PIXI is ScreenCloud's own Android-based media player, built to bridge the gap between low-cost streaming sticks and enterprise-grade hardware. The ScreenCloud Player is part of the device, so there is no app to install. A device arrives, connects to your network and shows a pairing code.
PIXI is controlled with the supplied remote control rather than a mouse or keyboard, and it does not support touchscreens or manual DNS configuration. This article covers the hardware, what to prepare before a device arrives, how to set one up, and how to manage and troubleshoot it afterwards.
PIXI Hardware
PIXI runs a specialized version of Android 14, purpose-built for digital signage rather than general Android use.
Specifications
Specification | Detail |
Operating system | Specialised version of Android 14, with the ScreenCloud Player built in |
Memory and storage | 4 GB RAM and 64 GB eMMC storage for reliable playback and content caching |
Remote device management | Included, alongside enterprise-grade security |
Network | Wi-Fi or Ethernet on standard network environments. Enterprise networks are not supported |
Touch | Not supported, even when connected to a touchscreen display or kiosk |
Control | Supplied remote control. A USB keyboard can be used instead if you need to type |
For full specifications, see screencloud.com/pixi.
The Player app can use up to 50% of PIXI's available storage for media caching, letting content that's already played keep running through a brief connectivity drop. See How Much of a Device's Storage Space Can the ScreenCloud Player App Use for Media Caching? for how this is calculated.
Buying a device
PIXI can be bought from the ScreenCloud Hardware page.
Preparing for Setup
Before the device arrives
Confirm you have a free screen license. Pairing a screen consumes a licence from your subscription.
Choose your display. Any display works, but if you're connecting to a touchscreen display or kiosk, note that PIXI does not support touch.
Check your HDMI cable and connections. Have an HDMI cable and a power source ready, along with the device's remote control.
Build your content. Nothing stops you setting up collections, layouts and schedules in your ScreenCloud account before the device arrives.
Preparing your network
Send the domain list in Domains & Servers to Whitelist for ScreenCloud to whoever runs your network before the device arrives.
PIXI is designed for standard network environments rather than advanced or restricted ones. Keep the following in mind while planning:
PIXI automatically handles DNS when it connects to Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and does not allow manual DNS configuration on the device itself. If you need a custom DNS, set it up on your router or network instead.
Enterprise Wi-Fi, certificates, static IP and proxy configuration are not supported on PIXI. If your network requires any of these, ScreenCloud OS hardware is the better fit. See What Is a Proxy Server, Which Devices Support Proxy Configuration and How Do I Configure a Proxy on My Device's OS? for which devices do support it.
Setting Up a PIXI Device
Connecting the hardware
Connect PIXI to your display over HDMI, connect the power adapter, and set your display to the matching input. Have the remote control ready, as you will need it throughout setup. If you can't use the remote, you can connect a keyboard to the device instead.
Connecting to the internet
The first menu you see after the ScreenCloud loading screen is the network configuration menu, where you can connect to either Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
Wi-Fi. Select your network and enter your password and any other required details using the remote control and the on-screen keyboard.
Ethernet. Connect an Ethernet cable first, then select the Ethernet option, which will confirm the connection.
Once your network is configured, use the remote to navigate to Next.
Setting your time zone
Select the time zone option and choose your time zone from the list, comparing it against your computer or phone to make sure it's exact. This determines whether scheduled content plays when you expect it to, so it's worth getting right. When everything looks correct, select Complete setup. Your PIXI device is now online.
Pairing your screen
Use the QR code with your phone, or the 6-digit pairing code on your desktop, to log in to your ScreenCloud account and pair a new screen. Once paired, you can assign content to it. See Pairing, Designing and Managing Your Screens for the full process.
If no pairing code appears after connecting PIXI to the internet, your network may be blocking ScreenCloud. Check it against Domains & Servers to Whitelist for ScreenCloud.
Managing PIXI Devices
Opening the Player settings menu
Point the remote at the device and press the ≡ (menu) button, or hold and press OK. The settings menu slides in.
Screen name, orientation and daily restart
Screen name. Set directly under Screen name, though it's overwritten by whatever name you give the screen when you pair it.
Rotation. Choose 0, 90, 180 or 270 degrees under the Rotation option. This can also be changed from your ScreenCloud account once paired.
