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Multi-monitor, also called multi-display and multi-head, is the use of multiple physical
display device A display device is an output device for presentation of information in visual or tactile form (the latter used for example in tactile electronic displays for blind people). When the input information that is supplied has an electrical signal the ...
s, such as
monitors Monitor or monitor may refer to: Places * Monitor, Alberta * Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States * Monitor, Kentucky * Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States * Monitor, Washington * Monitor, Logan County, West ...
,
televisions Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
, and
projectors A projector or image projector is an optical device that projects an image (or moving images) onto a surface, commonly a projection screen. Most projectors create an image by shining a light through a small transparent lens, but some newer types ...
, in order to increase the area available for
computer program A computer program is a sequence or set of instructions in a programming language for a computer to Execution (computing), execute. Computer programs are one component of software, which also includes software documentation, documentation and oth ...
s running on a single
computer A computer is a machine that can be programmed to carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations ( computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as programs. These prog ...
system. Research studies show that, depending on the type of work, multi-head may increase the productivity by 50–70%. Measurements of the
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance The Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (German: ''Institut für Arbeitsschutz der Deutschen Gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung'', ''IFA'') is a German institute located in Sankt Augustin near Bonn and ...
showed that the quality and quantity of worker performance varies according to the screen setup and type of task. Overall, the results of physiological studies and the preferences of the test persons favour a dual-monitor rather than single-monitor setup. Physiologically limiting factors observed during work on dual monitors were minor and not generally significant. There is no evidence that office work with dual-monitor setups presents a possible hazard to workers.


Implementation

Multiple computers can be connected to provide a single display, e.g. over
Gigabit Ethernet In computer networking, Gigabit Ethernet (GbE or 1 GigE) is the term applied to transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second. The most popular variant, 1000BASE-T, is defined by the IEEE 802.3ab standard. It came into use ...
/
Ethernet Ethernet () is a family of wired computer networking technologies commonly used in local area networks (LAN), metropolitan area networks (MAN) and wide area networks (WAN). It was commercially introduced in 1980 and first standardized in 1 ...
to drive a large video wall.


Display modes


USB

One way to extend the number of displays on one computer is to add displays via USB. Starting in 2006, DisplayLink released several chips for USB support on VGA/DVI/LVDS and other interfaces.


Adoption


In the office

In many professions, including graphic design, architecture, communications, accounting, engineering and video editing, the idea of two or more monitors being driven from one machine is not a new one. While in the past, it has meant multiple graphics adapters and specialized software, it was common for engineers to have at least two, if not more, displays to enhance productivity.


In video gaming

Early versions of ''
Doom Doom is another name for damnation. Doom may also refer to: People * Doom (professional wrestling), the tag team of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed * Daniel Doom (born 1934), Belgian cyclist * Debbie Doom (born 1963), American softball pitcher * ...
'' permitted a three-monitor display mode, using three networked machines to show left, right, and center views. More recently, games have used multiple monitors to show a more absorbing interface to the player or to display game information. Various flight simulators can use these monitor setups to create an artificial cockpit with more realistic interfaces. Others such as '' Supreme Commander'' and '' World in Conflict'' can use an additional monitor for a large scale map of the battlefield. A large number of older games support multi-monitor set-ups by treating the total screen space as effectively a single monitor to the game, a technique known as spanning. Many games without inherent multi-monitor support such as '' Guild Wars'' and ''
World of Warcraft ''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the '' Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of Warcraft'' takes place within the world of Azer ...
'' can also be made to run in multi-monitor set-ups, with this technique or in conjunction with addition of third-party software A larger list of games that support dual/multi-screen modes is available at WSGF.


Arcade machines and handheld console games

The concept of "multi-monitor" games is not limited to games that can be played on personal computers. As arcade technology entered the 1990s, larger cabinets were being built which in turn also housed larger monitors such as the 3 28" screen version of
Namco was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Namco Taiwan in Kaohsiun ...
's ''
Ridge Racer is a racing video game series developed and published for arcade systems and home game consoles by Bandai Namco Entertainment, formerly Namco. The first game, ''Ridge Racer'' (1993), was originally released in arcades for the Namco System 22 ha ...
'' from 1993. Although large screen technology such as CRT rear projection was beginning to be used more often, multi-monitor games were still occasionally released, such as
Sega is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, respectively. Its division ...
's ''
F355 Challenge is a racing simulation arcade video game based on the actual race car and Ferrari event. It was developed by the AM2 division of Sega for the Sega Naomi Multiboard arcade system board under the direction of Yu Suzuki, and was later ported ...
'' from 1999 which again used 3 28" monitors for the sit-down cockpit version. The most recent use of a multi-monitor setup in arcades occurred with Taito's ''Dariusburst: Another Chronicle'' game, released in Japan in December 2010 and worldwide the following year. It uses 2 32" LCD screens and an angled mirror to create a seamless widescreen.
Nintendo is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade playing cards ...
demonstrated the feasibility of playing multi-monitor games on
handheld game consoles A handheld game console, or simply handheld console, is a small, portable self-contained video game console with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are smaller than home video game consoles and contain the con ...
in designing the
Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in t ...
and its successor, the
Nintendo 3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generati ...
, which both became successful consoles in their own right. Games on these systems take advantage of the two screens available, typically by displaying gameplay on the upper screen, while showing useful information on the bottom screen. There are also a number of games, mostly for the Nintendo DS, whose gameplay spans across both screens, combining them into one tall screen for a more unique and larger view of the action.


