Finally: Daisy-Chaining Monitors With DisplayPort 1.2!

[blakeseven]

I've been struggling with dual monitors on my the Surface Pro 2. I am using two 24" ASUS Monitors that support Display port 1.1. I have both the EVGA hub and the Club 3 hub and the Microsoft Docking Station.. I was only able to get the club 3 to work. What I have found thru the help of Microsoft is that the surface will drive the Club 3 if and only if you have never connected the dock to your surface. Once the Dock is connected. The surface will install new firmware in the background to support the dock. This firmware breaks dual monitor support thru the Club 3. The only was to get it working again, is to reset the surface and plug the club 3 directly into the surface mini port.

I am told from 2 tech reps at Microsoft that this is the first they have heard about this and it will take a new firmware patch to correct this issue. They have moved my ticket up stream.

Has anyone else had this issue ?

 

[Nismode]

I found the DU2414H package on our corporate Dell account page. It's two U2414H monitors and the MDS14 dual monitor stand for $599. Pretty good discount over normal pricing, $799...but really wanted a 16:10 aspect ratio. Can't quite pull the trigger on it yet.

If anyone is interested, PM me and I'll see if it's cool to give out the offer code.

PM'd you! Seems like this would be the best bet to go with...

Microsoft really dropped the ball on this one, I can't see much other alternatives to get Daisy chaining Displayport to work with the SP2.

 

[beq]

Well, I hope we hear further progress on getting DisplayPort 1.2 MST hubs to work with the SP2!

 

[ynohtna]

Hi guys!

was wondering how hot your surface gets driving two monitors.

I jumped on the Lenovo Helix right away and I while it's a fantastic machine, it does piss me off in that the fans are blaring while dock and driving two Dell 2413's.... Unfortunately the Helix is only 1.1a minidp, so I have one on miniDP and one on usb3 display link. I'm sure that doesn't help with CPU load. It's running an i7-3667U. I'm only using it for work mostly involving browsers and office documents. I do run a XP hyper-V VM on it too for legacy stuff I use.

So since the SP3 announcement, I love the 3:2 screen. Hated the 16:9 trend and wonder about heat/sound management of the SP2 with daisy chain because the SP3 should be even better I assume?

Thanks.

 

[wditters]

Currently daisy-chaining 2x Lenovo LT2934z Panorama displays in 2x 2560x1080 .... Works like a dream, no fans blaring ... Only niggle is that booting the SP2 with the displays attached to the Surface Docks sometimes results in boot issues (black screen). Disconnecting, restarting and reconnecting solves the issue. Potentially this is due to me using cheap ass mini DP to DP cables of which I don't even know whether they are DP 1.2 or 1.1. Still need to test that, a quality cable is on its way.

 

[ynohtna]

thanks, what is your cpu usage like with stuff on all the screens?

 

[Mike_from_Saskatoon]

Miracast is the equivalent of Wireless HDMI so you are limited to on external monitor, also there is some lag between the device and the Wireless Display. I use to stream Video or in conference rooms to wirelessly present.

I am seriously considering buying the Surface Pro 3 when it comes out later this month, and I have a couple of questions:

1. I have two monitors that support Displayport. If I was to daisy-chain them and run a Miracast to my SP3, would that effectively give me three displays active, without lag or any issues? I'm imagining being able to use my SP3 as my desktop without actually having to have it connected via cables or wires.

2. Off-topic - do you know if there exists a usb hub that I can connect to my SP3 wirelessly? Whether through Blue-tooth or some other option? What I'm imagining is being able to hook up my USB printer, mouse, keyboard, etc... to the hub, and then have the hub communicate with my SP3 without needing to plug anything into the SP3 (except possibly a small dongle)

Thanks in advance!

 

[jnjroach]

I am seriously considering buying the Surface Pro 3 when it comes out later this month, and I have a couple of questions:

1. I have two monitors that support Displayport. If I was to daisy-chain them and run a Miracast to my SP3, would that effectively give me three displays active, without lag or any issues? I'm imagining being able to use my SP3 as my desktop without actually having to have it connected via cables or wires.

2. Off-topic - do you know if there exists a usb hub that I can connect to my SP3 wirelessly? Whether through Blue-tooth or some other option? What I'm imagining is being able to hook up my USB printer, mouse, keyboard, etc... to the hub, and then have the hub communicate with my SP3 without needing to plug anything into the SP3 (except possibly a small dongle)

Thanks in advance!

Miracast supports one External Monitor, so from a strictly wireless solution, you could have the one External and the Internal (I do this currently with my SP2 using the Actiontec ScreenBeam Pro Miracast/WiDi Adapter and will also do this with my SP3). I use a NAS and Networked Printer, you could use Bluetooth for Keyboard and Mouse (or as I do use the Cover). The Only cord that attaches to my SP2 is the Power Cable.

 

[JeffK]

Hey All, Newbie here to the forum, but thought I've come to the right place. I have the same set up as PerG - Surface Pro 2, Surface docking station, 2 daisy chained dell U2414H monitors. Running into an interesting problem that I thought someone might have a little advise on....

When I connect the daisy chained monitors displayport connection directly to the Surface, things run beautifully. Yet when I dock it, with the monitor displayport connection running through the dock, each display - including the Surface itself appears to go into "Power Saving Mode" for 2-4 seconds every minute or so.... any of you seen this type of crazy behavior with daisy chained displays through a dock?

Thanks!

 

[lsobrado]

Well, I hope we hear further progress on getting DisplayPort 1.2 MST hubs to work with the SP2!

just tried the ACCELL hub and didn't work at all. the EVGA seemed to be closer to working as I had one screen working at least. Accell customer support told me surface pro 2 is known to them for their bad DP1.2 implementation so we're all going to suffer. I don't think this will get better with SP3 as it uses the same chipset. Maybe SP4 will have the common sense of having a dock with two outputs since at this point MSFT seems incapable of doing anything right, and obviously people having to buy another monitor or hub isn't an option.

BTW I returned the hub BEFORE june's graphics update but all they said that changed was miracast support. I see no reason why DP1.2 was fixed until they say so and I'm not buying another hub.

 

[lsobrado]

Hey All, Newbie here to the forum, but thought I've come to the right place. I have the same set up as PerG - Surface Pro 2, Surface docking station, 2 daisy chained dell U2414H monitors. Running into an interesting problem that I thought someone might have a little advise on....

When I connect the daisy chained monitors displayport connection directly to the Surface, things run beautifully. Yet when I dock it, with the monitor displayport connection running through the dock, each display - including the Surface itself appears to go into "Power Saving Mode" for 2-4 seconds every minute or so.... any of you seen this type of crazy behavior with daisy chained displays through a dock?

Thanks!

I saw this with my EVGA hub and the dock. I can't tell you why but I suspect a bandwidth issue. the SP2 supports 4K out when connected to the device but not the dock. only the SP3 dock supports 4K. why does this matter? It tells me the dock isn't simply a pass-thru device for the DP meaning who knows if the dock even works right with DP 1.2.

 

[MarkGM1957]

HI , I hope someone can tell me what's wrong, I am tearign my hair out. MS support chat gave up. I have an SP2 bought Feb this year. I have Dell U2713H and Dell 2713HM 2560 monitors. I can drive the Monitors with the MS own MDP to HDMI adaptor at 1920 (it sometimes works at 2560). I can sometimes drive them a MDP to DP cable (several at good quality) at 2560. But its only luck if it works. Now it doesnt. Updating Windows, Intel drivers etc have no positive effect. I set the power manager to 'high' as well. What may be wrong? I am out of ideas. Thanks.