Featured Review: TripleHead2Go Digital Edition

Post by **skipclarke** » 31 Oct 2007, 18:55

Here is a discussion thread for the DTH2Go Review here.

JosephJEHancock · Post by **JosephJEHancock** » 31 Oct 2007, 20:57

Nicely presented! If you do ever want a couple of extra videos, I have the ones I uploaded to GameTrailers. However, my camerawork can at best be described as amateur, and at worst, laughable. :lol:

Here is a link to my video album:
http://deathtyrant.gametrailers.com/gamepad/index.php?action=fanmovs

Post by **skipclarke** » 31 Oct 2007, 21:49

Cool. I'm looking to do a somewhat regular video podcast. May look at using these (with your permission) or getting some additional video or caps from you.

JosephJEHancock · Post by **JosephJEHancock** » 31 Oct 2007, 22:18

Yeah, use of any of them is welcomed. Of course if someone like yourself or Paddy can set up a camera properly and get better footage of Crysis and the others, that's cool too.

MatroxRulez · Post by **MatroxRulez** » 01 Nov 2007, 17:34

Nice review! :D

One thing though, the Matrox graphics card you're referring to, is Parhelia, not Parnhelia... :wink:

Post by **skipclarke** » 01 Nov 2007, 18:41

Thanks, fixed.

MatroxRulez · Post by **MatroxRulez** » 01 Nov 2007, 18:56

Thanks, fixed.

You still have one Parnhelia in the first paragraph... :lol:

Post by **skipclarke** » 01 Nov 2007, 19:37

Not any more. :wink:

DarKcyde · Post by **DarKcyde** » 04 Nov 2007, 20:20

I've been waiting for WSGF to review this thing for a long time. I own a TH2Go analog, and I'm pretty dissatisfied with it because of image problems at 75 or 85 Hz. I run 3 22" CRTs, so thats important to me.

You touched on a lot of good points... but I cant help but feel the review is lacking. Please don't feel that I'm bashing your review (its well done!) but I'd like to provide some constructive criticism. For example:

I'm not sure if either of these resolutions exceeds the bandwidth in Dual-Link DVI. If not, maybe a firmware update might come our way one day, even for 3x1440x900.

It sounds like you didn't think it was worth the effort to research those things in order to provide an informed review for your audience. Further, you go into pure speculation. That sounds more like forum post material than something that belongs in a review. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to do a kind of 'open request to Matrox' by saying "We know DX10 is capable of higher resolutions, so why are you still limiting us to 3840x1024 Matrox?" Better than that would be to contact Matrox with these concerns and include their answer (or lack thereof) in the review.

Some other things I'd like to see answered:
- Monitor setups. A common question on the forums is 'Can I run my widescreen LCD with two 4:3 LCDs on the sides? It needs to be clearly spelled out that the monitors must be the same, and they must be able to display these resulotions. I'm thinking specific examples of common setups that will and will not work.
- Analag display? Not everyone has digital monitors, and not everyone runs LCDs at all. Hows the analog capabilities, is the image quality noticably different than digital? Does it work ok on CRTs at 75/85Hz?
- Usage in windows? The review touches on this briefly, but not much.
- What types of games work best? Other reviews out there have commented that triple head is not so great in RTS games, alright in RPGs and FPS games, and absolutely fantastic with flight sim and racing games. Matrox's new Surround Gaming Zone has specific sections for Flight Sim and Racing games... but your review doesnt even mention these categories.
- SGU support - A definate negative to the TH2Go that isn't really mentioned. I'm thinking of things like the common Id engine games that require a special hack to work right and dont have SGU support.

Maybe my expectations are too high, but its only because I think of this place as the best resource (heck, pretty much the ONLY resource) for triplehead goodness. :)

TFM · Post by **TFM** » 08 Nov 2007, 06:58

I am looking for the link to the firmware update for the Digital TripleHead2Go.

Mine defaults to the left monitor on single mode.

Thank you

Post by **skipclarke** » 08 Nov 2007, 16:38

You need to contact Matrox support.

I am looking for the link to the firmware update for the Digital TripleHead2Go.

Mine defaults to the left monitor on single mode.

Thank you

Post by **skipclarke** » 08 Nov 2007, 17:04

Responses below:

I'm not sure if either of these resolutions exceeds the bandwidth in Dual-Link DVI. If not, maybe a firmware update might come our way one day, even for 3x1440x900.

It sounds like you didn't think it was worth the effort to research those things in order to provide an informed review for your audience. Further, you go into pure speculation. That sounds more like forum post material than something that belongs in a review. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to do a kind of 'open request to Matrox' by saying "We know DX10 is capable of higher resolutions, so why are you still limiting us to 3840x1024 Matrox?" Better than that would be to contact Matrox with these concerns and include their answer (or lack thereof) in the review.

