Matrox DualHead2Go Digital Edition Review

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by Kevin O'Brien

The Matrox DualHead2Go Digital Edition is an external adapter that allows mobile users to connect two external displays to their laptop. These displays can either be DVI, or with an adapter, VGA. The real beauty of this product is it requires no drivers to function (platform independent), and unlike other USB display adapters, transmits fully accelerated 3D video to your screens. This allows you to display three HD movies, across three displays, at the same time if you so choose. The DualHead2Go, priced at $229.00, also has a few other tricks up its sleeve that might attract some non-business consumers.

Product Specifications:

• Add two independent displays to your notebook or desktop system and create a fully symmetrical DualHead setup.
• Run your desktop at up to 3840 x 1200 resolution stretched across two displays (1920x1200 per display).
• Harness the full graphics rendering power of your existing notebook or desktop computer. This includes the full video and 3D capabilities of your embedded graphics solution.
• Upgrade Intel integrated graphics on a desktop to DualHead without opening the chassis of the computer.
• Matrox PowerDesk SE software (for Windows only) seamlessly manages window positioning and message pop-ups and offers the flexibility to select a wider range of resolutions, including support for widescreen and standard aspect ratios.
• Compact device that may easily be taken on the road with you.
• Can be used with either analog or digital panels.
• Compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems.

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Right out of the box, the Matrox DualHead2Go Digital Edition works without a single driver installed. It transmits a standard monitor signal to your computer showing its maximum resolution and refresh rate, then handles almost any signal you can throw at it. While you can install the Matrox software for added window management, and some video adjustment, it is not required to operate. The only true limitation this device has is resolution and refresh rate, which is 3840x1200@58Hz at the maximum.

Performance

The only downside I found with the Matrox DualHead2Go Digital Edition is that when having DVI monitors connected to it, you are not able to make phase adjustments on the individual displays. Normally when hooking up a monitor to a VGA source, it will need to auto correct for alignment, and phase corrections. When most monitors work with a DVI source, these adjustments are locked out, since it thinks the signal coming in is going to be perfect. With the DualHead2Go getting its video source from a VGA connection and converting it into DVI, the interference comes in, but your monitor thinks it is supposed to look like that. Without the phase corrections you will end up with blurry text. On my two external LCD displays that I used to test the DualHead2Go, the amount of blur varied depending on the system used. However, if you use a DVI to VGA adapter for each monitor, running them through their VGA input, these options are allowed on the monitor and it completely corrects for this problem. Although the included Matrox software has an adjustment feature, it did not seem to change anything in relation to phase correction. With Matrox regularly updating their software and device firmware, I hope that internal phase corrections will be an included feature in the near future with their software package.

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For Business Users

The DualHead2Go gives business users the affordable capability to hookup more than just one display through their mobile device’s VGA port. With desktop computers, to add more displays you can usually just add an additional video card, but with a laptop expansion is not as easy. With this adapter, business users can increase their screen real estate by 50% with the addition of a third display (including the laptops own LCD). In the past you may have been limited to Word documents and web browsing, but not any longer … now you have one more screen on which to watch your favorite movie!

Business users with limited software installation privileges (company restricted access) will enjoy the lack of required drivers. Since the adapter can function almost fully without any of the included software, you don’t have to worry about running it past your over-worked IT manager to get approval for more screen space.

For Non-Business/HDTV Users

The special thing about the DualHead2Go Digital Edition is that it converts a VGA signal to DVI-D signal. Now as some of you might know, this is one step away from working with most new HDTVs. All that is required is a simple DVI to HDMI adapter, and you can connect your laptop directly to your new HDTV. As many new TV manufacturers phase out VGA connectors in place of the new HDMI standard, your ability to hookup to your laptop to a new TV is shrinking every day. The DualHead2Go can help with this transition, giving your laptop a new use in your home theater.

I experienced mixed success while testing out this capability with two HDTVs. One display that I had success with was a Hitachi 40” Plasma with a DVI connection. I had to tweak some of the resolutions to get them to work with the display's limited capabilities, but eventually found a few sizes that would work. The TV that I did not have much success with was a Sony 40” LCD (KDL40-S2010). No matter what external display refresh rate or resolution seting I used for my laptop, the TV would not even acknowledge the connection. Sony equipment has always been a bit picky for me in the past, so it could have stricter standards of what it would display through its HDMI connection. If you purchase the DualHead2Go for this purpose, I would first verify that your TV worked with a very broad range of resolutions and refresh rates. Some TV’s will accept anything thrown at them, and happily convert it to work, but others like my Sony HDTV won’t give it the time of day.

Conclusion

The DualHead2Go Digital Edition has a wide range of uses for many different types of mobile users. Most people interested in this adapter will purchase it for its dual display capabilities, while others might like it for connecting an older laptop to a newer television. Both of these consumers will enjoy the great support Matrox has to offer, as well as the affordable price. While it does have some flaws to work out with video adjustments, being a new product I hope the problems could be honed out as updates are released.

