Matrox's TripleHead2Go Digital Edition

What's got three DVI monitor outputs and a maximum output of 3840 x 1024? That'd be the promised Matrox TripleHead2Go Digital Edition, which finally provides a "Graphics eXpansion Module" for DVI fiends with a lot of desk real estate. You kind of have to wonder whether it's worth bothering though -- you're gonna have to pay $329 for the unit and $250 or so apiece for three 19-inch monitors just to get 3.9 megapixels of screen real estate, when for not much more you can just get a single 30-inch monitor (which at 2560 x 1600 outputs more than 4 megapixels) and not have to fuss with all those boxes and screens and cables and bizarre ultrawide resolutions. Hey, we're just saying.

[Jesse S @ Mar 7th 2007 11:16PM]

Well, it's more for gaming...

[JP @ Mar 8th 2007 5:08PM]

I beg to differ. While this would be great for something first person like a fight sim or just about any FPS with the extra peripheral vision it offers, the real market is in media editing. Audio and Video suites use timelines that could always be longer. Pallets and small windows normally work fine on a multi monitor setup, but not timelines. Also, most programs are not designed to play well with others when it comes to sharing screen real-estate, so even with a wide screen, there is waisted space and overlapping windows, especially sense 4:3 is still the norm so that is the proportions of most windows. Having 8:3 or 4:1 (12:3) to play with is very useful, if only for a niche few.

[John from Buffalo @ Mar 7th 2007 11:28PM]

These suck. They only do square resolution and don't span across accurate 19"-22" wide monitors. Also, on THAT note, the Mac produced iFlip sucks balls as well, because it doesn't support wide screen like 1440x990 or 1650 resolutions on standard wide PC monitor/LCDs.

Useless junk for today's world, unless you have like 3 19" SQUARE monitors!

[Timothy @ Mar 8th 2007 12:21AM]

Yeah, who the hell has 1280x1024 monitors anyway? They've only been industry standard for like 10 years. I admit things are moving towards a widescreen standard, but so called SQUARE (4:3 or 5:4) resolutions have been around the block a few more times.

I think this would be an awesome product to use with 3 projectors for a seamless 3840x1024 experience. If one could afford such things that is.

[Ryan @ Mar 15th 2007 9:54PM]

You can download expansion drivers from Matrox that support widescreen. I'm running the analog TripleHead2Go with 3 22' widescreens.

[Jesse S @ Mar 7th 2007 11:54PM]

I know, that sucks. It has to do with bandwidth.

[tchiseen @ Mar 7th 2007 11:59PM]

having a big monitor isn't the same as having 3 big monitors. doesn't matter how big your monitor is, you still cant multi task as well with 1 as opposed to more. keep in mind a lot of people may have a few 19" + crts that they want to use, so this wold be a good addition to their setup.

[Jesse S @ Mar 8th 2007 12:26AM]

I don't know what you're talking about. I multi-task great with my 2407.

[Adam Moore @ Mar 8th 2007 12:36AM]

This is it exactly. See how easy it is to mulitask using one large monitor. You might as well have one small monitor for all the minimizing and maximizing you'll have to do. Now if only I could get my employer to pay for it. hmmmm

[Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Mar 8th 2007 3:45AM]

Do not forget that Matrox has bunch of industrial customers building such stuff into e.g. racks. There - something like this with imaging libraries from Matrox - all makes good offer for simple imaging solutions.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Mar 8th 2007 5:05AM]

I Think the name of this product is a bit of an oxymoron: "Matrox's TripleHead2Go Digital Edition"

Who really carries three frigging monitors in their suit case "2GO"?

[scott @ Mar 8th 2007 12:03PM]

You're an Oxymoron...

[JP @ Mar 8th 2007 5:22PM]

TripleHead2Go means that is is designed to work with laptops, for presentations and such, and be relatively portable. It is not meant to imply that you bring displays with you. Check out the site.

[Apertotes @ Mar 8th 2007 6:48AM]

does anybody know if matrox is gonna realease any model supporting higher resolution for any single monitor? i mean, 1024 lines is really low. wouldn't it be great if it were possible to use 1600?

[john hancock @ Mar 8th 2007 7:31AM]

Who needs this? racing sim users. Envelopement (perepheral vision) is really important, not just screen real estate, if you want a realistic simulation. I race karts and find that being enveloped in the image rather than looking at a picture helps translate sim time into improved real-world times. My setup uses three projectors (1024 x 768). Unfortunately 1280x1024 projectors are still relatively expensive if you're going to buy three of them just for gaming and it doesn't get any higher than 1920x1080. There are several kart racing sims in development with kart physics (no differential or suspension) rather than car physics that I am pretty excited about...

[AZ Ken @ Apr 23rd 2007 11:53PM]

John Hancock....let's talk. I'm a Kart racer too, and am really looking forward to the 2 new Kart sims coming out this year. I've got questions about your pc sim setup though. I'm looking to switch to multiple monitors for that peripheral feel, but am so far undecided since I'm not sure about those monitor "edges" breaking up the view. You had mentioned you use projectors? Can you tell me more? Thanks, Ken

[Rick @ Mar 8th 2007 7:45AM]

This is very useful for companies who buy computers with on-site warranty support. For example. If your company buys LENOVO PCs, they are not allowed to put a non-IBM/Lenovo certified video card in it or the on-site service can walk away due to 'non-warranty hardware'. Guess how many triple monitor cards IBM/Lenovo has certified? None. So the only way to do triple displays and keep the on-site warranty is to use one of these external devices.

[Sal @ Mar 8th 2007 4:36PM]

This product is aimed at conference industry. You line up three projectors with a resolution of 1280x1024 each. You can then output animations that are 3840 x 1024. Matrox already have older products that run at 3072 x 768.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Mar 8th 2007 11:42PM]

I know what it means and what it's intended market is, but having to carry three LCD (or CRT!) monitors in your suitcase plus a laptop is not a very portable setup.

[Kevin @ Mar 17th 2007 6:41PM]

For laptop users who cannot added external dock with expansion slots (aka MacBook Pro) and want 2 large screen monitors with component inputs (Dell 2405/7 FPW), this is the best solution. I am moving from IBM Thinkpad with expansion slot dock with dual output graphics card. A 30-inch monitor would not allow settop box input. Pass experience with USB HDTV tuner have not been succesful either.

[JOHN GARRETT @ May 14th 2007 12:46AM]

I HOPE TO BUY one for office use: one mon for relational database, one for Word, one for IE. have run two 19 inch CRTs for years and want MORE real estate and elimination of irritating bezel in very center of prime screen space.....