Normally, you have to rely on the graphics card–integrated or discrete–on your notebook if you want to add an external monitor, but what if you want to have two external monitors? That sounds like it would be monumentally more challenging, but it’s actually quite simple with a product like the Diamond DV100 Dual View USB 3.0 Graphics Adapter. All you need is a single USB 3.0 connection and you can have two full HD external displays up and running, in addition to the actual display on your notebook PC.
Of course, while this will certainly also work for people with desktop computers, using the DV100 with an ultrabook is a much more likely application of this technology. We’re going to put it to the test in this most likely scenario with my recent ultrabook purchase and a couple of full sized LCD monitors.
Features at a Glance
The main idea behind the Diamond Multimedia Dual View DV100 is quite simple, really. You have a compact device that is about the size of a deck of cards and it connects to your Windows PC via USB 3.0. There is no need for external power, as it is USB bus powered. From there, you have video cables running to your external monitors and suddenly you’re running a triple monitor setup.
Each of the two outputs can support up to 1080p full HD. While it can work over USB 2.0, the video performance will naturally not be as good as what you’d get with the faster data speeds afforded by USB 3.0. This is similar in some ways to the Diamond WPCTVPRO VStream, except for two things: this has a wired connection rather than a wireless one and this supports two external monitors rather than just one. Aside from that, you still use the same DisplayLink technology and you get the same plug-and-play installation.
The DV100 retails for between $71.83 – 92.00 according to our shopping engine which makes it fairly affordable.
What’s in the Box?
While you don’t find any video cables included with the DualView, you do get everything else that you’ll need to use this product. There is the DV100 graphics adapter, of course, as well as a provided USB 3.0 data cable, installation CD and instruction manual. There doesn’t need to be anything else here, because you really don’t need it. Realistically, the CD isn’t completely necessary either, as the software and drivers can be freely downloaded from the Internet.
Inputs and Outputs
In sticking with the simplicity of this product, the available ports are also kept very straightforward. There is a DC power input on the far left, but this is not necessary and is being “reserved for future uses.” As you can see from the blue, that’s a USB 3.0 connection, which also serves to power this device.
Next to that is the DVI output and the HDMI output. While some people may have preferred two DVI outputs or two HDMI outputs, this combination is ultimately more versatile, especially if you only want to have one external monitor of either connection type. Of course, if you have two HDMI monitors–as may be the case if you’re using a couple of LED HDTVs–you can just as easily use a DVI-to-HDMI cable and be ready to go.
Installation and Setup
If you’ve ever used other DisplayLink graphics adapters, then you’ll feel right at home with the installation process on the Diamond DualView. It’s exactly the same. With the provided CD, you’ll install the necessary DisplayLink software and Windows will automatically detect the necessary drivers. The wizard easily walks you through the entire process.
After it’s done, you’ll notice the DisplayLink software in your Windows taskbar, but you don’t have to use this either. When you connect a monitor through the Diamond USB 3.0 Dual Head Display Adapter, it will show up just like a regular external monitor that you’d plug directly into your laptop’s HDMI-out. Go into your Windows display properties and you’ll find the usual screen resolution options, including shifting alignment and arrangement. Of course, you can opt to mirror your desktop too.
Indicator Lights
There are no buttons, switches or anything of that sort on this device. Instead, all you see are three simple indicator lights on the front. There is a visibly noticeable “light bleed” across these indicators, which isn’t the end of the world, but it can be a little irksome.
In any case, these three lights make it easy to see if you have power, for starters, and whether you have a detected monitor connected to the HDMI port and to the DVI port. These lights are particularly necessary, per se, but they could come in handy if you have to do any troubleshooting.
Extending the Desktop
To test the performance of the DV100, I tried two configurations, both running on my Fujitsu Lifebook UH572 ultrabook. First, I connected it to a pair of HDTVs. Then, I connected it to a couple of 21.5-inch LED computer monitors. There was a difference in clarity, particularly for text, but that can be attributed more to the monitors/HDTVs than the adapter.
As far as extending or mirroring the desktop for productivity purposes, the Diamond DualView worked like a dream. I had no trouble with having a spreadsheet opened full screen on one monitor, a Chrome browser on the other monitor, and a word processor opened on the laptop screen directly. Similarly, as shown above, I could run three web browser windows concurrently too. This is fantastic for productivity, allowing you to take your ultrabook on the road, but coming home (or back to the office) with a multi-screen setup. I experienced the occasional lag or stutter, but it was largely negligible.
Video Performance
Performance with any kind of video content, on the other hand, is a different story. While I was able to go on YouTube (via Google Chrome) and play a full screen 1080p HD video without any trouble, I did get a noticeable kink in performance when I tried multitasking on the other monitors.
The audio may continue to play, for example, but the video content would hang or lag behind. Similarly, if I tried to play two or three different videos–either offline or online–across the different monitors, I would get the same kind of degraded performance. Given this, it’s probably not in your best interest to do much gaming on here either.
However, we need to approach this with the right kind of mindset. It’s possible that part of the performance lag is due to other factors contained in the ultrabook itself and these can be overcome with a more powerful laptop. Even if that is not the case, we have to remember that the Diamond DV100 was never meant to be a powerful graphics card and it is priced accordingly.
Closing Thoughts
Without a doubt, the Diamond Multimedia DualView DV100 PC-to-TV USB 3.0 Dual Display Graphics Adapter has its faults. The video performance, while bearable for mono-tasking, will degrade with a certain level of multitasking. This can get annoying, to be sure, but I feel that the advantages of this product far outweigh its negatives.
For starters, it’s remarkably simple. The software installs itself and runs seamlessly, integrating with Windows and letting you use the native screen resolution utility for tweaking. The external monitors look just like you connected them directly to your computer via on-board graphics. The dual monitor arrangement, plus your laptop screen, make for the easiest way to get a triple display arrangement.
Perhaps more importantly, it’s really affordable. You can find it for $70 to $90 through a variety of retailers and e-tailers. Considering that all it needs is a single USB connection and you get a very workable configuration for multi-monitor multitasking, that’s a serious bargain. It may not be for gamers or heavy video content, but for everyday tasks, the Diamond DV100 is a gem.
Pros
- Dual 1080p full HD output via DVI and HDMI
- Very simple and straightforward installation
- Adequate performance for daily tasks
- Audio output via HDMI too
- Low price point
Cons
- Laggy video performance
- Somewhat cheaper plastic build quality
- Light bleed on indicator LEDs
Overall Rating: 8.0/10
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