900)
RESULTS: Displays 1 and 2 worked as normal. I opened up my video capture software (ArcSoft Showbiz, which came included with the Colossus) but the video preview only showed bright, colorful banding.

---Config 2b--- (Let's get rid of the "edited" cable.)
GFX Card HDMI > Splitter OUT 1 > Display 1 (1600x900)
GFX Card HDMI > Splitter OUT 2 > HDMI cable > Colossus
GFX Card DVI OUT 1 > Display 2 (1600x900)
RESULTS: Displays worked fine, but instead of banding in the video preview window, there was nothing at all, just solid black.

---Config 2c--- (Let's disable Display 2 *sigh*)
GFX Card HDMI > Splitter OUT 1 > Display 1 (1600x900)
GFX Card HDMI > Splitter OUT 2 > HDMI cable > Colossus (native 1920x1080)
RESULTS: Same as Config 2b (Display worked, but video preview showed nothing but black). At this point, I'm wondering if the Colossus even works and I begin to suspect that the problem may have something to do with the resolutions of my Display and the Colossus being different....

---Config 3--- (So, I commandeered my boyfriend's 1920x1200 display!)
GFX Card DisplayPort > DisplayPort-DVI > Display (1920x1200)
GFX Card DVI OUT 1 > DVI-HDMI > Colossus
RESULTS: Yes, I cut out my Display 2, cuz at this point I just wanted to know that my Colossus even works. XD To my dismay, I got an error: "Unable to duplicate displays. For more information please check Help." So , I clicked help, and BAM! It says right there that desktops cannot be duplicated on multiple displays if a display is a graphics processor (the Colossus)... After my temper tantrum subsided, I had one option left to try before I called it quits for the night.

---Config 4--- (Let's try the HDMI splitter again!)
GFX Card HDMI > Splitter OUT 1 > Display (1920x1200)
GFX Card HDMI > Splitter OUT 2 > Colossus (1920x1080)
RESULTS: The resolution of the Display was automatically downgraded to 1920x1080, and the picture appeared to be vibrating. DX Aside from the fact that the pixels were vibrating and the picture looked squished because of the resolution change, I wanted to be sure my Colossus worked, so my eyes fought through the vibrations and I opened up the Video Capture software. *CHEERS* My desktop appeared perfectly in the video preview window (or so I'm guessing since my display was all shakey.)

Excitedly, I recorded a short test video in my software and watched it. The video played back at double speed.... I threw my hands in the air and gave up since 6am was creepin up on me. LOL.

-------Conclusion (for now)--------
At this point, I'm guessing that the picture was shakey on the 1920x1200 display because it was not 1920xTEN-EIGHTY native. So the splitter was having signal sending issues? Maybe? I dunno! DX But with that in mind, I will be testing out yet one more config (trying it with my HD TV (which is 1080 native))! But that will come when I feel like wrestling with my computer again. XD

Hope this info helps anyone to help me figure out how the heck to get my Colossus set up to record PC footage. I mean, if it will require me to get an HDMI 1080 capable display, I'm at a point where I just need to know if that is something I will have to do! XD And I'll let you all know what the results are of my TV test when I get to it!

THANKS!!! <3