About
A normal TV is wider than it is tall (landscape). When you hang it on its side, it becomes taller than it is wide (portrait). Portrait screens are popular for menus, posters, wayfinding and entrance signs.
To show content in portrait, you need two things:
- Content in portrait shape: a playlist with a 9:16 aspect ratio instead of the usual 16:9
- A player that knows the screen is on its side: you rotate the picture, either in the device’s operating system or with the Display orientation setting in Play
We recommend rotating the picture in the device’s operating system when you can. It uses the least processing power on your media player. Rotating in Play works on every player, and it’s the way to go when the device can’t rotate the picture itself, for example on an Amazon Fire TV.
This page covers several functions that work together:
- Creating a portrait playlist
- Rotating the screen in the operating system (Windows, Mac, ChromeOS, Raspberry Pi, Linux and Android)
- Rotating Samsung and LG signage TVs
- The Display orientation setting in the screen’s settings in the web portal
- The Portrait mode (clockwise) and Portrait mode (counter-clockwise) switches in the player app
- Screen edges, to fix content that doesn’t fill the screen after rotating
Get Started
This is the most common setup: a TV turned on its side, with a media player that can rotate its picture in its own settings (for example a Windows PC).
- Go to Playlists and click Create playlist. Enter a Playlist name, click the 9:16 tile under Aspect ratio, and click Create and edit. Add your content
- Publish the playlist to your screen as usual. 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’s display settings (see “Rotate the screen in the operating system” below)
- Check the screen. If your content is upside down, pick the other portrait direction in the display settings
Playlists are found here: https://my.playsignage.com/playlists
Tip: If your device can’t rotate its picture (for example an Amazon Fire TV), skip step 4. Instead, go to Screens, click the settings button (the gear icon) next to your screen, choose Portrait (clockwise) under Display orientation, and click Save.
Create a portrait playlist
When the screen is on its side, the shape of the picture flips. A 16:9 screen becomes a 9:16 screen. Your playlist should have the same shape as the screen, otherwise your content won’t fill it.
- Go to Playlists and click Create playlist
- Enter a Playlist name
- Under Aspect ratio, click the 9:16 tile
- Choose a layout if you want zones. The single-zone layout is the simplest
- Click Create and edit to start adding content (or Create to go back to the playlist list)
If your screen isn’t a standard shape, open Advanced and type the screen’s size in Enter screen aspect ratio or resolution in pixels, with the width first. For example, a Full HD screen on its side is 1080:1920. Use whole numbers with a colon between them, no spaces.
In the editor, a 9:16 playlist is set up as 1080 × 1920 pixels, which is Full HD in portrait.
Note: You can’t change a playlist’s aspect ratio after it has been created. If you made it in the wrong shape, create a new playlist. The Playlists support page explains how to move your slides over.
Rotate the screen in Play (Display orientation)
Use this when the device can’t rotate its picture, for example Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, many Android boxes, BrightSign, and our Chrome app. On these players, Play rotates the content in software. It works well, but it uses more processing power than rotating in the operating system.
If your media player or smart TV can rotate the content itself, see Setting up your Media Player instead.
- Go to Screens
- Click the settings button (the gear icon) next to the screen you want to rotate
- On the Settings tab, find Display orientation
- Choose Portrait (clockwise) or Portrait (counter-clockwise)
- Click Save
The screen restarts its playlist in the new orientation. You don’t need to publish anything.
If the screen is offline, you can still change the setting. You’ll see This screen is currently offline, changes will be synchronized next time the screen comes online. and a small warning triangle (Setting unsynced) until the screen has picked up the change.
Options:
- Landscape: no rotation (the default)
- Portrait (clockwise): rotates the content 90 degrees clockwise
- Portrait (counter-clockwise): rotates the content 90 degrees counter-clockwise
Which one you need depends on which way you turned the TV. If the content is upside down, choose the other portrait option.
Note: On Windows, Mac, Linux and our web app, you’ll see Orientation configuration is not optimal when you choose a portrait option. It’s a reminder that rotating in the operating system uses less processing power. The setting still works.
Rotate the screen from the player app
You can also rotate the content on the device itself, which is handy when you’re standing in front of the screen with a remote.
- Open the player options on the device:
- Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and Android: press the Menu button on the remote, or press OK while the playlist is playing
- Windows and Linux: press Ctrl + O (Cmd + O on Mac)
- Turn on Portrait mode (clockwise) or Portrait mode (counter-clockwise)
- Leave the options page. The rotation takes effect when you do
Turning one switch on turns the other off. To go back to landscape, turn the switch off again.
The switches aren’t shown on Samsung TVs. On LG TVs, only Portrait mode (clockwise) is shown.
Fix content that doesn’t fill the screen
After rotating, your content should fill the screen when the playlist and the screen have the same shape. If it’s rotated but smaller than the screen, or sits in the wrong place, the player may still be using its old landscape edges. This can happen when the player app was already running when you rotated the screen in the operating system.
