Player Troubleshooting

Fix a screen that's offline, blank, stuck on the wrong content, or won't pair.

Start with the screen’s page in Stratos. Its status badge and banner usually point at the problem. See The Screen Page.

The screen shows Offline

The player hasn’t checked in recently.

Check power and the display. Is the player on? Is the TV on the right input?
Check the network. Cable plugged in? Wi-Fi up? Can other devices reach Stratos? See Network Requirements.
Wait a moment. If the connection just came back, the status updates within a few minutes.
Try Ping on the Device tab. If it answers, the player is fine. Send Refresh content.
Still offline? Reboot it from the Device tab, or power-cycle on site.
Read the Device logs for errors.

An offline screen keeps playing what it already has. It just won’t get changes. See Screen Health.

The player is checking in late, usually weak Wi-Fi or a congested network. Content may be delayed. Improve the connection, or move to Ethernet.

Cause	Fix
Nothing is scheduled and no fallback is set	Add fallback content, or a schedule.
The schedule is inactive, expired or never plays	Check the schedule’s status. See Managing Schedules.
The layout hasn’t been published	Publish it. Draft layouts don’t show. See Publishing Layouts.
The player never received content	A screen that has never downloaded content shows No playable content. Check the network and press Refresh content.
Wrong display input or HDMI cable	Check the TV source and cable.
The playlist items are all expired or unavailable	Open the playlist and check item health. See Items, Types & Duration.

Open the screen’s Playback tab and see Schedules reaching this screen. Another schedule may be winning on priority. See Priority & Conflicts.
Check for a running override.
Remember hours are on the screen’s time zone. See Screen Settings.
Use Capture screenshot to see what’s actually on screen.
Refresh content to make sure the player has the latest.

Symptom	Fix
Stretched or letterboxed	Check the screen’s Resolution and Rotation, and the element’s media Fit. See Adding Content to Layouts.
Cropped edges	The TV is overscanning. Switch it to a “Just Scan” or “Screen Fit” mode.
A video stutters	Use an MP4 (H.264) at a resolution that suits the player. Prefer Ethernet.
A web page is blank	The site may block being shown in a frame. See Widgets.
A feed widget is empty	Check the feed’s status in Feeds.

Message	Meaning
Waiting for network…	The player can’t reach the network yet.
Player error: reloading shortly	An unexpected error. The player restarts itself.
Player configuration error: contact support	The player’s saved settings are damaged. Contact support. It may need to be re-paired.
No playable content	Nothing it can play has been downloaded.

Before you contact support, note: