Choose an opening image that makes sense on its own, but do not assume filenames determine startup order. Our published player details do not specify a separate opening-item selector or restart position, so confirm the required behavior and check loading, app opening, and display startup separately.
Choose a self-contained opening image, then confirm that your playback workflow actually shows it first. A filename, a position in a folder, and a dedicated opening-item setting are not interchangeable. Our published player details do not specify a separate opening-item selector, a filename sorting rule, or a restart position. If the first image matters to your sign, make that behavior an acceptance requirement rather than assuming it from the order shown on your computer.
What the first screen means
The signage playlist first screen is the first piece of your content visible when playback begins. It is different from the device's startup graphics or the app that opens at power-on.
There are three separate questions:
- App startup: Does the signage app open without needing a keyboard or launcher selection?
- Playlist order: In what sequence does the app play the loaded images and videos?
- Opening-item behavior: Where does playback begin when the show starts or the app opens again?
Solving the first question does not settle the other two. An app can open automatically without providing a separate setting that pins one image to the beginning of every session.
Use the offline playlist autostart setup for getting the show to open automatically. Keep your opening-content requirement separate so that successful app startup is not mistaken for successful first-item selection.
Choose content that works as an opening
An opening card should make sense without anything having appeared before it. Use a clear heading and enough context to identify what the sign is showing. Avoid starting with a continuation such as “More options” or a detail that only makes sense after another slide.
A useful opening card might contain:
- The name of the menu, notice collection, or service being displayed.
- One short statement explaining the content that follows.
- A date or revision label when distinguishing old and new content matters.
Keep essential information readable on its own. An opening card should not depend on a video soundtrack, especially because videos in our player are muted unless sound is enabled.
Orientation matters too. A landscape design squeezed into a portrait layout can make the correct opening image look like a loading or layout problem. Prepare the artwork for the mounted orientation using the guidance on portrait signage images.
Remember that an unattended sign has no shared beginning for its audience. You may start playback at the opening card, but someone can begin reading halfway through the loop. Repeat essential context where needed instead of reserving it for the first slide.
Playlist position is not the same as a startup rule
Numbered filenames can help you organize a content package. They do not establish how an app sorts or starts that package unless its documentation explicitly says so.
For example, calling a file 01-opening.png makes its intended role clear. It does not prove that the player sorts by filename, that the import preserves that order, or that reopening the app returns to that file.
Likewise, a content-management preview is not proof of what is currently loaded on the display. The preview, the removable media, and the active show may represent different revisions.
Where an app documents playlist ordering, use that documented control. Where it documents a separate opening-item option, treat that as a distinct setting. Do not invent either control from a filename convention or an assumed menu path.
For our player, the published information does not settle those ordering details. If a specific opening image is mandatory, ask for confirmation of the behavior before committing to a multi-item show. The digital signage player guide covers broader player selection; this opening-item requirement belongs in your more detailed acceptance criteria.
What the published player features establish
The player information describes offline playback of images and video from microSD or USB. It also describes keeping a copy in internal memory. That tells you about the content source, but it does not establish the initial playlist position.
Setting the player as the home app is designed to bring the show up full screen at power-on. That is an app-startup behavior, not a documented promise that a particular image appears first.
For opening artwork, JPG, PNG and WebP are supported image formats. PowerPoint and PDF files do not play directly. Export an opening card to a supported image format rather than treating a presentation's first slide as a player startup setting.
The download resources include a content guide and starter slide packs. Use those for preparing the artwork, while keeping the question of playback order separate from the file's visual design.
Check each kind of start separately
Define which event your requirement applies to. “Starts on the opening card” is incomplete unless you specify when that should happen.
| Event | What to observe | What the observation establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Loading revised content | The first content item shown after the load | Behavior for that loading operation |
| Opening the app normally | The first content item visible when playback begins | Behavior for that app-opening path |
| Returning to the beginning of a loop | The transition from the last item to the next | The active playback sequence |
| Starting the display normally | The first content item after device startup | Behavior for that startup condition |
Observe from before playback begins. Looking at a screen after it has already been running cannot tell you which item appeared first.
Use a temporary, clearly labeled opening card and visibly different following slides. Record the content revision, the event you checked, and the first item you observed. Then repeat the same check with the final artwork. A successful loop transition alone does not prove that a new app session starts at the same position.
These are acceptance checks to perform on your installation, not a claim of completed hardware verification. What this page describes is how the software is designed to behave. It has been tested on the Android 12 emulator, and testing on a real unit is pending.
Keep the requirement as simple as possible
If the sign only needs to display one notice, a single-image show removes competition between playlist positions. It does not establish how quickly content becomes visible after power-on, but there is no second content item that could be mistaken for the intended opening.
For a multi-item show, write the requirement in observable terms: “After a normal display startup, the first content image must be the current welcome card.” Separately state whether that card should also appear at the start of every loop. Those are different requirements.
If the opening must appear only once before a repeating sequence, say so explicitly. That requires behavior beyond simply putting an image first in a repeating playlist, and it is not established by our published player details.
Send the sample artwork, intended sequence, and required startup event when asking about first-item behavior. Confirm the exact requirement before making opening content essential to how the sign communicates.
Questions
Will naming an image 01-opening.png make it appear first?
Do not assume it does. Numbered filenames can make your intended sequence clear, but our published player details do not specify filename sorting or the initial playback position. Confirm the ordering behavior and observe a normal startup before relying on a particular image appearing first.
Is the opening item the same as app autostart?
Autostart determines which app opens when the display starts. The opening item concerns where that app begins playing its content. Configuring the player as the home app does not, by itself, establish a separate opening-item setting or a particular initial playlist position.
What is the simplest option when only one opening notice is needed?
A single-image show removes competition between different content items. It does not establish startup timing or eliminate the device's startup graphics. If you need several slides and a mandatory first image, confirm the exact ordering and startup behavior before depending on it.
Does watching a complete loop verify the startup image?
A loop check shows which item follows the last item during playback. It does not establish where playback begins after the app opens or the display starts. Observe those events separately, using clearly distinguishable content and recording the revision loaded on the screen.
Planning information, not legal or engineering advice. Rules differ by place: check codes and permits with your local authority and your licensed trades.