Video won't play on external "screen"

When I connect my XP laptop to video projector, all windows are fine except
that any video, whether from file or DVD, shows black on projector while
playing merrily on laptop. Rest of Window, menus etc are fine.Still images
are fine. Laptop screen is XGA as is projector.
Any ideas?

 

did you hit the function key to move the video?

-richard

 

You need to change the properties of your VGA card. Use the "extend desktop
to this monitor" option.

 

yes! - can play on both projector alone or on laptopscreen and projector -
but not video within player window!

 

Thanks - the image on projector is fine - except for windows containing
video. I extend the via function key to projector (vga connected to laptop)
nad all is well until I play a video!
Any ideas?

 

You are not understanding what is being told to you. The projector has
absolutely nothing to do with the problem. The output of the laptop is a
part of your VGA card. Inside the VGA properties is a setting to extend the
laptop desktop to that output. The output is a second monitor listed on the
VGA card.

The problem you are experiencing is due to the fact that video does not
playback on the desktop proper, but is "overlayed" onto the desktop. The
video playback is actually using an area of the VGA memory which is not
usually used by the desktop. You must have the projector hooked into the
laptop improperly, or your particular laptop does not support the secondary
output necessary for the video playback through the projector.

If your VGA card does not have a second output there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
anyone here can tell you to make the video appear through the projector.
Overlay is overlay and that's that. The video will ALWAYS show as a black
area without the use of a second head output.

Sorry.

 

I have had luck showing video on an external projector if I select a video
mode that only outputs to the external connector. The laptop display is
blank in this mode.

David

 

Yes, most likely your video card is only capable of displaying video on
one output. You need to go to Display Properties and set the projector
as the primary display. Then the video will appear on the projector
(but you'll get a black window on your laptop).

 

I think you miss understood. The video that you see is overlayed onto
the screen. The overlay part only happens on the main screen, unless
you switch the overlay to a second monitor.

If you look on your function keys (I think it's either F5 or F6 I cant
remember and I'm typing on a Mac right now), you'll see a key in which
you'll have to hold the function plus this key down while both laptop
and projector are connected, and it "toggles" between the overlays.

-Richard

 

Hi Everyone,
thanks for your replies - I found the simple answer 'tho would be nice to
know why?

If I disable Hardware acceleration (none) then everything works fine.
I was trying to explain that indeed I was getting a "signal" on my projector
with no hassle, but foolishly called it "video". What I wasn't getting was a
"picture" when I played a .avi or DVD via any media player!

Will someone will tell me what I should call the "signal" that's showing on
the second "screen" - the semantics obviously caused some confusion! The
video was not showing video!!!

cheers