In the web portal:
- Go to Screens and click the settings button (the gear icon) next to your screen
- On the Settings tab, open Screen edges
- Turn on Use entire screen area
- Click Save
Or on the device:
- Open the player options
- Under Actions, click Screen edges
- Turn on Use entire screen area, or use Adjust position and Adjust size to move the red border so it covers the whole screen
Note: You can only change Screen edges in the web portal while the screen is online. See our Screen Edges page for more.
Rotation methods per player
- Windows, Mac and Linux: rotate in the operating system (recommended), or use Display orientation in Play
- ChromeOS: rotate in ChromeOS settings (recommended), or use Display orientation in Play
- Raspberry Pi: rotate in Raspberry Pi OS. With our Raspberry Pi kiosk setup, Display orientation in Play rotates the operating system for you
- Android: rotate in Android settings if your device has the option. Otherwise use Display orientation in Play
- Amazon Fire TV and Google Chromecast: use Display orientation in Play, or the portrait switches in the player app
- Amazon Signage Stick: use Display orientation in Play. On sticks that support it, Play uses the stick’s own rotation
- Samsung (Tizen): older TVs use Display orientation in Play. Tizen 7 and later: use the TV’s own Display Orientation menu
- LG (webOS): use Display orientation in Play (it turns on the TV’s portrait mode)
- BrightSign: use Display orientation in Play
- Chrome app and web app: use Display orientation in Play, or rotate the display in the computer’s operating system
Important notes about portrait orientation
- Make the playlist the same shape as the screen: 9:16 for a standard TV on its side. A landscape playlist on a portrait screen is shrunk to fit, with empty space around it. It isn’t stretched
- You can’t change a playlist’s aspect ratio after it has been created
- Rotate in either the operating system or in Play, not both. If you rotate in both places, the content ends up sideways or upside down
- Rotating in the operating system uses the least processing power. Rotating in Play uses more, which can matter on entry-level devices, especially with video
- Display orientation is a screen setting. It’s sent to the screen when you click Save. You don’t need to publish. You only publish when you change the playlist or the group
- Each screen has its own orientation. If you have several portrait screens, set it on each one
- Some plugins only work in landscape playlists. In a portrait playlist, Flipboard shows Available for landscape playlists only
- None of the functions on this page need a Pro or Ultimate plan
Setting up your Media Player
If your media player’s operating system can rotate the picture, do it there. Leave Display orientation in Play set to Landscape. The menu names below can differ a little between versions.
Windows
Right-click the desktop and click Display settings. Under Display orientation, choose Portrait (or Portrait (flipped) if the content ends up upside down), and keep the changes.
Mac
Open the Apple menu and go to System Settings (System Preferences on older versions) → Displays. Under Rotation, choose 90° or 270°.
ChromeOS
Open Settings and go to your display settings. Under Orientation, choose 90° or 270°.
Raspberry Pi
In Raspberry Pi OS, open Menu → Preferences → Screen Configuration and change the orientation of your display.
If you set up the Raspberry Pi with our Raspberry Pi kiosk setup (the Raspberry Pi Kiosk option in the player app), you can instead use Display orientation in the screen’s settings in Play. Play then rotates the picture in the operating system for you. The desktop and our app restart while this happens.
Linux
Most Linux desktops have a display settings page where you can rotate the screen. Look for Orientation or Rotation.
Android
Not all Android devices can rotate their picture. If yours can, the option is usually under Settings → Display. You can open Android’s settings from our player app: open the player options and click Android Settings.
If your Android device doesn’t have the option, use Display orientation in Play instead (see “Rotate the screen in Play” above).
Rotate a Samsung or LG signage TV
Samsung (Tizen) and LG (webOS) signage TVs rotate the picture themselves, but how you control it depends on the TV.
Samsung (Tizen)
- Older Samsung TVs: go to Screens, click the settings button (the gear icon) next to your screen, choose a portrait option under Display orientation and click Save. Play asks the TV to rotate its picture
- Newer Samsung TVs (Tizen 7 and later): Samsung doesn’t let apps change the orientation, so you won’t see the Display orientation setting on the Settings tab. Change it in the TV’s own menu instead: press Home, switch away from our app (for example to HDMI 1), open Settings → OnScreen Display → Display Orientation, choose your orientation, then go back and open our app again. You can see the TV’s current orientation on the Information tab in the screen’s settings. Our Samsung setup guide has the details.
LG (webOS)
Go to Screens, click the settings button (the gear icon) next to your screen, choose Portrait (clockwise) under Display orientation and click Save. Play turns on the TV’s own portrait mode.
On LG TVs, the direction of the rotation depends on the TV model. Portrait (clockwise) and Portrait (counter-clockwise) do the same thing. If the picture ends up upside down, turn the TV around the other way.
