About
Show your content on an LED screen of any size or shape, like 800 × 600 or 1200 × 400 pixels. Create a playlist with the LED screen’s exact resolution, link the media player that drives it, usually a Windows PC, and tell Play where the LED area sits on the player’s screen. Works on every plan.
Get Started
Most LED screens get their picture from a media player connected to an LED controller (a sending card or processor). The controller takes part of the player’s picture, usually starting at the top-left corner, and shows it on the panels. You need access to the media player (often with remote desktop software like TeamViewer) and the LED screen’s resolution in pixels.
Set up
Set up an LED screen, step by step
- Go to Playlists and click Create playlist. Enter a 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 - Go to Groups & Schedules, click Create new group, enter a name, choose your new playlist as the Base playlist and click Create
- On the media player, download and open the Play Digital Signage app. Note the 6-character code
- On your own computer, go to Screens, click Add screen, type the code, choose your group (or your LED playlist) and click Add screen
- Click the gear icon next to the 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
- Turn on Launch player on startup. Open Advanced, turn off Show top menu bar, and click Save
- Go to Groups & Schedules and click Publish on your group
Keep the app open on the media player during step 5: Screen edges can only be changed while the screen is online. Each step is explained below.
Create a playlist with your LED resolution
- Go to Playlists and click Create playlist, and enter a name
- Open Advanced, and in Enter screen aspect ratio or resolution in pixels type the width and height with a colon, for example
800:600 - Click Create and edit
Type the resolution, not just the shape: with 800:600 the editor works in 800 × 600 pixels, so sizes and positions match the real pixels on your LED screen. Check it in the editor under Slide settings (the sliders icon) → SCREEN SIZE. You can’t change it later.
Link the media player
- On the media player, download and install our app (see the Windows setup guide or all setup guides). It shows a 6-character code
- On your own computer, go to Screens and click Add screen
- Type the code, fill in the form (see Options) and click Add screen
If you didn’t choose a group, drag the screen onto your group in Groups & Schedules and click Publish.
Set where the LED area is (Screen edges)
- Go to Screens and click the gear icon next to the screen
- On the Settings tab, open Screen edges at the bottom
- Turn off Use entire screen area
- Under Adjust bounds, type the LED width and height in pixels
- Under Adjust offset, leave 0 and 0 if the LED shows the top-left corner of the picture. Otherwise, type how far from the left and from the top the LED area starts
- Click Save
The screen picks up the change within moments while it’s online. To undo it, turn Use entire screen area back on, or click Reset edges, then Save.
Set the LED area on the media player
Handy when you’re standing in front of the LED screen.
- On the media player, press Ctrl + O (Cmd + O on Mac)
- Under Actions, click Screen edges and turn off Use entire screen area
- Use Adjust size and Adjust position until the red border covers exactly the LED area
Changes are saved right away. In the web portal, the same settings are called Adjust bounds and Adjust offset.
Run it
Let the player run on its own
- Go to Screens and click the gear icon next to the screen
- Turn on Launch player on startup
- Open Advanced and turn off Show top menu bar
- Click Save
The app then starts by itself after a restart, and a bumped mouse doesn’t show a menu bar on your LED screen. To turn on Launch player on startup for every new screen, go to Profile → Default values → Screen defaults (this setting is only yours, not your team’s).
Publish to your LED screen
- Go to Groups & Schedules
- Check that the LED screen is in the group with your LED playlist
- Click Publish
Publish again each time you change the playlist.
