Stretch Video/Movie Across 2 Monitors!


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Today we’re going to do something really fancy. We’re going to stretch a movie across multiple monitors! If you own multiple monitors, why not get the most out of them? Let’s rock!

Stretch Movie Across 2 Monitors

Let’s look at an example, what we might achieve:

Impressive, huh?

First of all download the latest VLC Player that allows you to stretch a movie (be it a DVD or a YouTube Video) across 2 monitors!

Download Latest VLC Player

VLC Video Wall

What we are going to do now is to create a video wall. VLC can create multiple windows that you can then drag and drop onto your other windows (yes real windows that you can also resize).

1. Open up the VLC Preferences:
VLC Preferences

2. At the bottom select “Show Settings: All”. Then go to the “Video Settings” and uncheck “Overlay video output”:

VLC Video Settings

3. Uncollapse “Video”, uncollapse “Filter” and click on “Image Wall”:

VLC Video Wall

Number of columns: 2
Number of rows: 0
Active windows: (empty, don’t enter anything)
Element aspect ratio: 4:3; change to 16:9 if you have a widescreen monitor

4.
Click on “Filter” and scroll down to the bottom of the list. Check the option “Wall Video Filter” (this is important or it won’t work at all):

VLC Wall Video Filter

5. Save your settings.

6.
Open your video file.

7. We now have something like this:

VLC Dual Monitor Movie

8.
Drag the right window to your other monitor. If you are on Windows 7, you can simply drag it to the top of the desktop and it will automatically go into fullscreen mode or right-click on the windows and go to “Video” – “FullScreen”:

VLC Fullscreen

Do the same for your main monitor.

9.
Right-click on the VLC windows and go to “Video” – “Aspect Ratio” and select the ratio for your monitor, e.g. 16:10:

VLC Aspect Ratio

10. If you have done everything right, you can now enjoy watching a movie stretched across multiple monitors.

My Screen Resolution: 2880×900:

Multi Monitor Movie

Important: Adjust Screen Resolution

For optimal results both monitors should have the same resolution, e.g. both 1440×900.

Also, you might want to switch the VLC video output from Direct3D to OpenGL, but both are working just fine.

Filed Under: Tutorials Tags: , by sOliver - Sunday, December 20th, 2009
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10 Responses to Stretch Video/Movie Across 2 Monitors!

  1. rakesh said:

    Great work. Very useful information for people having multiple monitors.
    Thanks.I guess VLC player is the only video player that support multi-monitor video stretching nativity.

  2. sOliver said:

    Hi rakesh,

    there are other players, but they aren’t as good as VLC or they are not free, that’s why I didn’t mention them.

    MatrixDVD is a good multimon player for about anything, but you need to spend like $69 for it .. screw that if you can get VLC for free.

    Here’s the link to MatrixDVD http://www.xj-spark.com/

    Cheers

  3. test said:

    I followed all the way up till step 6, but there are no two vlc windows on my screen? hmm, I’m still confused because the steps aren’t difficult and I’ve done it all correctly.

  4. sOliver said:

    I would try to play around with the filter. What are your settings for “number of columns” and “number of rows”? 2,0 ?

  5. ninjaking92 said:

    Thanks for the info. I have been wanting to stretch my video across 2 monitors for a long time. I wonder how many monitors this will suppoer? Only time will tell with me.

  6. dee said:

    what about the menu bar in the right monitor? anyway to get rid of that?

  7. Anestis Psomas said:

    Is there a way when i’m playing a playlist not to go away from full screen ? It destroys the windows position and i have to make them again full screen one by one..
    Thanks

  8. Matt said:

    This article needs an update. I followed your directions to a ‘T’ for the newest version of VLC (1.1.5) and it doesn’t work. I only get one half of the two windows. I installed an old version (1.0.3) and the directions worked. I tried all sorts of fiddeling with the program options in the new version (0 rows two colums, 1 row two columns (which makes more logical sense). This is a top result on google which is why I suggest updating it.

    Thanks for the tutorial though it did give me a solution (ableit on outdated software).

  9. sOliver said:

    Thanks Matt for the heads up, VLC is often changing the layout of the program.

    I will update the tutorial shortly for the latest version of VLC.

  10. Matt said:

    For anyone who have only half video showing. Just double click on that haft screen, the other half will appears.

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