About
Microsoft Power BI is a tool for turning business data into reports and dashboards. With the Power BI plugin, you can put those reports and dashboards on a slide, next to your other content.
You don’t need a link, a Publish to web code, or an embed code. Instead, you click Authenticate, sign in with Microsoft, and pick what to show from two lists: Select workspace and Select resource. Your report stays private. It is not published to the public internet.
Note: The Power BI plugin is available on the Pro and Ultimate plans.
Get Started
Before you start
- A Play Digital Signage Pro or Ultimate plan. On Essential, you’ll see an upgrade prompt.
- A Microsoft account with access to Power BI. The account needs to be able to open the report or dashboard in Power BI.
- A Power BI license. In most cases, showing content from a shared workspace needs a Power BI Pro or Premium Per User (PPU) license. The exception is when the workspace is on Power BI Premium or Microsoft Fabric (F64 or higher) capacity. If you’re not sure which license you have, ask your IT team or Power BI admin.
- Your organization may need to approve the app. Some organizations only let admins approve new apps. If you see a message asking for admin approval when you sign in, ask your Microsoft 365 or Power BI admin to approve Play Digital Signage. Your Power BI admin may also need to turn on the Power BI setting Embed content in apps.
- The report or dashboard must be in a workspace. Only content in a workspace you can access will show up in the lists.
Add a Power BI report or dashboard to a slide
- Open the playlist and go to the slide you want to use
- Click Plugins in the top toolbar, search for Power BI in the Add Plugin window, and click the PowerBI tile
- A Power BI box appears in the middle of the slide. On the right, you’ll see the Authenticate button
- Click Authenticate. A small Microsoft sign-in window opens
- Sign in and accept the permissions Play Digital Signage asks for. The window closes by itself when you’re done
- Under Select workspace, choose the workspace that holds your report or dashboard
- Under Select resource, choose what to show. The list is split into Reports and Dashboards
- Drag the corners of the box to resize it, or use Fit to canvas to fill the whole slide
- Publish the playlist to send it to your screens
Tip: The Power BI box starts in a 16:9 shape. Reports usually look best when the box has the same shape as the report page.
Change the workspace or resource
- Select the Power BI object on your slide
- Pick a different workspace under Select workspace. The Select resource list updates to show what’s in that workspace
- Pick a report or dashboard under Select resource
- Publish the playlist after any change to be safe
Set automatic refresh
The screen can reload the report on a timer, so it always shows the latest version.
- Select the Power BI object
- Turn on Refresh periodically
- Set Refresh interval seconds with the number box or the slider. You can choose from 16 to 6000 seconds. The default is 600 seconds (10 minutes)
- Publish the playlist
Refresh periodically is off when you first add the plugin.
Note: This reloads the report on your screen. It doesn’t refresh your data in Power BI. The report can only show data as new as your latest Power BI data refresh, so check your refresh schedule in Power BI too.
Use Screenshot Mode
With Screenshot Mode, your screen shows a picture of the report instead of the live report. Our server takes the picture and updates it on a schedule you choose. This helps on screens whose built-in browser is too old to load Power BI.
- Select the Power BI object
- Turn on Screenshot Mode
- Choose how old the picture is allowed to get under Screenshot Maximum Age:
- No Limit (Static): the picture is never updated
- 15 Minutes: Ultimate plan only
- 1 Hour: Pro and Ultimate plans
- 24 Hours: this is the default
- Publish the playlist
When Screenshot Mode is on, Refresh periodically and Refresh interval seconds are turned off. The picture updates based on Screenshot Maximum Age instead.
Note: A screenshot is a still image. It is not interactive, and it only changes when a new picture is taken.
Log out or switch accounts
- Select the Power BI object
- Scroll down and click Log out
- The workspace and resource choices are cleared, and the Authenticate button appears again
- Click Authenticate and sign in with the account you want to use
- Choose the workspace and resource again
- Publish the playlist
Delete the Power BI object
- Select the Power BI object on the slide
- Click the trash can in the toolbar (Remove), or press Delete or Backspace on your keyboard
- Publish the playlist so your screens stop showing it
There is no confirmation step. If you delete it by mistake, use undo right away (Ctrl + Z, or Cmd + Z on Mac).
Deleting the object does not sign you out of Microsoft. If you want to disconnect your Microsoft account from this object as well, click Log out first, then delete it.
Note: If the object is locked, unlock it first. Locked objects can’t be selected.
Important notes about Power BI
- The Power BI plugin is available on Pro and Ultimate. On Essential, you’ll see Only Pro and Ultimate subscriptions with a Try it button. You can try the plugin in the editor, but it is removed when you publish. Your screens will not show it, and you’ll see a message that some features aren’t supported by your current plan.
- No link, Publish to web code, or embed code is needed. Everything is picked from lists after you sign in.
- Changes to size, position, refresh settings, and Screenshot Mode only reach your screens after you publish the playlist. To be safe, publish after any change, including a new workspace or resource.
