Screenshots are black when HDMI connected to TV

My Setup:

  • Windows 10 touchscreen laptop (next to me on a music stand)
  • ANT+ dongle on USB extension
  • HDMI cable to 65" TV in front of me, Displays configured to Duplicate laptop to TV
  • Companion App running on Android (Galaxy s10e) on the music stand as well (somewhat redundant)

All screenshots are solid black. Whether initiated by hitting F10 on the PC, the capture button on the PC at the botton of the screen if I cause buttons to come up, or the capture button on the CA, the result is the same, all black. I see the screen flash and the sound indicating it is taking a screen shot, but no success.

If I disconnect the HDMI cable so now only seeing Zwift on the laptop then the screenshot works fine. So it is clearly something with about how Zwift is collecting graphics when routing the laptop’s screen to the TV via HDMI.

I’ve tried this with 2 laptops from 2 manufacturers (HP and Dell) and both exhibit the same behavior so not the built-in graphics chip in the laptop.

Have others seen and solved this? Is this a Zwift bug with no workaround?

I’m curious if I connect the TV by connecting the HDMI cable to the PC’s USB-C port via an HDMI to USB-C adapter does this work? Has anyone tried this to see? It’s a bit of a convolusion given there is an HDMI directly on the computer, but I’d try an adapter if folks have found it to work.

Sounds like a weird error. Have you tried only displaying Zwift only on the TV, not the laptop (so not mirroring), and taking a screenshot?

Not common but it happens. Zwift wont do anything about it but it wont hurt logging this with zwift support.

Hit the search button to find many more threads on the subject.

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@Dean thanks for the reference to that forum string. That was perfect. While disconnecting HDMI solves the problem, obviously that is not a desired long term solution. All the discussion about Full Screen mode is dead-nuts on. I can run the HDMI connected TV with Zwift in Windowed mode and screen shots work fine. So in the end, the issue is part of the Full Screen issues. I’ll just run in Windowed mode all is fine now. Thanks !

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My laptop’s screen is HDMI-connected to my TV.

Never had a problem I could associate with this setup.

So it can be done, and there are certain conditions under which it doesn’t work - conditions we are still unaware of, conditions ZHQ has not disclosed or bothered to fix.

Sigh.

I have the exact same problem with a ThinkPad running Windows 10 Pro. All screenshots are black unless the HDMI cable is unplugged.

It’s very disappointing to see the accepted solution is “Zwift won’t do anything about it”

Are you duplicating your laptop’s screen, or is it independent?

I duplicate mine…

I duplicate the laptop screen… it’s a better experience for me that way.