Matrox TripleHead2Go is an external multi-display adapter that adds up to three monitors to a notebook or desktop computer. It connects to the video output of a system and uses its existing GPU to provide uncompressed graphics and video across all monitors.
The product is available in DisplayPort or Digital Editions.
Joy’s is a specialist production company that specialises in widescreen and multi-screen presentations. The company is experienced in live events and provides complete technical solutions.
What do you use it for?
Having high resolution and ultra-wide outputs from laptops and PCs is very much a requirement of our industry. We first came across the TipleHead2Go product when we had the need to span Apple Keynote across a widescreen projection. Apple Keynote doesn’t have the ability to span on multiple outputs so the product provided a very straightforward way of getting good, high resolution Apple Keynote up on a screen.
I think we will use it more for PCs in the future as Windows 7 has lost its span mode. I would imagine Matrox are happy with that! So we will use it on PCs running Windows 7.
Why do you use it?
We have loads of different options for this kind of application but I would say that the TripleHead2Go has become the standard solution in the AV industry for this kind of output. There are loads of solutions and each has their own benefit but price is always a big consideration.
The TripleHead2Go is a very affordable solution. We generally use it for projections. A lot of events we run are soft-edging three HD projectors together. So it’s often the solution there.
What do you like about it?
You can just throw it in your bag and take it with you. It’s a huge benefit. I can think of plenty of times when I’ve gone to run a demonstration or do a rehearsal with a client in their premises and it’s just a question of laptop and a TripleHead2Go in your bag.
We don’t need a server configured with mulithead output cards. You don’t want to be carting that about. The portability of the TripleHead2Go is fantastic.
I have also found it to be extremely reliable which is a massive consideration as we are out on the road a lot. We have about six units in total and I don’t think we’ve ever had an issue with any of them. And we’re talking about industrial usage here. The units aren’t just set up at home on a desk and left there.
The fact it offers DVI as well as analogue is great. It’s professional grade and it doesn’t distort the pixels. It’s pixel accurate it doesn’t do any scaling or add or drop pixels.
What would you change?
Not much to be honest. It would be nice to see a "QuadrupleHead2Go" or higher. But it’s certainly kept up with the resolution of graphics cards out there and I’m sure it will continue to do so.
The largest projection screen we’ve done has been the best part of 100m. When we’re looking after that we’re using a 16 output solution so in that circumstance we specify another product. The TripleHead2Go does top out at three outputs but probably covers 75% of our requirements.
In use?
Recently we looked after a three screen projection for a photography exhibition. Content ran in a loop and we used the TripleHead2Go and it was a great solution. The content was built in Apple Keynote and ran 24 hours a day for a couple of weeks.
It was the first time we’d tested the product in constant use and it performed very well.