About
Usually the player uses the whole screen and you don’t need this. Screen edges are for when that doesn’t look right: an older TV that cuts off the edges (overscan), an LED sign that only shows part of the player’s picture, or content that should sit in one area of the screen. Set them in the web portal or on the player. All plans.
Get Started
The same settings have two names: Adjust bounds in the web portal is Adjust size in the player app, and Adjust offset is Adjust position. Screens are at my.playsignage.com/screens.
In the web portal
Set your own screen area
- Go to Screens and click the gear icon on the screen’s row (the screen must be online)
- On the Settings tab, open Screen edges at the bottom
- Turn off Use entire screen area
- Under Adjust bounds, type the width and height in pixels
- Under Adjust offset, type how far from the left and from the top the area starts (0 and 0 is the top-left corner)
- Click Save
The screen picks it up within moments; no need to publish. Only Owners, SuperAdmins and Admins see the gear icon.
Change the size or position step by step
- Adjust bounds: the box on the right of the screen picture is the width, the one at the bottom the height. The + and - at the top and bottom change the height, those on the left and right the width
- Adjust offset: the box with the arrow pointing right is the distance from the left; the one pointing down, from the top. Bigger numbers move the area right or down
Each click is 1 pixel; hold to keep going. Typing the exact numbers is fastest and most precise. Click Save.
Go back to the whole screen
- Turn on Use entire screen area and click Save
The player then uses the whole screen, centers your playlist, and follows the screen size if it changes. Or click Reset edges to fill in the full size once (offsets 0) and keep adjusting from there, then Save. To leave without changes, close the window with the X.
On the player and common fixes
Set the edges on the player
The red border shows you exactly where the edges are, so this is best for fixing a TV.
- Open Options: Ctrl + O (Cmd + O on Mac) on Windows, Mac and Linux; OK on the remote on Android, Fire TV and LG; Tools on a Samsung remote
- Under Actions, click Screen edges, and turn off Use entire screen area
- Use Adjust position and Adjust size until the red border runs exactly along the edges you want. With a remote, pick a + or - with the arrows and press OK
- Click Options at the top to go back
Changes are saved right away, even offline, and show in the web portal once the player is online. On Fire TV, use the buttons instead of typing.
Fix content that's cut off on a TV
Many TVs zoom in a little (overscan) and cut off the edges.
- First, in the TV’s picture settings, choose the picture size that shows everything: often Screen Fit or Fit to Screen (Samsung), Just Scan (LG) or Full Pixel (Sony)
- If that doesn’t help, open Screen edges on the player and make the red border fit just inside all four edges
Fit content to an LED sign
- Find the LED sign’s resolution, for example 1200 × 800 (ask your supplier or check the controller’s software)
- Create a playlist with the same resolution:
1200:800 - In Screen edges, turn off Use entire screen area and type 1200 and 800 under Adjust bounds
- Leave Adjust offset at 0 if the LED shows the top-left corner of the picture; otherwise type where it starts
- Click Save
The rest of the screen should stay black. More on LED Screen.
Fix content after turning the screen to portrait
If you rotated the screen in the device’s settings while the app ran, and Use entire screen area is off, it keeps its landscape edges. Turn on Use entire screen area, or move the red border to cover the screen. Android swaps width and height by itself. With Display orientation, keep Use entire screen area on. See Portrait Orientation.
Options
The screen area is a rectangle, set with four numbers in the player’s real screen pixels: width and height, and the distance from the left and the top. Your playlist fits inside without stretching; if the shapes differ, part stays empty, and anything outside stays dark. The player’s resolution is on the Information tab under Resolution.
In the web portal
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Use entire screen area | On: the whole screen. Off: you set the area |
| Adjust bounds | Width and height in pixels; + and - go 1 pixel at a time, not below 0 |
| Adjust offset | Distance from the left and from the top, in pixels |
| Reset edges | Full resolution, offsets 0. Only when Use entire screen area is off |
| Save | Sends the edges to the screen |
In the player app (Options → Actions → Screen edges)
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Use entire screen area | Turning it on sets the edges back to the full screen |
| Adjust position | Moves the area |
| Adjust size | Width and height |
| Red border | Shows the edges |
| Read more… | A tip about the red border and your TV’s overscan |
| Reset edges | Back to the full screen right away |
| Options | Back to the Options page |
Related: Display orientation (see Portrait Orientation) and Show top menu bar under Advanced in the screen’s settings.
FAQ
About Screen edges
Do I need Screen edges at all?
Usually not. Only if your content is cut off, you use an LED sign, or you want content in one part of the screen.
Which plans include it?
All plans.
Which players support it?
All our apps: Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry Pi, Android (including Fire TV, Amazon Signage Stick and Chromecast), Samsung and LG signage TVs, BrightSign, our Chrome extension and our web player.
Can different playlists have different edges?
No. Edges belong to the screen. Make your playlists in the shape of the area instead.
Do I need to publish after changing them?
No. They’re sent when you click Save, or saved right away in the player app.
Can I change them while the screen is offline?
Not in the web portal. In the player app, always.
Will changes in the player app show in the web portal?
Yes, once the player is online. Close and open the screen’s settings to see them.
Why are the names different in the app and the portal?
Same settings: Adjust bounds is Adjust size, and Adjust offset is Adjust position.
Reset edges or Use entire screen area?
Reset edges fills in the full size once, and you can adjust from there. Use entire screen area always uses the whole screen and follows it if it changes.
Troubleshooting
Why is everything greyed out?
The screen is offline (Edges can only be changed while screen is online.), or Use entire screen area is on. Start the player, check its connection, and reopen the settings.
Why can't I find the gear icon next to my screen?
Only Owners, SuperAdmins and Admins can open a screen’s settings. Ask one of them, or use the player app.
Why is there an empty strip on the right or at the bottom?
Your playlist keeps its shape inside the area. Give the area the same shape, or turn on Use entire screen area.
I changed the player's resolution and now it doesn't fit. Why?
With Use entire screen area off, your edges stay as they were. Turn it on, or set new edges.
Why can't I type numbers on my Amazon Fire TV?
The boxes don’t work there. Use + and - with the remote, or the web portal.
