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I watch programs on my computer by using the TV-out, it has worked ok thus-far but one huge nagging issue is that the TV cannot show anything bigger than 1024x768 while I prefer 1152x864 on my screen, having to switch between the two modes when watching something is really annoying and it causes all my desktop icons to become cluttered and I have to resort them, gah!

So I was thinking that there must be some kind of virtual desktop software in which I could have one desktop running on 1024x768 and which I could switch to whenever I wanted to watch something.

Please help.

If you have an nVidia card and recent ForceWare drivers, you already have this installed. Go to Display Properties -> Settings -> Advanced and select the tab named after your card (in my case, a GeForce 6600GT). Under the "Desktop Management," tree look for "Desktops" and check "Enable Multiple Desktops." You can create more virtual desktops now, and set different backgrounds and resolutions. I've primarily been using it as a spillover place to stash windows that I don't plan to access often but want open.

ATi has something similar for the Catalyst drivers, but I'm not sure if you can set different resolutions on each desktop.

I have a Radeon 9600 PRO, dunno about any drivers, was thinking more along the lines of some 3rd party software.

That was kind of why I had mentioned the drivers -- you might already have them so that you wouldn't have to go and hunt down a third-party desktop manager.

Of third-party managers, though, I hear that Virtuawin is pretty lightweight and effective, though I'm not sure of its ability to change resolutions on a per-desktop basis.

You have this already, goto Display in the Control Panel, then the Settings tab.

Under the "Display" choicebox click the 2nd choice, and click "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor". Then click the 1st choice in the choicebox and click Advanced, and goto the "Displays" tab that has an ATI icon next to it. If you see a "TV" option then assign it to your 2nd desktop.

Enjoy.

Hey thanks, thats just the ticket

However, now when I play a movie in the second desktop it's really slow, not even watchable

His Divine Shadow wrote:However, now when I play a movie in the second desktop it's really slow, not even watchable

I guess I should've seen this one...ATI cards seem to be notorious for their output functions. One of my friends who's well-versed in computers calls them a "pain in the ass" when it comes to it. Mine had problems too, except it wouldn't play the video at all on the other screen, but would play fine on the laptop's. Only way I "fixed" it was to use some special software IBM prepared, and not the Display control panel.

Can't help you there though.