Using TiBook as DVD player

[plutnicki]

We're going to be watching a movie at an Xmas party today at work. I'm going to use my Ti Book to drive a projector. I figured out how to mirror the display so the movie is played on the projector., so that works fine. The problem is, when I play the video, it plays on the TiBook's monitor too. What I want to do is shut off the monitor, without sleeping the book?

I know with an external monitor plugged in, I could plug in a USB keyboard/mouse and run the whole book with the lid closed, but I'm worried about heat building up while playing the movie this way. I'd like to keep the laptop open and turn display off so it's just using the projector.

Can that be done?

...Jim

 

[SilentPanda]

On my iBook if you change the brightness all the way to the lowest setting the external display is not affected and the iBook screen is effectively off.

 

[WinterMute]

Don't mirror the monitors, check the arrange tag in monitors Control panel and grab the menu bar at the top of the ti's monitor, then drag it to the projectors monitor, and the projector becomes the main monitor, and then you can run the DVD through the projector without it appearing on the Ti's monitor.

I think you might be able to shut the lid at this point, although I used to simply turn the brightness down as SilentPanda suggested.

 

[TEG]

Being the owner of a TiBook, and haveing used my TiBook as a DVD player all the time, untill I won my PS2. I will say, that the heat build up is minimal. The fan will kcik on more, but thats it. Also, mirroring the screens is almost the only way to put DVD on the external monitor, other wise it will say invalid arangement. Also, when playing a DVD in mirror mode, even with the screen open and on, the video only comes out on the TV/Projector. I'd suggest running it with the screen closed, and placing the KB & Mouse on top of the screen. It will work fine, and you will be satisfied.

TEG

 

[crazzyeddie]

In most cases, you are probably right about the heat build up. However, it will probably not be an issue with only a DVD running, as it uses only 20-30% CPU. Also, staying on battery power helps heat a ton.

If you want to use it without the internal monitor on at all, you can sleep the powerbook, use the external keyboard to wake it up with only the projector running, and then you can open the lid on the powerbook, and the screen will not turn back on.

Also, with the DVD player in OS X, you can select which screen the movie plays on, so you dont need to mirror if you dont want to. Also the other suggestions with dimming the monitor all the way work too. On its lowest brightness, it takes almost no power at all.

 

[mactastic]

I vote for turning the brightness down. Nice and simple. It's always worked for me. Just don't forget later and wonder why you can't "wake it up"!

 

[iChan]

in jaguar, the only way of getting a movie to play on an external video source was to have the external screen as your main monitor or have video mirroring on...

however, with DVD player 4 that comes with Panther, you can just drag the viewer over to the other screen...

I use my Laptop with monitor clased all the time... but I have teh bluetooth keyboard which doesn't wake it up... so I use a griffin powermate... pretty decent set up...

panther rocks