Options
When you create a playlist
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Playlist name | The name of the playlist |
| Aspect ratio | Preset tiles 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 and 9:16. A tile replaces what you typed, so pick a tile first |
| Enter screen aspect ratio or resolution in pixels (Advanced) | Whole numbers with a colon, like 800:600: no spaces, decimals or “x”. Otherwise you see Ratio pattern must consist of digits separated by colon e.g 16:9 |
| Create and edit | Creates the playlist and opens it. Only shown with the single-zone layout |
When you add a screen
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Screen code | The 6-character code the app shows |
| Screen name (optional) | The name of the screen |
| Group | The group the screen joins. Shown when you have more than one group |
| Playlist | Instead of a group: Play uses a group with this playlist, or creates one. Shown when you have more than one playlist |
| Location, Notes, Tags (optional) | Extra details |
| Production | On: a paid screen without a watermark. Off: a trial screen with a watermark. If greyed out, the screen is added as a trial |
In the screen’s settings (the gear icon)
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Launch player on startup | Starts the app when the media player starts. Always on for LG webOS, Samsung Tizen, BrightSign and the Amazon Signage Stick |
| Show top menu bar (Advanced) | Shows a menu bar when someone moves the mouse |
| Use entire screen area (Screen edges) | On: the player uses the whole screen and centers your playlist. Off: you set the area |
| Adjust bounds (Screen edges) | The width and height of the LED area, in pixels |
| Adjust offset (Screen edges) | How far the area starts from the left and from the top, in pixels |
| Reset edges (Screen edges) | Back to the full resolution, with offsets at 0 |
In the player app (Ctrl + O or Cmd + O)
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Launch player on startup | Starts the app with the device |
| Show top menu bar | Shows the menu bar when the mouse moves |
| Screen edges (Actions) | Use entire screen area, Adjust size, Adjust position and Reset edges |
| Display actions | Windows, Mac and Linux only: the display the player uses, or Resize window |
FAQ
Planning
Do I need a Pro or Ultimate plan?
No. Everything on this page works on all plans.
Is there a size limit?
Not for the playlist. But a big, high-resolution LED screen (say 12000 × 9000 pixels) needs a powerful media player. Images bigger than 4K are made 4K when you upload them; turn that off under Profile → Default values → Library defaults → Downscale high resolution content to 4k.
Which media player do you recommend?
We don’t recommend brands or models. Many LED screens are outdoors, so choose a purpose-built player that handles moisture, dust, cold and heat. Our best LED projects have run on Windows media players.
Where do I find my LED screen's resolution?
Ask your LED supplier or installer, or look in the LED controller’s software. It’s the number of pixels across and down, for example 800 × 600.
Why type the resolution (800:600) and not the shape (4:3)?
Both give the same shape, but with the resolution the editor uses your LED screen’s real size, so sizes and positions match its pixels.
Can I change the resolution of my playlist later?
No, the content would get stretched. Create a new playlist and move your slides over, as explained on Playlists.
My LED screen is taller than it is wide. What do I do?
Create the playlist with its resolution, for example 600:1000, and set the same width and height under Adjust bounds. You don’t need to rotate anything. More on Portrait Orientation.
My LED controller is a second display on my Windows PC. Can the player use it?
Yes. Press Ctrl + O, choose that display under Display actions, and set Screen edges for it.
Troubleshooting
Only part of my content shows, or it's in the wrong place. What do I do?
Open Screen edges in the screen’s settings. Check that Use entire screen area is off and that Adjust bounds matches your LED screen. If the LED doesn’t show the top-left corner of the picture, set Adjust offset to where it starts, and click Save. Also check where the LED controller’s software picks up the picture: both must point to the same spot.
Why is there an empty strip on the right or at the bottom?
The playlist keeps its shape inside the area you set. If the playlist resolution and Adjust bounds have different shapes, part of the area stays empty. Use the same numbers for both.
Why can't I change Screen edges in the web portal?
The screen must be online, so check that the app runs on the media player. The boxes are also greyed out while Use entire screen area is on.
Do I need to publish after changing Screen edges?
No. They’re sent when you click Save. Publish only when you change the playlist or the group.
I turned off the top menu bar. How do I open the player options?
Press Ctrl + O (Cmd + O on Mac) on the media player’s keyboard.
Why can't I find Launch player on startup, or why is it greyed out?
It only shows on players that support it. On LG webOS, Samsung Tizen, BrightSign and the Amazon Signage Stick it’s always on, so it’s greyed out. Some Android devices need an extra permission: follow View guide in the screen’s settings.
Does Windows display scaling change the numbers I enter?
As far as we know, no. Screen edges use real screen pixels.
