Configuring your Mac

This page contains instructions for making changes to several system settings that we recommend all users configure your presentation system. These instructions are written using OS X 10.11.2; there may be some variations for other versions of macOS, but these steps should give you a good idea of what to look for and change on your computer.

Display Preferences

The first step to getting your displays configured correctly is making sure that your system display preferences are set up properly. Before you begin, connect your primary output to your computer; setting up the Stage Display is discussed in the Stage Display section.

To access Display Preferences, click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Preferences. Click on Displays to open up the display preferences.

After Displays is opened, click on the Arrangement tab. Ensure that the Mirror Displays option is unchecked.

The blue box with the white bar at the top is your primary display. This is the same screen that ProPresenter will open on. The arrangement of these screens is also used by ProPresenter’s Display Preferences panel when you assign your Output and Stage Display.

If you need to adjust the resolution of your screens, click on the Display tab and then click on the Gather Windows button in the lower right corner. Choose the Scaled option to access all available resolutions for each screen. Hold the Option key while clicking on Scaled for even more supported resolutions.

DVD settings

If you are using a new computer you may need to set the localization option for your DVD player. To do this, open the DVD Player application on your Mac and set the region option.

After you have done this, we recommend turning off the auto-play setting for DVDs so that ProPresenter and your computer don’t fight for control of DVDs. Open System Preferences and click on on CDs & DVDs. (If your Mac does not have an optical drive, you won’t have this option available.) Change the option for When you insert a video DVD to Ignore and then close System Preferences.

Desktop Background

You may want to set your desktop background to a solid color (we recommend black) or your organization's logo so that if ProPresenter stops working during service it’s less noticeable to your audience. You may like the desktop background that you have set, but it can be distracting during service if it ends up on the main screens.

Open System Preferences and click on Desktop & Screen Saver. Select the Desktop tab.

Each display needs to be changed individually. Unfortunately Apple has not provided a way to gather all of the desktop settings to your main monitor like you can with Displays. You will need to move your mouse to each screen and adjust the settings there or drag the window over to your computer screen.

Select the Solid Color option from the column on the left and then click on Custom Color to select black. Repeat this for each of your external displays.

Screen saver

Open System Preferences and click on Desktop & Screen Saver. Select the Screen Saver tab.

Change the Start after setting in the lower left corner to Never to prevent the screen saver from turning on.

Energy Saver

Open System Preferences and select Energy Saver. Adjust the settings to prevent your computer from going to sleep.