I'm hearing different reports from ION users - some say any DVImonitor works, others are claiming ETC has trouble with DVI. Even the ETC rep, who was awesome and answered every other question, wasn't completely sure about this issue. I need to order a cheap DVI for a new ION and was wondering what brands/specs are working with your consoles? It's coming out of my pocket, so I'd rather make sure I've got what works.
The monitor MUST have a DVI connection (you can't use a DVI to VGAadapter and use a VGAmonitor). This is because the internal graphics card of the ION outputs solely a DVI signal.
The part where it gets tricky is when you want to get a touchscreen. Then there's a whole second set of criteria that must be met.
There are two types of outputs from the ION - VGA and DVI.
There is one VGA port. This supplies one monitor's worth of VGA output. So if you want just one monitor you should be fine with just VGA.
There is one Dual DVI port with a splitter. (The splitter is shipped with the console and provides for two outputs) If you want to use a touch screen - or more than one monitor - they pretty much need to be DVI. I believe that what the rep might have been confused about was the resolution settings that were needed. I believe that later versions of software have been able to handle other resolutions much better than the initial release did. But I am sure one of the ETC factory folks will correct me if I am wrong....
Do not pick an auto-sensing DVImonitor. The ION itself can automatically detect what settings it needs to use. We have big problems with the monitors that Barbizon speced out because they are also auto-sensing between DVI/VGA.
A weekly ritual for us is:
1. To remove power from both the console and the monitor that doesn't respond for at least ten seconds as well as the DVI connection (FYI: we never remove the DVI splitter).
2. Reconnect the DVI connection first, then provide power to the monitor and then to the console.
3. It still won't find the monitor so we then have to interupt the startup and go into the monitor settings and place the second screen into the sequence.
The monitors that do not work well are from Planar as they decide for themselves what input to take and then you have to dance a little bit to get them back to DVI input. Indeed DVI to VGA adapters do not work and yes you can use one DVI and one VGA off a second connector on the motherboard.
We are not aware of problems with any other DVI monitors.
Thanks, that's what I was looking for. The paperwork to purchase the ION is sitting on my desk, and I already have a VGAmonitor. Just need a cheap DVI to hold me over until budgets allow for touch screens in the distant future.
Maybe a Dell 16 inch or 17 inch Ultrasharp LCDmonitor (excepts both DVI and VGA inputs). So the ion has a dual link DVIconnector? In that case it is best that DVI ony connections are used between the monitor and the console, other wise (like Dell) ETC would have provided a DVI to VGAconnector converter.
