How To Stream Youtube Movies On Discord Without Black Screen?

Discord is a versatile communication platform that enables users to connect and share content in a variety of formats. One of the main selling points of the platform is its streaming feature which allows you to share your screen with others over Discord’s servers.

This means that you can stream and share YouTube movies and videos from other channels such as Disney+, Netflix, HBO, and AppleTV with people from all over the world.

Photo by Roberto Nickson

But what happens when Discord is unable to render the movie you’re trying to stream and shows you a black screen instead? What is to blame for this unfortunate error and how can you fix it so you never have to interrupt movie nights ever again?

This post is going to uncover the reasons why you might be having black screen issues and how you can get rid of the black screen when you stream YouTube movies on Discord.

Also Read: How To Stream Netflix On Discord Without Black Screen?

What causes black screen when streaming movies on Discord?

There are a few common reasons that could be responsible for Discord displaying a black screen when you’re trying to stream a YouTube movie. Understanding the underlying causes will enable you to effectively address the issue when it arises.

1. Fullscreen mode

If you notice that you can’t stream the movies you want on Discord because the screen is black, the first thing you should check is whether the app is open in fullscreen mode.

For some reason, Discord doesn’t do well in this mode. You might get the results you’re looking for by switching to a windowed or borderless mode.

2. Inadequate permissions

Setting up permissions for your Discord server can sometimes be daunting especially if you’re a first-time user. Making mistakes with your permission settings can prevent your Discord app from functioning as it should.

If you block necessary permissions or enable permissions that you don’t need, you could end up creating problems with your stream that could result in you seeing a black screen.

3. Hardware acceleration problems

Hardware acceleration is a hidden setting in your browser that helps your CPU cut down on processes by handing them off to special devices like GPUs. Turning on this setting can enhance your Discord streaming experience by reducing the burden on your CPU.

Also Read: How To Stream PS5 To Discord?

Photo by Vlada Karpovich

On the other hand, failing to enable hardware acceleration can have an adverse effect on your streaming efforts and cause black screens if your CPU is powering more than it can handle.

Keep in mind that you can also experience a black screen if you turn on hardware acceleration when you don’t haven’t installed a GPU. Or when your GPU isn’t strong enough to handle the stream.

4. Corrupted cache

Whenever you visit a website or app, your browser takes bits of information from the page such as images, text, and code, and stores them to help the pages load faster in the future.

The more you use a website, the more data the cache will store and the smoother your browsing experience will be. However, if the cache gets corrupted it can cause the website to malfunction.

When this happens to your Discord cache, it usually causes a black screen to appear when streaming YouTube videos.

5. Incompatibility issues

Depending on the type of browser and operating system you’re using, Discord may not work properly on your computer so you’ll be getting a black screen when you try to stream movies.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

So if you’re using outdated drivers, running an old version of Mac or Windows, or using a browser that doesn’t work with Discord, you’ll need to fix that first before you can proceed.

6. Unsupported browsers and extensions

If you’re using certain extensions like ad blockers, it might interfere with the normal functioning of Discord. To disable extensions without deleting them so you can run Discord, you’ll have to switch to incognito mode and then sign in to your account again.

Also Read: Best Discord Alternatives For Gamers

How to stream YouTube movies on Discord without black screen?

If you’re trying to stream YouTube videos on Discord but you keep seeing a black screen, here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the issue and enjoy a seamless viewing experience.

1. Update your Discord app

Updating your Discord app is the first and arguably simplest solution for the black screen error that arises when watching YouTube movies.

So before you go try any of the other recommendations on this list, you need to be certain that the problem is not due to your Discord app being outdated.

To find out if Discord has any recent software updates that need to be installed, follow these steps:

• Launch Discord on your desktop
• Go to your taskbar and right-click on Discord, select Check for Updates, download and install any available updates, then try running the Discord program again.

2. Enable/Disable hardware acceleration

Enabling hardware acceleration will allow your browser to use your graphics card or other specialized hardware to help Discord run efficiently.

But if the GPU or other hardware is of substandard quality or unsuited to the program, all you might get is a black screen. In this instance, it’s advisable that you turn off hardware acceleration before you resume streaming your movie.

Likewise, if your CPU strength is wanting and causing your screen to black out, disabling hardware acceleration can fix the problem.

The choice to disable or enable the hardware acceleration on your browser will depend on whether the settings are turned on or off at the time you experience the black screen error.

If it’s on, try turning it off. And if it’s already off, switch it off. Here are the steps you can take to accomplish this on your Chrome browser:

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• Open Chrome, click on the three dots icon and go to Settings.
• Click on System then toggle the Use hardware acceleration when available option on or off as needed.
• You will need to relaunch the browser or restart your device for the settings to take effect.

For app users, here are the steps for enabling or disabling hardware acceleration on your Discord desktop app:

• Launch Discord and go to Settings.
• Scroll to the Advanced tab, disable/enable Hardware Acceleration as the case may be, and click Okay to confirm your choice.

3. Update graphics drivers

If you’re using an outmoded or impaired graphics card, it can interfere with your movie streaming experience. You need to ensure that your graphics drivers are up to date by manually installing the latest versions.

Here’s how:

• Right-click on the Start menu and select Device Manager.
• Scroll down the Device Manager tab and double-click on Display adapters.
• Right-click on the graphics card that appears below and click Update driver.
• Select the Search automatically for drivers option and wait for your PC to install available updates.

Also Read: Twitch vs Discord

Alternatively, you can enlist the help of driver updater software that will save you some time by automatically scanning your device and updating outdated drivers when necessary.

