About
Screen Capture works like taking a screenshot on your phone or computer, except that the screenshot is taken on your media player and sent to you over the Internet. It’s a quick way to check that the right playlist is showing, that new content has arrived, or what a screen far away looks like when someone reports a problem.
Here’s what happens when you ask for a screenshot:
- The web portal sends a message to the screen
- The media player takes a picture of what it’s showing at that moment
- The picture is sent straight to your browser, and you see it in a window in the web portal
You can use Screen Capture in two places:
- On the Screens page, with the camera button next to each screen
- On the Groups & Schedules page, with the camera button next to each group. You get a picture of every screen in the group in one window
The screen must be online, and your team must be on the Pro or Ultimate plan.
Get Started
This is the most common way to use Screen Capture: checking what one screen is showing.
- Go to Screens
- Find the screen you want to check. It must be online
- Click the camera button next to the screen. When you point at it, it says Request screenshot
- You’ll see the message Screenshot requested; you’ll get a message when it has been downloaded.
- Wait a moment. When the screenshot arrives, you’ll see a new message: Click here to view screenshot from [screen name]. Click it
- The screenshot opens in a window. The date and time under the picture show when it arrived
- Click Close when you’re done
Screens are found here: https://my.playsignage.com/screens
Tip: Want a newer picture? Click the camera button again. Each click takes a new screenshot.
Take a screenshot of one screen
- Go to Screens
- Find the screen in the list. The camera button is on the right side of the screen’s row, next to the other round buttons
- Click the camera button (Request screenshot)
- You’ll see Screenshot requested; you’ll get a message when it has been downloaded.
- When the screenshot arrives, you’ll see Click here to view screenshot from [screen name]. Click the message to open the screenshot
The camera button is grayed out for about 2 seconds after you click it. That stops you from asking for the same screenshot twice by accident.
How long it takes depends on the media player and its Internet connection. On most players, it takes a few seconds. If a player is very busy, it can take longer, and sometimes the screenshot never arrives. See the FAQ below.
The camera button only shows when:
- The screen is online. When a screen goes offline, the button disappears. It comes back when the screen is online again
- The screen’s player supports Screen Capture (see “Players that support Screen Capture” below)
The screenshot window
When you click Click here to view screenshot from [screen name], a window opens with:
- The title [screen name] screenshot
- The text Latest captured frame from this screen
- The screenshot itself
- The date and time the screenshot arrived in your browser. The time uses your computer’s clock and a 24-hour format
- Live: keeps taking new screenshots (see “Watch a screen live” below)
- Close: closes the window. You can also click the X in the top-right corner
If the screen is in portrait mode and Play rotates the content (the Display orientation setting), the screenshot is turned the right way up for you.
Screenshots aren’t saved in Play. If you want to keep one, most browsers let you right-click the picture and choose to save or copy the image.
Watch a screen live
Live keeps taking new screenshots, so you can follow what’s happening on the screen, for example to watch slides change or to check a video or a news feed.
- Open a screenshot (see “Take a screenshot of one screen” above)
- Click Live at the bottom of the window
- The title changes to [screen name] — Live, and the text changes to Live view is refreshing automatically
- A new screenshot is requested as soon as the last one has arrived, but no more than about once a second. The date and time under the picture change with every new screenshot
To stop, click Stop live, or close the window. Live also stops by itself after 2 minutes. Click Live again if you want to keep watching.
The picture won’t move like a video. How often it changes depends on how fast your player can take and send screenshots.
Note: If nothing happens when you click Live, close the window and click the camera button on the Screens page again to get a new screenshot.
Take screenshots of all the screens in a group
- Go to Groups & Schedules
- Find the group. Click the camera button in the group’s row, next to the group’s schedule and Publish buttons
- A window opens with the title [group name] screenshot, and one tile for each screen in the group
- At the top, you’ll see how many screens are in the group, and how many screenshots are still pending
- Each tile shows the screen’s name and, if you’ve entered one, its location
- While a screenshot is on its way, the tile says Waiting for screenshot…
- Offline screens say Offline and are listed last. Play doesn’t ask offline screens for a screenshot
- When a screenshot arrives, it shows up on the tile
To close the window, click the X in the top-right corner.
The camera button only shows for groups that have screens in them. You can’t take screenshots of the screens in the Standby list, and there’s no camera button on a group’s schedule page.
Groups & Schedules is found here: https://my.playsignage.com/groups
Refresh one screen in the group window
- Wait until the screen’s screenshot has arrived
- Click the refresh icon (the round arrow) next to the screen’s name on the tile
- The tile says Waiting for screenshot… until the new screenshot arrives
The refresh icon only shows on tiles that already have a screenshot. It isn’t shown for offline screens.
