Screens that keep playing when the internet drops
OutDeck offline playback means every shop TV saves its playlist and media on the device, so it keeps playing when the internet drops or after a power cut, once its content has downloaded. When the connection is back, the screen downloads only new or changed files, carries on any broken download where it stopped, and sends the plays it recorded offline.
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What you can do
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Plays without internet
Once its content has downloaded, a screen plays from its own saved copy, so a dropped connection does not stop your promos.
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Back after a power cut
Once you allow it to start on its own, a one-time step, it starts by itself when the screen powers back on and plays its saved playlist before it even reconnects.
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Only new files download
Files the screen already has are kept, and a file used in several playlists downloads only once.
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Downloads pick up again
If the connection breaks part way through a big video, the download carries on from where it stopped.
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Checked before playing
Every file is checked after it downloads, and a broken or half-finished download is not played.
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Plays sent later
Plays recorded while offline, up to about 1,000, are sent when the screen reconnects and counted once.
What does a shop screen do when the internet goes down?
It keeps playing the playlist and media it has saved, looping as usual. Changes you make in the dashboard wait for the screen to reconnect, and it picks them up at its next check-in.
This works once the screen has downloaded its content. A newly paired screen needs internet for its first download, and long videos take longer on a slow connection.
What happens after a power cut in the shop?
The OutDeck Player app starts by itself when the TV, box, tablet or phone powers on, once you allow “Display over other apps” for OutDeck Player. That is a one-time step: the screen asks for it, and Show prompt on the screen on the Devices page asks again. Auto-start is on by default. A few low-memory TV boxes cannot allow it, so test each screen once.
The app plays its saved playlist straight away, without waiting for the internet, then checks for updates once it is back online.
How does a screen download new content?
A screen downloads only what it is missing, and keeps playing what it already has while it does.
- Only new or changed files download. Files the screen already has are kept.
- A file used in several playlists downloads once.
- An interrupted download carries on from where it stopped instead of starting again.
- Each file is checked after it downloads, and a file that fails the check is downloaded again.
- The screen switches to the new playlist once every file in it is ready.
- A screen downloads a playlist's files only when that playlist is due to play, and keeps playing what it has until they are ready. On a slow connection, keep scheduled videos short and small so they are ready on time.
Will an update cut off a video halfway?
Not when you edit the playlist that is playing. The screen finishes the current loop first, then switches to the new version.
A switch to a different playlist, such as a scheduled change or picking a new playlist for the screen, happens promptly, so it can cut in part way through an item.
Are plays counted while a screen is offline?
Yes, up to a point. The screen stores recent plays while it is offline, up to about 1,000, and sends them when it reconnects. Each play is counted once, even if the screen has to send it again.
After a very long outage, the oldest stored plays may be dropped, so the report for that stretch can come out short.
What still needs an internet connection?
Saved content plays without the internet. Display hours and the nightly restart keep working too, because those settings are saved on the screen and follow your shop's time from its last check-in. These still need a connection:
- The first download of a playlist and its media.
- Picking up your edits and new uploads.
- Switching to a scheduled playlist, because OutDeck works out schedules online.
- Sync now, Identify screen and restart from the dashboard.
- Showing as online in your dashboard.
Common questions
Can OutDeck offline playback work with no internet at all?
No. Each screen needs internet to download its content at least once and to pick up your changes. After that, it keeps playing its saved content whenever the connection drops.
How long can a shop screen keep playing offline?
There is no time limit: it loops its saved playlist until the connection comes back. It will not switch to a scheduled playlist while offline, and it stores up to about 1,000 plays to send when it reconnects.
How much storage does a screen need for offline playback?
Enough free space on the Android TV, TV box, tablet, phone or Windows PC for every file in its playlist, with room to spare, because files from earlier playlists stay saved on it too. The dashboard shows each screen's free storage, so you can spot one running low before you add long videos.
Does a power cut lose the content saved on the screen?
No. The playlist and media are saved on the TV, box, tablet or phone itself, so they are still there when the power comes back and the app plays them again once it starts.
Keep reading
- Manage every shop screen from one dashboard Pair a screen by typing its code, see which screens are online, and sync, identify or restart the player app without visiting the shop.
- Schedule what every screen plays, by day and time Give each screen an everyday playlist, then switch to other playlists by date, day and time, even past midnight.
- Proof-of-play reports and screen health See plays per day and your top 10 media for the last 7 or 30 days, plus which screens are online and when they last checked in.
- Playlists that loop all day on your shop TVs Line up images and videos, drag them into order, set how long each one shows, and let it loop all day.
- Retail digital signage for window promos, sales and new arrivals Window promos, sales that start and stop by date, and portrait screens by the fitting rooms, rolled out to every branch.
- Waiting room screens for clinics and medical centres A calm waiting room loop of opening hours, services and health tips you supply, plus a portrait screen at the registration counter.
Set up a screen that keeps playing
Start a free demo, no card required, and try it on your own Android TV, TV box, tablet, phone or Windows PC.