Set the time zone and keep the clock right on signage players (NTP)
Quick answer: DigitalSignage.com schedules run on each player's local clock, so a campaign set for 7 AM starts at 7 AM wherever the DigitalSignage.com SignPlayer is, which means the device's time zone must match its physical location and its clock must stay synchronized. Set the time zone in the operating system (Windows, Android, Raspberry Pi OS, Chrome OS, macOS or iPadOS), turn on automatic time, and let the firewall pass NTP on UDP port 123 alongside HTTPS 443 and DNS 53. A blocked NTP port or a Raspberry Pi without a battery-backed clock is the usual reason a menu switches at the wrong hour.
Last updated October 22, 2026. Sources: scheduling and remote management FAQ, troubleshooting FAQ, network requirements, Raspberry Pi platform guide and the player setup guides on this site. Operating-system steps are general; menu names vary by version.
Why the clock decides what plays
Every schedule rule in SignStudio, a time-of-day window, a day of the week, a start and end date, is evaluated by the player against its own clock. Our scheduling documentation lists the wrong player time zone as a common scheduling mistake, and the troubleshooting FAQ names a blocked NTP port and a Pi without a real-time clock as the reasons content plays at the wrong time. The symptoms look like content faults but are clock faults:
| Symptom | What is wrong |
|---|---|
| Breakfast menu runs an hour late, or lunch starts an hour early | Time zone set to the office that built the content, not the screen's location, or DST handled by hand |
| A holiday campaign starts a day early or late | Date boundary crossed at the wrong moment because of the time zone |
| Everything is off by a few minutes and drifting | No NTP: the clock free-runs and loses or gains time |
| Correct after a reboot with internet, wrong after an offline reboot | The device has no battery-backed clock and could not sync at boot |
| The on-screen clock component is right but schedules are wrong | The clock component has its own time zone setting; schedules use the device's clock |
Set the time zone and automatic time on each platform
Set the zone to where the screen is, not where you are. Turn automatic time on so NTP keeps it right.
| Platform | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows (SignPlayer Desktop) | Settings, Time and Language, Date and time: set the time zone, turn on set time automatically and set time zone automatically if the PC can locate itself | Windows syncs with a Microsoft time server by default; a domain-joined PC syncs with the domain controller |
| Android, Android TV, Google TV | Settings, System or Device Preferences, Date and time: automatic date and time, and the time zone | Consumer sticks sometimes default to the vendor's zone; check it after a factory reset or an update |
| Raspberry Pi OS | sudo raspi-config, Localisation Options, Timezone; or sudo timedatectl set-timezone with the zone name, for example America/Chicago | Raspberry Pi OS syncs with systemd-timesyncd when it can reach an NTP server |
| Chrome OS and ChromeOS Flex | On an enrolled kiosk device, the time zone in the device settings in Google Admin; on an unmanaged device, Settings, Date and time | Kiosk policy applies on reboot |
| Mac (SignPlayer Desktop) | System Settings, General, Date and Time: set automatically, and the time zone | Set it for the signage user and check it survives a restart |
| iPad (web player) | Settings, General, Date and Time: set automatically | The web player follows the device |
Our documentation does not describe a per-screen time zone setting inside SignStudio; the device's clock is what the player uses. If you need to confirm how a particular platform handles it, ask support at support@digitalsignage.com, live chat at https://chat.digitalsignage.com/ or +1-877-344-7446.
NTP: what the firewall must allow
Network time (NTP) keeps the clock within a fraction of a second. The network requirements page lists it beside the two ports every player needs:
| Port | Protocol | Purpose | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 443 | TCP | HTTPS to *.signage.me for SignStudio, registration and content | Yes |
| 53 | UDP and TCP | DNS | Yes |
| 123 | UDP | NTP time sync | Recommended, and in practice required for schedules |
Outbound only; no inbound ports. If the firewall blocks UDP 123, nothing visibly fails: the player still goes online and plays content, but its clock drifts, often by minutes a month on a cheap Android stick, and dayparts slide. Some strict networks allow NTP only to an internal time server; point the device at that server in its time settings, or ask IT to allow a public one such as time.google.com, which our DNS requirements list.
