Syncing and unsyncing content on screens allows you to control what your audience sees, whether you want uniformity across all displays or tailored messages on specific screens. Understanding these options can help you optimize your digital signage for better communication and flexibility.
Where to find the Sync and Unsync settings
You can find the option to sync your screens playback under the Settings > Playback > Playback Mode of an individual screen. The available options are to Sync, Unsync or set to Device Time.
Playback mode options
Sync
This mode keeps your screens in sync with each other when playing the same content, such as a playlist or channel, across your screens. Please note that you must have the exact same playlist or channel playing on each screen.
Unsync
This mode will play your content from the beginning each time and won't keep this screen in sync with others. Use this if you don't want your screens playing the same channel or playlist to be playing their content in exact unison.
Device Time
This mode synchronizes screens based on the device's system time, rather than the server time. This mode is best suited for SCOS devices with a reliable NTP server, as it may result in unsynchronized periods otherwise.
To see how these settings works, go ahead and view your screen preview alongside your running screen. Switching between Sync, Unsync and Device Time will allow you to see what exactly is being shown on that screen.
Requirements for using Sync
To sync two or more screens, you'll first need to assign content using Channels or Playlists:
Add your content to a Playlist or a Channel or combine both with a Playlist in a Channel
Assign the Channel or Playlist to your desired screens
Once set up, go to Playback Mode > Sync to enable synchronized playback across your screens.
A note on video sync When using devices with different build specifications or capabilities, ScreenCloud will keep content as closely in sync as possible. However, perfect synchronization for video content cannot be guaranteed, as each device relies on its own system clock and may have slightly variable start times.