USB Monitor Adapter or how I was looking for the meaning of life

Hello. I had an idea. I decided to bring it to life.

I got two monitors, almost for free. Where I got the monitors is another story. Since I do not have a stationary computer, but there is a laptop to which one monitor has already been connected, I decided to make a system of over999 3 monitors, as in the best Hollywood action movies. Yes, and I'm bored and lonely in the evenings working with the code will be more convenient, I'm kind of like a programmer. But since this is a laptop and it has only 2 monitor outputs (one VGA and one HDMI), and therefore only 2 of 3 monitors can be connected to it, the solutions to my problem should have become completely non-standard and interesting.

As a result, I looked for solutions on the Internet and somewhere out of the corner of my eye noticed that there are devices to which you can connect one computer and get access to several monitors. Such a device is called "Splitter" or Splitter. It looks like this:


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As a result of a detailed study, I took it in the store to use it for a day, I realized that the device was not quite suitable for my purposes. The problem is that the "Splitter" allows you to only duplicate the screen, but not expand it on multiple monitors. That is why this option was excluded by me from the list of suitable solutions. Then I came across another device - USB Monitor Adapter. In the future, the article will focus on him.

USB Monitor Adapter (hereinafter referred to as the adapter) is a small video card connected via USB. Most of these devices are based on DisplayLink technology, which allows you to organize video transmission via USB interface.

I don’t go into the details of the DisplayLink technology, I’ll just tell you what you can and can’t do with the adapter.

The search for the description of the device gave me the following information (which, by the way, was confirmed by the sellers at the top):
Can:
- Connect another monitor using one adapter (you want 2 monitors, buy 2 adapters);
- Use it to display textual information and pictures on an additional monitor (see some video at most);
- Display the maximum resolution of 1920X1080 (not all adapters).

You can not:
- All the rest.

But despite the limitations, I decided to try.

I purchased an ESPADA H000USB adapter in one very popular online store. Here is what it looks like:



At my own risk, I connected the whole thing. Immediately came out a friendly driver installation window, which I used.

Suddenly, the third monitor started working and I immediately started testing all the items for which the adapter was intended.
The monitor worked and displayed the image. The video also worked. It would seem that this is all I need. But I went ahead and launched the game. In the settings, I chose this particular monitor and everything went perfectly. Even the FPS did not fall. So all thoughts about the inability of the adapter to display something other than text and video were wrong. Everything else is most likely true, since I did not connect another adapter, and the resolution is greater than 1920X1080 in my monitor is not supported.

And the most important thing for gamers. The adapter is not able to work out of the box in the mode of converting 3 monitors into one (perhaps this is somehow solved with the help of even hands and experiments with software), that is, to play one game simultaneously on 3 monitors (although programs display can). To make it clear what I mean:



Conclusions: as a result, I got what I wanted. Namely - a workstation of 3 monitors (not counting the laptop monitor). Now I can calmly write code, surf the Internet and print this article almost simultaneously:



If you still want to play, then it is easier to get a good stationary computer - and fight!