Computer ScreenSaver "Problem"

The screen saver on my Windows XP PC seems to be trying too hard, and save too much. If I am watching TV, or a movie on my machine, it goes to screen saver in the set time. Normally though, if I were watching any kind of video, it would never go on screen saver. Is there settings for this in Windows, or is it up to each program?
Anyone seen this before?
Thanks.,
Cameron

The settings are generally for how long to wait after user activity, like a mouse or keyboard action.

A useful little freeware app called Caffeine is pretty useful when you're wanting to make sure screensavers or power saving modes don't kick in.

Caffeine just simulates an insignificant key press ever 59 seconds, and makes it look like you're doing it. You can make a link and just run it whenever you want, and then close it out when you're through with it.

This is the reason I have completely deactivated any screensaver or powersaving modes on my computer. What if I'm proofreading a paper, or examining a picture? I'll determine when my computer is not in use based on whether or not I'm using it, not on whether a timer has run out. If I'm done with my computer for more than a few minutes at a time, I just turn off the monitor. I've only forgotten or neglected to turn it off a few times within the past several years.

If you want to keep your screensaver, there's probably some setting somewhere to tell the machine when you don't want it to activate. It might be in the Control Panel, or possibly in the settings for your video viewing software. If that doesn't work, you could just turn off the screensaver before you watch a movie, and reactivate it when you're done. Just hit "Apply" instead of "OK" to keep the window open so you don't forget to turn it back on.

Are you watching the video in a window, or fullscreen? If for some reason you're not using fullscreen, try that.