LED Screen

This is the most common setup: one LED screen driven by a Windows media player. Before you begin, you need access to the media player (often through remote desktop software such as TeamViewer), and the LED screen's resolution in pixels, for example 800 × 600.

1. Go to Playlists and click Create playlist. Enter a Playlist name, open Advanced, type your LED resolution in Enter screen aspect ratio or resolution in pixels (for example 800:600) and click Create and edit. Add your content
2. Go to Groups & Schedules, click Create new group, enter a Group name, choose your new playlist as the Base playlist and click Create
3. On the media player, download the Play Digital Signage app and open it. You'll see a 6-character code
4. On your own computer, go to Screens, click Add screen, type the code, choose your group under Group (if you only see Playlist, choose your LED playlist there instead) and click Add screen
5. Click the settings button (the gear icon) next to your new screen. Open Screen edges, turn off Use entire screen area, and type your LED width and height under Adjust bounds. Leave Adjust offset at 0 for now
6. Turn on Launch player on startup. Open Advanced and turn off Show top menu bar. Click Save
7. Go to Groups & Schedules and click Publish on your group

Playlists are found here: https://my.playsignage.com/playlists

Tip: Keep the player app open on the media player while you do step 5. You can only change Screen edges while the screen is online.

Create a playlist for your LED screen

Most TVs are 16:9, but LED screens often aren't. Create a playlist with the exact pixel resolution of your LED screen so your content fits it perfectly.

• Go to Playlists and click Create playlist
• Enter a Playlist name
• Scroll down and open Advanced
• In Enter screen aspect ratio or resolution in pixels, type the LED screen's width and height with a colon between them, for example 800:600
• Click Create and edit to start adding content (or Create to go back to the playlist list)

Why the pixel resolution and not just an aspect ratio? 800:600 and 4:3 have the same shape, but when you enter 800:600, the editor uses 800 × 600 as the screen size. Sizes and positions in the editor then match the real pixels on your LED screen. You can check this in the editor under Slide settings (the sliders icon) → SCREEN SIZE → Screen width and Screen height.

Options:

• Enter screen aspect ratio or resolution in pixels: whole numbers separated by a colon, for example 800:600 or 1200:400. No spaces, no decimals, and no "x". If the format is wrong, you'll see Ratio pattern must consist of digits separated by colon e.g 16:9
• Aspect ratio: the preset tiles (16:9, 16:10, 4:3, 9:16) fill in the same field. Clicking a tile replaces what you typed, so pick a tile first if you want one, then type your own value
• Create and edit: only shown when the first layout (a single zone) is selected

Note: You can't change a playlist's resolution after it has been created. If you entered the wrong value, create a new playlist. The Playlists support page explains how to move your slides over.

Link the LED media player as a screen

• Log on to the media player connected to your LED screen (in most cases with TeamViewer or other remote desktop software)
• Open a browser and download our app. For Windows, use the Windows setup guide: https://playsignage.com/setup/windows-digital-signage/. For other players, see https://playsignage.com/setup/
• Install and open the app. It shows a 6-character code and a QR code
• On your own computer, go to https://my.playsignage.com, open Screens and click Add screen
• Type the code
• Fill in the rest of the form (see Options below)
• Click Add screen

Options in the Add screen window:

• Screen name (optional)
• Group: which group the screen joins. You'll only see this when your team has more than one group
• Playlist: instead of a group, you can pick your LED playlist here. Play then uses a group that already has that playlist, or creates a new group named after the playlist. You'll only see this when you have more than one playlist
• Location (optional), Notes (optional) and Tags (optional)
• Production: on means a paid screen without a watermark. Off means a free trial screen with a watermark. If this switch is greyed out, the screen is added as a trial and you can remove the watermark later

Tip: If you didn't choose a group, go to Groups & Schedules and drag the screen onto your group. Then click Publish.

Set the screen area with Screen edges

The player doesn't know where the LED area sits on the media player's screen. By default it uses the whole screen (Use entire screen area is on for new screens). If your LED screen only shows part of the picture, turn that off and enter the LED area yourself.

