Create a sync project
Step by step: play content out to multiple players in sync.
To the guide
How multiple CF Player® form one image – without visible offset.
As soon as content spans several screens – a video wall, two projectors for one combined image, several stelae in the same room – even the smallest time offset becomes obvious. Frame-accurate synchronisation ensures that all players reproduce frame by frame on the same beat. This guide explains how that works on the CF Player® – and how software PTP (Light & 4K2) differs from hardware-based PTP (8K).
A video consists of individual images (frames), typically 25, 50 or 60 per second. At 60 fps a frame lasts about 16.7 milliseconds. "Frame-accurate" means: the time offset between two players stays below this threshold – the eye no longer perceives a jump. A simple simultaneous start command is not enough: even tiny differences in playback speed add up over minutes into visible drift. That's why the players have to align continuously.
For this the CF Player® uses the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) – the same method as in recording studios and broadcast. In a group, the players automatically agree on a clock source (master); the others (slaves) continuously align their playback to it. The only requirement is a shared network (LAN on the same switch); the internet is not needed.
On the Light and 4K2, PTP is implemented in software. The sequence:
The result is synchronicity typically under one frame, which stays stable even over hours – the right choice for video walls, multi-part projections and room-spanning installations. It is enabled via the Advanced (PTP) setting (on the Light as part of the Pro licence).
The CF Player®8K goes one step further: here the PTP time base sits in hardware. Instead of regulating playback purely in software, the 8K works with a hardware-precise clock – comparable to a genlock in broadcast. This brings two advantages:
This makes the 8K especially suitable for large, high-resolution video walls and demanding multi-display mappings where several surfaces must form exactly one image.
| Method | Player | Accuracy | Drift over hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard sync | all | several frames possible | can drift away |
| Software PTP (Advanced) | Light, 4K2 | typically under 1 frame | stays stable |
| Hardware PTP | 8K | highest, load-independent | drift-free |
In the player web interface of each player, open the tab Main page → Sync section.
Set Protocol to Advanced (PTP) and save. Important: on all participating players – if only one is switched over, the group falls back to standard sync.
Make sure all players are on the same network/switch (LAN recommended; WLAN bridges can swallow PTP multicast).
In the Debug tab of the web interface, two indicators show the state:
If both are green, everything is optimal. If PTP lock stays red, the players are usually not on the same network or a firewall is blocking multicast.
Note: availability of individual functions may vary by model and licence. Information without guarantee.
Step by step: play content out to multiple players in sync.
To the guideThe solution at a glance – from two displays to a large wall.
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