YouTube Widget

The YouTube widget enables you to display YouTube videos directly on your digital signage screens.
In addition to individual videos, the widget also supports YouTube playlists and live streams.

1. From a browser, copy the URL of the YouTube video you wish to display on the screen.
2. Log-in to your NoviSign account.
3. Open the creative/template that you want to add the image to.
4. Drag and drop the Ustream widget to the canvas.
5. On the right pane you will see the YouTube widget’s properties.
6. Below the text it says “YouTube URL”.
7. Paste the YouTube video URL there.
8. The video will then populate.
9. You’re done.

When it comes to YouTube playlist, you will have to copy the playlist ID and then paste it in the YouTube widget’s properties in the ID field. How do you get the playlist ID? Well, on YouTube, when you watch a playlist, you will see a URL in this format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<video ID>&list=<playlist ID> so, just copy the playlist ID (which is a long string of text) which comes just right after that “&list=“.

When it comes to YouTube live, you will have to copy the live video ID and then paste it in the YouTube widget’s properties in the ID field. How do you get the live ID? Well, on YouTube, when you watch a live YouTube video, you will see a URL in this format: https://www.youtube.com/live/<video ID> so, just copy the live video ID which comes just right after that “/live/” text.

There are three common reasons why a YouTube video might not appear on your screen:

1. Widget Positioning on the Canvas
   Make sure the YouTube widget is fully placed within the canvas of your creative. If it extends beyond the canvas boundaries or overlaps with other widgets, the player app might not display it.
   Why? YouTube may block the video from rendering if it suspects the logo or credit is being hidden. So, always ensure the widget is fully visible and not partially or fully covered by other elements.

2. Video Restrictions Set by the Creator
   Some videos are restricted by their uploaders from being embedded or displayed outside of YouTube. In such cases, the video won’t play in your signage.
   Workaround: Use an online video converter to download the video as an MP4 file. Then, upload the MP4 to your NoviSign Studio account and use it with the Video Widget instead.

   To verify that your YouTube video is not restricted from being displayed out side YouTube, you can use this URL:
   https://www.youtube.com/embed/<video ID>
   Just copy your video ID and paste it in the above testing URL. If that video is eligible to be displayed outside of YouTube, then you’ll see it there. Otherwise you’ll get an appropriated message telling you that the owner has restricted this video from that.

3. Android Player Limitations with HTML Playback
   Some Android-based digital signage players may not support YouTube playback via HTML. In such cases, our Android player app offers an alternative playback method using the native YouTube app via API.

   Steps to enable the alternative method:

   • Ensure the native YouTube app is installed on the device and is up to date.

   • Open the APK (NoviSign player app) on the device.

   • Tap the gear icon in the top-right corner of the entry screen to access settings.

   • Scroll down to the “WEB BROWSER” section.

   • Enable the “Disable HTML5 YouTube” setting.

   This setting forces the player to use the native YouTube app instead of HTML for video playback and should resolve the issue.