Secondary Monitor projector while retaining interface on primary monitor

[mgothar]

Hey All!

Is it possibe to have a full screen projector on my secondary monitor of my program feed while
still having access to the OBS interface on my primary monitor, and not having it sliding off the display?

Sorry if this is a noob question, but I'm new to OBS.

Thanks!
Marton

 

[AaronD]

Right-click menu:

Both Windows and Linux do this, so presumably Mac does too. I don't have one to test.

 

[tedthetrumpet]

I can confirm this issue on macOS Ventura 13.1 on MacBook Air M1. It is possible to send the preview to an external monitor as shown above, but the laptop screen then goes blank, not possible to interact with OBS or any other software. (I have this working perfectly on Windows and Linux, so I don't think the problem is between the keyboard and the chair :)

 

[TFE]

Yes, absolutely you can send OBS program out to an extended display while running OBS (and other apps) on the main display on a Mac. I do it all day every day, and have done so for years on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs, whether laptops, Mac mini or Studio. Just run OBS on the Main Display in Studio mode (temporarily or for the entire session), right click on the Program window (as in Aaron D's example, above), and select the extended display to which you want to send the Program out (as a Fullscreen Projector). Indeed, for Macs that support more than one secondary display, you can, for example, send Program out to one of them, Preview out to another, and even a Scene or Source out to a third (extended) just by right clicking on the relevant Scene or Source and choosing Fullscreen Projector and the target display.

 

[AaronD]

So you have to be in Studio mode for it to work on a Mac? That's good to know.

For reference, I use OBS with a bunch of different settings for different uses, on Linux, and its Projector works either way, with or without Studio mode. I think Windows is the same. Potential point of confusion there, for people who don't realize how much of an influence the OS has on overall capabilities.

 

[mgothar]

Actually I found the solution:

You have to enable the 'Displays have separate spaces' option in Mission Control, otherwise starting a full screen projector
will move the contents of every other screen (the ones not showing the projector) off screen, and blank those screens out.

Pretty dumb way to do full screen apps on Apple's part if you ask me, but they're committed to this for years now.

 

[TFE]

So you have to be in Studio mode for it to work on a Mac? That's good to know.

Aaron, no, you can just put it in Studio Mode (as I said above, temporarily) to get the two windows up (Preview and Program) and then right click on the one (presumably Program) you want to send to the secondary display (and to which display if you have more than one secondary/extended connected). Then you can switch it out of Studio Mode.

 

[AaronD]

Aaron, no, you can just put it in Studio Mode (as I said above, temporarily) to get the two windows up (Preview and Program) and then right click on the one (presumably Program) you want to send to the secondary display (and to which display if you have more than one secondary/extended connected). Then you can switch it out of Studio Mode.

That's weird. But I guess if it works, it works.

I always knew Mac was expensive for the same functionality and different from everyone else, but I also thought that they were at least sensible. That part of what you were paying for was intentional, quality design throughout an entire system that "just works" so you can continue being creative. I guess not in this case?

 

[Jwslivevents Prod]

Yes, absolutely you can send OBS program out to an extended display while running OBS (and other apps) on the main display on a Mac. I do it all day every day, and have done so for years on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs, whether laptops, Mac mini or Studio. Just run OBS on the Main Display in Studio mode (temporarily or for the entire session), right click on the Program window (as in Aaron D's example, above), and select the extended display to which you want to send the Program out (as a Fullscreen Projector). Indeed, for Macs that support more than one secondary display, you can, for example, send Program out to one of them, Preview out to another, and even a Scene or Source out to a third (extended) just by right clicking on the relevant Scene or Source and choosing Fullscreen Projector and the target display.

Hey I'm new here looking for answer, I was using a windows computer, I used to project my screen with no problem just today I purchase this new Mac Studio I'm having hard time projecting the program scene out the other screens, can you please help.

 

[TFE]

Put OBS in Studio Mode. Right click on the Program (right) window. Click on Fullscreen Projector and then choose the monitor you want to display the projector on.

 

[halgatewood]

On Mac this looks to be an issue with Mission Control. If you go into System Preferences > Mission Control and check "Displays have separate Spaces" it will not black out your other monitor.