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I have previously set up vlc to play "full screen, on top" of a second monitor, leaving the video controls in my primary monitor (ie no-embed-video). The version where I first got this working was 0.98 on XP. I had used command lines such as:
--no-embedded-video --fullscreen --video-on-top --directx-device=\\.\DISPLAY2

I have wanted to set up a laptop recently, and used 1.1.2 and couldn't get it to work. Downloaded 1.1.3, and the same problem. Same OS (XP). If there is a way of achieving this effect in current versions without using directx, that'd be great!

Here's what I have tried. In between each trial, I reset the preferences and cache and restarted vlc using the commandline options described below.

(1) If I "park" the console in my external monitor, and run VLC with the command line:
--no-embedded-video --fullscreen --video-on-top --directx-device=\\.\DISPLAY1
All is good. Fits to a full screen on my primary monitor and plays without issue.

(2) Since \\.\DISPLAY2 is where a data projector will go, I really need to video playing on the second monitor and the console in the primary. So I try: --no-embedded-video --fullscreen --video-on-top --directx-device=\\.\DISPLAY2
What is see is a "flash" as if a window is trying to open, but I see nothing. The video appears to be playing "somewhere" because I hear the audio! But the window where it is playing is not to be found.

(3) So take a step back, and try: --no-embedded-video --no-fullscreen --video-on-top --directx-device=\\.\DISPLAY2 This opens a window, but it's positioned in my primary monitor. It's black, but if I drag it across to the secondary, it plays OK. Not full screen, but progress, I think.

(4) So the next thing I try is to adjust the x-position, using a command line such as:
--no-embedded-video --no-fullscreen --video-on-top --directx-device=\\.\DISPLAY2 --video-x=1024 (since both monitors are running in 1024x768). The video plays exactly as per (3) - --video-x hasn't moved the position of the video window at all. Tried a few other values as well - except by dragging, I can't get it to move to the right at all.

It seesms to me that there is something wrong about (a) the default position for a window when using Directx output on a non-primary display, which certainly did work in earlier versions and (b) how --video-x works.

Suggestions?

I have the same problem.
However for me it seems to work in normal speed playback but not in slow motion (but I should double-check this).
I'm using the same VLC version.

Did you make any progress?

I have run some tests using various vlc versions (under XP).

For the following set of commandline options:
--no-embedded-video --fullscreen --video-on-top --directx-device=\\.\DISPLAY2
This DOES work as expected on version 1.0.1 to 1.0.5
DOES NOT work on versions 1.1.2, 1.1.3 or 1.1.4 I have not tried 1.1.0 or 1.1.1, but suspect this would be a futile effort.

Interestingly, --no-embedded-video --fullscreen --video-on-top --directx-device=\\.\DISPLAY1 works OK on 1.1.2 to 1.1.4

But as I need to video to play full screen, on top, and on DISPLAY2, I have rolled back to 1.0.5

in 1.1, use the Qt options for it.

Thanks for the advice, j-b.

I have tried (using vlc 1.1.4 on XP)

"C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" --no-embedded-video --qt-fullscreen-screennumber=2

(as "display properties" tells me that my external monitor is 2) - and the video still plays in my primary monitor, not the external one. Also tried changing the screen number to 1, 0 and 3 - and no difference in effect.

Am I missing something, or does it not work?

I have the latest version of vlc (1.1.4) and for me it also crashes on the second display, if I watch a video in fullscreen mode. If I just maximize the window, that it takes the whole display, it works trouble-free.

I'm using WinXP SP 3.
The settings are the default one. Nothing was changed - means fresh install.

I have been experimenting with the "1.1.x style" of doing this sort of thing (ie qt-fullscreen-screennumber)

This sort of thing works:
"C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" --fullscreen --qt-fullscreen-screennumber=2
(setting either 1 or 2 displays the movie on the different monitors)

But this doesn't:
"C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" --fullscreen --qt-fullscreen-screennumber=2 --no-embedded-video
(the settings for screennumber makes no difference to which screen the video plays on - it is always my internal display, not the external display).

If I use "C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" --fullscreen --qt-fullscreen-screennumber=2, then everything "moves across" to the relevant display (even if it was started in the other one), and stays there once the video has completed playing - and so I need to drag the interace back to the monitor where I really want it afterwards.

For me, being able to have the interface and video in different displays is the whole point of the exercise. So I am not convinced that this is working adequately.

Try this, it works on 1.1.4
"C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe" --video-x=1300 --video-y=100 --fullscreen --no-embedded-video
The position of x and y should be inside your second monitor. My first monitor x-resolution is 1280, so I choose 1300. If your first monitor is 1600, then set the x to something bigger than 1600, e.g. 1700.

I think this way is the same result as if as you have the video played inside a window, and then dragged it to the second monitor, and double clicked it there to make it full screen on the second monitor.
Good luck.

Hi,

Playing with version 2 series now ... using the command line:
--no-qt-fs-controller --qt-start-minimized --qt-fullscreen-screennumber=1 --video-x=1400 --video-y=100 --no-embedded-video --fullscreen

This does indeed play the video on my external monitor.

BUT the "open media" dialogue also comes up on the second monitor. Seems to me that the qt-fullscreen-screennumber video-x and video-y controls are putting the entire application the second monitor. I just want the video playback on the second monitor.

For some reason using this command line makes my computer unresponsive. I used the use the previous startup switch configuration which worked fine on VLC 1.9. For information, I'm running XP SP3 using an Raydon 9000 series graphics card and VLC 2.0.1. Any help is appreciated

Try VLC 2.0.2

I can confirm that the following command line does this trick, using 2.0.3 win32

--no-qt-fs-controller --qt-start-minimized --qt-fullscreen-screennumber=2 --video-x=1030 --video-y=100 --no-embedded-video --fullscreen --video-on-top --no-video-title-show

Had the problem - all I found was old posts. eventually I "reset preferences" and it works fine now (uninstalling and then reinstalling failed but this cleared some invalid preference that caused this behavior I guess)