3 monitor setup?

Has anyone every used a three monitor setup? How do you do it? I was hoping to use monitor for bins and other stuff another for the timeline and a third for desktop preview playback.

Thanks.

Never tried it. 2 display cards maybe?

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

2 Cards is what I use and the main card has two DVI ports = 3 displays.

I've heard that Final Cut really dislikes two graphics cards. But it's kind of moot anyway, since using the Digital Cinema Desktop function won't give you an accurate preview. Instead of spending that money on a graphics card and computer monitor, buy a video I/O board and a broadcast monitor instead.

What do you use as the second display card?

Every editing rooms here at my work got 2 displays for FCP and one for preview :

Here is the setup and hardware :

First the Graphic Card is an NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512 MB. That card got 2 monitors output so you can plug your 2 monitors for FCP from the card, you dont need 2 cards just need a Graphic cards that got 2 outputs for your monitors.

The Preview monitor is plugged in the KONA CARD via one of the SDI OUTPUT. Of course if your monitor don't have an SDI IN you'll need to convert that signal. Here we got an HDLink Box that convert HD SDI to DVI...from that DVI out the preview monitor is linked.

Thats pretty much the settings. Remember, you don't really need a monitor that is capable of taking HD Signal since if you have a KONA CARD you"ll be able to use an old analog preview monitor, converting your HD signal within the KONA CARD to the analog monitor.

So invest in a good graphic card that give you 2 out for your monitors that you'll use for FCP. Of course the kona card is a really good investment too even the LHe.

I use 2 DVI monitors and a Kona LHe which gives me the client out monitor (3rd monitor). Using the Kona LHe control panel, in Control/Default Video Output, I select Macintosh Desktop and I now have 3 desktops.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.