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johngersh
Participating Frequently
June 19, 2013
Answered

Lightroom 5 slideshow shows a black screen

  • June 19, 2013
  • 27 replies
  • 30402 views

When I preview or play a slideshow in Lightroom 5 I see a black screen. I've tried it using various settings, images, lengths, and with the show saved or unsaved, all with the same result. In a preview I can see the show advancing through the slides; all remain black.

Sometimes (unpredictably) the screen isn't black, but rather two colors or color washes separated diagonally.

There are no videos in the shows. (A black screen for a slideshow with a video as the first slide is a known issue mentioned in the Lightroom Journal.)

Exporting to pdf works properly. An exported video shows as a black screen.

(Mac Pro, OS X 10.7.5, Radeon X1900 XT video card)

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Craignnhg

Hi

I had the slideshow black screen too.  I fixed it by checking (when slideshow is open) Template Browser on

left of screen and selecting "Default +"  click on it, it does not highlight so maybe I unchecked it somehow.

Prior to that I cleaned the computer fans so the video card would run cool.

27 replies

M
Mathis22788750u5xr
Participant
January 24, 2022

Any solution this issue is driving nuts... 

ChipC
ChipC
Participating Frequently
April 27, 2021

April 2021 with Lightroom Classic 10.2, I still have this problem.  None of the suggestions in this thread have helped to get the slideshow to Play, though Preview did start working.  However in this thread on photoshop.com I found an idea that has now worked for me: purge the Video Cache and restart Lightroom.  It is the first thing that has worked at all for me.

J
johnnzld
Participating Frequently
April 7, 2016

Thanks MikeB

So .. the problem is actually that Windows 10 and Intel HD3000 graphics on a sandy bridge processor, do not mix?

So anyone who has a combination of Windows 10 + Intel HD3000 integrated graphics + Lightroom will have some problems with some of Lightroom's features?

If we can work that out, why can't Adobe?

CodeDaemon
CodeDaemon
Participant
May 21, 2020

Author reported about this issue in the year 2013, with Lightroom v.5.x.x

Today is year 2020, Lightroom v9.2.1

THIS ISSUE IS STILL THERE!
Nice job Adobe "👍"

    ChipC
    ChipC
    Participating Frequently
    April 27, 2021

    April 2020, Lightroom Classic 10.2.  Still a problem. I can get Preview to work, but not Play.

    J
    johnnzld
    Participating Frequently
    April 6, 2016

    Mine says openGL failed.

    My computer just has am i3 intel CPU with no separate graphics card. I guess intel CPU graphics doesn't support OpenGL

    Looks like the problem could be the OpenGL issue.

    M
    mikeb30162433
    Participating Frequently
    April 7, 2016

    What about other users here with the slideshow issue? What does it say on your systems under LR/Help/System Info/check openGL support: passed or failed?

    Are there users here affected by the issue in spite of "openGL support: passed"?

    johnnzld schrieb: My computer just has am i3 intel CPU with no separate graphics card. I guess intel CPU graphics doesn't support OpenGL...

    It does support OpenGL without separate graphics as well, but not under windows 10 with older CPUs like my graphics "sandy bridge intel HD 3000":

    Intel HD Graphics 3000/2000 (Sandy bridge) Wind... | Intel Communities

    T
    thuvann87060982
    Participant
    May 26, 2016

    My system shows passed and I still have blank screen issue.  I created one before with no issue though.  So weird!  And my "play" and "preview" are fine, blank screen happened when I exported the video.

    J
    johnnzld
    Participating Frequently
    April 3, 2016

    It doesn't have a separate GPU.

    It just has the Intel graphics on the intel i3 CPU processor

    ssprengel
    ssprengel
    Inspiring
    April 3, 2016

    So it’s built into the CPU, ok.

    J
    johnnzld
    Participating Frequently
    April 4, 2016

    yes, built into the cpu

    J
    johnnzld
    Participating Frequently
    April 3, 2016

    My computer doesn't have a GPU.

    When I signed up for CC, there was no document that mentioned a requirement to have a GPU.

    ssprengel
    ssprengel
    Inspiring
    April 3, 2016

    I'm sure it does have a GPU, otherwise you wouldn't be able to see anything on the computer screen.  Can you post your Help / System Info... here?

    J
    johnnzld
    Participating Frequently
    April 3, 2016

    I just tried to use the Slideshow module for the first time.  I get black screens too.

    I'm paying a monthly subscription for a product that isn't fully functional?

    This is a disgrace.

    ssprengel
    ssprengel
    Inspiring
    April 3, 2016

    I am using LR CC 2015.5, have a compatible GPU on my computer, and have IE 11 as my default browser.  The slideshow works just fine, either Preview or Play within LR, and I can view the full-res video outside of LR.

    As the reply above yours says, there is likely an  issue with your video card or its driver, that is not responding correctly when LR asks it to display the slideshow.

    Are you able to enable Graphics Acceleration in LR / Edit / Prefs / Performance and have LR work correctly in Develop or not?

    R
    rbphotographic
    Participant
    March 7, 2016

    I am experiencing the same problem.  Currently running v 2015.3 on both Windows and Mac and neither will work in Slideshow module regardless of whatever I try to do.  Every time I get the black screen of death on both systems.  This is a disgrace quite frankly.  I wonder what the great Scott Kelby would have to say a about it?

    JP Hess
    JP Hess
    Inspiring
    March 7, 2016

    Here is what I have discovered. Beginning with Lightroom CC or Lightroom 6 (I know, they are the same program) the slideshow relies on a compatible graphics processor unit (GPU). I don't have a GPU in my computer, and I still have Lightroom 4.4 installed. The slideshow works as expected in the older version, but it won't work in Lightroom CC 2015.4. In fact, it hasn't worked in any of the versions Lightroom CC. I guess our choice is to install a compatible graphics card that has a GPU on it. It seems to me the Adobe programmers could have included an  if/then statement that would have allowed all users to use all of the features. But, what do I know?

    brucer9129126
    brucer9129126
    Participant
    September 6, 2015

    this is pretty amazing for Adobe to be so unresponsive for so long.  I have the same problem which should be easily resolvable.  I tried to contact Adobe directly and can only be directed to these forums.  they have no direct email contact source? unbelievable!

    6
    66dellwood
    Participant
    January 13, 2016

    Add another to the list with the Slideshow black screen.  I also have problems with video files.  Scrubbing through or playing video files cause LR6 to hang.  Video files cannot be played.  Ummm.... connection?

    G
    gerd_w_b615317
    Participant
    August 17, 2015

    Hi,

    I have the same problem with the black screen with the slideshow. My graphic card is ATI RADEON HD4800 series (5110FA). My userid and password are both without any special character or Umlauts. I tried out all the recommended settings, all unsucessful. I have the latest update for Lightroom 6.1.1.

    On my Notebook the slideshow works fine.

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