Options
Options when creating a playlist (Playlists → Create playlist)
- Playlist name
- Aspect ratio: preset tiles 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 and 9:16. Choose 9:16 for portrait
- Advanced → Enter screen aspect ratio or resolution in pixels: type your own shape, width first, for example
1080:1920 - Create / Create and edit
Options in the screen’s settings (Screens → gear icon → Settings tab)
- Display orientation: Landscape, Portrait (clockwise) or Portrait (counter-clockwise). Not shown on Samsung Tizen 7 and later
- Screen edges → Use entire screen area, Adjust bounds, Adjust offset, Reset edges
- Save
In the screen’s settings (Information tab), Samsung Tizen 7 and later only
- Display orientation: shows the TV’s current orientation, with a link to our Samsung setup guide
Options in the player app (player options)
- Portrait mode (clockwise): rotates the content 90 degrees clockwise. Not shown on Samsung TVs
- Portrait mode (counter-clockwise): rotates the content 90 degrees counter-clockwise. Not shown on Samsung or LG TVs
- Actions → Screen edges: Use entire screen area, Adjust position, Adjust size
- Actions → Android Settings (Android app only): opens Android’s own settings
FAQ
How can I change the aspect ratio on a playlist?
You can’t change the aspect ratio of a playlist after it has been created. Instead, create a new playlist with the aspect ratio you need. The Playlists support page explains how to move your slides over.
The content is not aligned on my TV. What do I do?
If you started the player app before you rotated the screen to portrait in the operating system, the content may be rotated but not full screen. The player is still using the edges from when the screen was in landscape. To fix it, open the player options, go to Screen edges, and turn on Use entire screen area or move the red lines so they cover the whole visible area. You can also do this in the web portal under Screen edges in the screen’s settings.
Should I rotate the screen in the operating system or in Play?
In the operating system, if your device can do it. It uses the least processing power. Use Display orientation in Play when the device can’t rotate its picture, for example on an Amazon Fire TV.
Where do I find Display orientation?
Go to Screens, click the settings button (the gear icon) next to your screen, and look on the Settings tab.
I can’t find Display orientation for my Samsung TV.
Newer Samsung TVs (Tizen 7 and later) don’t let apps change the orientation, so the setting isn’t shown on the Settings tab. Change it in the TV’s own menu under Settings → OnScreen Display → Display Orientation while our app isn’t running. See our Samsung setup guide.
Should I choose Portrait (clockwise) or Portrait (counter-clockwise)?
It depends on which way you turned the TV. Try Portrait (clockwise) first. If the content is upside down, choose Portrait (counter-clockwise) instead.
My LG TV shows the same result for clockwise and counter-clockwise. Why?
On LG TVs, Play turns on the TV’s own portrait mode, and the direction depends on the TV model. Both options do the same thing. If the picture is upside down, turn the TV around the other way.
My content is sideways or upside down after rotating. What happened?
The screen may be rotated twice, once in the operating system and once in Play. Pick one. If you rotated in the operating system, set Display orientation in Play to Landscape. Otherwise, try the other portrait direction.
Why do I see “Orientation configuration is not optimal”?
It shows on Windows, Mac, Linux and our web app when you choose a portrait option in Display orientation. It’s a reminder that rotating in the operating system uses less processing power. If you can’t rotate in the operating system, you can ignore it.
Do I need to publish after changing Display orientation?
No. The setting is 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.
Can I change the orientation while the screen is offline?
Yes. Change it and click Save. The screen picks up the change the next time it comes online.
Can I rotate the screen from the device itself?
Yes. Open the player options on the device (for example the Menu button on a Fire TV remote, or Ctrl + O on Windows) and turn on Portrait mode (clockwise) or Portrait mode (counter-clockwise). The rotation takes effect when you leave the options page.
How do I set up an Amazon Fire TV in portrait mode?
Fire TV can’t rotate its picture itself, so use Display orientation in the screen’s settings in Play, or the portrait switches in the player app. Create your playlist in 9:16.
Can I show a landscape playlist on a portrait screen?
It plays, but it’s shrunk to fit the screen’s width, so part of the screen stays empty. It isn’t stretched. For content that fills the screen, create a 9:16 playlist.
Can one playlist play on both landscape and portrait screens?
Not in a way that fills both. A playlist has one shape. Create one 16:9 playlist for your landscape screens and one 9:16 playlist for your portrait screens, and put the screens in separate groups.
What size should my images and videos be for a portrait playlist?
Portrait content, for example 1080 × 1920 pixels for Full HD. That matches the size the editor uses for a 9:16 playlist.
Does rotating in Play slow down my player?
It uses more processing power than rotating in the operating system. On most players this is fine, but on entry-level devices it can make video or animations less smooth. Rotate in the operating system when you can.
Why can’t I add Flipboard to my portrait playlist?
The Flipboard plugin only works in landscape playlists. In a portrait playlist, it shows Available for landscape playlists only.
Do I need a Pro or Ultimate plan for portrait orientation?
No. Portrait playlists, Display orientation and Screen edges are available on all plans.
