Full Screen Video on Secondary Display

November 18, 2006 12:06 AM

In OS X, is it possible to set up a video to play at full screen on a secondary display?

It seems like VLC should be set up to do this, but Googling gives me no answers. Basically, I'd like to be able to use my iBook to surf the web while watching movies on an attached monitor (I have the plugin installed so I can do more than just duplicate the display).

I'm certainly open to using other programs if necessary. The files are .avis, FWIW.

posted by rossination to computers & internet (7 comments total)

What problems are you having? Make sure to start the video on the second screen or it won't show up. The shortcut Apple F will make the video fullscreen.
posted by meta87 at 12:45 AM on November 18, 2006

Oh. Silly me. I didn't realize that all I had to do was start it in the second screen. Thanks meta!
posted by rossination at 12:50 AM on November 18, 2006

If you want the video screen to be on one display, and the controls on the other, you can set that in the Video menu.
posted by spaceman_spiff at 6:51 AM on November 18, 2006

You may also want to ensure that your menubar is set to the monitor that you aren't watching video on, otherwise the menubar will draw across the top of your video.
posted by b1tr0t at 9:36 AM on November 18, 2006

FWIW, if you have QuickTime Pro, you can get it to start a video full-screen on any arbitrary monitor, without having to drag the window there first.

Just choose "Present Movie" from the View menu, and you'll get a choice of monitors.
posted by Mwongozi at 10:55 AM on November 18, 2006

Since no one mentioned it specifically: in VLC, you do Video > Video Device > (whatever your 2nd monitor is called, probably Screen 2 or something like that), then Command-F to go full screen. Works like a charm.
posted by bcwinters at 11:53 AM on November 18, 2006

thanks, i wanted to know that too.
posted by kolophon at 12:30 PM on November 18, 2006