Currently, we do not support using both HDMI ports on the Xandadeck 4K Player (Raspberry Pi 4). Why?

If you wanted to always show identical content on two screens, then you can always use a $5 HDMI splitter. This way, you can even drive more screens, using larger 1-to-10 HDMI splitters. The real question is for driving 2 screens with different content on each. The latest version of our hardware platform, the Raspberry Pi 4, provides two micro-HDMI ports for connecting two screens. However, the hardware has several restrictions when it comes to supporting a dual-screen setup. Here are the most important ones.

• Dual 4K screen setup is limited to a refresh rate of 30Hz.
  Normally, a refresh rate of 60Hz is supported for 4K screens, but adding a second screen limits output to 30Hz. While this is not a significant restriction, it does affect playback quality.
• There is only 1 hardware decoder for video, making it difficult to show two different videos on the two screens.
  Actually, there is 1 hardware decoder for video encoded in the H.265 format (supporting up to 4K video) and 1 hardware decoder for video encoded in the H.264 format (supporting up to 1080p video). However, this means that we need to have videos in multiple formats, just to allow playback of different videos on the two screens.
• The Player cannot turn both screens on and off.
  The Player uses the HDMI-CEC protocol for turning screens on and off. Unfortunately, CEC support is only provided for the primary screen, so the second screen cannot be turned off and on based on a schedule.
• The hardware cannot handle Layouts on two screens, especially if one is running at 4K.
  The Player has a hardware component called “compositor”. The compositor takes the different layered content (e.g. video, overlayed images, RSS tickers, etc) and combines them in a single output. If the compositor is overloaded, then the output turns black. And this is out of our control. Currently, the compositor may be overloaded at 4K even with a single screen.

Besides the hardware restrictions, building support for dual screens also has several implications on the software side. And not all of our users are tech-savvy; we have HR and marketing departments purchasing Xandadeck, and we cannot explain all the above restrictions in a clear way during their (short) evaluation of what we provide. It is much better to leave out the dual-screen option and keep it simple for everyone.

For special projects over 1000 units that might need dual screen support, we can investigate it as special customization. As a mainstream feature for all customers, dual-screen support is not a priority right now. We might provide it down the road, but not in the near future.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact our support team.

There is a limited worldwide warranty of 1 year on a Xandabox.

If your Xandabox is eligible for replacement, you can ship the failed Xandabox back to us and we will send you the replacement unit as soon as possible. Shipping costs for returning of Xandaboxs are covered by you, whereas we will cover the shipping costs of the replacement unit.

In order for you not to incur unnecessary shipping costs, make sure you contact our support team first. You might get yourself a local part replacement, like for a failed SD card, which might be cheaper than shipping it back to us.

No. You can:

1. buy a Raspberry Pi yourself
2. buy a case, power adapter, HDMI cable, and an SD card
3. download our Raspberry Pi image
4. write it to the SD card
5. assemble everything together

But why do that?

A Xandabox is probably cheaper than assembling a Raspberry Pi -based player yourself. And if you decide on an annual subscription, we give you all the Xandabox you need for FREE.

Sign in to the Xandadeck service and from the top-right menu select “Get Xandabox”.

Any Xandabox you order will be preconfigured with your account details so that you can simply plug it in and start “Xandadecking”!

If you need any advanced configuration, you can provide the information after the ordering process. For example, you can supply your WiFi network name and key and your Xandabox will come ready to connect to your WiFi network!

Xandabox has been available for purchase (or for FREE, through annual plans) since January 26th, 2016!

Xandadeck is an online service. So, Internet access is required for your Player to properly be managed. There are a few caveats though. Here we provide all the details on what works and what doesn’t.

If Internet access goes down, will my Player stop working?

No, it will not. Playback will continue as normal. Players can withstand at least 30 days of no Internet access. Since the Players use the Internet to sync their clock, there will also be an issue with time scheduling, as the time can be off by a couple of hours. You can read more about the clock issue and how to solve it here.

What if there is no Internet access for more than 30 days?

Playback will stop. Your Player will start showing a warning message in the bottom-right corner 3 days prior to stopping. Eventually, somewhere between 30-45 days after losing internet access, your Player will stop playback and it will display an error message.

If no content changes are made, can I use Xandadeck on a location with no Internet access?

Not entirely. If you can visit the location once every 30 days, providing Internet access through a WiFi hotspot on your cell, you will allow the Player to retrieve the latest info and it will continue to work fine. And for sure, you must address the clock sync issue.

Does all content work while the Player is offline?

Yes. Videos (including YouTube videos) and Images are downloaded locally on the Players. Only Web Pages and Live Video Streaming won’t work while offline.

Can I change/update content using a USB flash drive?

No. Content and scheduling updates must be done through the Internet. We plan to provide some kind of support for this in the future, if there are enough requests.

Account possibly compromised

If you arrived here because you were notified about a suspicious login to your Xandadeck account,

then it is quite possible that your account has been compromised.

Notifications about login actions that you did not perform or do not remember, might suggest that someone

else possesses your Xandadeck password and uses it to gain access to your account.

We advice you to change your password immediately.

At Xandadeck, we do not sell any other hardware, except our own Xandabox and accessories for it.

If you want a complete, turn-key solution based on Xandadeck (including TVs and installation works), contact us and we will try to assist you through our (small, but growing) Xandadeck Partner Network.

First of all, Xandadeck is free to use for a single registered monitor. We recommend that you buy a single Xandabox and test out the real thing! If you do not like it, you can turn the Xandabox into a full-fledged Media Center with OpenELEC for free!

Unfortunately, it is not possible to check out sample Xandadeck output without a physical Xandabox. Maybe you could also check out Xandadeck YouTube channel and see how Xandadeck actually performs. And if not convinced, contact us and we might convince you. Sp you can skip the no-cost test-drive mess.

Xandadeck provides constant online support for all users. Just login to your account and drop us a line. We’ll help you out ASAP.

In fact, even free accounts get support for FREE, we just respond to paid account requests first before handling requests from free accounts.

Finally, large customers on “Custom” plans have a hotline support option. If you have a large project that has special requirements, or requires on-site presence and deployment services, contact us.

No, there is no limit whatsoever. You can upload as much content as you want and make as many changes as you want.

The only limit imposed is the number of monitors. As long as you subscribe for the number of monitors you want to operate, everything else is unlimited! Really.

Disclaimer: fair use is always implied. In case improper use is detected, we will contact you and, if you fail to conform, your account may be disabled abruptly. Check out our Terms of Use or contact us if you need more info.