Using Images and Videos in a Multi-Window Layout (Samsung Displays)
Samsung players have a hardware limitation that causes a black flash when a window transitions between an image and a video. This article explains why it happens and the rule to follow when scheduling content into multi-window layouts on Samsung screens.
Before you start
- You're scheduling content into a layout that runs on a Samsung player
- The layout has more than one window
- You have access to schedule playlists in Eyemagnet CMS
Background
Samsung players can only decode one video at a time. When a window transitions from an image to a video — or from a video back to an image — the player produces a black flash as it switches decoding modes.
We previously addressed this with a preferred format applied at the screen level, which forces the player to treat all content as video and avoid the flash. That fix works for single-window layouts, but preferred formats are assigned to the screen, not the playlist.
In a multi-window layout, the screen then thinks every window is playing video simultaneously, which exceeds the Samsung player's single-video limit and causes playback to break.
The rule
If a window in a multi-window layout is going to play video at all, that window must play only video. Don't mix images and videos in the same window.
When you're creating content and scheduling it:
- Pick which windows in the layout will be video windows and which will be image windows.
- In a video window, schedule only videos. If you need a static frame, export it as a short looping MP4 instead of using an image asset.
- In an image window, schedule only images.
- Keep this rule in mind at the playlist and schedule level — a window that runs video 95% of the time but drops to an image for one slot will still produce a black flash on every transition into and out of that slot.
Why we don't just apply a preferred format
Preferred formats fix the transition flash, but they apply to the whole screen. On a multi-window layout, that tells the player every window is video, and the player can't decode multiple videos at once. Splitting content by window type — videos in video windows, images in image windows — avoids both problems without needing a preferred format on the screen.
Troubleshooting
Black flashes still appearing on a video-only window
Confirm the window genuinely contains only video assets across the full schedule, including any default or fallback content. A single image scheduled into the rotation is enough to trigger the flash.
Playback breaking entirely on a multi-window layout
Check whether a preferred format has been applied to the screen. On multi-window Samsung layouts, remove it and rely on the per-window content rule instead.