Overlay Program Playback

Overlay program playback adds one extra playback layer above the main program. It is useful when you need to keep the main screen content unchanged while showing temporary or frequently updated information.

Common use cases include:

• ticker text
• notification bars
• campaign prompts
• queue or service reminders
• temporary emergency messages

How it works

A display device can have two kinds of published programs:

• Main program: the normal full-screen program that forms the base content.
• Overlay program: an additional program shown above the main program.

The overlay program does not replace the main program. It is rendered on top of the main program. If there is no main program currently playing, the overlay program will not play by itself.

If multiple overlay programs are valid at the same time, they follow their own play plans and rotate in the same way as normal programs.

Step 1: Prepare an overlay program

Create a program that only contains the content you want to overlay.

For example:

• place ticker text at the bottom of the screen
• place a notification bar at the top of the screen
• place a small prompt in a corner

Keep the rest of the program transparent or empty. If the overlay program uses an opaque background, it may cover the main program underneath.

Step 2: Publish it as an overlay program

When publishing the program, open the publishing settings and choose Overlay Program as the playback layer.

After confirming the publishing settings, the display device will receive this program as an overlay layer. The existing main program can continue to play without being replaced.

Step 3: Check the playback result

After synchronization finishes, the display device should show:

• the main program as the base layer
• the overlay program above it

If the overlay is not visible, check whether a main program is currently playing and whether the overlay program is within its valid play time.

Replacement behavior

Main programs and overlay programs are managed separately.

• Replacing a main program only replaces main-program publishing relations.
• Replacing an overlay program only replaces overlay-program publishing relations.
• Appending a new overlay program does not remove existing main programs.

This makes it possible to update ticker text or temporary notices without changing the main content.

Notes

• Overlay playback currently supports one overlay layer.
• The overlay layer can contain multiple valid programs, and they rotate according to their play plans.
• Design the overlay program with transparency in mind. Opaque areas will cover the main program.