Supported media formats

This article lists every file type you can upload to your STQRY Content Library, and what happens to a file between upload and playback.

Images

.jpg · .jpeg · .png · .gif · .webp · .apng · .bmp · .raw · .tiff · .heic · .heif

.gif, .webp and .apng can carry animation, and it plays.

TIFF, HEIC and HEIF are converted to JPG for delivery. Upload them if that's what your camera produced. If you're exporting from a design tool, export JPG or PNG directly.

Video

.mp4 · .webm · .mkv · .mov · .qt · .m4v · .avi · .wmv · .flv · .f4v · .asf · .ogv · .vob · .mpg · .mpeg · .mpe · .mp2 · .mpv · .m2v

MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio is the safest choice. It plays everywhere and encodes efficiently.

Audio

.mp3 · .m4a · .aac · .wav · .flac · .aiff · .aif · .ogg · .oga · .wma · .ac3 · .mpa · .mpeg

Audio can't be added to a playlist. It reaches a screen through a schedule, a direct assignment to a display, or a location program.

What happens to a file after upload

Turning on Don't transform on a media item sends the original file instead.

When to use Don't transform

Use it for a large, close-viewed screen where video quality matters, or for an image you want letterboxed rather than cropped.

The cost is the first load. A display downloads and caches every file before it plays anything, so a 2 GB master will make that first load slow.

Sizing your media

Images are fetched at the display's own resolution. A 4K panel gets a 4K image, and a 1080p stick gets a 1080p one. If you move a device to a different TV, it re-fetches at the new size.

For best results, upload images at least as large as your largest screen's resolution.

Sensible targets for a typical screen:

• Images: JPG or PNG, sized to the screen's resolution, under about 5 MB each.

• Video: MP4 / H.264, 1080p, under about 100 MB per clip.

What isn't supported on a display

Your Content Library can hold file types used by other STQRY products, such as maps, web packages, AR, and 3D files. 

However, a Signage display only supports images, video, and audio. If an unsupported file type ends up in a playlist or schedule, the screen will show an "Unsupported media item" message.

Behavior notes

• Images fill the screen by default and crop anything that doesn't fit the aspect ratio.
• After uploading a video or audio file, the duration may appear blank for a few minutes while it's being processed. Once ready, the file plays for its full duration — the duration field in a playlist only applies to images.
• All files are cached on the device before playback begins. After the first load, only changed items are re-downloaded.
• There's no limit on playlist length or file size. The only practical constraint is how long the first download takes.
• Removing media you no longer use helps keep first-load times fast.
• Each media item can have a version per language. The display shows whichever language is currently selected. See Content languages and the language switcher.
• Fields like name, title, caption, and description are not shown on a Signage screen — they're used by other STQRY products and the audio companion.

Next steps

• Create a playlist

• The audio companion QR code