Video in Firefox reverts to "window mode" every 5 minutes.

[Webtest]

Esteemed Forum Participants and Lurkers:
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Linux Mint 8 LiveCD - Firefox 3.5.3 (Firefox for Linux Mint; mint - 1.0)

I've recently begun watching some really great videos from PBS in full-screen mode, but it gets regularly interrupted about every 5 minutes. The view goes back to the regular desktop view with the Firefox window, and since the cursor in not in the window, the video area is black, but the sound continues normally. If I don't do anything, the whole monitor screen slowly dim toward black. I'm presuming that this is 'screen saver' mode. If I move the cursor back in the firefox window, the video snaps back on, and I can get the toolbar in the video and go back to full-screen view. However, in about 5 minutes it happens again.

In XP, either Firefox or the OS is smart enough to sense that a video is playing and the screen saver does not activate. How can I get Firefox in Linux to quit shutting down the screen every 5 minutes when a video is playing?

http://video.pbs.org/video/1607704151/ (or any PBS video longer than 6 or 7 minutes)

Thank you for your gracious comments, suggestions, and assistance in resolving this problem.

Blessings in abundance, all the best, and ENJOY!
Art in Carlisle, PA USA

[OldManHook]

What is the time setting for your screen saver---Set it for more than 5 minutes

[Webtest]

Thank you 'OldManHook' ... yes, the screensaver was set to 5 minutes, and yes, it can be turned off. But the REAL question is "what is the interface whereby a video can keep the system from shutting down?"

I did turn off the screensaver, which I shouldn't have to do, but then I discovered that the "powersave" function shuts down the monitor after 30 minutes. So I have to figure out all of the bits and pieces of control to disable so that I can watch my videos (or movie or whatever) from beginning to end. I know that this is way beyond what can be expected of any "newbie", but I think that the actual problem may be that the PBS site is not programmed properly for Firefox under Linux. If I can figure out how the website application is supposed to interface with the users OS to keep the system from going idle then we may actually get PBS to fix the problem at their end and I won't have to do anything special to be able to watch these videos. That is what I am trying to accomplish.

So, if anyone has any information regarding how a video presentation application on a web site can keep a user's LINUX OS from going idle, I sure would like more information about it. Thank you in advance for any and all comments, suggestions, and assistance in this effort.

Blessings in abundance, all the best, and ENJOY!
Art in Carlisle, PA USA

[willie42]

I have found in my time in Linux that you can only adjust the time. I was playing with it at a point when I would watch a movie and have to move the mouse to keep it out of suspend mode. A script might be able to keep it out of suspend mode long enough for you to watch your video. Just adjust the time while you are watching and adjust it back when you are done.