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chrislea.co.uk

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Okay... so I am having a real brain fart right now, so forgive me if I am asking what is possibly a really stupid question....

I have a laptop running powerpoint. I want to output the powerpoint slide deck onto an 85" display, and also output the presenter view onto a comfort monitor... 

Is this doable from a single laptop, or do I need another laptop running the same presentation and then follow the presenters clicks? 

Ive seen it been done before, but that was before the pandemic and cant think how... 

How would you guys suggest that is done? Or should I just ditch the presenter view and split the main output? 

Thanks in advance. 

 

C

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If the laptop in question has the physical connections for two external video outputs then (in theory) you should be able to tell Windows/Powerpoint to use one for the presenter view and the other for the slides. You might need to deactivate the laptop's built-in screen (within Windows' display settings) to force the presenter view to show up on an external screen; and it might need some testing to make sure that the two views are fed to the correct destinations.

But yeah: it might be easier just to split the main output. Does the presenter need the presenter view (e.g. to read notes)?

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If the presenter has the laptop on the lectern, then laptop has the notes view on local screen, then split the external output with a DA to feed comfort monitor and main screen. I rarely have had to put the notes on the comfort monitor, if you do then you either need two video outputs on the laptop, or a second laptop tracking the first.

I've done it with a Macbook which has a docking station that has two HDMI outs on it but rarely. 

You could use a USB (or USB C) to HDMI to give you a second output

 

Edited by xllx
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I have just set up this exact scenario for an event next week. Laptop HDMI to a HDMI splitter and take a lead to each external screen. Windows only sees 1 additional screen so the main TV display used for audience, and a Samsung 16" being used as the monitor. The presenter view is on the laptop. 

Seems to work just fine in test including playing embedded video links that have caused me angst in the past on extended display.

The splitter is a 4k unit I picked up in Maplins closing down sale. 

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On 2/25/2022 at 2:26 PM, chrislea.co.uk said:

How would you guys suggest that is done? Or should I just ditch the presenter view and split the main output?

That depends what the client wants. If they specifically want the presenter view (as it gives current slide, next animation and notes) then you simply need a laptop that can handle two external outputs (or a desktop with 3). This does mean that at least one will need to be using an active converter from displayport to whatever transport you're using (presumably HDMI to an SDI converter) and this can be via USB-C or thunderbolt etc... but will need to be active.

If you're on windows, a really nice way to do this is with a cheap MST hub, I was pleasantly surprised when the anker usb-c to dual HDMI was actually a proper MST hub, and it's probably the cheapest one I've ever seen that actually works. Of course if you have physical HDMI and a mini-DP then you can just use those anyway.

You can always just run a second laptop in sync with the outputs reversed, but it seems silly to be doing this in 2022.

 

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