Reply to: Multiple snappable desktops on one big UHD monitor vs 4 monitors

[DimPrawn]

Taking a look at this:

Split the Windows Desktop: How to Divide a Single Large Desktop into Multiple Smaller Ones - Articles - Actual Tools

[d000hg]

I don't think W10 can do this so I think you'd have to get a monitor which supports 4 inputs i.e. it basically acts as 4 logical displays to your PC (4 cables) but tiles them on one area. This will of course let you do what you want.

I doubt it's too common though. If you can get an external kit that does this for you you'd have more freedom but I'd be worried it might be a PITA.

If you find a solution, I'd love to hear it.

[administrator]

Have a look at this one me old prawn:
https://maxto.net/

Keyboard shortcuts can ping progs from one space to another. Not the drag and maximise you are looking for but might fit the bill.

[woohoo]

I have the 40" Philips PHL BDM4065 monitor.

I downloaded SmartControl from Philips and installed it, I think I needed it to adjust the refresh rate. Anyway you can snap windows to different areas of the monitor.

There is an icon on the top right of each window, click on it to snap the window. I have the Philips monitor setup in "left veritcal", so the screen is split into two then the right side split into two again. However, you can configure it and select "even" then the monitor is split into 4 sections. Click on the icon on the window, select the section and the window will snap to that section.

It also works with my second monitor, so I can snap windows from the main monitor to the second.

Oh forgot to mention if you click on align to partition in the settings, you can drag the window and will snap to the region. I only discovered this answering your question, so thank you.

[Boo]

I got one of these recently:

Samsung 34" SE790C Curved Ultra WQHD LED Monitor- Samsung UK

Awesome screen.

Boo's theorem :

1440 lines == meh == < 48" screen

<Edit> But I could make an exception for the 40" Philips monitor in the post above ^^^^</Edit>

Boo

[Hobosapien]

Looking in the manual for my Philips monitor, it has something called MultiView which allows Picture By Picture for up to 3 sub windows as well as a main window, so 4 in all and all with equal quarters of the overall screen.

So would just need a video card (or two) to get the 4 inputs into the monitor (choice of VGA, HDMI, MHL-HDMI, DisplayPort, Mini DP).

Manual is here and Picture By Picture (PBP 4Win) is on page 10 if you care to do your own research.

Even if that still doesn't meet your needs the monitor itself may be hard to beat for spec and price (£529 inc vat at PC World of all places ) if you want to go UHD.

Got to be a better solution out there than 4 monitors on your desk.


Edit: With the above arrangement Windows would definitely allow you to drag and maximise between what it though was separate monitors, and with a 40" you'd have 4xHD(1080) at a readable DPI without scaling up fonts.

[DimPrawn]

I got one of these recently:

Samsung 34" SE790C Curved Ultra WQHD LED Monitor- Samsung UK

Awesome screen.

Probably doesn't answer your question, but I wanted to show off

We don't like show offs round here.

[ChimpMaster]

I got one of these recently:

Samsung 34" SE790C Curved Ultra WQHD LED Monitor- Samsung UK

Awesome screen.

Probably doesn't answer your question, but I wanted to show off

[VectraMan]

You could get one of these:

A-Neuvideo 4 x 1 HDMI Quad Screen Multi-Viewer ANI-QUAD-MINI B&H

[DimPrawn]

Sounds like Virtual Desktops are best place to start. W10 has it built in but not sure functionality matches your needs. If not there are 3rd party software solutions.

Checked out Virtual Desktops. Nope, definately not what I want.

So far looks like four separate monitors is the only way to see four desktops at once, but still be able to move the mouse round them all and drag and snap applications from one area to another seamlessly.

[Hobosapien]

Sounds like Virtual Desktops are best place to start. W10 has it built in but not sure functionality matches your needs. If not there are 3rd party software solutions.

[DimPrawn]

I need the ease of dragging windows from "monitor" to "monitor", snapping to maximize on each and all the usual stuff you get with multiple monitors.

If it don't do that with one big screen, I ain't interested.

[Hobosapien]

Sounds like you need either of the following if you don't want separate video inputs and use Picture In Picture functionality for each video input (if the monitor supports that).


1. Windows 10 style multi-desktop or other software driven segregation.
2. Separate VMs so each one can be resized to quarter of overall screen.
3. Video card and suitable driver which can replicate PIP style separation via one monitor input.

My current home PC set up is one big UHD 40 incher (Philips BDM4065UC) which I've set as one big desktop using displayport, so full UHD resolution at decent refresh rate (need displayport or HDMI 2.0 to avoid lower refresh rates).

The Philips monitor does allow PIP and up to 3 regions I think, though I've only tried it with 2 regions so far, so a quarter of the screen can be used for client laptop second monitor while rest of desktop is for my own PC, so I can surf 'dodgy' stuff like CUK on my PC while client laptop is connected to their network via VPN.

All works so far. Only issue I've had is the displayport not auto waking up via Windows 7 if monitor set to turn off after x minutes, so as a fudge I've just W7 to display a black screen saver rather than turn the monitor off. Possibly a W7 driver issue with the new video card I got at same time as the monitor last November. W10 may solve it but I'm not that desperate yet.

One thing's for sure, one UHD monitor at 40" (so no need to resize fonts as you probably would with 27" UDH) is miles better than the 3 monitors I had cluttering up my desk before the upgrade. Best upgrade I've done since going 100% SSD.

[anonymouse]

How to split one large display into two or more

Various software to do this. Never tried it as I'm happy with just 2 monitors.

[DimPrawn]

No way to do that currently I don't think.

You can have multiple virtual desktops with one monitor but only one can be displayed and be active at a time.
There is software out there that will do two desktop instances on two separate monitors.

EDIT : You could run multiple VM's on the box and tile the desktops for those?

No, needs to be four virtual screens, one O/S, like having four monitors, which is what I have now. If Windows 10 can't do this, then I will buy four monitors and another one of these SAPPHIRE FirePro W4100 2GB GDDR5 | 31004-51-40A | Novatech

But, would prefer one large 4K resolution monitor with display port input and four virtual monitor areas if it can be done.