The limitation is DX9. You will only get the higher resolutions in games that are coded in DX10. Running a DX9 game in Vista (with DX10) won't fix this. Vista adoption is low, and DX10 games aren't prevalent. Until adoption of Vista and DX10 picks up, I don't see this being a big issue. Even when these things happen, it will only be newer games. You won't be able to go back and play an old game in the higher res.

Some other things I'd like to see answered:

- Monitor setups. A common question on the forums is 'Can I run my widescreen LCD with two 4:3 LCDs on the sides? It needs to be clearly spelled out that the monitors must be the same, and they must be able to display these resulotions. I'm thinking specific examples of common setups that will and will not work.

I can certainly go back in and add a statement about what setups are allowed and which aren't.

- Analag display? Not everyone has digital monitors, and not everyone runs LCDs at all. Hows the analog capabilities, is the image quality noticably different than digital? Does it work ok on CRTs at 75/85Hz?

And, not everyone has analog displays. I purchased monitors just for this review. I didn't have a TH2Go setup before this. My monitors have two DVI inputs, no VGA. If they had VGA, I would test that. But, I certainly don't have the resources to buy three CRT monitors to test this for a review. Honestly, I don't know many people who use CRTs with TH2Go. Most people are looking to optimize their bezel width, and CRTs provide the worst solution for that.

- Usage in windows? The review touches on this briefly, but not much.

Windows is windows. It's a 2D workspace. I'm not sure what else to add. The only things I do on my PC is play games. I use a Mac for everything else. Even then, I wouldn't have any productivity apps like Maya or AutoCAD to test.

- What types of games work best? Other reviews out there have commented that triple head is not so great in RTS games, alright in RPGs and FPS games, and absolutely fantastic with flight sim and racing games. Matrox's new Surround Gaming Zone has specific sections for Flight Sim and Racing games... but your review doesnt even mention these categories.

I can certainly add something about this. I do plan to touch on how the TH2Go handles different types of games in follow up videos. I really only play RPGs and MMOs (along with puzzle and casual games). I looked for other demos to download and test. The one free racing sim I tried was Trackmania Nations. After it installed StarForce on my machine, I refused to give it any coverage. Personally, I find TH2Go fabulous in RPGs and MMOs, as you can move windows off to the sides, and the TH2Go really adds to appreciation of the landscape and "game world"

- SGU support - A definate negative to the TH2Go that isn't really mentioned. I'm thinking of things like the common Id engine games that require a special hack to work right and dont have SGU support.

Sorry, I don't play many FPS games, so I don't do much with Id engine games. I know that Matrox is working to add more support, but they have an issue with utilizing hacks that go beyond updating config files. There is concern over using or shipping a hack/patcher made by a 3rd party. If Id coded better engines, it wouldn't be an issue.

Maybe my expectations are too high, but its only because I think of this place as the best resource (heck, pretty much the ONLY resource) for triplehead goodness. :)

I'm sorry that we didn't meet your expectations. The great thing with the web is that we can come back and try to do more. I will be working on follow up coverage on the DTH2Go, and providing more insight into it's performance.

My main constraint is time and resources. At the end of the day, the WSGF is a hobby. It is one I love and I'm very dedicated to, but it doesn't pay the bills. The few sponsors we have barely cover the hosting bill each month. I don't have a lot of extra money to purchase equipment or games. Hopefully more sponsors can be found, and more game devs/pubs will provide us with games for testing and review in the future.

This isn't a full-time job, or even a "job" for that matter. If it I had the time and resources, I'd do the WSGF full-time. But, until either I win the lottery or we can secure major sponsors, this is unfortunately the best I can do. If anyone else wanted to do a review of the DTH2Go (or any other applicable product), we would welcome it and would post/publicize it just like we have my review.

JKeefe · Post by **JKeefe** » 08 Nov 2007, 17:26

Responses below:

[quote]
I'm not sure if either of these resolutions exceeds the bandwidth in Dual-Link DVI. If not, maybe a firmware update might come our way one day, even for 3x1440x900.

It sounds like you didn't think it was worth the effort to research those things in order to provide an informed review for your audience. Further, you go into pure speculation. That sounds more like forum post material than something that belongs in a review. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to do a kind of 'open request to Matrox' by saying "We know DX10 is capable of higher resolutions, so why are you still limiting us to 3840x1024 Matrox?" Better than that would be to contact Matrox with these concerns and include their answer (or lack thereof) in the review.

The limitation is DX9. You will only get the higher resolutions in games that are coded in DX10. Running a DX9 game in Vista (with DX10) won't fix this. Vista adoption is low, and DX10 games aren't prevalent. Until adoption of Vista and DX10 picks up, I don't see this being a big issue. Even when these things happen, it will only be newer games. You won't be able to go back and play an old game in the higher res.This is incorrect.

