The VideoLAN Forums

Hi there
I have a computer (running windows 8 ) that I use to screen DVD’s onto a projector with VLC . at the moment when I open vlc to start the dvd, it straight away goes onto the projector & not the computer screen . I am wondering if it is possible under settings somewhere for VLC to always start on the computer & allow me to click & drag to the projector when ready?

hopefully this makes sense , any help much appreciated
Thanks

Bump .. hopefully someone can help me out here

Have you tried the Video->Fullscreen video device menu? Or the hotkey to switch between fullscreen and windowed video?

what is the hotkey to switch between fs & windowed?

will switching between the fscreen & windowed force the windowed video to go back to the computer (as that is what I'm after)?

thanks for your help so far hobbes

Bump !

Have you tried to backup DVD to computer and use VLC to play it?

Isn't this rather a windows issue instead of a VLC issue? If you set the pc so that whatever you show on the original monitor gets duplicated onto the projector it should work.
Then you show the video both on the monitor and on the projector. Guess this is the easiest way to do it. It's a setting on your video card properties... => duplicate screen something something ... Done frequently on laptops used in a meeting

Yeah this is an option however would rather being able to control it on my laptop without everyone seeing on the screen

So I want to open it on the computer & drag vlc across to the projector when ready to play ... but a lot of the time it opens straight off on the projector & have to pull out the cord to revert it back to the computer...any fixes?? Thanks

1234,
i'd like to elaborate a bit on this issue and stress that this is NOT a VLC issue but a feature from your operating system that remembers on which screen you had the application open the last time. did a bit of searching on microsofts technet & msdn sites and have not found a way till now how to disable the feature...
But i did find something you could do before closing the application ( this info comes from the spiceworks community website )

1. Open the application.
2. Re-size the window so that it is not maximized or minimized.
3. Move the window to the monitor you want it to open on by default.
4. Close the application. Do not re-size prior to closing.
5. Open the application.
It should open on the monitor you just moved it to and closed it on.
6. Maximize the window.
The application will now open on this monitor by default. If you want to change it to another monitor, just follow steps 1-6 again.

Besides that there are 2 more solutions that come to mind ( there might be others but none i can think off )

One possibility could be if the developpers add a feature in the next release of VLC that would check if you have multiple monitors and allow you to preselect
on which screen you want to open it. I know how to force it in powershell ( by accessing the WMI and in case of an extended desktop retrieving the screen resolutions of both screens and then by feeding a specific value into the setwindowsplacement parameter to force & open it on the second screen )
Have not tried it yet as i didn't have time to write a quick code for it at work tonight.
Secondly as i don't know if VIM ( compiler used to make VLC ) can retrieve values from the WMI to force this feature. That might be something for a VIM expert to answer...

Found the following info about the windows placement feature on the microsoft MSDN site. Feel free to ask if you need more info but know that i have no VIM experience and i'm learning powershell on my own without any training course or manuals.