Content is cropped, stretched or not full screen

Is your content showing with black bars, appearing cropped, looking stretched or only filling part of the screen? See below for a few troubleshooting steps.

Black bars normally mean the content and screen have different aspect ratios.

For example, square content displayed on a 16:9 screen will leave empty space unless it is cropped or stretched.

To resolve this:

Cropping usually occurs when Fill is selected and the content does not have the same aspect ratio as the screen.

Try changing the media setting to Fit. This will display the entire file, although it may introduce black space.

For the cleanest result, resize the original content to match the screen.

Stretching normally occurs when Stretch is selected or when the screen itself is forcing content into a different aspect ratio.

Try:

Avoid picture modes such as Zoom, Wide Zoom or Cinema Zoom unless they are specifically required.

If content appears as a smaller box or fills only one section of the display, check:

This is especially important when moving content between Full HD and 4K screens.

For example, a Zone created at 1920 × 1080 may appear smaller when sent to a 3840 × 2160 display if its dimensions or device configuration are not adjusted appropriately.

If you’re using Zones, open the Zone editor and confirm:

When a Zone is being used to position content for a custom-resolution display, it will usually be the only item required in the outer playlist.

Changes to a Zone may affect every screen using it, so check where it is deployed before editing.

Fusion Signage includes a custom screen-size option for LED displays, video walls and other unusual resolutions.

If this option has been enabled accidentally or configured incorrectly, content may appear too small, offset or cut off.

Open the Fusion Signage settings directly on the device and check whether Custom Screen Size is enabled.

For a standard screen, this setting will usually not be required. If you’re using an LED display or custom canvas, confirm the correct width, height and offsets with your installer.

The screen or media player may also be changing how the content is displayed.

Check:

For Windows media players, display scaling should generally be set to 100%.

If you’re using a video wall, the screen’s tiling configuration may control how a single source is divided and stretched across the panels.

Although Full HD and 4K both commonly use a 16:9 aspect ratio, your hardware must support the selected output resolution.

A screen may accept a 4K file while still having a native Full HD resolution. In this case, the screen or media player will need to scale the file, and playback quality or performance may vary.

For reliable playback:

If the issue continues, send your integrator or Fusion Signage Support the following information:

This will help us identify whether the issue is coming from the content, Fusion Signage configuration, media player or screen settings.

We can’t wait to hear about it. Reach out to our sunshiney support and we'll be in touch in a flash.