Note: Whether a screen is online or offline is checked when you open Groups & Schedules. If a screen went online or offline since then, reload the page before you take screenshots of the group.
Turn Screen Capture on or off
There’s nothing to turn on. On the Pro and Ultimate plans, Screen Capture is ready to use on every online screen with a supported player. There’s no setting in the screen’s settings, and nothing to set up on the player.
On older Android devices (Android 6 and earlier), the Play app may ask for Screenshot access when you set it up. Allow it, so the app can take screenshots.
Screenshots are only taken when you ask for one. There’s no switch to turn Screen Capture off for a screen or a team. To stop taking screenshots, just stop asking: close the screenshot window, or click Stop live.
What you’ll see in a screenshot
A screenshot shows what the player is showing at that moment. A few things to know:
- The screenshot is made smaller before it’s sent, to at most 960 pixels wide, so it arrives faster. Small text can look blurry, even when it’s sharp on the screen
- Some players make even smaller pictures. For example, LG signage TVs take screenshots in HD (720p)
- If the TV is turned off, for example by a schedule with the Turn your TV on and off feature, you may get a black picture with the text (display is off) instead. This can happen on Samsung and LG signage TVs, BrightSign, and computers that turn the TV on and off
- On Windows, Mac, and Linux, the player window must be visible. If it’s minimized or hidden, you may see the message Received empty screenshot.
- On some players, parts of your content may be missing or black in the screenshot, even though they show fine on the screen. This is most likely with websites and videos, and with our web player that runs in a browser
- Taking a screenshot doesn’t show anything on the screen, so your audience won’t notice
Read more about turning your TV on and off.
Players that support Screen Capture
- Android, including Amazon Fire TV, the Amazon Signage Stick and Google Chromecast: yes
- Windows, Mac, Linux and Raspberry Pi: yes
- Samsung signage TVs (Tizen): yes
- LG signage TVs (webOS): yes, in HD (720p)
- BrightSign: yes
- Our web player in a browser: yes, but websites in your content most likely won’t show in the screenshot
- Our Chrome extension (the Chrome app): no. The camera button isn’t shown for these screens
If an online screen doesn’t have a camera button, check that the Play app on the player is up to date. Very old versions of the app don’t support Screen Capture.
Important notes about Screen Capture
- Screen Capture is part of the Pro and Ultimate plans. On the Essential plan, the camera buttons are grayed out, and you’ll see This feature is only available in our Pro and Ultimate Subscription when you point at them
- The screen must be online and connected to the Internet
- Screenshots are only taken when you ask for one. There’s no automatic or scheduled screenshot
- Screenshots aren’t saved in Play. They’re sent straight to your browser, and they’re gone when you close the window or reload the page
- Only you see the screenshots you ask for. Other people on your team don’t get them, and they don’t show up in your other browser tabs
- Everyone on your team can use Screen Capture, including members
- Taking a screenshot uses some of the player’s processing power. A very busy player may be slow to answer, or may not answer at all
- Screen Capture doesn’t change anything on the screen, and you don’t need to publish anything
- Screen Capture isn’t the same as Screenshot Mode in the Website app. Screenshot Mode shows a picture of a website on your screens instead of the live website. Read more on our Website page.
Options
On the Screens page (Screens → the screen’s row)
- Camera button (Request screenshot): asks the screen for a screenshot. Only shown when the screen is online and its player supports Screen Capture. Grayed out on the Essential plan
Messages you may see
- Screenshot requested, you’ll get a message when it has been downloaded.: your request was sent to the screen
- Click here to view screenshot from [screen name].: the screenshot has arrived. Click to open it
- Received empty screenshot, this can happen when player is minimized or not focused.: the player sent an empty picture
- Failed to connect to server: the request couldn’t be sent. Check your Internet connection and try again
In the screenshot window
- Latest captured frame from this screen: the screenshot
- Date and time: when the screenshot arrived in your browser
- Live: keeps requesting new screenshots, at most about once a second, for up to 2 minutes
- Stop live: stops Live
- Close, or the X in the top-right corner: closes the window and stops Live
On the Groups & Schedules page (the group’s row)
- Camera button: takes a screenshot of every online screen in the group. Only shown when the group has screens. Grayed out on the Essential plan
In the group screenshot window
- The number of screens and how many screenshots are pending
- A tile for each screen with its screenshot, Waiting for screenshot…, or Offline
- Refresh icon (the round arrow): takes a new screenshot of that screen. Shown when the tile has a screenshot and the screen is online
- The X in the top-right corner: closes the window
FAQ
Why am I not getting any feedback when I use Screen Capture?
