TV and movie streaming services have become commonplace in households over the years. Nowadays, people love watching movies on their smartphones or tablets using apps such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and HBO Max to name a few.
But what if you want to watch movies on your computer or laptop? Well, you can always download them from the Internet, but why bother? There’s another option that allows you to stream movies directly from your PC or laptop without downloading anything through Discord.
This is great news for Discord fans, who can now share screens and have a watch-along party with friends and family. And what’s even better is that you don’t have to be a gamer to enjoy watching movies.
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How To Stream With Discord
No matter the streaming service, it’s going to be applicable for all. However, we recommend that you stream using the Discord browser over the desktop version as this can sometimes cause the dreaded black screen issue.
Make sure you are logged in to your streaming service and that you have your browser running before going through these next steps as it will make things easier. What you are going to need to do is add your browser as a game so that Discord detects it.
Step
Discord Settings
Go to the Discord settings and then select “Activity Status.” It will likely say “No game detected.”
Step
Add it
From here, click the “Add it” button and then select Google Chrome.
Step
Return To The Homepage
Return to the homepage and then select the share screen option. Select the browser that has the streaming service you have, and then click “Go Live.”
What Happens If There’s Sound But No Video?
Many Discord users have noted a common issue that allows audio to be shared but all they see is a black screen. This is because of a hardware acceleration issue that needs addressing.
If you have weak hardware, you will likely have trouble viewing the video and will need to disable hardware acceleration.
Step
Disable Hardware Acceleration
At the top of your browser’s page, click the three dots which can be located at the top right of the browser. Click “Advanced” and then “System.”
Under the option “Use hardware acceleration when available” disable it.
Step
Discord Settings
From here go to Discord and use the “Voice channel” and enable screen sharing. Click the gear icon and then head to “Settings.”
Under “Advanced” disable “Hardware acceleration” and you should be good to go!
What Happens If There’s No Sound?
This could be an indication that Discord is not playing the sound of the application you have selected.
Step
Head to Settings
To fix this, head to settings from the homepage which is located in the bottom left-hand corner.
Step
Video & Video
Then click “Video & Video” and head to the screen share. You will need to have the option “Use an experimental method to capture audio from applications” enabled. This will allow whatever website or application you are sharing to allow sound to play.
How Do My Friends Join My Watch Along?
All they will need to do is click on your Discord name which can be located under the server’s active voice channel.
If your friends or family have done it correctly, it should be displayed with the chats and channels on the left-hand side with the screen showing the movie on the right-hand side.
Final Thoughts
Watching movies through Discord can be a fun and entertaining activity that connects your loved ones who might not see you regularly, or who perhaps live on the other side of the planet.
One final note is the legality of streaming movies through Discord, which is a gray area at best. Whilst streaming movies to the public is illegal, you’re simply watching a movie with friends or family, which in essence is the same as inviting the mover to watch a movie. So bear this in mind.
