A v ideo mystery

[Bill Starbuck]

Last night, I attempted to show some videos to a class. I had shown
these same video last year in the same room using the same laptop and
projection hardware. However, this year the results were quite
different . . . and mysterious.

Before I started the first video, I showed a PowerPoint slideshow.
Everything worked. I could see the slideshow on the computer screen
and it was projected onto the screen at the front of the room.

Then I clicked on the mpg video file, Windows launched a program
called "Intervideo WinDVD". As the video played, the students began to
giggle. Looking at my LCD screen, I could not figure out why they were
laughing because the display look right. I could see the video in the
middle of my screen, although I had not yet figured out how to make
"Intervideo WinDVD" display full screen. Then I looked at the large
screen at the front of the room. The video was missing! One could see
the computer's desktop and the controls for "Intervideo WinDVD", but
the area where the video show be appearing was all black. There was
sound but no picture.

Thinking there might be problem with "Intervideo WinDVD', I quickly
switched to Windows Media Player. The result was the same: The display
on the LCD screen was fine; the display on the large screen had
everything except the actual video images.

I quickly switched to Real Player. Again, the result was the same.

Obviously, the problem is not caused by the display programs as all
three produced the same results. I conjecture that there is something
wrong in Windows or in the projection hardware that prevents mpg files
from getting through.

Suggestions?


Bill Starbuck (MVP)

 

[NoNoBadDog!]

When playing video, it uses overlay technology. You have to go into the
setup for your video card and set it to send overlay to the output that you
were using to connect to the projector.

Bobby

 

[Bill Starbuck]

Thank you for your quick response.

When playing video, it uses overlay technology. You have to go into the
setup for your video card and set it to send overlay to the output that you
were using to connect to the projector.

I am wondering why would the overlay setting be different now that it
was last spring? I may have updated the video driver (or I may not
have) but I have not altered the hardware. Also, I did not have to
make any changes to the video settings originally when I first started
using this laptop.

Are you talking about a non-obvious setting? The IBM software has menu
that lists various options for display modes. A computer technician
and I tried all of them and none put the mpg onto the large screen
(but I intend to go back to the classroom and experiment some more).

Bill

Bill Starbuck (MVP)

 

[Rehan]

Which version Windows Media player are you using.
In version 9, go to Tools -> Options -> Performance
and see at the bottom section titled: Video Acceleration.

Reduce the Video Accelration to None to eliminate if it is caused by your
graphics card driver or not. This may hamper the performance though. So you
may like to restore the video acceleration and finetune other settings:

Click Advanced

Try unselecting the Use overlays and/or Use video mixing renderer from the
Video Acceleration section.
Tinkering with other settings there is also safe. (you can always select
Restore Defaults in the previous dialog).


--
Rehan
www.rehanfx.org - get more effects and transitions for movie maker

 

[Bill Starbuck]

Which version Windows Media player are you using.

In version 9, go to Tools -> Options -> Performance
and see at the bottom section titled: Video Acceleration.
Reduce the Video Accelration to None to eliminate if it is caused by your
graphics card driver or not. This may hamper the performance though. So you
may like to restore the video acceleration and finetune other settings:

I cannot try experiments until I get access to the classroom again,
meaning a time when there are no classes in it.

How would this setting affect the other two programs I tried? That is,
I had exactly the same problem with three programs, so it would seem
that whatever is wrong must be something that affects all three
programs -- Windows Media, Real Player, and WinDVD. Does this make
sense?


Bill Starbuck (MVP)

 

[Rehan]

Yes it does make sense. All three must be using the same mode.

To adjust the hardware acceleration for all system you can do it from
Control Panel ->Display -> Settings -> Advanced ->Troubleshoot.

It would affect the whole system so it is less advisable.

--
Rehan
www.rehanfx.org - get more effects and transitions for movie maker

 

[Guest]

This topic is common in here and im trying to find answers too avi files play
with sound but no picture everything else does it seems theres a big bug
somwhere and microsoft aren't helping aww well back to the drawing
board.......

 

[Cari \(MS MVP\)]

Codecs!