Most likely the media player is too busy. When a player is overloaded, it may not be able to take the screenshot, or it takes a long time before you get it. Wait a little and try again. If it keeps happening, the player may be struggling with your content, for example very large videos or many websites. Also check that the screen is still online and that the player window isn’t minimized.
Where do I find Screen Capture?
On the Screens page, click the camera button next to a screen. To see all the screens in a group, go to Groups & Schedules and click the camera button next to the group.
How do I take a new screenshot?
Click the camera button next to the screen again. In the group window, click the refresh icon on the screen’s tile. You can also click Live in the screenshot window to keep getting new screenshots for up to 2 minutes.
What does Live do?
Live keeps asking the screen for new screenshots, one after the other, at most about once a second. It stops when you click Stop live, close the window, or after 2 minutes.
Nothing happens when I click Live. What do I do?
Close the window and click the camera button on the Screens page again to take a new screenshot.
Why can’t I see the camera button next to my screen?
The screen is probably offline. The camera button only shows for online screens. It’s also missing if the player doesn’t support Screen Capture, for example our Chrome extension, or if the Play app on the player is very old.
Why is the camera button grayed out?
Your team is on the Essential plan. Screen Capture is part of the Pro and Ultimate plans.
Do I need a Pro or Ultimate plan for Screen Capture?
Yes. Screen Capture is part of the Pro and Ultimate plans.
Can I take screenshots of all my screens at once?
You can take screenshots of all the screens in a group at once. Go to Groups & Schedules and click the camera button next to the group.
Can I take screenshots of the screens in a schedule?
Schedules belong to a group, so use the camera button next to the group on the Groups & Schedules page. There’s no camera button on the schedule page itself.
Why does a screen in my group say Offline?
The screen wasn’t online when you opened Groups & Schedules. Check the screen on the Screens page. If it has come online since then, reload Groups & Schedules and try again.
A screen in the group window keeps saying Waiting for screenshot… Why?
The player hasn’t sent a screenshot. It may be busy, it may have gone offline after you opened the page, or its player may not support Screen Capture. Reload the page and try again, or take a screenshot of the screen on the Screens page.
How long does a screenshot take?
Usually a few seconds. It depends on the media player and its Internet connection. A busy or slow player can take longer.
Why is my screenshot black with the text (display is off)?
The TV was turned off when the screenshot was taken, for example by a schedule with the Turn your TV on and off feature. The player sends this picture instead of a screenshot.
Why did I get “Received empty screenshot”?
The player sent an empty picture. On Windows, Mac and Linux, this can happen when the player window is minimized or hidden behind other windows. Make sure the player is shown full screen, and try again.
Why is part of my content missing or black in the screenshot?
Some players can’t include everything in a screenshot, especially websites and videos. Our web player that runs in a browser most likely won’t show websites. If the content looks fine on the screen itself, there’s nothing wrong with your playlist.
Why is my screenshot blurry?
The screenshot is made smaller before it’s sent, to at most 960 pixels wide. That’s why small text can look blurry in the screenshot, even though it’s sharp on the screen.
Why is my screenshot sideways?
Play turns screenshots of portrait screens the right way up when you use the Display orientation setting. If the screen is rotated in the player’s own operating system settings, the screenshot most likely comes out upright already. If yours is still sideways, let us know which player you use. Read more on our Portrait Orientation page.
Which players support Screen Capture?
Android (including Amazon Fire TV, the Amazon Signage Stick and Google Chromecast), Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry Pi, Samsung and LG signage TVs, BrightSign, and our web player. Our Chrome extension doesn’t support it. See “Players that support Screen Capture” above.
Are screenshots saved anywhere?
No. Screenshots are sent straight to your browser and aren’t saved in Play. They’re gone when you close the window or reload the page. To keep one, right-click the picture and save it with your browser.
Can other people on my team see the screenshots I take?
No. A screenshot is only sent to the person who asked for it. Others can take their own screenshots.
Who on my team can use Screen Capture?
Everyone on the team, including members, as long as your team is on the Pro or Ultimate plan.
Can I take screenshots automatically or on a schedule?
No. Screenshots are only taken when you ask for one. Use Live if you want to follow a screen for a couple of minutes.
Will my audience notice when I take a screenshot?
No. Nothing is shown on the screen when a screenshot is taken.
Does Screen Capture slow down my player?
Taking a screenshot uses a little of the player’s processing power for a moment. You won’t notice it on most players. On a player that’s already overloaded, the screenshot can be slow or never arrive.
Is Screen Capture the same as Screenshot Mode in the Website app?
No. Screen Capture shows you what a screen is showing. Screenshot Mode is a setting in the Website app that shows a picture of a website on your screens instead of the live website. Read more on our Website page.
