How do I hide the playback controls when watching a DVD?

Question

I'm watching a DVD in fullscreen mode using Microsoft Windows Media Center 2005.
Along the top of the screen is a silver bar, with the Media Center icon in the top left corner, and the minimize/restore/close buttons in the top right. On the bottom of the screen are the DVD remote controls.
In most DVD playback software, these controls hide themselves if you dont move the mouse for a few seconds. On my Windows Media Center, they never hide.

How can I watch a DVD on my computer in "true" full screen, without these controls on screen?

joe53 · Answer

Have you tried launching the DVD before opening MCE?

SpideyCT · Answer

How can you possibly 'launch' a DVD without using an application? If I insert the DVD in my computer, with no media applications running, it will open in Dell's Digital Experience (something like that), and play just fine. I'm not asking about that. I'm asking how can I use the Microsoft Windows Media Center application to watch a DVD, without the top and bottom control banners?

joe53 · Answer

In My Computer, right-click the DVD drive, select Properties> Autoplay tab. In the dropdown box select DVD movie. and in the Actions panel make sure 'Play DVD Video using Media Center' is selected at the top of the list. Click 'Apply' > 'OK'.   Now, you should not have to have MCE open  before inserting your DVD: when you do the DVD should automatically start in MCE. And the menu bars *should* disappear after a few seconds.   My first question was suggested by this thread: http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=sw_xpmedia&message.id=3945

SpideyCT · Answer

Unfortunately, that does not work. I set it the AutoPlay to Media Center following your steps exactly. But apparently the system ignores that setting. When I insert a new CD, the Dell "Sonic CinePlayer" application still opens and plays the DVD.

If I open My Computer and double-click on the DVD drive, it opens using Windows Media Player (not Media Center).

If I right-click on the drive and choose AutoPlay, it opens a dialog that asks me what application I want to use. I select Media Center. It then runs the DVD using Media Center, in full screen, without the banner controls (finally). HOWEVER, as soon as I move the mouse (to use the DVD menu to star the movie), the banner returns and stays.

Message Edited by SpideyCT on 03-18-2006 05:56 PM

joe53 · Answer

I found a poster who solved your problem, which in his case was due to Music Match loading at startup. Details are here (see the last post): http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windows.mediacenter/browse_frm/thread/c95c6363e53b902c/d6adbbba7804b576%23d6adbbba7804b576

As for your default DVD player problem, I'm not familiar with Dell Sonic Cinescape, but it appears to be your default DVD player, and might account for the controls problem you are seeing in MCE. A couple of suggestions:

1) In Control Panel, click on "Add or Remove programs', then on 'Set Program Access and Defaults' in the left panel. In the right panel, select the 'Custom' option, and click the down arrow to expand it. In the "Choose a default media player" section, make sure there is a check next to "Media Center DVD" and on the right side "enable access to this program". Deselect Dell Sonic Cinescape, if it is present. 'OK' out.

2) Also try this:
Again, in 'My Computer', right-click the DVD drive icon>Properties>AutoPlay tab. In the dropdown box, scroll to 'DVD movie' and either click on the 'Restore Defaults' button, or put a mark in the radio button next to 'Prompt me each time to choose an action'. Click 'Apply>OK".
The next time you put a DVD in your drive, you will get a prompt to have Windows select a DVD player.
Select "Play DVD video using Media Center" and put a check next to "Always do the selected action" at the bottom, then "OK".

If one of these methods doesn't permanently set MCE as the default player, I'm out of ideas.

SpideyCT · Answer

The instructions in the Google Groups link fixed it (disable mimboot.exe at startup)! Once that was removed, the banner bars would fade away properly.

Also, I figured out why the Dell application would launch when a DVD was inserted, no matter how I set AutoPlay. There is an application called DMXLauncher.exe which is also configured to run at startup (in MSCONFIG). After I disabled that process, my AutoPlay settings were respected (and DVDs would launch with Media Center). Apparently the DMXLauncher process intercepts the autoplay message and takes over, regardless of the user's preference... not very nice.

Thanks for all your help!

joe53 · Answer

Glad that worked- and thanks for the feedback.

Windows General

How do I hide the playback controls when watching a DVD?

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