Test it:
| Platform | Command or check | Healthy result |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | w32tm /query /status in a command prompt | A recent last successful sync time and a named source |
| Raspberry Pi | timedatectl | System clock synchronized: yes, and the right time zone |
| Android | Settings, Date and time | Automatic on; the time matches your phone to the second |
| Any player | Add a Clock component to a test scene set to the player's zone and compare it with your phone | Same minute and second |
Daylight saving time
With the correct zone and automatic time on, the operating system shifts the clock on DST dates and the schedules follow. Avoid the workarounds that cause trouble: a fixed UTC offset instead of a named zone, a manually set clock, or a zone chosen because it "looked right" in winter. Regions without DST, such as Arizona outside the Navajo Nation and Hawaii, need their own named zones. Schedules that cross the DST change at night are usually unaffected, since the shift happens at 2 AM; a 24-hour venue should check what the overnight loop did on the morning after.
Raspberry Pi: the clock without a battery
A Raspberry Pi 4 has no battery-backed real-time clock, so it starts with a wrong time until NTP answers. If the Pi boots while the network is down, schedules evaluate against the wrong time until the connection returns. The Raspberry Pi 5 has a real-time clock connector on the board; the Pi platform guide lists a battery or RTC module at $5 to $10 as a worthwhile add-on for any Pi that must keep schedules correct after an offline reboot. The SignService watchdog that the installer sets up starts the player on boot either way; the clock is the only thing a reboot can lose.
A test before you trust the schedule
- Set the time zone and automatic time on the device, then reboot it.
- In SignStudio, create a test campaign with a time-of-day rule that starts 5 minutes from now and ends 10 minutes from now, assign it to the screen and publish.
- Watch the Screens dashboard: take a screenshot just before the start minute and just after. The content should switch within the minute.
- Compare a Clock component on the screen with your phone.
- For a Pi, pull the network cable, reboot, and check the clock when it comes back; if it is wrong, add an RTC module or make sure the network is up before the player.
- Delete the test campaign.
Dayparting itself, campaigns, priorities and worked examples for menus, offices and holidays, is covered in dayparting: schedule different content by time of day, day of week and date.
Frequently asked questions
How do I set the time zone and keep the clock right on signage players (NTP)?
Set the time zone in the device's operating system to the screen's physical location, turn automatic time on, and allow outbound NTP on UDP port 123 through the firewall alongside HTTPS 443 and DNS 53. DigitalSignage.com schedules run on the player's local clock, so a wrong zone or a drifting clock moves every daypart. On a Raspberry Pi 4 add a real-time clock module if the Pi may reboot offline.
Which time zone do DigitalSignage.com schedules use?
The player's local time. A campaign set for 7 AM starts at 7 AM local time on each player, which is how one campaign works across a national network. Set each device's time zone to where the screen is, not where the content was made.
Why does my content play at the wrong time?
The player's time zone or clock is wrong. Check the zone, turn automatic time on, and make sure the firewall allows NTP on UDP 123; a blocked NTP port lets the clock drift without any other visible error. A Raspberry Pi 4 has no battery-backed clock and can start with the wrong time after an offline reboot.
Which NTP server should a signage player use?
Any reachable one. Devices use their operating system's default, such as a Microsoft server on Windows or the pool configured in Raspberry Pi OS; our DNS requirements list time.google.com as an example. On a network that allows NTP only to an internal server, point the device at that server in its time settings.
Does daylight saving time break digital signage schedules?
Not when the device uses a named time zone with automatic time, because the operating system shifts the clock and schedules follow. It breaks when the clock was set by hand or a fixed UTC offset was used. Regions without DST need their own named zone.
Why is the clock on screen right but the schedule wrong?
The Clock component has its own time zone setting, while schedules use the device's clock. A clock component set to the correct zone can look right on a device whose own zone is wrong. Fix the device's time zone, then check both agree.
Does the Raspberry Pi keep time without internet?
A Pi 4 does not have a battery-backed clock, so after a reboot it only knows the time once NTP answers. The Pi 5 has an RTC connector; a battery or RTC module costs $5 to $10 and keeps schedules correct through an offline reboot.
Related guides
- Dayparting: schedule different content by time of day, day of week and date
- Scheduling and remote management FAQ
- Network requirements
- Connect a player to Wi-Fi, Ethernet or a proxy
- Troubleshooting FAQ
- Raspberry Pi digital signage
Try it on your own screens, free
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Maintained by MediaSignage Inc., operator of DigitalSignage.com since 2006. Product behavior on this page comes from our own SignStudio and SignPlayer documentation; where we do not document a step, this page says so instead of guessing. Last reviewed October 22, 2026.