Projecting Windows Media Player
Project video presentations in Windows Media Player from your laptop onto a big screen.
Answers refer to Windows Media Player 10, unless otherwise noted.
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How do I project my laptop's Windows Media Player onto a big screen?
You can make the Windows Media Player on your laptop computer appear on an external monitor or projection system by doing the following:
1. | Connect the external display port on your laptop computer to the projection system, and then turn on the projector. For information about connecting external devices to your laptop, see the documentation for your laptop computer. |
2. | Set the display resolution of your laptop computer to match the resolution of the projector system. First, on your laptop, open the Display Properties dialog box by using the Display icon in Control Panel, and click the Settings tab. Then, in Screen resolution area, move the slider to adjust the display resolution of your laptop. If you don't know which setting to choose, try 800 x 600 pixels; this is a common setting for many projector systems. |
3. | If you have audio in your presentation, connect a cable from your laptop's audio output jack to the audio input jack on the projector, and then test the volume by playing a file that contains sound. |
4. | Start the Player on your laptop. If you want to only display the Player on the big screen, and not the desktop background, maximize the Player or set it to play your video using the entire screen (full-screen mode). For more information, see View a Video, DVD, or Visualization Using the Full Screen. |
For detailed information about connecting your projector to your laptop, see the documentation for your projector.
Why can't I see the laptop's display on the big screen?
This is usually caused by a lack of signal transmission between the computer and the projector. First, turn off both the projector and the computer. Then, turn on the projector, and then turn on the computer.
If you're using a laptop, you might need to manually activate or deactivate the laptop video port in order for your laptop to send a signal to the projector. Review the documentation that came with your laptop for the function key or software command requirements for controlling the video output signal from the back of your laptop.
If you activate the video port and an image is still not projected, wait 45 seconds, and then try again.
You can also try one or more of the following:
| • | Make sure that the projector works. |
| • | Make sure that the AC electrical outlet works. |
| • | Check that the power cord is connected to the projector. |
| • | If the projector is plugged into a power strip, make sure that the strip is turned on. |
| • | Make sure that the power switch for the projector is turned on. |
If you have power to the projector but the lamp still isn't working, try the following:
| • | Make sure that the projector is not in standby mode. |
| • | If your lamp has a timer, check to see whether the lamp life has expired. |
| • | Check for bent pins on the video-connection cable between the video source and the projector. |
| • | Make sure that you removed the lens cap from the projector lens. |
Why is the laptop's display on the big screen distorted?
If the entire computer image is not projected onto the screen or if the projected image appears choppy, try the following:
| • | Adjust the screen area of the computer’s display settings to match the projector’s native resolution. Refer to your projector documentation for the optimum or native-resolution setting for your projector model. If you can't find this information or are uncertain, most projectors support a maximum of 800 x 600 pixels. | ||||||
| • | With certain laptops, you might need to disable the laptop display to obtain the best image, especially when the native resolution of the laptop exceeds the native resolution of the projector. | ||||||
| • | Font smoothing will automatically generate a cleaner font outline, both on your laptop and on the projector. To apply font smoothing, do the following:
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If the projected image is dimmer than it was on the laptop, check your projector documentation for information regarding lamp timers. If the lamp life has expired, replace the lamp for maximum brightness.
If the projected image is not rectangular, try one or both of the following:
| • | Make sure that the projector is perpendicular to the viewing screen. |
| • | Raise or lower the projector. |
If the projected image displays vertical lines, "bleeding," or spots, try one or more of the following:
| • | Adjust the brightness of the image. |
| • | Check the projector lens to see whether it needs cleaning. |
| • | Adjust the sync and tracking on the projector. |
If the projected image goes blank during periods of computer inactivity, this might be caused by a power-saving utility on the computer that disables the video output signal after a period of inactivity. Turn off all power-saving utility programs and screen savers on the computer by using the Power and Display icons in Control Panel. On some computers, it might be necessary to check the system BIOS settings; if necessary, see the documentation for your computer.
Why can't I hear sound from the projector?
If there's no sound, try one or more of the following:
| • | Adjust the volume on the laptop and the projector (make sure that the volume is turned up and the mute is turned off on both the laptop and the projector). |
| • | Use the Multimedia icon in Control Panel to adjust volume controls on the hardware. |
| • | Some projectors have sound buttons on the remote control and/or the projector. Refer to your projector documentation for information about volume control. |
| • | Make sure that your audio-input connectors are working. |
| • | Make sure that the audio-input connectors are completely plugged in and are connected to the correct outlets. |
| • | Make sure that you are using the sound cables that were provided by the projector manufacturer. |
Why is the projected video black in the Player?
If you can see the Player, but the Video and Visualization pane is black, this usually indicates that your video card is not configured correctly. You can usually correct this problem by changing the video acceleration and/or overlay settings for your video card.
To change video acceleration, do the following:
1. | In Windows Media Player, on the Tools menu, click Options. |
2. | In the Options dialog box, click the Performance tab. |
3. | In the Video Acceleration area, move the slider to adjust the video-acceleration capabilities of your video hardware. Drag the slider to Full to use all available video acceleration. Drag the slider to None to use basic video-acceleration settings that work with most video hardware. |
To change overlay settings, do the following:
1. | In Windows Media Player, on the Tools menu, click Options. |
2. | In the Options dialog box, click the Performance tab. |
3. | In the Video Acceleration area, click the Advanced button. |
4. | In the Video Acceleration Settings dialog box, under Video Acceleration, clear the Use overlays check box. |
If you don't find the answer to your question in this column, be sure to check the Archive. Media Advice is not an official Microsoft Support channel. If you need immediate help for an urgent problem, we recommend that you visit Microsoft Help and Support.