A video wall grabs attention in a way a single screen cannot: one large image across several screens. With Combined view you create such a video wall from screens you already have in Narrow.TV. You choose the layout, place one image or video across all the screens and schedule when it appears. The players are synchronised in time, so the image starts on all screens at once.
How Combined view works
Combined view is an add-on to our digital signage software. Each screen in the video wall is simply a Narrow.TV screen with its own subscription and its own Android device running the Narrow.TV Player. Combined view adds a layer on top:
- Choose two or more screens from your account that together make up the video wall.
- Define the layout, so the software knows which screen is where.
- Add an image or video. It is spread across all the screens.
- Schedule when and how often the item appears.
At the scheduled moment the video wall takes over. Outside those moments, the screens show their own, normal playlist.
Layouts: row, column, grid or free
You choose the layout that matches how the screens physically hang:
- Horizontal row: screens side by side, for example three screens above a counter.
- Vertical: screens stacked, for example on a pillar or in a narrow alcove.
- Grid: a block of, say, 2 by 2 screens for one large image.
- Free canvas: screens that do not hang neatly in a row or grid can be positioned freely, so the image is split to match their actual positions.
General advice: a video wall looks best when the screens are the same model, with the same brightness and colour, and hang as close together as possible. The thinner the bezels, the less the seams stand out. If you are unsure which screen to choose, which screen for digital signage will help.
Scheduling: when and how often
Each item in Combined view has its own schedule. You set:
- Start time: from what moment the item may appear.
- Repeat interval: every 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 or 30 minutes, or every hour.
- Active from and until: the dates during which the item runs, handy for a promotion that ends on a set day.
- Duration: how long the item stays on the video wall, from 1 to 3600 seconds.
An example: you want a 20-second product video to run across three screens every 5 minutes, only during promotion week. You set the duration to 20 seconds, the interval to 5 minutes and the active dates to the start and end dates of the promotion. In between, the three screens simply show their own slides.
Synchronised playback
A video wall stands or falls on synchronisation. If one screen runs half a second behind, everyone notices. That is why the Narrow.TV players are time-synchronised: the content plays evenly across the screens and takes over at the same time at the scheduled moment.
Because the scheduled moment is what counts, it is best to leave the screens switched on and set the player as the device's home screen so it opens as the main app. After a power cut, check that all the screens are running again.
What to show on a video wall
Combined view shows one image or video across all the screens. That calls for visuals that work wide or large:
- Shop and window: a campaign image or product video that stands out from the street. More ideas in digital signage for retail.
- Hospitality: every so often, one wide video of a dish across three menu boards, after which each screen goes back to its own menu. See also digital menu boards.
- Reception or showroom: a company film or mood image on a grid of screens.
Tip for creating visuals: make your image or video in the overall aspect ratio of the video wall. Three landscape Full HD screens side by side together form a very wide strip; a 2 by 2 grid is simply 16:9 again. Keep important text and faces away from the seams between screens. You upload video as MP4, WebM or MOV, up to 200 MB per file.
Price
Combined view is a paid add-on. In addition, each screen in the video wall has its own subscription. See the current prices for the add-on and the screen subscriptions.
The free trial is for 1 screen, so you cannot try out a video wall with it. If you want to see Combined view before you decide, get in touch for a demo.
Frequently asked questions
What is a video wall?
A video wall is an arrangement of several screens that together show one large image. With Narrow.TV's Combined view you turn your existing screens into a video wall and spread a single image or video across all of them.
How many screens do you need for a video wall?
For Combined view you need at least 2 screens. You can arrange them as a horizontal row, vertically, as a grid or freely on a canvas.
Do the screens of a video wall run in sync?
Yes. The Narrow.TV players are time-synchronised, so the content runs evenly across the screens and takes over at the scheduled moment.
What does Combined view cost?
Combined view is a paid add-on on top of your screen subscriptions. The current prices are in the pricing section on narrow.tv.