WMV Files not Displaying

**Scooter** · February 23rd, 2005, 09:09 AM

I have a compaq laptop and an apple powerbook G3. They both have Windows Media Player. They both work fine. I can view WMV files on the LCD panel of both laptops, and hear the sound as well. However, when I attach an external monitor to either laptops, or an LCD projector, I cannot see the movie. It is blacked out. I can hear the audio, but can't see the movie. WHY WHY WHY???

**Damned Angel** · February 23rd, 2005, 09:20 AM

Can you see the desktop on the external monitor or projector if you are not playing a video?

**Scooter** · February 23rd, 2005, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by Damned Angel

Can you see the desktop on the external monitor or projector if you are not playing a video?

I'm sorry... that was stupid not to include that info... I can see EVERYTHING on the lcd and external monitor on both laptops... except MWV's... I see windows and os9, I see media player, but instead of seeing the video that area is just black.

**Damned Angel** · February 23rd, 2005, 04:32 PM

The only things I can think of are to update the video driver on both notebooks and to set the primary monitor to the drvice you are trying to display to.

I seem to remember there being some problem palying video files on a secondary monitor, but it may have only been in full screen mode. Either way, try both suggestions and let us know the results.

**Scooter** · February 23rd, 2005, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by Damned Angel

The only things I can think of are to update the video driver on both notebooks and to set the primary monitor to the drvice you are trying to display to.

I seem to remember there being some problem palying video files on a secondary monitor, but it may have only been in full screen mode. Either way, try both suggestions and let us know the results.

Both video drivers are updated to the latest version. You can't make the mac do the primary monitor thing, but I tried it on the PC and the same results happened.

**Richard1** · February 23rd, 2005, 05:10 PM

Unfortunately I don't have an answer but I can say that I had the same problem on my dell laptop. I tried to watch a movie using the onboard video out on my laptop hooked to my friends TV. I could see and hear everything fine but when I finally played the video the movie area aqppeared blacked out. After trying several different players I finally gave up and watched something else.

**confus-ed** · February 24th, 2005, 05:53 AM

Originally Posted by Damned Angel

..I seem to remember there being some problem palying video files on a secondary monitor, but it may have only been in full screen mode. Either way, try both suggestions and let us know the results.

Most cards only support overlay on just one monitor at once, on laptops folks get confus-ed with this, as often they can toggle the tv out through laptop display, just tv, & tv & laptop together, not realising that the output of the video can only appear on one screen at once.

**Scooter** · February 24th, 2005, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by confus-ed

Most cards only support overlay on just one monitor at once, on laptops folks get confus-ed with this, as often they can toggle the tv out through laptop display, just tv, & tv & laptop together, not realising that the output of the video can only appear on one screen at once.

Well, I took that into consideration, but.... the windows machine atleast 1) you can hook up the external monitor as a second display... and even if I do that, when I play the WMV file on the lcd panel, it works. If I drag it over and play it... no dice, just a black area where the movie is supposed to be.

I have also tried to display ONLY on the external monitor, turning off the LCD display.

**Damned Angel** · February 24th, 2005, 12:30 PM

I just tried this using an HP notebook running XP home and Media player 9. Using the vga out to a CRT monitor, the video will display on the external monitor when both the external output and internal (built in LCD) video mode is selected (the LCD shows a blank image). I had no problems running it at full screen either.

So now that we know that is definatly possible to do and exactly how it should work, what are you doing different?

What kind of video output cable are you using?

**Scooter** · February 24th, 2005, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by Damned Angel

I just tried this using an HP notebook running XP home and Media player 9. Using the vga out to a CRT monitor, the video will display on the external monitor when both the external output and internal (built in LCD) video mode is selected (the LCD shows a blank image). I had no problems running it at full screen either.

So now that we know that is definatly possible to do and exactly how it should work, what are you doing different?

What kind of video output cable are you using?

The video output cable is just the cable that is attached to the monitor, or it is the one that came with the projector, depending on which one I am using.

I have tried:

Just using the external display
Using the external display AND the internal display

**Damned Angel** · February 24th, 2005, 01:54 PM

what version of media player are you using?

**Scooter** · February 24th, 2005, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by Damned Angel

what version of media player are you using?

I have tried version 9 and 10... the one for mac is 8 or 9, the most recent version.

**Damned Angel** · February 24th, 2005, 02:46 PM

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;824397

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;833193

Maybe one of these articles will be of some use?

Edit: A question I should have asked before; Does it work properly with other video file types?

**Scooter** · February 24th, 2005, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by Damned Angel

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;824397

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;833193

Maybe one of these articles will be of some use?

Edit: A question I should have asked before; Does it work properly with other video file types?

I will check out the URL's, thanks... yes it works fine with ANY other video type... i can even convert the WMV to an MPEG and it works fine... just not with the WMVs

**Scooter** · February 24th, 2005, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by Damned Angel

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;824397

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;833193

Maybe one of these articles will be of some use?

Edit: A question I should have asked before; Does it work properly with other video file types?

Thanks for the links but....

Link #1 deals with Multiple monitors with different resolutions and FULL SCREEN... both displays (The lcd and the ext. monitor) are running the same resolution, and I have tried the WMV in fullscreen AND just in the WMP window...

Link #2 deals with DVD and the battery being low... these are movie clips, not disks and I am using AC power.