File formats guide

Content that won't play — or plays badly — is almost always a format problem. Sticking to a few well-supported formats and settings avoids nearly all of it.

Images

JPEG for photographs (small, universal). PNG for graphics with sharp edges, text or transparency. WebP where supported for smaller files at equal quality. Avoid huge source files — export at the screen's resolution, not your camera's.

Video

MP4 (H.264) is the safe default — it plays on virtually every player. H.265/HEVC gives smaller 4K files but needs hardware support; confirm your player decodes it. Keep bitrates sane (see video encoding) so playback stays smooth. Avoid exotic containers (MKV, MOV with unusual codecs).

Resolution & aspect ratio

Author content at the screen's native resolution — 1920×1080 for landscape HD, 1080×1920 for portrait, 3840×2160 for 4K. Match the aspect ratio to avoid letterboxing or stretching. For multi-zone layouts, size each asset to its zone, not the whole screen.

Practical tips

• Design to resolution — don't upscale small assets.
• Prefer MP4/H.264 unless you've confirmed HEVC support.
• Watch file size — huge files slow syncing to remote screens.
• Test on real hardware before rolling out widely.

Frequently asked questions

What video format is safest for signage?
MP4 with H.264 — it plays on virtually every media player. Use H.265/HEVC only when you've confirmed the player decodes it in hardware.

JPEG or PNG for images?
JPEG for photos (smaller), PNG for graphics with sharp text, edges or transparency. WebP is a smaller alternative where supported.

What resolution should I export at?
The screen's native resolution — 1920×1080 landscape, 1080×1920 portrait, 3840×2160 for 4K — matching the aspect ratio to avoid stretching.