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Display-switch: Turn a $30 USB switch into a full-featured multi-monitor KVM

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Re: Display-switch: Turn a $30 USB switch into a full-featured multi-monitor KVM

#71

Post by useto075 »

Cymen wrote: post #18
mathfailure wrote: post #3

I've read the project's description and failed to figure what it does. What's a 'USB switch'? Where should this device be connected to? "press one button on your USB switch and all your monitors connect to a different input." - if the USB switch has buttons - why would I even disconnect/reconnect it? The project's description is shit.

So here is how it works: The program runs on each computer. You plug your USB devices (presumably, a keyboard and a mouse) into a USB switch and then plug that into each computer. Then you plug each computer into each monitor (so you're limited by the minimum total number of inputs on the monitor(s) for how many computers you can switch). When you press the button on the USB switch to go to another PC, the software d…

Great description, thanks.

Re: Display-switch: Turn a $30 USB switch into a full-featured multi-monitor KVM

#73

Post by bmurphy1976 »

cowtongue wrote: post #69

An alternative approach that I've taken is to have the HDMIs from my work desktop plugged into a capture card on my main Windows desktop. I then use the preview from OBS to see the display and also hear the audio. Still need a separate keyboard + mouse, but I like being able to move/minimize my work OBS window off to the side when I'm not actively working. I also use this setup with gaming consoles so that I don't ha…

How's the latency?

Re: Display-switch: Turn a $30 USB switch into a full-featured multi-monitor KVM

#74

Post by mritun »

PSA: Many 4K Dell monitors (like my Dell UltraSharp U3219Q ) have a built-in KVM switch and they support full DDC commands for switching the input as well (over HDMI, DP and USBC). I can control them from Mac and Linux with hot keys that trigger the appropriate ddc commands.

Re: Display-switch: Turn a $30 USB switch into a full-featured multi-monitor KVM

#75

Post by cowtongue »

bmurphy1976 wrote: post #73
cowtongue wrote: post #69

An alternative approach that I've taken is to have the HDMIs from my work desktop plugged into a capture card on my main Windows desktop. I then use the preview from OBS to see the display and also hear the audio. Still need a separate keyboard + mouse, but I like being able to move/minimize my work OBS window off to the side when I'm not actively working. I also use this setup with gaming consoles so that I don't ha…

How's the latency?

I don't notice it when using it for work. I barely notice it when using it for console games. Probably wouldn't want to use it for competitive shooters, but non-issue for most other games.

Few more notes:

- I use PCIE rather than USB for the capture card

- Can be costly if you need 4k + multiple inputs (for multiple "monitors" as different OBS windows)

- I had issues getting the capture card to recognize scaled HiDPI resolutions from my work Mac

Re: Display-switch: Turn a $30 USB switch into a full-featured multi-monitor KVM

#76

Post by adanto6840 »

octagons wrote: post #41

I have addressed this problem by using a 4x4 USB switcher from Rosewill and an HDMI matrix, such as those used by broadcasting or A/V signage industries. I started with an 8x8 matrix and now have a 16x16. It’s dead simple to give each of the 4 or so computers I have hooked up to them 3 or so monitors, and I can swap any video source to any sink using a web interface. The matrix isn’t cheap (approximately $1200) but a…

Does it support 4k@60? Can you configure EDID handling, or any potential HDCP issues (and stuff like HDR, ethernet-over-HDMI, etc)? Would be curious what make/model of matrix you're using.

There's plenty of different hardware out there but not a whole lot of reviews; and my experience with the HDMI interface has, on the whole, not been the best. HDMI is great for consumer stuff, and for plugging in a generic source to a screen (AppleTV, Firestick, Xbox, cable box, etc) -- but, as soon as you want to do anything even slightly more advanced, you often run into hiccups quite rapidly (EDID & handshake/negotiation issues, cable & port quality, HDCP, etc).

I have several 'screens' (TVs) and I wanted to be able to mirror my 'main' display to other screens on occasion, for instance. It's easy to do that with a cheap-ish "splitter" [though they are finnicky), but if you want to "scale" that at all then you rapidly run into proprietary and/or high-cost solutions or have to make substantial quality & capability concessions (and >=10G LAN connectivity is pre-existing).

I was annoyed by the lack of good options & and the extreme prices and/or the limitations of the options that do exist -- enough so that I'm working on (and already actively using) my own IP-based "video distribution" solution, heh.

Re: Display-switch: Turn a $30 USB switch into a full-featured multi-monitor KVM

#77

Post by causi »

mmastrac wrote: post #42

I bought a fantastic curved Samsung monitor and it supports reading from the port that tells you the current input but not setting it. It also has the worst possible input switcher that cycles until it finds a valid input. I wish it were easier to hack on monitor firmware. I'd love to improve it.

It's quite infuriating when you have a display that changes input if it's not receiving and a source that switches off unless it's told the display is showing. You end up having to play a timing game to get both devices on at the same time before one of them turns off or changes.

Re: Display-switch: Turn a $30 USB switch into a full-featured multi-monitor KVM

#78

Post by gbraad »

cowtongue wrote: post #69

An alternative approach that I've taken is to have the HDMIs from my work desktop plugged into a capture card on my main Windows desktop. I then use the preview from OBS to see the display and also hear the audio. Still need a separate keyboard + mouse, but I like being able to move/minimize my work OBS window off to the side when I'm not actively working. I also use this setup with gaming consoles so that I don't ha…

I wrote a very simple html5 webapp which does this http://webcam.apps.gbraad.nl never got around to mute the audio or so, but patches welcome!

I use two capture cards and them on th bottom monitors when needed (use 4 screens). This way I can also easily stream and records the screens when on a meeting that is on another machine.

Re: Display-switch: Turn a $30 USB switch into a full-featured multi-monitor KVM

#79

Post by jonathanlydall »

Away from home at the moment, but this looks like it will “complete” my current set up very nicely.

I have 2x Dell P2319H (1080p) monitors and have my work laptop connected via DP with my gaming desktop connected via HDMI. Then I have a dumb USB switch with a button on it to switch my USB devices between the two computers.

If the other computer is off/sleeping the screens most of the time automatically switch to the correct inputs, but sometimes I need to use the screen controls to do it.

This set up cost 10s of dollars as opposed to 100s for a proper KVM switch and it’s worked pretty well for the last 2.5 years.

I’ll try this utility when I get home and it will hopefully make it so the USB switch’s button is all I’ll need to press and it will work, even if both the computers are turned on.

Re: Display-switch: Turn a $30 USB switch into a full-featured multi-monitor KVM

#80

Post by freen »

mmastrac wrote: post #42

I bought a fantastic curved Samsung monitor and it supports reading from the port that tells you the current input but not setting it. It also has the worst possible input switcher that cycles until it finds a valid input. I wish it were easier to hack on monitor firmware. I'd love to improve it.

I’ll never buy anything from Samsung again. The software on their otherwise delightful hardware is absolute crap.
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