About
Show your content on a screen hung on its side (portrait), popular for menus, posters, wayfinding and entrance signs. You need two things: a playlist in portrait shape (9:16), and a player that knows the screen is on its side. Rotate the picture in the device’s own settings, or with Display orientation in Play. Works on all plans.
Get Started
Rotate in the device’s operating system when you can: it takes the least power. Rotate in Play when the device can’t do it, like an Amazon Fire TV. Never both. Your playlists are at my.playsignage.com/playlists.
Set up
Set up a portrait screen, step by step
- Go to Playlists, click Create playlist, enter a name, click the 9:16 tile and click Create and edit. Add your content
- Make it the base playlist of the screen’s group in Groups & Schedules and click Publish
- Turn the TV on its side
- On the media player, rotate the display to portrait in the operating system (see below). If the device can’t, use Display orientation in Play instead
- If the content is upside down, pick the other portrait direction
Create a portrait playlist
- Go to Playlists and click Create playlist, and enter a name
- Click the 9:16 tile under Aspect ratio
- Choose a layout (the single zone is simplest), and click Create and edit
For a screen of another shape, open Advanced and type its size, width first, in Enter screen aspect ratio or resolution in pixels, for example 1080:1920. A 9:16 playlist is 1080 × 1920 pixels in the editor. You can’t change the shape later.
Rotate
Rotate in the device's operating system
Leave Display orientation in Play on Landscape. Menu names differ a little between versions.
- Windows: right-click the desktop, click Display settings, and under Display orientation choose Portrait (or Portrait (flipped) if it’s upside down)
- Mac: Apple menu → System Settings → Displays → Rotation: 90° or 270°
- ChromeOS: Settings → display settings → Orientation: 90° or 270°
- Raspberry Pi: Menu → Preferences → Screen Configuration. With our Raspberry Pi kiosk setup, you can use Display orientation in Play instead; it rotates the system for you (the desktop and app restart)
- Linux: look for Orientation or Rotation in the display settings
- Android: usually Settings → Display, if the device can rotate at all. Open Android’s settings from the player options with Android Settings. If it can’t, use Display orientation in Play
Rotate a Samsung or LG signage TV
- Samsung, older models: in the screen’s settings on Screens, choose a portrait option under Display orientation and click Save
- Samsung, Tizen 7 and later: apps can’t change the orientation. Press Home, switch away from our app (for example to HDMI 1), open Settings → OnScreen Display → Display Orientation, choose it, and open our app again. See the Samsung setup guide
- LG: choose Portrait (clockwise) under Display orientation and click Save. The direction depends on the TV model; if it’s upside down, turn the TV the other way
Rotate in Play (Display orientation)
For devices that can’t rotate their picture: Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, many Android boxes, BrightSign and our Chrome app.
- Go to Screens and click the gear icon next to the screen
- Under Display orientation, choose Portrait (clockwise) or Portrait (counter-clockwise)
- Click Save
The screen restarts its playlist in portrait; no need to publish. If it’s offline, it changes when it’s back (Setting unsynced shows until then). On Windows, Mac, Linux and the web app you see Orientation configuration is not optimal: a reminder that rotating in the system is lighter. It still works.
Rotate from the player app
Handy when you’re in front of the screen with a remote.
- Open the player options: on Fire TV, Chromecast and Android press Menu or OK on the remote; on Windows and Linux press Ctrl + O (Cmd + O on Mac)
- Turn on Portrait mode (clockwise) or Portrait mode (counter-clockwise)
- Leave the options page to apply it
Turn the switch off to go back to landscape. Not on Samsung TVs; LG TVs only have the clockwise switch.
Fix content that doesn't fill the screen
If the app was running when you rotated the system, it may still use its old landscape edges.
- On Screens, open the screen’s settings, open Screen edges, turn on Use entire screen area and click Save (the screen must be online)
- Or in the player options: Actions → Screen edges, and turn on Use entire screen area, or move the red border with Adjust position and Adjust size
See Screen Edges.
