BleepingComputer.com: VGA Question

I have a Dell 4600 desktop. I also have a 32" Westhinghouse TV. I got bored today and wanted to see if this would work. So I went out and bought a male-to-male VGA cable. Installed a spare video card (Radeon 7000) I had lying around. Both my monitor and TV are now hooked up via VGA. Problem is...I thought that you could switch between the two and it seems as if you can't or atleast I am doing something majorly wrong here. Also, the Radeon card some how set itself as the default monitor, so now when I boot up my PC I have to use my TV unless I manually disconnect that card. Can anyone help me here? I just wanna be able to switch between my monitor to my TV or something similar.

Edit: Also, when I go to Properties then Settings, and it says Display with a drop down menu, my OEM card isn't there. Nor is it in Hardware Management

This post has been edited by ant575: 16 April 2009 - 04:25 AM

First, When you install a video card it [usually] automatically disables the onboard video & defaults to the card.

On the monitor/TV issue,

If you installed a video card & left the monitor hooked to the onboard video that is the reason it defaulted to the TV.
You can't use the onboard & video card at the same time.
Hook the monitor to the video card & it should then use the monitor * you can switch back & forth between the monitor & TV.

[I have mine hooked to the monitor & a TV]

i have a graphics card that has a VGA and hdmi output and use both a monitor with the vga and a HD TV with the hdmi. Might be worth getting a bit more upto date card to stick in there.

fairjoeblue, on Apr 16 2009, 09:38 AM, said:

But if I hooked up the monitor to the installed card, and the TVs VGA to the onboard...wouldn't that just be the same problem I am having, besides the fact that I am currently using my TV? And how do I switch between the both then?

To my knowledge you can't have a monitor hooked to the onboard & the TV hooked to a video card & switch between the 2 video adapters.

The bottom line is if you install a video card the onboard is disabled.

I have my monitor & my TV hooked to my Radeon X1800 XL .
[I have had the same setup with Radeon 9200,X800,X1650,X1800 XL, & HD 2600 XT ]

With BOTH hooked to the video card it is easy to switch back & forth,

Right click on the desktop anywhere there isn't a icon
A menu will appear, click on Properties
When the display properties box appears click on the Settings tab
There will be 2 monitors shown
1 will be the TV
[You have to have the TV on Auxiliry]
Click the TV monitor [#2]
There are 2 little boxes underneith
click on the box by Extend my desktop to this monitor to put a checkmark in it & click Apply
Put a checkmark in the box by Use this device as my primary monitor & click apply
The TV should now be your monitor
Click on the #1 monitor & take the checkmark out of the box by Extend my desktop to this monitor & click Apply
The TV should now be your only monitor.

BTW, Unless you have a LCD or Plasma TV's make HORRIBLE monitors but work great for watching movies !
[That is why mine is hoooked to the TV]

ok cool. what kind of card has two vga plug ins and supports that switch back?

A lot of the ATI & Nvidia cards have it.

Unless you go to a site like ebay you are going to be a bit limited as to what you can get because of the AGP slot.

How good of a card really depends on what you intend to use the it for.

If all you want is to make your TV work a Radeon 9200 or above will do.

To use a TV as a monitor or watch movies you don't need a high end or expensive video card.

If you plan on playing any games that would put video cards in a different ballpark.


For inexpensive & good for fair "all purpose" use I suggest a Radeon X1300,X1600,or X1650 Pro or XT [The XT being the better choice]

I personally don't like nvidia cards for TV use as I've had problems with them.

[edited to fix typo]

This post has been edited by fairjoeblue: 16 April 2009 - 09:56 PM

Having the computer output to a television should not require a very expensive card at all. The only way to use on-board and dedicated video cards at the same time is through Hybrid Crossfire, but even then I doubt it would work as you intended. Many graphics cards already have two DVI ports included to allow for dual monitors. This is the best way to watch content on a dual monitor configuration. Keep in mind that if you want to watch Blu-Ray or certain types of high definition content, you need to have HDMI or DVI along with HDCP in order to get the best resolutions, assuming your TV supports them.