Streaming full screen on a TV

[flojito]

I recently got a TV that has an HDMI input, so I've been connecting my laptop to my TV pretty often. I like to keep my screens separate (not cloned) so I can put a video on the TV, but still use my laptop to browse the web. This works fine when I'm using VLC or something, but if I'm streaming video (from Hulu, Youtube, etc.) and I try to put it make it full screen on the TV, it automatically goes back to normal size if I click on anything on my laptop screen. Is there a way to prevent this?

Thanks!

[True Colors]

Just so I understand correctly.......

Are you using the TV as a monitor? Are you extending your windows desktop to the TV?

Are you maximizing a browser screen(hulu, youtube) and then sending that to the TV?

If what I described above is what you are trying to do then I do not think that there is any way to overcome what you are describing. I have had the exact same problem.

I do not think that there is any way to maximize one browser window(the one with hulu or youtube you are sending to the TV) and then have a separate browser window open on your laptop................ Just the same way that under normal circumstances you cannot maximize a browser window on your laptop and then still see a second window on your laptop after that........... Once a browser window is maximized then you cannot "see" another browser window.

Someone else here might be able to help you better. But I do not think that there is a solution for what you are trying to do. At least not in Windows XP. Perhaps there might be some upgrade in Windows vista or windows 7 which would solve this for you.

TC

[flojito]

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear enough.

I'm using the TV as a secondary display, instead of a clone of my laptop screen. When I'm playing a file off my hard drive, I can just drag the VLC window to the TV, double click, and watch. If I drag a web browser window to the TV and then click the full-screen button (on the flash player, not on my browser window) it will go full screen just fine. However, if click on anything on my laptop screen, the browser window on the TV switches from full screen back to normal size.

I am running Win 7 Pro with an Nvidia GeForce GT 240M.

[edDV]

I just noticed my Win7+IE8 does that too. I tried a different browser (Firefox) for playing Hulu then went an IE window and the same thing happened..

So far this only happens with Hulu, not other podcasts. If you use F11 you will notice the Window stays full screen but the video inside the window drops in size.

[olyteddy]

When I've gone full screen on my second monitor, I've noticed it only stays full screen as long as it's the active window. As soon as the focus changes to a different window, shrinkage occurs. It happens less when I used 'Theater Mode' from the ATI driver, but there were some that just wouldn't stay big.

[True Colors]

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear enough.

I'm using the TV as a secondary display, instead of a clone of my laptop screen. When I'm playing a file off my hard drive, I can just drag the VLC window to the TV, double click, and watch. If I drag a web browser window to the TV and then click the full-screen button (on the flash player, not on my browser window) it will go full screen just fine. However, if click on anything on my laptop screen, the browser window on the TV switches from full screen back to normal size.

I am running Win 7 Pro with an Nvidia GeForce GT 240M.

I am pretty sure that I understand what you are saying.

Here is my own personal understanding/experience.

OKAY: VLC file playing at maximum size on the TV and then a browser window open on your laptop

NOT OKAY: maximized browser window on your TV and then trying to do anything else on your laptop

Like I said earlier...... when you have a browser window maximized it covers up anything else that you want to see. The maximized browser window is the key. If that is what you trying to do then that is the source of your problem in my opinion.

Your best chance, to my knowledge, would be to try a workaround solution. Here is one.

You could open your browser window with hulu on your TV screen. Open that window large but do not actually maximize it. Then get your television remote and click "zoom." That will give you the illusion that the browser window is completely filling up the TV screen(even though it is not technically doing so).

Then after that you should be able to open a browser window on your laptop without any problems.

Hopefully that makes sense what I just described. It should work. It is at least worth a try. Let us know how you come out.

If you bomb out I might have one or two other ideas for you to try.

TC