How Scheduling Works

Scheduling is the engine that determines what content plays on which screens and when. This article explains the core concepts so you can build effective content schedules.

The Scheduling Model

Stratos scheduling is built on four concepts:

1. Schedules — rules that assign content to screens for specific time periods.
2. Screens — the physical displays that play the content.
3. Time Windows — the time periods during which a schedule is active.
4. Priority — the tiebreaker when multiple schedules target the same screen at the same time.

How a Schedule Works

A schedule consists of:

• Content — a playlist or direct item (media file or link URL) to play.
• Targets — one or more screens or screen groups.
• Time Window — when the schedule is active (date range, days of week, time of day).
• Priority — a number that determines which schedule wins when schedules overlap.

When a screen’s player checks in with Stratos, it receives its active schedule. The player evaluates all schedules targeting that screen, applies the time windows, and uses priority to resolve conflicts.

The Schedule Lifecycle

1. Create — define the content, targets, and time window.
2. Activate — the schedule becomes active when its time window starts.
3. Play — the screen’s player renders the scheduled content.
4. Expire — the schedule ends when its time window closes.

Time Windows

A time window defines when a schedule is active. You can set:

• Start and end dates — the schedule is only active between these dates.
• Days of the week — e.g., Monday through Friday.
• Time of day — e.g., 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Combine these to create precise scheduling rules. For example: “Play this content on weekdays from 9 to 5, starting June 1 and ending August 31.”

See Time Blocks for reusable named time windows (e.g. Business Hours, Lunch).

Priority and Conflicts

When two schedules target the same screen at overlapping times, the schedule with the higher priority number wins. If priorities are equal, the most recently created schedule takes precedence.

See Priority & Conflicts for details.

Overrides

An override is a special schedule that temporarily replaces the normal content on a screen. Overrides are typically used for:

• Emergency announcements.
• One-time events.
• Holiday content.

Overrides always have the highest priority and ignore normal scheduling rules. See Overrides.

Scheduling Best Practices

• Use screen groups to target multiple screens with a single schedule.
• Set clear time windows to avoid unexpected content playback.
• Use priority intentionally — reserve high numbers for important content.
• Review the Schedule Status widget on the dashboard to see what’s active and upcoming.

Related

• Creating Schedules — step-by-step schedule creation.
• Time Blocks — reusable time window templates.
• Proof of Play — verify your content played as scheduled.