How to Get ProPresenter to Display on a Projector

Having trouble getting your display connected to ProPresenter? Or maybe you’re a beginner wanting to learn the software. In either case, this article is exactly what you’re looking for.

To set up ProPresenter on a projector, first plug in a display cable. Then confirm OS recognition. In ProPresenter, go to Settings > Screen, and click “Configure Screens” to assign displays. Restart, and enable outputs with “Audience” and “Stage” circles.

There are a few steps to set up your ProPresenter displays properly, and plenty of room for things to go wrong. Luckily, I’m going to walk you through each step in simple terms and give you some troubleshooting tips.

Tutorial to Get ProPresenter to Display on a Projector

The screenshots below are from a Mac, but the process is pretty much the same for both Mac and PC. There is one small difference when accessing your system settings but, don’t worry, I’ll cover both operating systems in this tutorial. With that said, let’s get into it!

Step 1: Plug Your Display(s) Into Your Computer

The first step is to connect your display(s) to your computer using a cable such as an HDMI, DisplayPort, or USB-C cable. Make sure your cables are firmly plugged into your computer and that they aren’t tripping hazards. At this point, you also want to make sure your displays are turned on so they can be recognized by your computer.

Step 2: Check Your Display Preferences

The next step is to check your display preferences in your operating system (Windows or MacOS). What you’re looking for is that your display is being recognized by your computer. If your display isn’t showing up at this step, check out my troubleshooting tips below.

In Windows, right-click anywhere on your desktop, then select “Display settings”. Scroll down to the “Detect” button; you can use this button to show you which displays are connected.

On Mac, click on the Apple logo in the top menu bar. Next, go to System Settings. Then go to the “Displays” tab. At this point, you should see all of your connected displays listed.

Step 3: Open ProPresenter

Next, open ProPresenter. You want to make sure that any changes you make to your system settings happen BEFORE you open ProPresenter. As a general rule of thumb, remember that ProPresenter likes to be the last program you open on your computer.

Step 4: Go To ProPresenter > Settings… > Screen

The next step is to go to your top menu bar and click ProPresenter > Settings… > Screen. This opens your display settings for ProPresenter.

Step 5: Click “Configure Screens”

Now, click “Configure Screens” so you can assign which screens are for the audience and which are for stage displays.

Step 6: Configure Your Audience & Stage Displays

At this step, first, you want to confirm that all of your displays are being recognized by ProPresenter. If you have followed all of the steps properly up until this point, then you should see the same displays here as in Step 2. If not, skip ahead to the troubleshooting section below.

To set a display to either the audience or stage, click the plus (+) sign to the right of each word. Then, click the corresponding display; you can hover your mouse over each display and click the “Identify” button to figure out which display is which.

The toggles to the left of the words “Audience” and “Stage” are used to test that your displays are connected and working. You can also use the “Identify Screens” toggle at the bottom left of this window to show which displays are assigned.

If you get a popup that says “Output Already Assigned” this means the display you are trying to configure is assigned in either the Audience or Stage section.

Step 7: Restart ProPresenter

Next, you should restart ProPresenter. This confirms all of the changes you have made are saved and in full effect.

Step 8: Enable Your Output(s)

The final step is to enable your outputs. You can do so by clicking the red “Audience” and “Stage” circles at the top right of the main ProPresenter screen. When an output is enabled, the red circle will turn into a green circle.

If your displays aren’t showing up after this step, try going through the troubleshooting steps below.

Why is ProPresenter Not Showing on My Projector?

If your displays still aren’t showing up after following the steps above, try going through these troubleshooting steps. These steps cover a range of hardware and software issues that may cause your display not to show up. If all else fails, reach out to Renewed Vision’s Support Team for more advanced problems.

Restart ProPresenter

This should be the first thing you should do if your displays aren’t showing. ProPresenter likes to be the last thing touched when it comes to settings. This means that if anything else is changed outside of ProPresenter, you may need to restart the software.

Check Your Hardware

The next step is to check your hardware. The majority of times I’ve seen displays not showing up in ProPresenter have been because of hardware issues.

First, check your output cable whether it be HDMI, DisplayPort, etc. Check that it is plugged in firmly and into the proper port. For example, if you’re using a PC with a dedicated graphics card, make sure your output cable is plugged into the GPU, not the motherboard.

The next step is to try swapping out your cables or display adaptors. Display adaptors can be a common culprit when it comes to displays not showing up, especially if you use cheap adaptors.

If possible, try swapping out your computer to see if it is a hardware issue or a ProPresenter issue. This computer doesn’t need to be powerful enough to run ProPresenter, only to open the software and monitor its settings.

Looking for an upgrade? Check out my article covering how to pick a computer for ProPresenter.

Restart Your Computer

One of the easiest ways to fix problems with software is to restart your computer. Often, the fix is as simple as this.

On Mac, Check Your Mission Control Settings

To do this, click the Apple logo at the top left of your screen and select “System Settings”. Next, go to “Displays & Dock” and scroll down to the “Mission Control” section. The setting you want to turn off is “Displays have separate spaces”. Turn this setting off then restart your Mac.

Confirm Your Computer’s Output Capabilities

Another crucial thing to check is that your computer can support the amount of displays that you are trying to connect. The M1 Mac Mini, for example, can only support up to two external displays. This means that, along with the monitor used to run ProPresenter you can only have one projector connected.