A screen decides what to show from a simple order of priority. If it's showing the wrong thing, something higher up the list is winning. Check each step in order.

Previewing what a screen is showing now
Previewing what a screen is showing now

The order screens follow

  1. A broadcast for this screen, its group or all screens.
  2. A schedule that's active right now, in the screen's local time.
  3. The screen's own content, set under What plays here.
  4. The group's default content, from the screen's group, or a parent group.
  5. A clock, when nothing else applies.

The full explanation is in How the player decides what plays.

Check it step by step

  1. Broadcasts. Look for the red banner at the top of any admin page ("A broadcast is showing on screens now"). Open Broadcasts. If one is showing, select End broadcast when it's no longer needed. See End a broadcast.
  2. Schedules. Open the screen's page. Under What plays here, "These schedules take over at set times" lists the schedules that include it. Then open Schedules and check the days, times and dates. Remember schedules use the screen's timezone, and an end time earlier than the start runs past midnight. See Schedules and timezones.
  3. The screen's own content. On the screen's page, What plays here shows what's assigned. Select Preview to see exactly what the screen shows now.
  4. The group. If the screen has nothing of its own, it says "Plays … from the group …". Change the group's default content on the Screens page, or give the screen its own. See Groups.

Other things that cause surprises

  • Dates on content. Items with Show until in the past are skipped, and items with Show from in the future don't play yet. The media library marks them Expired or Starts. See Show dates and tags and Dates on playlist items.
  • Approvals. New content from editors doesn't play until it's approved, and changes wait while the approved version keeps playing. See Working with approvals.
  • Paused schedules. A paused schedule is marked Paused and doesn't run. One past its end date shows Ended.
  • Shuffle. A playlist with Shuffle the order each loop plays in a different order every time.
  • Wrong screen. Two screens with similar names? Use Show name on screen on the screen's page to see which TV it is. See Remote actions.

What's next