A screen shows as offline
A screen shows as offline when its player hasn’t checked in with the CMS for a while. Most of the time the cause is at the venue: the power, the internet or the TV’s input. Work through the checks below in order.
How to tell a screen is offline
Section titled “How to tell a screen is offline”Click Displays in the menu on the left, then Displays. An offline screen has a cross in Logged In, and its Last Accessed time is older than the others.
To list only the offline screens, click Filters and set Logged In to No (see Check on your screens).
Note the Last Accessed time. It tells you when the problem started, which often points to the cause, such as a power cut or the internet going down that afternoon.
Is the screen still playing?
Section titled “Is the screen still playing?”Go and look at the screen. Players keep a copy of their content, so a screen that’s offline in the CMS often carries on playing what it already has. That buys you time, but it won’t pick up any changes until it’s back online, and anything that needs the internet, such as a web page, won’t show.
Checks to make at the venue
Section titled “Checks to make at the venue”-
Check the power. Is the screen on? If the player is a separate stick, box or PC, is it plugged in and switched on? Players start on their own when the power comes back, so give it a few minutes after switching on.
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Check the TV’s input. If the screen shows the TV’s own menu, a “no signal” message or another source, use the TV remote to switch back to the input the player is plugged into.
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Check the internet at the venue. Can a phone or laptop on the same network get online? If the internet is down, the screen will check in again once it’s back.
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Think about recent changes. A new router, a changed Wi-Fi name or password, or moving the screen can all stop a player connecting. If something like that has changed, email us, as the player may need setting up again.
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Restart the player. Switch the player off at the wall, wait ten seconds and switch it back on. For a display with the player built in, switch the display off and on.
Check it’s back
Section titled “Check it’s back”Go back to Displays and click Refresh above the list. Once the player has checked in, Logged In shows a tick and Last Accessed shows the current time. To be sure it has your latest content, click the three dots on its row and click Collect Now (see Send a command to a screen).
When to email us
Section titled “When to email us”Email hello@casty.co.uk if the screen is still offline after these checks, or straight away if you can’t get to the screen. Include:
- the venue and the screen’s name as it appears in Displays
- the Last Accessed time
- what the screen is showing now (a photo from your phone helps)
- anything that changed around that time, such as building work or a new router