dongles / multiple displays in Watchout 5

[Steve C]

First of all, I profusely apologize if this info is readily available, I swear I've been searching like mad.

 

With the new Watchout 5 multi-display capability, my assumption is that now you can theoretically run 6 displays from a single production/display computer and one dongle. Is this correct? Or do you still need a single production computer and a single display computer (driving multiple displays), and 2 dongles? Or, even though you can run multiple displays from one computer, does the program ask for a dongle for each display?

 

If the answer is obvious to all, I'll explain that I have programmed a couple shows in Watchout 4, but I have had nothing to do with the hardware setup; however I will be involved in buying projection hardware/software for an upcoming project.

[ThomasL]

...my assumption is that now you can theoretically run 6 displays from a single production/display computer and one dongle...Or do you still need a single production computer and a single display computer (driving multiple displays), and 2 dongles?

The second assumption is correct. Remember the Production PC cannot output its contents to beamers, etc. so you need one dongle for Production, and one dongle for Display to get the 6 displays out from one Display PC's one graphics card. Watchout will not 'see' more than one graphics card. Recommend you check out the relevant Stickys posted near the top of this forum, in particular "Multi output", "Specifications on Infocomm 2011" and "Eyefinity 6".

 

... Or, even though you can run multiple displays from one computer, does the program ask for a dongle for each display?

No. It will only ask for one dongle per PC.

[Steve C]

Thanks very much, that answers my questions.

I did see the stickies, and read the one regarding multi-output and others, what was unclear was that Dataton is touting that multiple displays can now come from "one computer" (per official watchout 5 page), whether multiple computers are no longer necessary or multiple *display* computers are no longer necessary. I will have to admit that I just read through the Watchout 5 user's manual, and of course there it shows separate production and display computers still in use.