New AMD Video Cards

[Denholm]

Please oh please ask AMD to send you guys some development hardware and any required SDK...  6 monitors at full resolution with full DX11 acceleration, on one card.  Put 4 cards in one system and you get 24 fully accelerated monitors.

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3635

This is just PERFECT for flightsims.  6 monitors is probably enough for a 1/3 dome with projectors, or a 180 deg horizontal view using 5 monitors and the 6th monitor sitting up above the center monitor for the all-important fwd-up view.  Go with 4 cards and you've easily got a full dome.  Yea it might be CPU limited but intel is quite busy working on that so no worries there.

As per request from Eagl.

[eagl]

Wow, those cards and that technology is going to be GREAT!  Thanks for bringing it up Denholm, that's awesome.  Anyone have ideas on how the best monitor setup would look?  3x2, or 5x1 with one on top of the center?  Or something else, maybe larger rear-projector screens and accept a little distortion where the screen edges meet?

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Wow, those cards and that technology is going to be GREAT!  Thanks for bringing it up Denholm, that's awesome.  Anyone have ideas on how the best monitor setup would look?  3x2, or 5x1 with one on top of the center?  Or something else, maybe larger rear-projector screens and accept a little distortion where the screen edges meet?

Here you can find some sample setups: http://www.hardocp.com/news/2009/09/10/amd_next_generation_ati_radeon_eyefinity_technology

[Serenity]

Um, as great as that uber-big size is, are there any displays without frames? The frame kinda ruins the effect IMHO.

[Chalenge]

It wont be long before the flexible and frameless screens are available. The question you should be asking is where does your crosshair/pipper end up? 

[TheZohan]

instead of monitors  i would use lcd projectors and have no lines ....

[kilz]

as Chalenge has said its just a matter of time untill they put out frameless monitors

[Masherbrum]

instead of monitors  i would use lcd projectors and have no lines ....

......if you won the lottery.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

......if you won the lottery.

Projectors are dirt cheap these days. A regular 1280x800 or 1680x1050 dataprojector can be bought for 400-500 euros these days with all the new full-hd superduper contrast HT models out. Especially if you get bargain bin older models.

I already have one 1680x1050 projector and one 1280x1024 projector. Get a second hand third projector and voila you have widescreen.

[gyrene81]

Um, as great as that uber-big size is, are there any displays without frames? The frame kinda ruins the effect IMHO.

Yes there is but I can't find the links to the companies that produce them...the cost is a bit prohibitive right now with the smallest unit I found to be about $4000.00...too rich for my wallet.

[Masherbrum]

Projectors are dirt cheap these days. A regular 1280x800 or 1680x1050 dataprojector can be bought for 400-500 euros these days with all the new full-hd superduper contrast HT models out. Especially if you get bargain bin older models.

I already have one 1680x1050 projector and one 1280x1024 projector. Get a second hand third projector and voila you have widescreen.

There's a saying in Home Theater.   "If you're gonna do it, do it right the first time".   Only two brands come to mind, because if I'm dropping coin for LCD projector's, it'll be used by both PC and HT.   They aren't cheap.   You also get what you pay for in Front Projectors. 

[MrRiplEy[H]]

There's a saying in Home Theater.   "If you're gonna do it, do it right the first time".   Only two brands come to mind, because if I'm dropping coin for LCD projector's, it'll be used by both PC and HT.   They aren't cheap.   You also get what you pay for in Front Projectors. 

I have a Panasonic PT-AE700 which I bought on company account for data use. It works really nicely as a HT projector. They can be obtained for a fraction of the cost nowadays.

Of course if you want the latest and best that has nothing to do with saying you need a lottery win to get a projector or two.

[Spikes]

I use a projector that my dad's work gave him for presentations. Use it to watch movies and play AH/COD4. Works great.

[Masherbrum]

I have a Panasonic PT-AE700 which I bought on company account for data use. It works really nicely as a HT projector. They can be obtained for a fraction of the cost nowadays.

Of course if you want the latest and best that has nothing to do with saying you need a lottery win to get a projector or two.

Understand, most people purchase a Front Projector and don't realize what Room Modifications are necessary to facilitate it.   Ripley, you're one of the few on here that KNOW what "HT" is about. 

[eagl]

Um, as great as that uber-big size is, are there any displays without frames? The frame kinda ruins the effect IMHO.

Apparently at the unveiling event, some manufacturers were showing off concepts for frameless displays.  I saw at least one screenshot of a 6-panel setup with only faint lines between screens, and there was one huge screen that had no lines at all, but that must have been some sort of other technology like rear projection.  I also saw one advertising/marketing billboard talking about an upcoming line of displays with super-thin bezels.

I think this will be one of those "next big things" that will actually see widespread adoption, because it gives people a real reason to toss out their old stuff and buy new hardware.  Even people who aren't going to toss out their old monitors will be tempted to buy two more cheap monitors to create a 3x1 array for games.  That will drive down monitor prices even more and may spark some quality and feature competition with displayport, thin bezels, better monitor stands, and flexible monitor arrangements like easy to mount/dismount stands and stands that can hang 3 monitors with just one center pedestal (as shown at the event).

I only hope it doesn't start a race to the bottom on who can produce the cheapest crappiest "secondary" monitors.  The last thing we need are more crummy TN panels with negative response times, 6 bit color, and 10 deg viewing angles...