If you're experiencing video playback issues - such as choppy or glitchy video, black screens during playback, or videos that fail to start or stutter - this guide offers practical steps to help you troubleshoot and improve performance on your ScreenCloud player or device. These recommendations are tailored to address common causes of playback problems and help ensure your digital signage content runs smoothly and reliably on screen.
Understanding the issue
Video playback problems can occur even when image content and other apps continue to display properly. This typically happens due to the device's performance limitations, such as processing power being overburdened by multiple tasks (e.g., playing a main video and a video background simultaneously). Additionally, devices that run continuously without regular restarts may accumulate performance issues over time.
Troubleshooting steps for video playback issues
Follow these steps to identify and resolve video playback issues:
1. Clear the ScreenCloud player app cache
This can often resolve playback lag or rendering delays. Learn how to do this for each player here.
2. Update your device and software
Check whether your device’s operating system is up to date. Keeping your system updated ensures compatibility with the latest ScreenCloud app features and bug fixes. Next, update the ScreenCloud app to its latest version to benefit from improvements and optimizations included in the new releases.
3. Enable daily device restarts
Configure the daily restart feature on your device through ScreenCloud settings. This helps refresh your device's performance and minimizes the risk of playback interruptions caused by accumulated system resources being strained over time.
4. Perform additional restarts after updates
Once updates are installed, restart your device to ensure the changes take effect and playback stability is improved.
5. Disable transition effects for channels
If you're using a less powerful device, try turning off the transition effect in your channel settings. Learn where this option is here.
6. Optimize background settings
Replace motion video backgrounds with static images or a plain background on your ScreenCloud channel. This reduces the processing load on your device and can immediately improve video playback performance.
7. Adjust video length
Devices with limited processing power may struggle with short videos (under 10 seconds). A workaround is to extend the video length and have it end on a static frame (e.g., a final menu image). Learn more about this issue here.
Best practices for long-term performance
To maintain optimal video playback and minimize future issues, consider adopting the following practices:
Regularly monitor updates for both your device’s operating system and the ScreenCloud app.
Avoid overloading your device by minimizing background processes, transitions or features requiring high processing power.
Schedule regular resets or reboots to keep your device running smoothly.
By following these solutions and best practices, you can significantly improve the performance of your ScreenCloud device and enjoy uninterrupted video playback.
Recommended hardware replacements
If the troubleshooting steps don’t resolve your video playback issues, it may be time to consider upgrading your hardware to ensure your digital signage runs smoothly and reliably.
We recommend switching to one of our purpose-built ScreenCloud devices:
PIXI - An affordable, compact device ideal for everyday digital signage needs. PIXI is perfect if you're looking for a budget-friendly option that still delivers solid performance.
ScreenCloud OS - Designed for professional environments, these devices offer enhanced durability, advanced networking features, and enterprise-level reliability. Perfect for organizations that need a robust, long-term signage solution.
By upgrading to ScreenCloud hardware, you'll get a solution that’s built from the ground up to work seamlessly with our platform, reducing compatibility issues and giving you better control over content playback.