A screen can introduce a song, carry a character or show a visual moment that your pixels support. Give it a specific job in the display, then choose how it will play. Start with one short clip and one clear lighting cue before building a whole video show.
Reviewed October 29, 2026. The FPP examples follow its current version 10 manual. Available outputs and decoding performance depend on the player hardware and installed release.
Choose which kind of video you mean
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| Goal | Playback approach |
|---|---|
| Video displayed by pixels in a matrix or other model | Use xLights' Video effect. It converts the visual content into that model's pixel data when rendered. |
| Video on a TV or projector | Play the media through the show computer or a supported FPP video output, synchronized with the lighting sequence. |
| A separate video player across the display | Consider an FPP remote with the required local files and a verified MultiSync configuration. |
A rendered FSEQ contains lighting-channel data. It does not replace the separate video file needed for a projector. Likewise, seeing a video effect in the xLights preview does not by itself send HDMI video to a display.
Prepare one consistent set of files
Choose a clip that you own or have permission to use. Use the same edit throughout the workflow: matching duration, opening silence and soundtrack. Record which device will produce the audible sound so two outputs do not create an echo.
Check the media reference in xLights Sequence Settings, save the editable sequence and render the current FSEQ. Keep those files together with the required media. If you change the edit or timing, update the sequence and playback files before testing again.
For video rendered onto pixels, select the source in the Video effect, choose how its duration should behave and check aspect ratio and cropping. Evaluate it at the model's actual resolution: fine text and small facial details may disappear on a sparse pixel grid. Use broad shapes and a clear focal point.
Option 1: Play the sequence and video from xSchedule
- Connect the intended display to the show computer and confirm that the operating system can use it.
- In a test playlist, use xSchedule's FSEQ & Video item. Select the rendered lighting file and matching video.
- Set the video window's position and size for the intended display. Check which audio file and device the item will use; the audio override option exists for a deliberate alternate selection.
- Run that playlist item through xSchedule while watching the actual display and one test prop.
Keep the media at a stable path on the show computer. Prove the display arrangement after a restart. A video that only appears on the setup laptop is still an unfinished installation.
Option 2: Play video through FPP
Use hardware with a supported video output. A compatible Raspberry Pi can provide HDMI playback; the fact that another controller runs FPP does not guarantee a matching display connector or video capability.
- Connect and power the display, then confirm its selected input and the player's supported output.
- Upload the current FSEQ and video to the appropriate FPP device. File Manager can show the video's duration, codec and aspect ratio.
- Create a Sequence and Media playlist entry. Select the sequence, the media and the intended Video Out.
- Play the entry from FPP and verify both the actual HDMI display and the light cue.
File Manager's View preview appears on the browser computer. Use real player playback for the installation test. Check the player's video-output settings if the screen remains blank.
For a separate FPP video remote, configure its role and synchronization according to the MultiSync guide, give devices distinct hostnames, and place the files required for that remote's job on it. Synchronization messages are not a substitute for transferring the video. Rehearse the complete main-player/remote combination.
A practical first test
Example: make a ten-second title clip with a clear visual change at five seconds. Put a matching brief color change on one small prop at that same point in xLights. This is a planning example, not a supplied sequence or a tested hardware package.
Play it several times from the final player. Watch the beginning, the five-second cue and the end. Then use a longer clip to see whether alignment stays consistent. Record any repeatable offset before adjusting timing. If playback stutters or drifts, investigate the file, decoding load and synchronization path instead of hiding the symptom with a single offset.
Prepare the physical viewing area
Check the picture from the audience position after dark. Match the clip's proportions to the screen, protect the equipment according to its rating, leave its ventilation clear and keep cables out of walking routes. Try the projector's intended picture mode and focus using the actual media.
Decide what the audience sees before, between and after songs. Test for a desktop, startup text, frozen frame or unwanted sound. Use supported blanking and playlist behavior to produce the result you intend.
Ready-for-show checklist
- The exact media and current FSEQ are on every device that needs them.
- The intended screen and audio path work after a normal restart.
- A short cue and a full-length item remain acceptably synchronized.
- Transitions, stopping and scheduled playback behave correctly.
- The original sequence, media and player settings have recoverable backups.
Use our FPP transfer checklist and audio setup guide when joining the screen to the rest of the show.
References
- xLights Video effect
- xLights media and sequence settings
- xLights file types and playback terms
- Official xSchedule project
- xSchedule video playlist settings
- xSchedule FSEQ and video playback
- FPP playback and hardware overview
- FPP sequence-and-media playlist setup
- FPP media details and browser previews
- FPP display outputs and playback settings
- FPP MultiSync setup
