diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Widgets/VqaPlayerWidget.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Widgets/VqaPlayerWidget.cs
index 10faca4b46..3f0d9b09a2 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Widgets/VqaPlayerWidget.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Widgets/VqaPlayerWidget.cs
@@ -18,11 +18,14 @@ namespace OpenRA.Widgets
 {
 	public class VqaPlayerWidget : Widget
 	{
-		Sprite videoSprite;
+		Sprite videoSprite, overlaySprite;
 		VqaReader video = null;
 		string cachedVideo;
 		float invLength;
 		float2 videoOrigin, videoSize;
+		int[,] overlay;
+		public bool DrawOverlay = true;
+		
 		public void Load(string filename)
 		{
 			if (filename == cachedVideo)
@@ -46,6 +49,18 @@ namespace OpenRA.Widgets
 			var scale = Math.Min(RenderBounds.Width / video.Width, RenderBounds.Height / video.Height);
 			videoOrigin = new float2(RenderBounds.X + (RenderBounds.Width - scale*video.Width)/2, RenderBounds.Y +  (RenderBounds.Height - scale*video.Height)/2);
 			videoSize = new float2(video.Width * scale, video.Height * scale);
+			
+			if (!DrawOverlay)
+				return;
+
+			overlay = new int[2*textureSize, 2*textureSize];
+			var black = Color.Black.ToArgb();
+			for (var y = 0; y < video.Height; y++)
+				for (var x = 0; x < video.Width; x++)
+				overlay[2*y,x] = black;
+			
+			overlaySprite = new Sprite(new Sheet(new Size(2*textureSize,2*textureSize)), new Rectangle( 0, 0, video.Width, 2*video.Height ), TextureChannel.Alpha);
+			overlaySprite.sheet.Texture.SetData(overlay);
 		}
 		
 		bool playing = false;	
@@ -72,6 +87,9 @@ namespace OpenRA.Widgets
 				}
 			}
 			Game.Renderer.RgbaSpriteRenderer.DrawSprite(videoSprite, videoOrigin, "chrome", videoSize);
+			
+			if (DrawOverlay)
+				Game.Renderer.RgbaSpriteRenderer.DrawSprite(overlaySprite, videoOrigin, "chrome", videoSize);
 		}
 		
 		public void Play()