Developing software for multiple monitor workstations

Ordinary software does not need special support for multiple screens even if it uses the graphic accelerator. At the usual application level, multihead is presented just as a single larger monitor spanning over all screens. However, some special approaches may increase the multithread performance. With multiple monitors present, each screen will have its own graphics buffer. One possible scenario for programming is to present to OpenGL or DirectX a continuous, virtual frame buffer in which the OS or graphics driver writes out to each individual buffer. With some graphics cards, it's possible to enable a mode called "horizontal span" which accomplishes this. The OpenGL/DirectX programmer then renders to a very large frame buffer for output. In practice, and with recent cards, this mode is being phased out because it does not make very good use of GPU parallelism and does not support arbitrary arrangements of monitors (they must all be horizontal). A more recent technique uses the wglShareLists feature of OpenGL to share data across multiple GPUs, and then render to each individual monitor's frame buffer.


In Android

Android supports an additional monitor as of version 4.2 but additional software is needed to multi-task/use both at once.


Second displays

A second display or second displays is a common term describing the multi-monitor setup with just one additional monitor attached. Today it is particularly common to have one workstation with two monitors connected where the second monitor is referred to as the second display. Many tablets will serve as a second display connected to a laptop. Many modern shops use cash registers with two screens, one facing the cashier and a second display facing the shopper. Today's second display has evolved from a multi screen personal
computer monitor A computer monitor is an output device that displays information in pictorial or textual form. A discrete monitor comprises a visual display, support electronics, power supply, housing, electrical connectors, and external user controls. The ...
to having multiple technical features such as a
touchscreen A touchscreen or touch screen is the assembly of both an input ('touch panel') and output ('display') device. The touch panel is normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an information processing system. The display is ofte ...
, web cam or even a
barcode reader A barcode reader is an optical scanner that can read printed barcodes, decode the data contained in the barcode to a computer. Like a flatbed scanner, it consists of a light source, a lens and a light sensor for translating optical impulses into ...
in stores. When a simultaneous touch input is performed on two devices simultaneously there will be a technical solution required to solve the
dual input Dual input or dual point user input are common terms describing the 'multiple touch input on two devices simultaneously' challenge. When there are touch input commands from two touch monitors simultaneously this will require a technical soluti ...
. In 2017 LG unsuccessfully tried to copyright the term “second display”, meaning that it is available for everyone to use freely.


Professional meaning

Shop and IT-support staff can use the term “second display” when referring to the second monitor in a multi-monitor setup. Retail and hotel businesses have a professional meaning for a "second display", also known as interactive customer display or dual-screen for shops. The term is used in
retail Retail is the sale of goods and Service (economics), services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturing, manufacturers, dire ...
and
hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
environments when referring to a customer facing display that is connected to the
point of sale The point of sale (POS) or point of purchase (POP) is the time and place at which a retail transaction is completed. At the point of sale, the merchant calculates the amount owed by the customer, indicates that amount, may prepare an invoice f ...
(POS) system. Normally a second display solution contains both hardware and interactive software allowing the shopper to perform certain actions. The second display is most commonly used to show the total purchase amount and the purchase list. Some advanced systems contain functionality relating to loyalty and member data. In an article from 2021 the Swedish retail magazine Dagens Handel mentions the provider of second displays ID24 and their published survey among retail and hospitality companies. The second display can draw shoppers' attention to new products,
advertisements Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...
, charities, or special offers. The displays can also be used for different kinds of user input - for example entering an email to receive an
electronic receipt The electronic receipt or e-receipt is an electronic Receipt of any product or service that was purchased. Implementation Digital receipts are normally sent via e-mail or via an app. Unlike paper receipts, e-receipts are used to reduce paper us ...
, give feedback or sign up for loyalty to the
customer relationship management Customer relationship management (CRM) is a process in which a business or other organization administers its interactions with customers, typically using data analysis to study large amounts of information. CRM systems compile data from a r ...
(CRM) system.


See also

*
Dual-touchscreen A dual-touchscreen is a computer or phone display setup which uses two screens, either or both of which could be touch-capable, to display both elements of the computer's graphical user interface and virtualized implementations of common input dev ...
*
Multiseat configuration A multiseat, multi-station or multiterminal system is a single computer which supports multiple independent local users at the same time. A "seat" consists of all hardware devices assigned to a specific workplace at which one user sits at and ...
* Video wall


References


Further reading

*{{cite web , title=Dual-Head Operation on a Vintage PC , author-first=John C. , author-last=Elliott , date=2011-04-24 , url=http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/dualhead.html , access-date=2016-11-23 , url-status=live , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123134723/http://www.seasip.info/VintagePC/dualhead.html , archive-date=2016-11-23 Display technology User interfaces Input/output