 

I had dual displays on my desktop and want to have it for my laptop at home. I have seen this all over and am glad to see a review here at a place that I trust. I might just go ahead a plan to get it along with the monitors.

Thank DIET!

 

Yeah for me using an externeal monitor along with my notebook lcd has definentely increased my "Productainment"(productivity/entertainment), i wonder how much my "Productainment" would increase with another monitor.
Maybe i shoulod buy the Matrox since i do have another 17in LCD around here somewhere...

 

does this boost 3d performance at all? would this let me play some 3d games on my macbook? Just asking i dont really play on my laptop

 

Actually it should slow it down because the graphics card has multiple monitors to process.

 

No, i think it sees it as one single big monitor rather than multiple monitors. Anyways, it has nothing to do with 3D.

What is the USB connector for? If you use that instead of the d-sub in, will it output perfect digital?

 

so does this make 2 monitors behave as one or as separate independent ones? When I maximize a window i dont want it spreading across both naturally. If I wanted to use 3 19 inch lcds and disable my notebook screen, should I buy a tripplehead2go or buy a doublehead2go and run another monitor separately?

 

USB is for power, and some control like the Matrox "adjustment" feature, no passing of video.

If you don't use the drivers, double clicking on a window spreads it across the 2 screens. If you have the drivers, you can set up unique monitors, or have it set to span between different displays.

I am not sure how well the triple head would work for 3 displays. I was running into video card driver issues where I could not push anything greater than 1280x1024x2 from my thinkpad. Depending on your video card, it may not support the huge resolution required for the tri-spanned setup.

 

Where are the pictures for the setup?

 

I didnt think anyone wanted to see my messy computer desk

Its just 2 monitors plugged in the back of the matrox unit both displaying 1280x1024 resolution. Was there a certain part you wanted to see in action?

 

Well, since it's a dual monitor setup box, it only seems natural that someone would have some pics of the thing. I mean, that's the point of it...

 

meh, no DVI in?

 

so could you duse this to run 2 monitors then use another vga or dvi out from a docking station to run a third? would it interact normally with the monitors connected to the dualhead2go?

 

Just FYI, The TripleHead2Go has a DVI input in addition to VGA, and can function in "Dual head mode" (2x 1920x1200) and "Triple Head mode" (3x 1280x1024).

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/news/pr/2007/th2go_digital.php

I guess they figure most laptops still only ship with VGA out (boo), and so they reserve DVI for the "high-end" market. Also, note they stress DUAL-Link DVI, not just Single-Link DVI < wikipedia>

Here's the detailed look from Matrox's site

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/gxm/products/th2go/digital/home.php

 

Fine fine, I will clean up my desk and take a picture of the setup

 

Doesn't the image get degraded when you use this thing though? The output from the computer is some huge resolution so over an analogue connection, shouldn't the image be crappier? My D-Sub can't even drive 1650x1080 but my DVI can do 1920x1200 with no complaints.

 

Once the phase correction was dialed in, I couldnt see any different in quality between a DVI connecton and VGA through the matrox unit on the same LCD display.

 

Oh, little update. I was given a heads up on an update for the DualHead2Go to allow internal phase adjustments. I will give a full update if this corrected my DVI issues.

 

Hey you never posted the pics of the setup? And what machines were you running (thanks , and please check your pms!.. I registered just for this wonderful review).

 

Bump for any updates. I'm interested in this thing.

 

Kevin have your tried to manually readjust your monitor?

By manually readjust, I mean to physically select the auto adjust on your desktop screens.

Hopefully it will fix your problems because it worked for me.

 

Yes, running through VGA completely removed the problem after the auto adjust. DVI though wasnt so lucky.

 

It could be your Monitor.

I remember that it sometimes have some problem with some monitor brand or native resolution.

If you ever have the chance and try on another pair of monitors and let me know the results.

 

hello guys,

i haven't found the answer to my question yet: does the dualhead2go work with linux as well (matrox states no linux support on their page). but is there a workaround or something like that to use it in any linux distribution as well! would be glad if you could refer me to any page answering my question or just give me a short explaining answer.

thanks in advance!

 

Hi Kevin, I just recently setup my DualHead2Go (Digital Edition) with 2 Samsung 204B monitors, with input from an old HP (Compaq?) NC8000. Built-in video is ATI Radeon 9600. Everything is compatible and runs fine (after hours of tinkering). The problem is I notice the soft text and blurry edges, I assume because of the phase correction problem you noticed. So I connected 2 male-DVI-to-female-VGA adapters to the DVI output ports on the DualHead2Go box, then ran conventional VGA cable to my monitors' VGA inputs, and now it seems like the DualHead2Go won't detect them. Can you think of any reason why? Was I supposed to insert the adapter at the monitor end of the connection (using an adapter with female DVI and male VGA)? I didn't think this would matter.