• Go to Screens and click the settings button (the gear icon) next to your screen
• On the Settings tab, scroll to the bottom and open Screen edges
• Turn off Use entire screen area
• Under Adjust bounds, type the LED screen's width and height in pixels
• Under Adjust offset, leave both values at 0 if the LED screen shows the top-left corner of the picture. If it shows a different area, type how far from the left edge and from the top edge that area starts
• Click Save

The screen picks up the new edges the next time it hears from our server, usually within moments while it's online.

To undo your changes, turn Use entire screen area back on and click Save. Or click Reset edges to go back to the player's full resolution with offsets at 0, then click Save.

Options:

• Use entire screen area: on means the player uses the whole screen and centers your playlist. Off lets you set the area yourself
• Adjust bounds: the width and height of the area, in pixels. Type the numbers or use the + and - buttons
• Adjust offset: how far the area is from the left edge (arrow pointing right) and from the top edge (arrow pointing down), in pixels
• Reset edges: sets the area back to the player's full resolution and the offsets to 0

Note: You can only change Screen edges while the screen is online. When it's offline, you'll see Edges can only be changed while screen is online.

Tip: Type the numbers straight into the boxes. That is the most exact way to match your LED screen.

Set Screen edges on the player itself

You can also set the edges on the media player, which is handy when you're standing in front of the LED screen.

• On the media player, press Ctrl + O (Cmd + O on Mac) to open the player options
• Under Actions, click Screen edges
• Turn off Use entire screen area
• Use Adjust size for width and height, and Adjust position for the offset. Adjust the red border so it covers exactly the LED area
• Changes are saved on the player right away

The player app calls these Adjust size and Adjust position. In the web portal, the same settings are called Adjust bounds and Adjust offset.

Keep the player running on its own

LED screens usually run without anyone nearby, so set the player up to start by itself and to stay clean on screen.

• Go to Screens and click the settings button (the gear icon) next to your screen
• On the Settings tab, turn on Launch player on startup
• Open Advanced and turn off Show top menu bar
• Click Save

Options:

• Launch player on startup: starts our app automatically when the media player restarts. It's only shown for players that support it. On LG webOS, Samsung Tizen, BrightSign and the Amazon Signage Stick it's always on and can't be turned off (This platform always auto launches our app.)
• Show top menu bar (under Advanced): when on, the player shows a menu bar at the top for a moment when someone moves the mouse. Turn it off so a bumped mouse doesn't show a menu bar on your LED screen

You can still open the player options with the keyboard when the menu bar is off: press Ctrl + O (Cmd + O on Mac).

Tip: To turn on Launch player on startup for every new screen you link, go to your Profile → Default values → Screen defaults and turn on Enable launching player on startup for newly linked screens. This setting is personal and doesn't apply to other team members.

Publish to your LED screen

• Go to Groups & Schedules
• Make sure your LED screen is in the group that uses your LED playlist
• Click Publish on the group

Publish again after you change the playlist, so the screen gets the latest version.

Important notes about LED screens

• Create the playlist with the LED screen's real pixel resolution. You can't change the resolution of a playlist later
• The playlist is scaled to fit inside the area you set in Adjust bounds, and it keeps its shape. If the playlist and the area have different shapes, part of the area stays empty
• Use entire screen area is on by default for newly linked screens. Turn it off before you enter your own width and height
• Screen edges can only be changed in the web portal while the screen is online
• Screen edge values are in real screen pixels. As far as we know, Windows display scaling doesn't change the numbers you should enter
• Launch player on startup is only available on players that support it
• By default, images larger than 4K are scaled down to 4K when you upload them. If your LED screen is larger than 4K, turn off Downscale high resolution content to 4k under Profile → Default values → Library defaults
• None of the functions on this page need a Pro or Ultimate plan

Options

Options when creating a playlist (Playlists → Create playlist)

• Playlist name: the name of the playlist
• Aspect ratio: preset shapes 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 and 9:16
• Advanced → Enter screen aspect ratio or resolution in pixels: type your LED resolution, for example 800:600
• Create / Create and edit

Options in the Add screen window (Screens → Add screen)

• Screen code (6 characters)
• Screen name (optional)
• Group or Playlist
• Location (optional), Notes (optional), Tags (optional)
• Production
• Add screen

Options in the screen's settings (Screens → gear icon → Settings tab)

• Launch player on startup
• Advanced → Show top menu bar
• Screen edges → Use entire screen area
• Screen edges → Adjust bounds (width and height)
• Screen edges → Adjust offset (from the left and from the top)
• Screen edges → Reset edges
• Save

Options in the player app (Ctrl + O or Cmd + O)

• Launch player on startup
• Show top menu bar
• Actions → Screen edges → Use entire screen area, Adjust position, Adjust size, Reset edges
• Display actions (Windows, Mac and Linux app only): choose which display the player uses, or Resize window

Are there any limitations regarding size?

