Start by opening the collection in Beam. Warnings appear on each entry and zone, often with a link to fix the problem. Then find what you're seeing on the display below.
Content not playing?
Open the collection and check for warnings on each entry and zone
Check play rules at all levels (collection entry, playlist, individual items)
Ensure rules don't conflict between collection entries and nested playlists
Review play rule evaluation order: collection entry rules are checked first, then playlists, then individual items
Verify content is published and accessible
Check whether the collection needs to be published again. Renaming or copying an entry unpublishes the collection.
Check that displays are properly assigned
Check for programs in multi-zone entries. Programs, including programs inside a playlist, won't play in multi-zone layouts. See Programs in Collections: What Plays Where.
One zone shows a blue exclamation point?
That zone contains content the player can't show. The other zones keep playing normally.
Check whether the zone contains a program, or a playlist with a program in it, inside a multi-zone entry
Check whether any content in that zone was deleted from Beam
Open the collection, replace or remove the item, and click Publish
A layout never appears?
If nothing in an entry can play, the player skips the whole entry without showing an error
Check the entry for warnings. If every zone has one, the entry will be skipped.
Check the entry's play rules (date range, time window, Custom Recurrence, labels)
Check whether every item in the entry's playlists is filtered out by its play rules. If so, there's nothing to show.
Duration seems wrong?
Set a lead zone to control timing
Check individual content item durations
Verify all content in zones is the expected length
With multiple entries, ensure lead zones are set on entries that need full completion
Without a lead zone, the longest content in any zone sets how long the layout plays
Collection not advancing to next entry?
Check if a lead zone is set and still playing content
Verify the lead zone playlist has completed its full rotation
Ensure play rules on the next entry allow it to be eligible
Layout looks different on screen than expected?
Verify you're using the correct orientation (portrait vs. landscape)
Check display resolution and aspect ratio settings
Review TV/display settings (zoom, overscan, aspect ratio)
Check the HDMI cable and port configuration
Use Live View to see what the player is actually rendering. If Live View looks right but the screen doesn't, the issue is usually the display itself.
Portrait layout not displaying correctly?
Confirm display is physically oriented in portrait mode
Check display rotation settings
Verify you selected portrait layout, not landscape
Performance issues or player crashes?
Avoid playing 3+ videos simultaneously in different zones
Use static images or GIFs for secondary zones
Combine several videos into one design in Canva and upload it as a single video
Simplify complex layouts
Consider file sizes and compression
Rebuild programs as collections. Collections run on a newer, faster playback engine. See Moving From Programs to Collections.
Custom Recurrence not working as expected?
Double-check your RRule configuration
Test with simple patterns first (e.g., specific days) before complex rules
Verify timezones are set correctly. Play Rules use the timezone set on the Displays page.
Overnight time windows aren't currently supported. See Why can't I save overnight play rules?
Check for conflicts with other play rules
Still need help?
Contact support@skykit.com and include:
The collection name
The affected display names
What you see on screen (a photo helps)
Any warnings you see in Beam
Related articles
Programs in Collections: What Plays Where Skykit Beam > Collections > Collections & Layouts
Play Rules Best Practices Skykit Beam > Collections > Collections & Layouts
How to Set Up Collections & Layouts (New Edition) Skykit Beam > Collections > Collections & Layouts