The 4096x4096 pixel limit of DX9 hardware is just that - a hardware limit. DX8 and DX9 hardware can go up to 4096, while DX10 hardware can go up to 8192. There are accounts posted on this very forum of DX9 games running on nVidia 8800s at resolutions that exceed 4096 pixels (e.g. GTR2 @ 4960x1600 w/ SoftTH here). GTR2 is a DX9 application. You don't need Vista to do this. You don't need DX10 to do this. All you need is a video card that supports 8192x8192, and it just happens that DX10 hardware fulfills this requirement.

As a representative of another gaming enthusiast site I hesitate to criticize this review. However, incorrect statements need correcting. Also, you told me you would give me credit in your review for the list of all available resolutions for the Digital TripleHead2Go; for some reason Matrox does not have this list available on their website, so I took the time to create it myself and post it in the forums. You did not do this.

TFM · Post by **TFM** » 08 Nov 2007, 17:56

You need to contact Matrox support.

I tried that, this is the odd response I got back... :x

Which firmware update are you looking for?

What does the firmware do to the unit?
Best regards,
Emanuele
Technical Support Representative

I am looking for the link to the firmware update for the Digital TripleHead2Go.

Mine defaults to the left monitor on single mode.

Thank you

JKeefe · Post by **JKeefe** » 08 Nov 2007, 17:59

That is odd, but just tell him that you are looking for the firmware that changes the Digital TripleHead2Go's single-screen output from the left monitor to the center monitor.

JKeefe · Post by **JKeefe** » 08 Nov 2007, 20:01

Honestly, I don't know many people who use CRTs with TH2Go. Most people are looking to optimize their bezel width, and CRTs provide the worst solution for that.

As many with triplehead experience can attest, the bezels aren't very distracting once you are immersed in a game.

I use a Digital TripleHead2Go with 3 CRTs and the only drawback is that I find bezel management unusable; there is simply too much image lost behind the large bezels, so I prefer to keep it off. Still, I get an 85 Hz refresh rate at multiple triplehead resolutions, so the digital product is worth it.

DarKcyde · Post by **DarKcyde** » 08 Nov 2007, 21:30

Ibrin, thanks for your response. Please dont think that I'm trying to attack you or your review. I'm just throwing some (hopefully) constructive criticism out there. I realize you did your best with what you have. I just want WSGF to have a good professional review that really answers people's questions. Just because you dont use your TH2G in any given situation doesn't mean others won't, and I think a professional review should attempt to address as many uses and caveats as possible. If my situation allowed, I'd be happy to contribute some writing, but I just dont have the spare cycles in my life right now.

Cheers,
-DarK

Post by **Downtown1** » 10 Nov 2007, 08:42

[quote]- Usage in windows? The review touches on this briefly, but not much.

Windows is windows. It's a 2D workspace. I'm not sure what else to add. The only things I do on my PC is play games. I use a Mac for everything else. Even then, I wouldn't have any productivity apps like Maya or AutoCAD to test.

Just wanted to drop in my 2 cents on this because I find it pretty relevant. Some people would like to get additional benefits out of their 3 monitor setups besides just games. Which means additional productivity by having more viewspace or just extra space to drag windows to (think virtual workspaces, except not virtual).

Things that would've been nice to mention were how Windows handles 1 logical monitor (answer: not well), and if there are any programs which can make the experience nicer.

For example, you know what would be sweet? If every monitor had its own taskbar, so that when you drag windows to another monitor, the task would show up under that respective monitor. Right now, its just all one big spanning desktop and I have to look for my window randomly.

DarKcyde · Post by **DarKcyde** » 12 Nov 2007, 05:36

Things that would've been nice to mention were how Windows handles 1 logical monitor (answer: not well), and if there are any programs which can make the experience nicer.

For example, you know what would be sweet? If every monitor had its own taskbar, so that when you drag windows to another monitor, the task would show up under that respective monitor. Right now, its just all one big spanning desktop and I have to look for my window randomly.

The best solution for indipendent taskbars is http://www.ultramon.com but its $$ pay software. If you want free, a less powerful solution that pretty much only does the taskbars is Multimon. I dont think either works with TH2G however.

There are also programs that can change the area that a window is maximized to, much like Matrox's powerdesk, but with more power (pun, er, intended lol). I found several of them linked in this Lifehacker article.

JKeefe · Post by **JKeefe** » 12 Nov 2007, 20:45

Yep, Ultramon is the multimonitor ideal, or close to it. The problem is that Ultramon only sees one monitor when you use a TripleHead2Go. I've been pushing Matrox for a while to develop some software that replicates Ultramon functions.

One monitor is a blessing for triplehead gaming and a curse for triplehead 2D productivity.

Widescreen Gaming Forum