Digital Signage by Starmont

Troubleshooting

Below is a procedure you can quickly run through to determine the source of a problem, whether it's a media player not functioning correctly, or the device is not checking in with the Starmont servers for updates.

Before testing begins, it is strongly recommended you only have video, network and power cables connected to the media player. If using an HDMI input, it is recommended you disconnect the HDMI input. As well, disconnect any USB or RS-232 cabling you may have (including mouse and keyboard).

First step - Power cycle the media player

Before anything else, it is always a good idea to power cycle (power off, then on) the media player to check that it is getting power. You can do this by simply pulling the power plug from the media player, waiting about 10 seconds, then plug it back in.

The media player should have, on the front of the device, an LED light up (either green or blue, depending on the model). If this does not happen, check to make sure the power adapter for the media player is plugged into an outlet that is active. If plugged into a power bar, make sure the power bar is turned on.

If this step fails, it's most likely the media player or power adapter has failed.

Second step - Content playback

Check your screen to see if content is now playing on the display. If it is not (screen is black), check to make sure the video cable (usually HDMI) is securely plugged into both the media player and the LCD. Also, check to make sure the display is powered on and the correct HDMI input is selected.

If the screen remains completely black, try using a different HDMI cable and/or plugging the media player into a known working LCD.

If there is something stuck on your display, such as a spinning Starmont logo, or an abundance of error messages, the device has most certainly failed at either the software or storage level and will need to be assessed by Starmont.

Third step - Check the device online

Log into your account on the Starmont website and check to see if it is now accessing the server and receiving content. If you are unable to do so, email support@starmont.ca and ask them to check the device's status. You may be asked to provide some information to identify the specific media player you are trying to troubleshoot.

Fourth step - Reconfigure media player networking

If it appears the media player is otherwise functioning correctly, the last step is to figure out network-related problems. The most common issue is the changing of Wi-Fi passwords and the media player not having its configuration updated.

If the device is supposed to be using a wired Ethernet connection, check the Ethernet cable going into the media player and make sure it is securely connected. You should see two lights in the Ethernet port. One blinking and the other steady.

Separate guides for configuring the media player's networking are provided below. They are different depending on the model of media player.

SMS01

Small black media player running Android 4.

SMS02

Small silver media player with a black top running Android 6.

SMS03

Small silver media player with a black top and side Wi-Fi antennae running Android 11.

SMSX2

Slightly larger black aluminum media player running Linux. The guides below also apply to legacy Linux powered media players that may be from another manufacturer such as Acer.

Last step - Communicate the issue to Starmont

If something (or everything) along the way has failed and your media player isn't playing correctly, functioning at all, or not receiving updates online, contact us at support@starmont.ca and provide us with as much detail as you can. A good-quality picture of the LCD (to show what is being displayed, if anything) would be a real help.