A screen shows as offline
What "Offline" means, and how to get the screen back.
Offline means the player hasn't checked in with SignBlink for a while. The TV is often still playing what it had: players keep playing downloaded content when the internet drops. But SignBlink can't reach it to update it or take a screenshot.
Check these, in order
- Is the TV on, and on the right input? Energy saving or a sleep timer may have turned it off. See Get the TV ready for all-day use.
- Is the player powered? A stick powered from the TV's USB port turns off with the TV and can restart randomly. Use its own adapter in the wall.
- Is the internet working where the TV is? Check another device on the same Wi-Fi. If the router restarted, give the player a few minutes to reconnect.
- Is SignBlink still open on the player? On a smart TV browser or a computer, someone may have closed it. Open
app.signblink.com/playagain. - Restart the player: unplug it for ten seconds, then plug it back in. The SignBlink apps and the Raspberry Pi setup open SignBlink by themselves.
When the player is back, the screen turns Online within a minute and picks up anything you published while it was away.
If it shows a code instead
The player has forgotten its connection, which some TV browsers do. Enter the code under Replace the player on the screen's Player tab. See The TV shows a pairing code again.
Wi-Fi that drops often
- Move the router closer, or add a mesh point near the TV.
- Use 5 GHz Wi-Fi, or a network cable (Fire TV Ethernet adapters are inexpensive).
- Avoid guest networks that sign devices out after a while.