4. End all running processes

Sometimes, the tasks and processes running in the background when using your Discord app might be what’s causing your black screen troubles and preventing you from streaming YouTube movies.

To fix the problem, try closing all of these tasks and relaunching Discord. You can do this by following the steps below:

• Go to your Start menu and right-click on it.
• Scroll down and select Task Manager.
• Look for all the background Discord processes, right-click on them, and select End Task to close each one.

5. Clear your Discord cache

If your inability to stream YouTube movies on Discord without black screen is a result of cache corruption, the only way to resolve the issue is by clearing the cache.

Follow these steps to delete your Discord cache depending on what platform you’re using the app on.

On Mobile App

Unfortunately, iPhones do not support clearing of cache apps but if you’re an Android user you can do so easily.

• Scroll to your Discord app, long-press on it, and tap the Info or ℹ️ button.
• Select Storage & cache followed by the Clear cache button.

For Chrome

• Open Discord in a Chrome tab, click on the padlock icon next to the site’s URL and select Site settings.
• Click on the Clear data button to delete the cache for Discord.
• If you’re using a different browser, head to your Settings, select Privacy, and locate the cache folders. Or just use the search bar to find what you’re looking for.

Also Read: Discord vs Mumble

On macOS

You can delete the Discord cache on your Mac device as follows:

• Click on Go at the top of your desktop screen, then scroll through the drop-down menu and select Go to Folder.
• Enter the folder path: ~/Library/Application Support/Discord in the window that pops up, then press the Return key.
• Delete the Cache, GPUCache, and Code Cache folders and you’re good to go.

On Window

The following steps can be used to clear the Discord cache on your Windows 10 and 11 system:

• Press Windows + R to launch the Run dialogue, then enter the command: %appdata%.
• This will open a folder, browse through it to find the one for Discord, and click on it.
• Click on the Cache folder and select all the files in the folder and press Delete to erase them.

Keep in mind that clearing your browser cache will simultaneously sign you out of Discord so you will need to sign in to get back into your account. Don’t forget to save whatever you’re currently working on before cleaning your cache.

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6. Launch the app in windowed mode

Discord isn’t compatible with full-screen sharing so trying to stream movies with your screen in this mode can be what’s creating challenges for you. To get better results, consider streaming your movies using window or borderless mode instead.

Photo by Sam Lion

You can change to window mode while running Discord by hitting the Ctrl + Shift + F keys on your keyboard. If you wish to return to fullscreen mode in the future, all you have to do is repeat the same command.

If you notice that Discord isn’t letting you move to window mode, you can close the app using your task manager, then relaunch it and initiate the command again.

7. Run Discord with admin rights

Generally, you can operate Discord effectively without requiring administrative rights. However, running the desktop app with admin rights will afford you more permissions which can allow you to sidestep issues like black screen when watching YouTube movies.

Using Discord with admin privileges is not as complicated as it sounds. You just have to stop running any Discord processes that may be active in the background and follow these steps:

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• Right-click on your Discord app icon and select Run as administrator.
• If you have YouTube installed on your desktop, you should also try running the program with admin rights by applying the same steps as above.

8. Change from the aero theme

Aero is one of the most popular themes Discord offers. However, some users have reported getting black screens while trying to watch YouTube movies when using the Aero theme.

If you’re currently using this theme to customize the user interface on your Discord account, it might be the culprit behind your black screen issues. Switching to a different theme can make a world of difference to your movie streaming experience.

To change your Discord Theme, simply launch the app, go to Settings > Appearance, and choose a new theme. Once this is done, try streaming the movie again to see if you get the same mirror.

Should the error continue, try using one of the other fixes on this list to put an end to it.

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9. Activate reduced motion

If you’re wondering how you can stream YouTube movies on Discord without black screen and none of the above solutions have worked for you, it’s time to try enabling reduced motion.

Normally, as you navigate Discord’s user interface, the platform will display various effects and animations, which can get in the way of the normal functioning of the service.

Photo by Yelena Odintsova

The work of reduced motion is to minimize these effects and animations so that Discord can function faster and more efficiently.

Here’s how to go about enabling reduced motion:

• Go to your Discord Settings, scroll to Accessibility, and toggle the Reduced Motion button under the tab.
• Select Okay to save your changes.

10. Turn off ad blockers

Ad blocker extensions are one of the most common reasons for black screen errors on Discord.

Even though they are primarily designed to prevent ads from interrupting your browsing experience, ad blockers can develop a fault, causing them to read your YouTube movies as a bug and block them.

When this happens, you end up with a black screen in place of the movie you want to watch. You can resolve this by turning off the ad blocker or uninstalling it.

Also Read: Best YouTube Alternatives

11. Disable the advanced technologies option

For some reason, Discord’s “Use our advanced technology to capture your screen” option can create problems when you’re trying to watch YouTube videos on the platform.

Turning it off can put an end to YouTube black screen troubles once and for all. Here’s how to disable the function:

• Launch the Discord app, go to Settings, and locate and disable the Use our advanced technology to capture screen option under Voice & Video.

Easy peasy!

Conclusion

Streaming YouTube movies via Discord is an exciting activity and avenue to connect with your friends, family, fans, or even strangers who share your interests.

Getting a black screen when you’re trying to stream videos on Discord doesn’t have to ruin your fun or put an end to things before they even have a chance to begin.

By following the recommendations discussed in this guide, you can rectify the error and enjoy seamless streaming experiences.