extending presentation across multiple displays

Question

Level 1

35 points

extending presentation across multiple displays

Has anyone found a way to present a slide show across multiple displays (monitors)? I'd like to have the presenter information show on my primary monitor, and I'd like the presentation to spread across multiple monitors or video projectors. I'd like to create 3-screen slide shows.

So I'm looking for a way to do it in Keynote2, or with the help of a third-party application or something. Is there anything out there?

I have Keynote2 running in Tiger.

Posted on Sep 8, 2005 2:34 PM

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Answer 1

Brian Peat

Level 6

18,216 points

Sep 8, 2005 4:50 PM in response to Geoff Holt

If you don't need different stuff going on on each monitor, I'd think you could buy some kind of hardware splitter that was made for this kind of thing. Create your presentation as super wide and run it into the splitter. No idea it there is such a thing for the mac, but I think so.

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Answer 2

Geoff Holt Author

Level 1

35 points

Sep 9, 2005 7:13 AM in response to Brian Peat

Thanks Brian, but I do need each monitor to present individual images. I'd be happy to run it as a superwide presentation which stretches across all 3 screens as long as I can set up the Keynote2 slides to have separate images show up on each display.

I only have 1 extra graphics card right now, so I can only test the primary and secondary display functions. This works great! But there doesn't seem to be any options in the software which would make me feel safe in buying a card to do more monitors than that.

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Answer 3

Brian Peat

Level 6

18,216 points

Sep 9, 2005 7:44 AM in response to Geoff Holt

I think you'll need to just run 3 machines, and MAKE your slides look like they are supposed to be connected, especially if they need to be controlled independently and not synced. If you want to sync them, you still need 3 machines to deliver the images, but you can use a 4th to start the show and keep them in sycn using this app:

http://www.keywebx.com/keyshowx.html

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Answer 4

Geoff Holt Author

Level 1

35 points

Sep 9, 2005 9:36 AM in response to Brian Peat

Thanks again Brian. I checked out Keyshow, and it looks like it would do the job, but buying 3 more computers isn't in my budget right now.

I guess I'm still stuck with running PowerShow for Windows PowerPoint. PowerShow is great and does what I need it to do, but then I suffer the low quality and quirkiness of PowerPoint.

Thanks for the suggestion.

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Answer 5

Nov 2, 2005 5:08 PM in response to Geoff Holt

I'm exploring this idea across both the PC an MAC platforms.

One area that may be of interest is www.digitaltigers.com

They make some MAC adapters for the Mac notebook that may enable up to two additional outputs screns to runs.

I've spoken to these people and the PC version apparently won't a single video file across two monitors.

There is a maclaptop adapter "SideCar Mac".

Let me know if you find a way to do this. I'm interested I a four screen wide presentation.

Thanks...

Dave Sawyer

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Answer 6

Geoff Holt Author

Level 1

35 points

Nov 3, 2005 8:23 AM in response to David Sawyer1

So far, all I've learned is that you can use a program like KeyShow ( http://www.keywebx.com/keyshowx.html) to sync multiple computers, each running Keynote.

You can also use a PowerPoint add on called PowerShow ( http://officeone.mvps.org/powershow/powershow.html) for Windows to either sync multiple PowerPoint files or span a PowerPoint across multiple monitors. But then you have the limitations of PowerPoint compared to Keynote. Blah.

Still hoping for Keynote to add this feature!!!

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Answer 7

Nov 4, 2005 2:49 AM in response to Geoff Holt

I think one way of doing so would be to export super-widescreen Keynote presentation as interactive QuickTime movie with H.264 or Pixlet codec. Then with a very simple mix of Java and AppleScript code it is possible to stretch it across several screens if you have powerful enough machine.

You have to make additional coding because QuickTime Pro in full screen doesn't stretch over several screens.

Best, Michael

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