Fullscreen youtube to the telly.

May 22, 2007 6:46 AM

Did youtube change its 'fullscreen' option recently?

I have a macbook, which is also connected to my telly through the hdmi->S-video adaptor. I'm sure I used to be able to 'fullscreen' a youtube vid, and chuck it onto the TV by dragging it to the right of the laptop screen. (yes, this all sounds stupid, but I think if you've done this, it will make sense).

Now, if I hit the fullscreen button on a youtube vid, I can only make the vid fullscreen in the macbook's screen... so if I want it on the telly I have to use 'mirroring', which a) mongs up the rez of the laptop screen and b) means I can't post daft questions to askmefi at the same time.

So, is this a new change to youtube over which I have no control, or have I bollocksed something up somewhere?

posted by pompomtom to computers & internet (8 comments total)

Well, the old full-screen launched in a seperate window, whereas the new one uses a flash overlay I believe. You can view source and get the .swf file extension that is the actual video playing window, then paste that into a new browser window, but you can't resize it.
posted by Happy Dave at 7:21 AM on May 22, 2007

A quick workaround for this is to open a new window (not a new tab, but a whole new instance) in Firefox ( or IE or whatever you use), drag it over to your TV (which I assume you're using as an extended desktop), navigate to your Youtube video and hit fullscreen - it should then launch the flash overlay on your TV screen, and you can browse away in the original instance of your browser on the other screen.
posted by Happy Dave at 7:25 AM on May 22, 2007

Happy Dave, that was SO close... but if I do anything in the first window (ie, on the macbook screen), the TV window de-fullscreens. Am I missing something, or am I just SOL?
posted by pompomtom at 7:35 AM on May 22, 2007

(though really... ta. You have certainly answered the question)
posted by pompomtom at 7:37 AM on May 22, 2007

Okeydoke,

Here's a workaround - install this Greasemonkey script. Click the video you want to watch. It'll open in a new tab, in full screen. Copy and paste the URL from the newly opened tab into a new window. Drag and drop to your TV. Voila, jerry-rigged fullscreen.
posted by Happy Dave at 8:26 AM on May 22, 2007

Who is this Jerry, and why is he always rigging stuff up crappy?
posted by thilmony at 9:14 AM on May 22, 2007

Jerry-rigged. I think it's a corruption of 'jury-rigged', which is makeshift sail-work on damaged sailing-ships. Rather than a dodgy builder in Merseyside, as that link contends.
posted by Happy Dave at 9:18 AM on May 22, 2007

Oh, sorry, that wasn't a serious question was it?
posted by Happy Dave at 9:18 AM on May 22, 2007