Daily Restart. Toggle this on and select a time within the hour for the device to restart itself. This can only be set from the Player menu, not from your ScreenCloud account. It's recommended for any screen displaying 24/7, as it clears temporary files and installs updates without affecting the device's recorded uptime or connection time.
Performing screen actions
A few actions are available directly on the device to resolve minor issues: Reset pairing, Reload, Restart device, Mute sound and Clear cache. Reload, Restart and Clear cache can also be run remotely from your ScreenCloud account using Screen RDM Tools. See Clearing the Cache for the ScreenCloud Player for how this works across other platforms.
More settings
Select More settings for the following.
Device information
Review device details for App info, Studio, OS and the Android system.
Section | Fields |
App info | Build/Flavor, Uptime, Version |
Account | Organization ID, Screen ID, Device ID |
OS | Model, Manufacturer, OS Version, Expected Bootloader, Current Bootloader, Kernel version |
System | Android Version, IP Address, Hardware ID, WiFi MAC, Ethernet MAC |
This is where to look when your IT team asks for the MAC address or IP address of a device that is already installed. For a look at Build Version and Player version across other device types, see How to Find the ScreenCloud Player App Version on Your Device.
OS update channel
Set the device to Stable or Canary, and run Check OS Update.
Stable is the recommended default and should be used for any screen in service.
Canary installs pre-release versions, useful for testing that your content won't be interrupted before a new OS version is officially rolled out, or for trying upcoming features early. Devices on Canary update automatically, the same as Stable, as long as they're online. Report any issues you find to support.
To move a device back to Stable, factory reset it. Changing the channel setting back on its own isn't enough, because PIXI comes with ScreenCloud pre-installed rather than a Player you can reinstall. Afterwards, confirm Canary isn't still selected as the OS update channel for that screen in your account. See How ScreenCloud Releases Updates for Players, PIXI, and ScreenCloud OS for the full rollout and Canary process.
Lock side panel
Set a 4-digit code to open the side menu, restricting who can apply actions and changes to the screen to those who know the code.
Wi-Fi settings
Opens the device's internal Android Wi-Fi menu, letting you change its network connection. See Changing network settings after setup below for the full steps.
Date & time
Opens the internal Android Date & Time menu, with five options: Automatic date & time (from the network), Set date, Set time, Set time zone, and Use 24-hour format. Set date and Set time are disabled if you're using the network's automatic time zone and time.
Factory reset
Starts a factory reset from the internal Android menu. See Factory resetting a device below for the full steps.
System settings
Opens the device's internal Android settings in full.
Changing network settings after setup
Open the side menu with the ≡ button on the remote.
Select More Settings.
Select Wi-Fi Settings and confirm the Wi-Fi toggle is enabled.
Select the new Wi-Fi network.
Enter the password with the remote and the on-screen keyboard.
Select Done. The device connects to the new network.
To move from Wi-Fi to Ethernet, connect the Ethernet cable and disable Wi-Fi.
Enabling HDMI-CEC
Open the side menu and select More Settings.
Select System Settings to open the Android OS settings.
Select More Settings, then HDMI-CEC.
Enable or disable the CEC settings you need.
This HDMI-CEC function is controlled by the PIXI remote and is separate from the HDMI-CEC feature in your ScreenCloud account's screen settings.
Changing display resolution
Open the side menu and select More Settings.
Select System Settings to open the Android OS settings.
Select Device Preferences, then Display & Sound, then Resolution.
Select your preferred resolution. We recommend keeping this on Automatic.
Save your changes.
Keeping PIXI up to date
Devices update themselves over the air whenever a new version is released, so keep them online and there is nothing to do. Updates bring new features, fixes and security patches.
Updates roll out in stages rather than to every device at once, so it's normal for devices to briefly sit on slightly different versions. See How ScreenCloud Releases Updates for Players, PIXI, and ScreenCloud OS for how staged rollouts and automatic updates work, and ScreenCloud PIXI Changelogs for the release history and what's changed in each version.
Updating a device manually
A device that has been offline for a long stretch may need updating by hand. There are two ways to do this.
Checking for an update online
Open the side menu with the ≡ button on the remote.
