Dual Screens and DVD's

Okay then chaps........

I have a Rev A TiBook, and a external Sony 15" LCD screen, now when I'm working I really quite fancy watching a DVD in the background....... Now this isn't a problem when I'm not plugged in to the Sony, however as soon as I plug in the screen, and go to open the DVD player I get a message saying "this machine configuration is not supported" and DVD player quits on me.

Now in OS9 I could just reduce the external screen resoulution and all would be merry, except multitasking, and the machine would slowy grind away..... However i know that I can play a DVD and work at the same time in OSX, just not with the monitor attached.

Does anybody know if there are ways around this??? Is it because I merely have 8Mb of VRAM or is there some kind if hack that I could use...... If it is due to the lack of power, would the latest PowerBooks allow me to do this??

Anyway I'm only asking because 2 of my TV's have blown up this year, I occasionally get alittle bored in my office and it's be nice to watch DVD's whilst I work....

Thx

G

Originally posted by peterjhill
I know with my Ti800, that I can only watch a dvd on the built in display. If I switch to mirroring, I can get a picture on my external monitor, but not with dual displays. I think that the radeon only supports the hardware decode on the primary display.

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So do you mean that with dual displays you can watch a DVD on the TiBook screen only but both displays are on???

Originally posted by verbose101
I don't have a PowerBook, I have a PowerMac, but I am using dual screens (via the GF4MX), and I can only play DVD's in the primary display (the one with the finder menu in), the DVD window just will not drag into the other one.

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That sounds about right.... so with dual displays attached, you can have a DVD player on your main screen, and continue to do work in the next??? is that right....??

Originally posted by verbose101

From the description of your problem (all you guys with PowerBooks) and mine, yes, it sounds like it. DVD playback on primary screen only it seems.

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But I can't view a DVD on my TiBook screen when I have an external display attached, it doesn't even allow me to open the DVD app..... it must be because I've only got 8Mb of Vram.......

I think the time is fast approaching for me to buy a new machine.......

Originally posted by peterjhill


So this is the deal. I just stuck the Beastie Boys Criterion disk two into my Tibook. I have switched my setup so that my menu bar is on my external monitor. (21" dell Trinitron). The DVD started up on the main external monitor (main because it has the menu bar). I click on the viewer title bar, and I am not able to drag it to the lcd display on the Tibook.

If i switch the menu bar to the lcd screen, the viewer plays on that screen and will not let it be dragged to the external display.

so that is the key. Set the menu bar on the screen that you want to display the video, and all will be good.

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But yours does exactly what I want mine to do...... to be able to play a DVD with dual displays..... I can't even open DVD player with my dual displays......

I conclude then that it's because I've only got 8Mb Vram, and as such it doesn't have enough juice to power the DVD and dual displays at once......

I wish Apple would release that 1Ghz TiBook right about the 1st week of October, because I'm now wanting to upgrade.......