Questions about video routing/capabilities in Win8.1

[IsocellatorComm]

Hello there,

I have been using Macs exclusively for nearly 14 years now, and am tentatively branching back to a Win/PC system, which I haven't operated for quite some time, and I have a few questions about Win 8.1

I have a few (perhaps obvious) questions before buying - since I haven't bought a Win/PC system since the '90s, and I suspect things have changed since then


1) Can output video be routed directly from Resolume through Windows to the hardware ports, or is there an additional program required to manage it properly? The laptop in question (an MSI) brags about a "Matrix Display" that will "support 3 more LCDs". Is this a function of Win 8.1? or is this added-on software by MSI; and if so, will it co-operate with Resolume without adding latency/lagging/problems?

2) Does the Quicktime DXV codec work properly with Windows 8.1? Or is it up to the Resolume software to properly distribute processing tasks between the main CPU and the graphics card? Either way, does Win8.1 work optimally with the DXV codec?

Thanks for your time and reassurances! I am excited about jumping platforms, but I am a wee bit nervous about "surprises" that I might find that are new to me, but obvious to long-time PC operators...

Cheers!
Isoscellator

[Sadler]

Welcome to the dark side.

The way multiple outputs in Windows works has only slightly changed over the last decade. It has depended on bios, graphics card and Windows capability (and market demand) but we are now in a position where a single PC with a single graphics adapter can output to six screens.

There are such things as Matrox multi heads that filled the gap when graphics cards didn't support multiple displays.

Nowadays, this is all handled by the graphics adapter and Windows, and Resolume sends the UI to the 'main' screen and outputs to all others (using advanced output). If you consider graphic drivers to be add-on software then, yes it uses add-on software (and I am far from an expert on this or how Resolume actually does this) but through things like OpenGL and DirectX applications can have direct access to GPU hardware so there is little latency. Latency is more likely to creep in if your HD can't keep up or the display's processing introduces delay.

If you review the benchmark thread you will notice that PC currently have the upper hand in terms of power.

Multiple displays on laptops are the same although only recently have manufacturers being putting in more than one external display.

I don't have a Win 8.1 machine but I'm sure the DXV works just as well as it does in all other versions. DXV is decoded on the GPU precisely for this reason.

[Oaktown]

The DXV codec works fine on Windows 8.1.

As far as multiple outputs, your laptop will be able to output as many discreet outputs as what's available on the GPU. More and more, you'll find laptops with 2 DP + 1 HDMI outputs and desktops with 1 DP, 1 HDMI + 2 DVI so outputting to three or four screens has become easy these days.

If you want more than that you'll need to buy extra hardware such as MST hubs, ZOTAC Mini-DisplayPort to Dual HDMI, Matrox DH2G/TH2G, Datapath X4, etc...