Just bought a 19" flat panel monitor to use as a client monitor. Now the big question, how do I get the output of the program window in Avid MC into the new monitor.  My computer tower has 2 vga connectors that are being used already.   

If you have a Mojo, Adrenaline, or Nitris DX box, connect the monitor to that, assuming it has the right type of input--although I haven't seen many 19" flat panels that have anything but VGA/DVI, which won't work unless you have an Adrenaline with DNxcel.

If you don't have any of that hardware, you'll have to add an extra video card to your system, and use full screen playback on the third monitor.  Basically, configure it as a three monitor system, then within Avid set the full screen playback monitor to be the third one.

 I have a new video card with four ports and the IT dept installed it.  The challenge is now the desktop is extended to the third monitor.  Is there more detail on how to get full screen playback into that third monitor?

Open Media Composer Help and search for "Full Screen Playback".  It'll tell you everything you need to know.

Maybe I'm missing somthing but I'm stil having a challenge to get the program video into the client monitor.  I have 3 monitors enabled on the video card. 2 vga cables to the edit monitors and one HDMI cable to the client monitor.  Since I'm not going through any dv device, how does that video get into the monitor?

The usual way to get video to a client monitor is via the Avid hardware (DNA or DX series). Another route was to output via the 1394 and go through a device to a monitor.

The last is full screen playback (within the Avid interface) to a the 2nd computer monitor. 

This is actually all explained in the help file, but...

Make sure your desktop displays on all three monitors (that is, you can move your mouse cursor to any of the three monitors independently of each other).  Then go into your preferences and open the "Full Screen Playback" settings.  A panel will pop up.  Drag this panel to the monitor you want to display video on and click the button that is labeled something like "Play back full screen on this monitor" (not at the Avid now so I can't tell you the exact button label).  Then close the popup and go to Special->Full Screen Playback.

That should work for you.  If it doesn't, then let us know the specific problem you're having and we'll try to help you out if we can.

ieslive:

I have a new video card with four ports and the IT dept installed it.

The questions that you're asking may be academic anyway, depending on your answer to this one:  what card has the IT dept installed?  Is it capable of simultaneously handling 3 channels at 24 bit color depth of 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 video at a 60 Hz refresh rate or better?  And most importantly, is it on the Avid preferred list?

 That worked!  Thanks so much!  I had been doing everyting except the special drop down menu. 

Two more questions. 

1) Can I keep it in that monitor, or do I have to hit ctrl,shft, F  when I want to see it?  

2) When looking at the new monitor and the timeline is in pause, it looks like it shifts...and when I hit play it shifts back to normal.  What setting can I change to keep it from shifting?

Thanks in advance.