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Last updated on Dec 19, 2023

Use a second monitor to display the output video while working on Premiere Pro.

Whether you’re a multimedia artist, content creator, or professional video editor, using dual monitors can significantly enhance your video editing workflow and efficiency.

Before you begin
  • Connect your monitor to your computer and verify the display functions.
  • Check if your system features Thunderbolt, USB, HDMI adapter options, or DVI or HDMI ports.
  • Check the standard port that can connect to your monitor and computer. For example, if both have HDMI ports, use an HDMI cable to connect.
  1. Go to Premiere Pro > Preferences > Playback (macOS) or Edit > Preferences > Playback (Window).
Screenshot showing the Playback preferences with Enable Mercury Transmit, Video Device tab, and Disable video output when in the background options highlighted.
Set the highlighted options to display video on the second monitor.

  1. Select Enable Mercury Transmit.
    This enables sending video to a second monitor.
  2. Select the monitor on which you want the video to appear. You can choose from the following options:
    • Adobe DV: This is the FireWire option.
    • Adobe Monitor x: These are your attached computer monitors that can receive video preview data through the graphics card.
    • Third-party video hardware: These entries differ depending on the connected third-party hardware. AJA Kona 3G, Blackmagic Playback, and Matrox Player are typical examples.
  3. If you’d like the second monitor to revert to displaying the computer screen when you switch out of Premiere Pro, select Disable video output when in the background.
  4. Select OK.
Note:

Displaying the video output on a second monitor is particularly useful in color grading if you want to see how your colors look in a different color space or see the video playback in full screen.

Result

You can view the Premiere Pro interface on the main monitor and the video on the second monitor.

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