I've been looking all over ...I've been looking all over the place... is there a keyboard shortcut that will make a video go into fullscreen? I love the player but some people told me they had no idea what the fullscreen button did and never used it.
it is not possible to start the true flash v9 fullscreen from javascript or from the keyboard! this is a security feature built in to the flash browser plugin by adobe! no amount of programming or fiddling with the player is supposed to be able to change that, as it would make it possible to hijack the users screen...
what is possible, is to use the full browser window instead.
heres a link to an adobe page: [url=http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flashplayer/articles/full_screen_mode.html]Exploring full-screen mode in Flash Player 9[/url]
anderson - here is a quote from that page that makes me think it is possible: bc.. The ActionScript that initiates full-screen mode can be called only in response to a mouse click *or keypress*.
I also read this same line in the flash readme. I know that for security reasons, they don't want a video to go fullscreen automatically, but pressing a button on the keyboard or clicking the icon with the mouse should be the same thing. What am I missing?
I'm pretty sure, from reading the Adobe docs., that it is possible to start fullscreen with a mouse click or a keyboard shortcut.
However, based upon what is in the readme, it looks like Jeroen has not programmed a shortcut key into the current players. If he had, it would probably be in that list of keys that is with the 'usekeys' flashvar.
If you look at the various Adobe tutorials, they show how to specify the keyboard shortcut to start fullscreen, so I assume it's possible, although maybe not a good idea. Maybe that's why Jeroen didn't include it in the players.
@Will - i think earlier versions of flash sometimes called the full window for fullscreen, but im not sure these are valid any longer from flash9...
also theres security differences depending on wheter we are talking browser plugin, flex or standaloneplayers - from [url=http://livedocs.adobe.com/flashlite/3.0/docs/flashlite3_as_reference.pdf]flashlite3_as_reference.pdf[/url] page 211/212:
_FullScreen fscommand2 Command FullScreen Sets the size of the display area to be used for rendering. The size can be a defined variable or a constant string value, with one of these values: true (full screen) or false (less than full screen). Any other value is treated as the value false.
Note: This command is supported only when Flash Lite is running in stand-alone mode. It is not supported when the player is running in the context of another application (for example, as a plug-in to a browser)._
but it might just be wishfull thinking on my part...
I'm trying to figure this out as I go so forgive me if i'm slow...
I don't understand why a keyboard shortcut would be a problem for fullscreen. It would still require interaction from a viewer, just like clicking on the button with the mouse. I understand that once you are in fullscreen mode, then keyboard shortcuts don't work (except to exit fs mode) because you could fake a desktop, etc. From all the documents I've read, it seems like it should be possible but I can't find any implementation of it. I wish Jeroen would comment on this.
Eddie, you asked a good question. Unfortunately, like so often on the web people that don't have an answer will just insult the someone, like they did when they suggested that you are naive, but they won't provide any useful information.
When Flash is in full screen mode the keyboard is disabled, so full screen mode would not help the hacker crowd. Here is my reference for that statement: http://www.webpronews.com/blogtalk/2006/10/12/enjoy-full-screen-video-with-flash-player
What that means is that a keyboard shortcut would not help hackers. But the question remains, "why no full screen shortcut?". It's meant to keep developers and content publishers happy.
Adobe needs to keep developers and content publishers happy in order to remain successful. Developers and content publishers can allow full screen when they want, or disallow it when they want. They are in charge on this. It's that simple. It's the same basic reason it's not easy to save flv files - keeping developers and content publishers happy.
Hopefully that will change someday, with users getting their power back.
@Dude - i have to agree that user empowerment doesnt always seem to be the first concern of the corporate world, thats one of the reasons why i enjoy helping out as a volunteer in this user driven forum that JeroenW kindly have provided to the users of his open source project (you must get a cc licence for comercial use).
the problem with fullscreen is not so much hacking as such, as hijacking of the screen - this is something that the mere disabeling of the keyboard after the fullscreen have appeared would not prevent, but is prevented by not making it possible to invoke the fullscreen by javascript at all, a completely reasonable safety measure - just imagine being forced to watch fullscreen ads (or worse) for the full length before being able to see the video you just selected...
as a user, I want to be able to use ctrl+w or ctrl+f4 to close a tab - works for all webpages that haven't embedded a flash widget. Why must flash be so special? If hackers can get you on a keypress, why haven't they taken down all the other websites?