Is there a way to launch any video players (not just Windows MediaPlayer) to play videos after idling like as a screen saver?

Hello.

I would like my old, updated Windows XP Pro. SP3 to launch a video
player (not just Windows Media Player; it could be any I tell it to use)
and play various video files (mostly MPEG/MPG-2 and TS formats) after a
couple hours of being idled like it does for screen savers. Is there a
way? If it requires a third party, then it needs to be free and light.

Thank you in advance.
--
"If they are offered winged ants, people will eat them." --African
/\___/\ Ant @ http://antfarm.ma.cx (Personal Web Site)
/ /\ /\ \ Ant's Quality Foraged Links: http://aqfl.net
| |o o| |
\ _ / If crediting, then use Ant nickname and AQFL URL/link.
( ) If e-mailing, then axe ANT from its address if needed.
Ant is currently not listening to any songs on this computer.

On 11/20/2011 8:00 AM, Ant wrote:
Hello.

I would like my old, updated Windows XP Pro. SP3 to launch a video
player (not just Windows Media Player; it could be any I tell it to use)
and play various video files (mostly MPEG/MPG-2 and TS formats) after a
couple hours of being idled like it does for screen savers. Is there a
way? If it requires a third party, then it needs to be free and light.

Thank you in advance.

Autohotkey can react after a certain idle time (see A_TimeIdle in its
help). What the video player cues up will depend on its command line or
built-in play list.

On 11/20/2011 7:36 AM PT, Bob CP typed:

I would like my old, updated Windows XP Pro. SP3 to launch a video
player (not just Windows Media Player; it could be any I tell it to use)
and play various video files (mostly MPEG/MPG-2 and TS formats) after a
couple hours of being idled like it does for screen savers. Is there a
way? If it requires a third party, then it needs to be free and light.

Autohotkey can react after a certain idle time (see A_TimeIdle in its
help). What the video player cues up will depend on its command line or
built-in play list.

Autohotkey? Does that require me to press keys which I don't want to do?
I just want to do it by idle times. Well, let's try Media Player Classic
and VideoLAN Client (VLC) Media Player.
--
"The general, unable to control his irritation, will launch his men to
the assault like swarming ants, with the result that one-third of his
men are slain, while the town still remains untaken. Such are the
disastrous effects of a siege." --Chapter 3 in Sun Tzu's The Ancient Art
of War (Translated by Lionel Giles)
/\___/\ Ant @ http://antfarm.ma.cx (Personal Web Site)
/ /\ /\ \ Ant's Quality Foraged Links: http://aqfl.net
| |o o| |
\ _ / If crediting, then use Ant nickname and AQFL URL/link.
( ) If e-mailing, then axe ANT from its address if needed.
Ant is/was listening to a song on this computer: Rebecca & Fiona - Jane Doe

Ant wrote:
On 11/20/2011 7:36 AM PT, Bob CP typed:

I would like my old, updated Windows XP Pro. SP3 to launch a video
player (not just Windows Media Player; it could be any I tell it to use)
and play various video files (mostly MPEG/MPG-2 and TS formats) after a
couple hours of being idled like it does for screen savers. Is there a
way? If it requires a third party, then it needs to be free and light.

Autohotkey can react after a certain idle time (see A_TimeIdle in its
help). What the video player cues up will depend on its command line or
built-in play list.

Autohotkey? Does that require me to press keys which I don't want to do?
I just want to do it by idle times. Well, let's try Media Player Classic
and VideoLAN Client (VLC) Media Player.

Did you try to schedule it as a task? In task scheduler? You can tell
it to start when idle, how many minutes to have been idle before it
starts, and when to stop. You'll have to figure out the command line
parameters for your chosen player by yourself though, to make it play
what you want.

--
You'd be crazy to e-mail me with the crazy. But leave the div alone.
*
Whoever bans a book, shall be banished. Whoever burns a book, shall burn.

On 11/20/2011 11:31 AM PT, Patok typed:

I would like my old, updated Windows XP Pro. SP3 to launch a video
player (not just Windows Media Player; it could be any I tell it to
use)
and play various video files (mostly MPEG/MPG-2 and TS formats) after a
couple hours of being idled like it does for screen savers. Is there a
way? If it requires a third party, then it needs to be free and light.

Autohotkey can react after a certain idle time (see A_TimeIdle in its
help). What the video player cues up will depend on its command line or
built-in play list.

Autohotkey? Does that require me to press keys which I don't want to
do? I just want to do it by idle times. Well, let's try Media Player
Classic and VideoLAN Client (VLC) Media Player.

Did you try to schedule it as a task? In task scheduler? You can tell it
to start when idle, how many minutes to have been idle before it starts,
and when to stop. You'll have to figure out the command line parameters
for your chosen player by yourself though, to make it play what you want.

Oh. I didn't know XP's task scheduler could do that. Now, I need to
figure out how to make the players use playlists.
--
"Ants follow fat." --unknown
/\___/\ Ant @ http://antfarm.ma.cx (Personal Web Site)
/ /\ /\ \ Ant's Quality Foraged Links: http://aqfl.net
| |o o| |
\ _ / If crediting, then use Ant nickname and AQFL URL/link.
( ) If e-mailing, then axe ANT from its address if needed.
Ant is currently not listening to any songs on this computer.

From: "Ant"

Hello.

I would like my old, updated Windows XP Pro. SP3 to launch a video player (not just
Windows Media Player; it could be any I tell it to use) and play various video files
(mostly MPEG/MPG-2 and TS formats) after a couple hours of being idled like it does for
screen savers. Is there a way? If it requires a third party, then it needs to be free
and light.

Thank you in advance.

What most people don't realize is that Screen Savers are a special kind of EXE made for
the purpose of being a Screen Saver However you can make any program act like a Screen
Saver to the OS.

Go to;
"C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player"
Copy; wmplayer.exe to; C:\WINDOWS\system32
Rename; C:\WINDOWS\system32\wmplayer.exe to; C:\WINDOWS\system32\wmplayer.scr

Right-Click on the DeskTop
Choose; Properties -- screen saver
Choose; wmplayer

The only problem now is getting Windows Media Player to play media automatically.

Once you have done this you'll get the idea for other players like VLC, etc.


--
Dave
Multi-AV Scanning Tool - http://multi-av.thespykiller.co.uk
http://www.pctipp.ch/downloads/dl/35905.asp