---
title: "Understanding Unified View - E500"
slug: "understanding-unified-view-e500"
updated: 2026-04-13T17:06:52Z
published: 2026-04-13T17:06:52Z
canonical: "support.skykit.com/understanding-unified-view-e500"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.skykit.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Understanding Unified View - E500

**Unified View** in Skykit Beam Collections is designed to support video wall configurations with the **E500 Media Player**.

This guide explains what Unified View is, what hardware you need to use it, and how to set it up within your Collections.

Interested in video walls?

> Unified View requires a **Skykit E500 Media Player**. If you need to purchase an E500 or want help planning your video wall configuration and getting started with **Unified View**, contact [support@skykit.com](mailto:support@skykit.com).

## What is Unified View?

Unified View is a specialized layout orientation option within Skykit Beam Collections. Unlike standard **Landscape** or **Portrait** layouts, which are designed to play content on a single physical screen, Unified View layouts are designed for **video wall configurations**.

When you select a Unified View layout, you are telling Skykit Beam to treat multiple connected displays as a single large screen. The layout grids available in Unified View correspond directly to how your physical screens are arranged on the wall [1].

For example, if you have four screens mounted in a horizontal row, you would use a **4x1 Unified View - Landscape** layout. You can then add a single piece of content to that layout, and Skykit will stretch it across all four screens.

## Hardware Requirements: E500 Media Player

To use Unified View layouts, you must have the appropriate hardware. Unified View is exclusively designed for tenants using the **Skykit E500 Media Player** [2].

The E500 is a commercial-grade media player built specifically for multi-display setups. It features four HDMI outputs, allowing a single device to drive up to four separate screens simultaneously [1].

Because the E500 handles synchronization across its four HDMI ports, the Unified View layouts in Beam only need to match the physical configuration set up on the E500 device [1].

## Available Unified View Configurations

Depending on how your screens are mounted and connected to your E500 media player, you can choose between two primary orientations.

### Unified View - Landscape

Use this option when your physical screens are mounted horizontally.

- **2x1:** Two screens side by side
- **2x2:** Four screens arranged in a square (two on top, two on bottom)
- **3x1:** Three screens side by side
- **4x1:** Four screens side by side

### Unified View - Portrait

Use this option when your physical screens are mounted vertically.

- **1x2:** Two screens stacked vertically
- **1x3:** Three screens stacked vertically
- **1x4:** Four screens stacked vertically
- **2x2:** Four screens arranged in a square (two on top, two on bottom)

## How to Use Unified View in Collections

Setting up a Unified View layout is similar to setting up a standard layout.

1. Navigate to **Collections** in the Skykit Beam main menu.
2. Create a new Collection or open an existing one.
3. Click **Add Entry** or **Create Entry**.
4. In the **Choose a Base Layout** window, click the **Select Orientation** dropdown.
5. Select either **Unified View - Landscape** or **Unified View - Portrait**, depending on your physical screen setup.
6. Click the specific grid layout that matches your video wall, such as **4x1**.
7. Click **Create Entry**.

Once the layout is added to your Collection, you will see a layout builder that reflects your multi-screen grid. You can then click the **+** icon in any zone to add content, playlists, or programs as you normally would.

> **Note:** A blue **E500 Unified Display** badge appears in the layout builder to indicate that this layout requires an E500 media player to display correctly.

## References

[1] Skykit Support. *E500 User Manual*. https://support.skykit.com/docs/e500-installation-guide

[2] Skykit Support. *How to Set Up Collections & Layouts (New Edition)*. https://support.skykit.com/docs/how-to-set-up-collections-layouts