Basics
A schedule is the bridge between playlists (what to show) and devices (where to show it). It adds two more dimensions: when (time windows + repeat rules) and how (display mode — slideshow vs kiosk vs forced override).
A schedule references one or more playlists. If you target multiple playlists, they play in the order you set; drag to reorder.
Creating a Schedule
- Open Schedules → + New Schedule.
- Name — something descriptive like “Sunday Worship”, “Weekday Lobby”, or “Severe Weather Override”.
- Playlists — pick one or more. Multi-playlist schedules play their playlists in order.
- Targets — which devices, groups, or locations should run this content.
- Display Mode — Slideshow, Kiosk, or Forced. Pick by use case.
- Time Window (optional) — start and end times to constrain when the schedule is active.
- Repeat (optional) — run daily, or only on specific days of the week.
- Save. Targeted screens switch within a few seconds.
Display Modes
Three modes. Pick one per schedule based on how the audience should interact with the screen.
Slideshow
Content auto-advances on a timer.
Best for lobbies, fellowship halls, waiting areas — the screen runs itself, no one touches a remote.Kiosk
Netflix-style: a hero banner on top, scrollable playlist rows below. Navigate with a TV remote, Siri Remote (Apple TV), or touch (iPad).
Best for Sunday school classrooms where a volunteer taps through this week's lesson, or a self-serve welcome desk directory.Forced
Overrides every other active schedule on its targets while it's running.
Best for severe-weather announcements, VBS-week takeovers, "play this and only this right now" moments. Pair with a start/end time so the override auto-reverts.When you pick Kiosk, you'll also pick which playlist's items run in the hero banner at the top of the screen; the rest become scrollable rows below.
Targeting devices, groups, and locations
A schedule can target any combination of:
- Individual devices — the most specific. Use sparingly — if you swap hardware, you'll need to update the schedule.
- Device groups — the default for fleets. Build a group once (e.g., “Lobby Screens”, “Classrooms”) and target the group; swap devices in and out of the group as needed.
- Locations — physical buildings or campuses. Target a location to hit every screen there.
If a device matches more than one target on a schedule, that's fine — the schedule still applies just once. Where targeting gets interesting is when multiple schedules target the same device. See Priority below.
Time Windows & Repeat Rules
The optional time settings let a schedule turn itself on and off automatically.
Time window
A start and end time, in the org's timezone. Outside the window, the schedule is inactive on its targets. Examples:
- 9 AM–12 PM — Sunday worship window.
- 6 AM–10 PM — weekday operating hours.
Repeat rule
How often the window applies:
- Daily — every day.
- Specific days of week — e.g., Sunday only, or M–F.
- One-time — the window applies once on a specific date.
Worked example
“Sunday morning service announcements”: window 8:30 AM–12:30 PM, repeat Sundays only. The schedule is active for that window each Sunday and inactive the rest of the week.
Priority when schedules overlap
What happens when two schedules both target the same device during the same window?
DisplayCache resolves this through device group priority. Each group has a priority order; the higher-priority group wins. Manage priority from the Devices page under Manage Groups — drag groups up or down to reorder.
Within a single group, all schedules targeting the group play together (concatenated into a single playback queue).
A Forced schedule (see display modes) bypasses all of this and overrides everything else while it's running — that's its purpose.
Always-on schedules
Leave the time window blank for a schedule that runs 24/7. The playlist plays continuously on all targeted devices. This is the right default for general-purpose lobby content — you only set time windows when you specifically want the schedule to deactivate at some hour.
Stream Hub Auto-Takeover
A schedule can include one or more stream sources alongside its playlists. Supported sources include BoxCast, raw HLS, YouTube Live, and other live URLs. When the stream goes live, every targeted screen automatically switches to it; when it ends, screens switch back to the regular playlist.
- Multi-source — add multiple stream URLs; the first one that's live wins.
- Show-before window — switch to the stream a few minutes early so screens are ready.
- Show-after window — linger on the stream a few minutes past its end, useful for closing announcements.
- Countdown — days/hours/minutes to the next broadcast can render as a countdown overlay before takeover.
Full Stream Hub configuration including BoxCast integration: Integrations guide →
Active vs Paused
Each schedule has a toggle on its card. Paused schedules are saved but don't play on any device. Use this when prepping a schedule in advance — build it now, flip it on later.
Stuck?
Email hello@displaycache.com and we'll help.