Select More Settings, then OS Update Channel, then Check OS Update.
Select Check System Update and allow the device to check online.
If a newer version is found, select Update Immediately.
Wait for the device to download and install the update, keeping it powered on and connected to the internet throughout.
When the update finishes, select Reboot.
Updating from a USB flash drive
Get the current PIXI USB updater zip file from support. Files are named for their release, for example
pixi-v44-stable-ota-full.zip.Copy the zip file, unextracted, to a FAT-formatted USB flash drive. See How to Create a FAT-Formatted USB Flash Drive.
Connect the drive to PIXI's USB port while the device is powered on.
With the remote, go to More Settings > OS Update Channel > Check for OS, then select Browse Update File (or Local Update). This opens a file browser into the USB drive.
Find the updater zip file and select it, then select Update Now.
Wait for the update to complete without powering the device off.
Select Reboot once it finishes.
Check you're using the current updater file for your device before starting. If you're unsure which version you need, contact support.
Factory resetting a device
Before you start, sort out the screen license. If you delete the screen from your account without planning, you may need a spare licence to pair the device again.
Open the side menu and select System Settings.
Select Device Preferences, then About.
Select Factory Reset, then Factory Reset again to confirm.
Select Erase everything.
Set the device up again once it restarts.
Troubleshooting PIXI
PIXI issues typically show up as display problems, connectivity drops, apps not showing content properly, slow or lagging playback, a frozen device, or content that won't update. Work through the following steps in order, and stop as soon as the issue is resolved.
Step | Action | Details |
1 | Clear cache | Open the side menu with the ≡ or OK button on the remote, select Clear Cache, and confirm. This clears residual data and makes sure the screen shows only fresh content. |
2 | Power cycle | Disconnect the power adapter, wait 30 seconds, then reconnect it and let the device boot up. Check the adapter for signs of damage and confirm it's the original one supplied with the device. This resolves many temporary software glitches. |
3 | Check for an OS update | Open the side menu, select Check OS Update, then Check system update. If a new version is available, let the device download and install it. OS updates bring security patches and performance improvements. |
4 | Unpair and pair again | Note down the screen's current settings and content, unpair using Reset pairing in the side menu or delete the screen from your account, then pair again with the new code and reapply the same content. If a specific app is misbehaving, recreate that app instance and use Find & Replace to swap it in once it's working. |
5 | Check hardware |
If the device shows no indicator light and won't power on at all, or powers off unexpectedly even with an original adapter and a different outlet, this may point to faulty hardware. Contact support with video proof of the issue. |
6 | Check the network |
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7 | Factory reset | Use this as a last resort for persistent software issues. Follow the steps in Factory resetting a device above, then re-pair the screen, using Replace device if it's showing as offline in your account. |
8 | Contact support | Contact support if you've worked through every step above and the issue persists, if you suspect a hardware fault on a device still under warranty, or if you see an error message you don't recognise. Have the following ready:
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FAQ
Do I need to install anything on a PIXI device?
No. The Player is built into the device. Connect it to your network and it shows a pairing code.
Does PIXI support touchscreens?
No, even when connected to a touchscreen display or kiosk.
Can I use PIXI on an enterprise Wi-Fi network?
No. PIXI is designed for standard network environments. If you need enterprise authentication, static IP or proxy configuration, ScreenCloud OS hardware supports this instead.
Can I set a custom DNS on PIXI?
No. PIXI handles DNS automatically when it connects to Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Set a custom DNS on your router or network instead.
Do I need the remote control?
Yes, for most setup and settings screens. If you can't use the remote, you can connect a keyboard to the device instead.
Where do I find the MAC address of a device that's already installed?
Open the side menu and check Device Information, under More Settings.
Why has my device not updated itself?
Updates arrive over the air, so a device that's been offline will be behind. Bring it back online and it will catch up, or update it manually using the Check OS Update option or a USB flash drive.
How do I move a device off the Canary channel?
Factory reset it, then confirm Canary isn't still selected for that screen in your account. Simply switching the channel setting back isn't enough on PIXI.
Why doesn't my provisioning USB drive work?
Confirm the drive is formatted as FAT, FAT16 or FAT32, and that you're using the current updater file for your device.