There's no size limit on the playlist itself. You can create a playlist as big as you need. But a large, high-resolution LED screen (for example 12000 × 9000 pixels) needs a media player powerful enough to handle it. Also keep in mind that images larger than 4K are scaled down by default when you upload them. You can turn this off under Profile → Default values → Library defaults → Downscale high resolution content to 4k.

Are there any specific media players you recommend for LED screens?

We don't recommend specific brands or models, but there are a few things to look out for. Many LED screens are outdoors, in cold or hot weather, so choose a purpose-built media player that can handle moisture, dust, cold and heat. Our best experiences with LED screen projects have been with Windows media players.

Why should I type the resolution (800:600) and not the aspect ratio (4:3)?

Both give the same shape, but with the resolution, the editor uses your LED screen's real size. Sizes and positions of your text and images then match the pixels on the LED screen. You can see the size the editor uses under Slide settings → SCREEN SIZE.

Where do I find my LED screen's resolution?

Ask your LED supplier or installer, or check the LED controller's software. The resolution is the number of pixels across and down, for example 800 × 600.

Only part of my content shows on the LED screen, or it's in the wrong place. What do I do?

Open the screen's settings in the web portal and open Screen edges. Check that Use entire screen area is off, and that the width and height under Adjust bounds match your LED screen. If the LED screen doesn't show the top-left corner of the picture, set Adjust offset to where the LED area starts. Click Save. It also helps to check where the LED controller's software starts picking up the picture, because both settings need to point to the same spot.

There's an empty strip on the right or at the bottom of my LED screen. Why?

The playlist keeps its shape when it's scaled into the area you set. If the playlist resolution and the Adjust bounds width and height have different shapes, part of the area stays empty. Make sure both use the same numbers.

Why can't I change Screen edges in the web portal?

Screen edges can only be changed while the screen is online. Make sure the app is running on the media player and connected. The controls are also greyed out while Use entire screen area is on.

Can I change the resolution of my playlist later?

No. The resolution (aspect ratio) of a playlist can't be changed after it's created, because the content would get stretched. Create a new playlist with the right resolution and move your slides over, as explained on the Playlists support page.

Can I set the screen edges on the media player instead?

Yes. Press Ctrl + O (Cmd + O on Mac) on the media player, and under Actions click Screen edges. In the player app, the settings are called Adjust size and Adjust position.

I turned off the top menu bar. How do I get to the player options?

Press Ctrl + O (Cmd + O on Mac) on the media player's keyboard.

I can't find Launch player on startup, or it's greyed out.

The setting only shows up for players that support it. On LG webOS, Samsung Tizen, BrightSign and the Amazon Signage Stick, it's always on, so the switch is greyed out. On some Android devices you'll see a warning that an extra permission is needed. Follow the View guide button in the screen's settings.

My LED controller is connected as a second display on my Windows PC. Can I show the player there?

Yes, it should work. Press Ctrl + O to open the player options, and under Display actions, choose the display that the LED controller is connected to. Then set Screen edges for that display.

My LED screen is taller than it is wide. What do I do?

Create the playlist with the LED screen's resolution, for example 600:1000, and set the same width and height under Adjust bounds. You normally don't need to rotate anything in Play for this. If you want to know more about rotation, see our Portrait Orientation page: https://playsignage.com/support/portrait-orientation/

Do I need a Pro or Ultimate plan for LED screens?

No. Creating a playlist with a custom resolution, Screen edges, Launch player on startup and Show top menu bar are available on all plans.

Do I need to publish after changing Screen edges?

No. Screen edges are sent to the screen when you click Save in the screen's settings. You only need to publish when you change the playlist or the group.