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Hardware Troubleshooting

Symptom-based fixes for the physical Display Screen Player, its power, network and HDMI connection to the TV. Each entry follows symptom, cause, then resolution. For content and schedule problems, see Troubleshooting.

Start with the screen's panel. Click the screen on the Screens tab. The banner at the top of the Overview tab usually says what is wrong and what to do, and the Live view shows what is on the TV.

A screen shows Check HDMI

Symptom: The screen has a Check HDMI chip, or Check HDMI in the Display column.

Cause: The player is online but can't confirm a display on its HDMI connection. Usually the HDMI cable is loose or faulty, the TV is switched off at the wall, or the TV is set to a different input.

Resolution:

  1. At the TV, check it has power and is set to the HDMI input the player is plugged into.
  2. Reseat the HDMI cable at both ends. Try another cable or another HDMI port on the TV if you have one.
  3. If the player is connected through an HDMI extender, splitter or switch, try connecting it straight to the TV to rule that out.
  4. On the screen's Overview tab, click Display on, then Reload content.
  5. If it still shows Check HDMI, click Restart device on the Advanced tab. The screen usually comes back in about two minutes.

The display won't turn on or off

Symptom: Display on or Display off, All screens, or Display Automations has no effect, or the status stays Display off while the TV is on (or the other way round).

Cause: To turn a display off, the player stops the HDMI signal (DPMS, the preferred method), and the TV goes to standby only if it is set to when the signal stops. HDMI-CEC commands are sent only when the player has a Pulse-Eight USB-CEC adapter. Some TVs ship with HDMI-CEC turned off, call it by a brand name, or ignore power commands in certain modes. Commercial displays may need a setting changed to accept them.

The status shows what the player last sent, not whether the TV is actually on.

Resolution:

  1. In the TV's settings, turn on auto-standby or "no signal" power saving, so the TV goes to standby when the player stops the signal.
  2. If a Pulse-Eight USB-CEC adapter is fitted, check it is plugged into one of the player's USB ports, the HDMI lead runs through it, and HDMI-CEC is on in the TV's settings. Manufacturers use their own names for HDMI-CEC, such as Anynet+, SimpLink, Bravia Sync or CEC Control; check the TV's manual. Allow 5 minutes for the player to detect a newly connected adapter. The adapter is a USB accessory, so the player needs its regular power supply, not the PoE dongle. See Turning the TV on and off.
  3. Check the TV is on the HDMI input the player uses.
  4. Try Display off then Display on from the screen's Overview tab.
  5. Check nothing else is switching it: a manual switch lasts until the next Display Automations change, and a workflow or Check-in power can switch displays too. The latest command wins.

If the TV doesn't go to standby without a signal and you don't use a Pulse-Eight USB-CEC adapter, use its own on and off timer instead, and leave Display Automations off for that facility.

The player has no power

Symptom: The player's power light is off, and the screen is Offline.

Resolution:

  1. Check the adapter is plugged in and switched on at the wall, and test the outlet with another device.
  2. Check the adapter's plug is pushed fully into the player's DC power input.
  3. Check you are using the adapter supplied with the player. A replacement must match the input range, connector and polarity in Power & Connectivity.
  4. Powered by the PoE dongle: check the switch port or injector supplies IEEE 802.3af PoE and has power budget left, test the Ethernet run, and check the dongle's DC lead is pushed fully into the player. On PoE, unplug any USB accessories, or switch to the regular power supply.
  5. If the power source is good but the player still has no power, contact support.

A screen is offline

Symptom: The screen's status is Offline, and Last seen shows a time in the past.

Cause: The player hasn't checked in with Performance Hub. It has lost power or network, or the facility's internet is down.

Resolution:

  1. Check the player has power. Look for its power light; if it is off, see The player has no power.
  2. Check its network: the Ethernet cable at both ends, or, for Wi-Fi, that the network it uses still works and the password hasn't changed.
  3. If several screens went offline at once, check the facility's internet and network switches first.
  4. Power-cycle the player: unplug it for 10 seconds, then plug it back in.
  5. Once it is back online, the screen picks up any content and settings changed while it was offline.

On-Device Web Apps keep playing, because screens keep a copy; web pages and live views need internet. While a screen is offline, you can rename it, but you can't change its hardware settings until it is back online.

The player runs hot

Symptom: Temperature under Live metrics on the screen's Overview tab is consistently high, or the screen often shows Not responding.

Cause: The player is fanless and cools through its case. It needs airflow, and is rated for an operating temperature of 0 to 40 °C.

Resolution:

  1. Check the player isn't sealed in a cabinet, pressed against the back of the TV, or covered.
  2. Move it out of direct sun and away from heaters and other hot equipment.
  3. If the screen runs other services for the facility, such as the Sonos controller or the session timer's master clock, consider turning on Prevent becoming Sonos controller (in Casting & audio) or Prevent becoming master clock (in Session timer). Leave several other screens able to take those roles.

See placement guidance.

The picture is cut off, stretched or blank on start-up

Resolution:

  • Edges cut off: increase Underscan in the screen's Display settings, or turn off overscan in the TV's picture settings (often called "Just Scan", "Screen Fit" or "Full Pixel").
  • Blank or distorted on start-up: set Resolution to a fixed value such as 1920 x 1080 instead of Auto.
  • Sideways or upside down: change Orientation to match how the TV is mounted.