Glossary A–ZLetter S
Synchronised playback
Synchronised playback means that several players play their content precisely coordinated in time, so that images on different screens change at the same moment or a video runs across several screens.
Without coordination, devices drift apart after a short while.
It is needed for video walls with one player per screen, for a row of screens above a counter, for totems that show a movement together, or for effects in which a creative moves from one screen to the next. Technically, the players agree on a common time, usually via precise clock synchronisation over the network, or one device sets the pace and the others follow.
Operators should be aware that not every software or player can play back in sync. All devices involved need, as far as possible, the same performance, the same version of the files and a stable local network. Small deviations are hardly noticeable with still images, but are immediately visible with moving images across screen borders. If only one large image across several screens is required, a single player with a distributed signal may be the simpler solution.