- Your sign-in stays active for up to 90 days. The plugin keeps it fresh while the report is being shown. If it isn’t shown for 90 days, you’ll need to sign in again. Microsoft can also end a sign-in sooner, for example after a password change or if an admin signs you out.
- Only reports and dashboards in a workspace you can access appear in Select resource.
- The live report needs a fairly new web browser on the screen (Chrome 100 or newer). Some TVs and players with a built-in browser can’t load it. Use Screenshot Mode on those screens.
- To show several reports, add one Power BI plugin for each report. We recommend adding a new Power BI plugin each time rather than copying and pasting an existing one.
- The Power BI plugin is only available in the Play Digital Signage portal at my.playsignage.com. It isn’t offered on partner-branded portals.
Options
Options in the Power BI panel
- Alignment: Fit to canvas, Align left, Align center, Align right, Align top, Align center (vertical), Align bottom, and Lock / Unlock
- Select workspace: the Power BI workspace to use
- Select resource: the report or dashboard to show, grouped under Reports and Dashboards
- Refresh periodically: reload the report on the screen on a timer (off by default)
- Refresh interval seconds: how often to reload, from 16 to 6000 seconds (default 600)
- Screenshot Mode: show a picture of the report instead of the live report
- Screenshot Maximum Age: No Limit (Static), 15 Minutes (Ultimate), 1 Hour (Pro and Ultimate), 24 Hours (default)
- Log out: disconnect your Microsoft account from this object
FAQ
Which plans include the Power BI plugin?
Pro and Ultimate. On Essential, you can add the plugin in the editor to try it, but it is removed when you publish and won’t appear on your screens. In Screenshot Mode, a Screenshot Maximum Age of 15 Minutes needs Ultimate, and 1 Hour needs Pro or Ultimate.
Do I need a Power BI Pro license?
You need a Power BI license that lets you open the report or dashboard in Power BI. For content in shared workspaces, Microsoft usually requires Power BI Pro or Premium Per User (PPU). The exception is when the workspace is on Power BI Premium or Fabric F64 (or higher) capacity. Your Power BI admin can tell you which license you have.
It asks for admin approval when I sign in. What do I do?
Your organization only lets admins approve new apps. Ask your Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Entra admin to approve Play Digital Signage. Your Power BI admin may also need to turn on Embed content in apps in the Power BI admin portal (Tenant settings → Developer settings).
Can I paste a Publish to web link or an embed code?
No, and you don’t need to. The plugin has no link field. Click Authenticate, sign in, then choose your report under Select workspace and Select resource. Publish to web also makes a report public to anyone on the internet, and Power BI’s secure embed links ask viewers to sign in again. Neither works well on an unattended screen.
Can I show more than one report?
Yes. Add a separate Power BI plugin for each report, on the same slide or on different slides. Choose the workspace and resource for each one. We recommend adding a new plugin each time instead of copying and pasting an existing one.
How often does the data update?
There are two parts:
- On your screen: if Refresh periodically is on, the screen reloads the report every Refresh interval seconds. In Screenshot Mode, the picture is updated based on Screenshot Maximum Age.
- In Power BI: the report only shows data as new as your latest Power BI data refresh. Set the refresh schedule for your data in Power BI.
I only see the Power BI loading logo on my screen. What’s wrong?
The live report uses Microsoft technology that needs a fairly new web browser (Chrome 100 or newer). TVs and players with a built-in browser that rarely updates, such as Samsung Tizen, LG webOS or BrightSign, may not load it.
- Turn on Screenshot Mode. The screen then shows a picture of the report instead of loading it live
- Ask the device maker if a firmware update with a newer browser is available
- On Android: in the web portal, open the screen’s device settings and set Website rendering engine to Use system engine. Also update the Chrome browser on the Android device itself
How long does the plugin stay signed in? What happens when the sign-in expires?
Up to 90 days. The plugin keeps the sign-in fresh while the report is being shown. If the report isn’t shown for 90 days, or Microsoft ends the sign-in sooner (for example after a password change), you’ll need to sign in again. Select the object, click Log out, then Authenticate, choose your workspace and resource, and publish. You can also add the plugin again. If a screen still doesn’t show the report after you sign in again, contact our support team.
Why can’t I find my report or dashboard under Select resource?
Only reports and dashboards that are in a workspace you can access show up. Check that the content is in a workspace, and that the account you signed in with has access to it. If you signed in with the wrong account, click Log out and sign in again.
Does deleting the Power BI object sign me out?
No. Deleting the object removes it from the slide, but it doesn’t disconnect your Microsoft account. If you want to disconnect as well, click Log out before you delete the object.
Can I use a personal Microsoft account?
We haven’t confirmed which Microsoft account types work with the plugin. Use the same account you use to open the report in Power BI. If it doesn’t work, contact our support team.
Do I need to publish after making changes?
Yes. Changes to size, position, refresh settings and Screenshot Mode only reach your screens after you publish the playlist. To be safe, publish after any change.
