Does Livesignage support 4K or 8K video?

What determines the actual resolution?

Even if you upload a 4K or 8K video, the display might still play it at a lower resolution (e.g., Full HD / 1080p). This can happen for several reasons:

1. Native resolution of the display: If the display panel is Full HD (1920x1080), it will never be able to show 4K content, even if the video file is 4K.
2. Hardware capabilities of the SoC (System on Chip): Each display has a built-in processor (called SoC) responsible for video decoding. Some SoCs support 4K, others don’t. Even with 4K displays, the ability to play 4K content via an app may vary.
3. Operating system and supported codecs: The display’s OS (e.g., Tizen, WebOS, Android) may have limitations in terms of formats or codecs supported at higher resolutions. For example, an Android display with a low-performance SoC might not handle high-bitrate 4K files well.
4. Caching system optimization: Livesignage handles playback through local download of content, but if the display has limited memory or caching, it may scale down the quality to ensure smooth playback.

So what do we recommend?

1. Upload videos optimized for the actual resolution of the display:
1. If the display is 1080p, upload Full HD content.
2. If the display is 4K and you’re certain it supports native 4K playback via the app, then you can use 4K content.
2. Avoid extremely high bitrates (30 or 60 Mbps): even on 4K displays, high-bitrate videos can cause stuttering or lag.
3. Prefer standard video formats (.mp4 with H.264 codec), as they offer better compatibility.

What about 8K?

We currently do not recommend using 8K content, unless you are using a high-performance external media player connected to an LED or native 8K display.

Most integrated displays are not designed to natively handle 8K video playback, either in terms of panel resolution or decoding capabilities.