Video for SignageWall: format, size and testing

A video that works on a laptop is not automatically ready for digital signage. The upload service checks its type and actual file signature, then the player renders it on different hardware, often at another aspect ratio and without sound. The safest workflow is to export one final file, verify its MIME type and size, wait for processing, and play it on the exact device before assigning it to more screens.

The exact input rules

Current SignageWall uploads accept video/mp4, video/webm and video/quicktime. In practice this covers MP4, WebM and QuickTime/MOV files when their contents match the declared MIME type. The limit is exactly 10 MB per file, or 10 × 1024 × 1024 bytes, and one upload can contain at most ten files. Renaming an extension does not turn an unsupported or damaged file into a supported format.

What happens after upload

A video first enters processing. The backend attempts to re-encode it as an H.264/AAC MP4, with a maximum height of 1080 pixels without enlarging a smaller source, and settings suitable for web startup. The new MP4 replaces the original only when it is actually smaller. If processing does not reduce the file or transcoding fails, the supported original remains and the item can become ready in its source format.

It is therefore incorrect to promise that every WebM or QuickTime upload will become MP4, or that every codec behaves identically on every player device. Wait for processing status and inspect the output. If a file exceeds 10 MB, reduce it before uploading in your own editor; the server does not accept an oversized source in order to compress it later.

Avoid a universal bitrate or duration

The right export depends on duration, motion, aspect ratio and the quality needed at the real viewing distance. A short sequence with complex detail can allocate data differently from a longer, calm animation. Instead of prescribing one bitrate for everything, create several exports below the limit and compare text, gradients, fast movement and file size on the target panel.

Prepare the frame for the display

• Export for the aspect ratio of the target portrait or landscape screen.
• Keep important text away from edges and test its reading time.
• When sound will be off, convey meaning with pictures and captions.
• Do not assume a longer video fits the audience’s passing time.

Upload and streaming are different

The player prefetches uploaded media video and can play it from cache after successful synchronization. This does not make every app offline. YouTube requires networking and supports one video rather than a YouTube playlist, while a live stream depends on its remote source remaining available. For an important rotation, test a network interruption and retain a locally cached item.

The final check

1. Verify size, MIME type and aspect ratio of the final file.
2. Upload it and wait for processing to complete.
3. Play the whole video on the target player with realistic sound settings.
4. Check transitions to the previous and next items in the loop.
5. Disconnect networking only after media is prefetched, then replay it.