Options
How to rotate, per player
| Player | How to rotate |
|---|---|
| Windows, Mac and Linux | In the operating system (recommended), or Display orientation in Play |
| ChromeOS | In ChromeOS (recommended), or Display orientation in Play |
| Raspberry Pi | In Raspberry Pi OS. With our kiosk setup, Display orientation in Play rotates the system for you |
| Android | In Android, if the device can. Otherwise Display orientation in Play |
| Amazon Fire TV and Google Chromecast | Display orientation in Play, or the switches in the player app |
| Amazon Signage Stick | Display orientation in Play (it uses the stick’s own rotation when it can) |
| Samsung (Tizen) | Older: Display orientation in Play. Tizen 7 and later: the TV’s own Display Orientation menu |
| LG (webOS) | Display orientation in Play (it turns on the TV’s portrait mode) |
| BrightSign | Display orientation in Play |
| Chrome app and web app | Display orientation in Play, or rotate the computer’s display |
When you create a playlist
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | Preset tiles 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 and 9:16. Choose 9:16 for portrait |
| Enter screen aspect ratio or resolution in pixels (Advanced) | Your own shape, width first, like 1080:1920 |
In the screen’s settings (Screens → gear icon)
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Display orientation | Landscape (default), Portrait (clockwise) or Portrait (counter-clockwise). Not on Samsung Tizen 7 and later |
| Screen edges | Use entire screen area, Adjust bounds, Adjust offset and Reset edges |
| Display orientation (Information tab) | Samsung Tizen 7 and later: the TV’s current orientation, with a link to our Samsung guide |
In the player app (player options)
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Portrait mode (clockwise) | Rotates 90° clockwise. Not on Samsung |
| Portrait mode (counter-clockwise) | Rotates 90° counter-clockwise. Not on Samsung or LG |
| Screen edges (Actions) | Use entire screen area, Adjust position and Adjust size |
| Android Settings (Actions) | Android only: opens Android’s settings |
FAQ
Choosing
Should I rotate in the operating system or in Play?
In the operating system, if the device can: it takes the least power. Use Display orientation in Play when it can’t, like on an Amazon Fire TV. Never both.
Clockwise or counter-clockwise?
It depends on which way you turned the TV. Try clockwise; if the content is upside down, choose counter-clockwise.
How do I set up an Amazon Fire TV in portrait?
Fire TV can’t rotate its picture, so use Display orientation in Play or the switches in the player app, with a 9:16 playlist.
What size should my images and videos be?
Portrait, for example 1080 × 1920 pixels for Full HD, the size the editor uses for 9:16.
Does rotating in Play slow down my player?
It takes more power than rotating in the system. Usually that’s fine, but on entry-level devices video and animations can get less smooth.
Do I need Pro or Ultimate?
No. Portrait playlists, Display orientation and Screen edges are on all plans.
Playlists
Can I change a playlist to portrait?
No, a playlist’s shape can’t change. Create a new one; Playlists explains how to move your slides over.
Can I show a landscape playlist on a portrait screen?
It plays, shrunk to fit the width, with empty space around it. It isn’t stretched. Use a 9:16 playlist to fill the screen.
Can one playlist fill both landscape and portrait screens?
No, a playlist has one shape. Make a 16:9 one and a 9:16 one, and put the screens in separate groups.
Why can't I add Flipboard to a portrait playlist?
Flipboard only works in landscape playlists. It shows Available for landscape playlists only.
Troubleshooting
My content is sideways or upside down. What happened?
It’s probably rotated twice: in the system and in Play. If you rotated in the system, set Display orientation to Landscape. Otherwise, try the other portrait direction.
Where is Display orientation?
On Screens: click the gear icon next to the screen, on the Settings tab.
I can't find Display orientation for my Samsung TV.
Samsung TVs with Tizen 7 and later don’t let apps change it. Use the TV’s own menu: Settings → OnScreen Display → Display Orientation, while our app isn’t running. See the Samsung setup guide.
Why does my LG TV look the same for clockwise and counter-clockwise?
Play turns on the TV’s own portrait mode, and the direction depends on the model. If it’s upside down, turn the TV the other way.
Why do I see "Orientation configuration is not optimal"?
It’s a reminder on Windows, Mac, Linux and the web app that rotating in the system is lighter. If you can’t, ignore it.
Do I need to publish after changing Display orientation?
No. It’s sent when you click Save. Each screen has its own orientation, so set it on each portrait screen.
Can I change it while the screen is offline?
Yes. The screen picks it up when it’s back online.