How is yours set up? And does resolution matter? I was running 3200x1200 with DVI, but do I need to reduce that to the "maximum" for the Analog Edition (which documentation says is only 2560x1024)? Or were you able to run the higher resolutions only available in the Digital Edition, even when pushing out analog signals with the VGA cables?

I noticed you emphasized dual-link DVI, and I notice my adapters are only single link (according to the pins missing in the middle). Could that be the problem? [EDIT: upon closer examination, my DVI cables are only single link too, and they worked fine, so the single link DVI adapters are probably not the issue]

Did this update ever occur? My DualHead2Go was manufactured late 2007 according to the service tag. But I still get some blurriness. Is there an internal (software) adjustment I can try? I'm apparently already on the lastest version of PowerDesk software (2.0.2.8 or something like that).

For Brave_turtle, I would try the monitors' built in Auto-Adjustment feature, but when I try an error message appears on the screen that says something to the effect of "Auto-Adjustment Not Available In This Mode."

 

UPDATE: I finally got it working with VGA adapters. But it's not really better, it's actually worse. Auto-adjustment in VGA mode made no improvement. I think I am going to try to go back to DVI mode, unless anybody has any other suggestions.

 

Can anyone confirm if the DVI out on Clevo 570ru / Sager Np9253 w/ Nvidia 8800 video card will be able to get 2 x (1920 x 1200) (3840x1200 total) with the TripleHead2Go?

 

That depends.
With a DVI/VGA adapter - Yes.
With pure DVI - Only if your DVI port is a dual-link DVI port.

I think only the Macbook Pro has a dual-link DVI port.

 

Regarding dietcokefiend’s review on the Matrox DualHead2Go Digital Edition, I only wish I could find a review somewhere on the web on the Gefen EXT-VGA-2-DVIS Plus, so I could compare these two VGA2DVI boxes. I would want to use this to occasionally convert the analog video output from the Lenovo T400’s VGA port to DVI for displaying DVD movies on widescreen HDTVs. Dietcokefiend’s final comments on the Matrox box were good but certainly less than excellent.

My T400 would probably have Corel’s WinDVD player 9 Plus software for Windows XP. That player software has zoom and slow motion features. Would using those features cause instability, distortion or other artifacts to the image the Matrox outputs to the HDTV? Might this particular Gefen model handle zoom and/or slow motion DVD playback any better?

In general, for my application, would the Gefen EXT-VGA-2-DVIS Plus perform much than the Matrox DualHead2Go Digital Edition, or are they pretty much of a match?

 

Hey All,

My laptop is only compatible with the dualhead2go. I assume that this adaptor won't allow me to add two monitors to my laptop and still use my laptop monitor. so i'd have three.

Cheers

 

DH2GO is ok but nobody will really use it for gaming, you need the TH2GO for 3 monitors.

For anything just business related there are cheaper alternatives that do not need the robust features and power found in the DH2GO.

Thats my opinion anyways.

 

Hey ,

yeah i currently use my laptop screen and one monitor whcih extends my desktop at work. its great.

But now i'm thinking why not have my laptop int he middle and a monitor either side.....

So the DH2go won't do this only the Th2go will it seems. What are the other cheap alternatives if any that would allow me to extend my laptop monitor onto two other screens (three total including laptop screen)?

Cheers

 

I dont think you can do that with DH2Go or TH2GO as both just make 2 or 3 monitors appear to your computer as one big monitor, there is no way to insert a small monitor in the middle. It would have to be to one side or the other.

Basically just remember the computer no longer sees seperate monitors, just one combined large monitor. This is the reason why it works with everything including 3drendering and games unlike some of the other solutions.

For you the best thing would be 2 cheap usb --> VGA adapters and plug in 2 monitors on each side. It will work great for work just not "play" (movies & games)

 

thansk heaps looks like that will work!

As I have second monitor (in addtion to my laptop screen) already running on my laptop through VGA. do you think I could just buy one usb > vga adaptor and run the third monitor off that? or would I have to buy two adaptors.

Thanks again.

 

dj_siek I am trying to do the exact same thing as you.

I just bought a ASUS N71JQ-A1 laptop and want to have it sit in the middle of my setup and have 2 identical 20 inch ASUS MS202N displays on each side of the laptop.

I want it to work as 3 monitors and have it so when i drag something off the right of the laptop display it goes tot he right monitor and when i drag something off the left it goes tot he left monitor.

I will be using this for work and possibly some video but no gaming.

I have been researching the best setup for this type of setup but having some issues finding info. Any help would be great.

Thanks
CC

 

I might have figured it out..... I think if you use a ViDock 2 you can do exactly what we are talking about. It will be interesting to see if we can find anyone doing this with a ViDock 2.

CC

 

Finally WUXGA capable!!! Might be time to grab one and a second 24in LCD!