UrbanLoop Signage · Guides
Set the hours your screen needs to show content.
Use power-save schedules to pause regular playback and show a black screen during planned off-hours.
What does a power-save schedule do? It puts the display app into a blank-screen mode during the chosen window. Save the rule and TV settings, then test the start and end on the actual screen.
Give regular playback a break.
A power-save schedule tells the display app when to show a black screen and pause regular content. It is useful after closing, between sessions, or during a planned break. When no power-save rule is active, the app returns to the content that is eligible to play.
This is an app mode, not a physical TV power switch. It does not guarantee that the panel turns off, the Apple TV sleeps, or the equipment uses no electricity. If you also use a TV timer or device-management power setting, check how those settings work together on the actual hardware.
Use slide and playlist schedules to choose when a message plays. Use power-save schedules when you want the regular screen content to go blank.
Set up a power-save schedule
Open the TV or group
In TVs, select the intended TV. For several screens, open a TV group and review its current members.
Find Power Off Schedules
Open the Power Schedule summary, or expand Content & Setup and find Power Controls → Power Off Schedules. The editor may be titled Manage Power Off Schedules on a larger layout.
Add the off-hours rule
Choose Add Schedule. Set the Recurrence Pattern to one-time, daily, weekly, or monthly. Review the date range and start/end times, plus the selected weekdays or days of the month where relevant.
Review the calendar and save the rule
Use the calendar view to check the planned windows. Add or save the rule in the schedule editor, then choose Done in the power schedule list.
Save the TV settings
Save or apply the parent TV form as well. For a group, review the proposed changes and affected TVs before confirming. Closing the schedule editor alone does not finish saving the TV.
Test both ends of the window
Let the connected player receive the settings. Check that regular content goes blank during the window and returns afterward. Check sound and the physical display as well as a remote capture.
Check overnight rules on both sides of midnight.
A time window can cross midnight, such as 8 PM to 6 AM. Use the start and end times you intend, then check the calendar and test the evening and following morning.
Weekday and date selections still matter after midnight. If you use a weekly rule, review each local day that should contain an off-hours period. Do not assume a Friday selection also covers every part of Saturday morning. Check the first and last days of a date-limited rule, including holiday boundaries.
Power-save evaluation follows the Apple TV’s local date and time. Confirm the device’s time zone before copying a rule to screens in another location. Allow for the app’s periodic schedule checks rather than expecting a transition at an exact second.
Start with a simple rule.
| Situation | A useful starting point | Check |
|---|---|---|
| The screen is unused every night | A daily 8 PM to 6 AM power-save window | Both sides of midnight and the actual time the space opens. |
| A planned closure | A one-time rule with the closure’s dates and hours | The first and final day, and whether another recurring rule remains active. |
| Different hours by location | Separate rules for the TVs or groups at each location | Local time, opening hours, and the group’s current members. |
These examples are starting points, not settings applied to your account. Test a short window on one screen before rolling out a recurring rule.
Review all the rules that can keep a screen blank.
The app enters power-save mode when any applicable power-save rule is active. One rule ending does not restore regular content if another rule is still active. Adding a shorter rule does not cancel a longer one.
Review the complete list when a screen stays blank longer than expected. Remove or edit an unwanted rule and save the parent TV form, then check that the player has received the change.
If selected TVs have mixed schedules, the group editor can offer to replace their existing schedules with a new set. Review Replace Power-Off Schedules? carefully. Edit TVs separately when their hours should remain different.
Keep alert behavior in the test plan.
The display app keeps alerts above the black screen while it is in power-save mode. Review alert targeting, expiration, and clearing as part of your planned test.
An alert still needs an active player and a working delivery path. A physically switched-off TV cannot show it. Check the actual installation when a screen must remain available for important messages.
If the screen does not follow the plan
| What you see | What to check |
|---|---|
| The screen goes blank at the wrong time | Review the player’s local time, recurrence, selected days, dates, and overnight boundaries. |
| The screen stays blank after a rule ends | Look for another active power-save rule, the physical TV power state, and the playlists/content eligible to play afterward. |
| The new rule has not taken effect | Check that the parent TV or group form was saved, then confirm the player is connected and has received the change. |
| An edit changed the hours on several TVs | Review group membership and whether mixed schedules were replaced. Restore each TV’s intended rules and verify them. |
| The screen is black without an active rule | Check the TV’s input and power, the Apple TV app, assigned playlists, and content schedules using the remote management guide. |
Review remote TV checks when you need to compare the saved setup with the player’s current state.