---
title: "Display Modes"
description: "Independent shows different content on each screen. Mirrored repeats the same content, while Spanned stretches one image or video across all screens."
url: "https://flosync.com/docs/display-modes/"
lang: "en"
updated: "2026-09-28"
---

# Display Modes

Use **Independent** when each screen shows something different, **Mirrored** when every screen shows the same thing, and **Spanned** when one picture stretches across all of them.

## Overview

| Mode | Best For | Behavior |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Independent** | Different content per screen | Each screen operates separately |
| **Mirrored** | Same content everywhere | All screens show identical content in sync |
| **Spanned** | Video walls | Content stretches across all screens as one canvas |

> **Default:** FloSync starts new installations in Independent mode. Switch anytime using the mode dropdown.

![The control panel with the Mode dropdown open, listing Independent, Mirrored and Spanned, with Spanned selected.](https://flosync.com/images/screenshots/docs-display-modes-mode-menu.jpg)

*The Mode dropdown, at the left of the top bar.*

## Content Type Behavior by Mode

Different content types behave differently in each display mode:

| Content Type | Independent | Mirrored | Spanned |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Videos** | Different video per screen | Same video, synced | Video cropped per screen |
| **Images** | Different image per screen | Same image on all | Image cropped per screen |
| **Web Pages** | Different page per screen | Same page on all | Same page on all (not cropped) |

> **Note:** Web pages cannot be spanned across screens. In Spanned mode, web pages show the same content on all screens (like Mirrored mode).

## Independent Mode

![The control panel in Independent mode with six screen boxes in two rows of three, each showing a different SALTMERE resort design.](https://flosync.com/images/screenshots/docs-display-modes-independent-resort.jpg)

*Independent mode, with a different design on each of six screens.*

![The control panel with the mode dropdown set to Independent and three screen boxes, each showing a different restaurant menu page.](https://flosync.com/images/screenshots/three-screen-restaurant-menu-composer-breakfast.jpg)

*Independent mode, with a different page on each of three screens.*

![One computer connected to three displays, each showing a different page of a breakfast menu](https://flosync.com/images/diagrams/screens-one-computer-independent.svg)

*One computer, three displays. Each screen shows something different.*

### What It Does

In Independent mode, each screen operates as its own separate player. You can:

- Load different content on different screens (videos, images, or web pages)
- Control audio independently for each screen (videos only)
- Have completely different content on each screen
- All screens share unified playback controls (play/pause affects all videos)

### When to Use It

- Digital menu boards where each screen shows different categories
- Retail setups with varied promotional content
- Dashboards with different web pages per screen
- Any scenario where screens should show different content

### How It Works

1. Select **Independent** from the mode dropdown
2. Each screen box in the control panel can have its own content
3. Drag videos or images onto specific screen boxes to load content
4. Right-click to load web pages or HTML files
5. Click the speaker icon on each screen to toggle its audio (videos only)
6. Use Play/Pause to control all video content together

### Audio Behavior

- Each screen has its own audio toggle (speaker icon) for videos
- Audio is disabled by default when loading videos
- Enable audio on screens where you want sound
- Multiple screens can play audio simultaneously

## Mirrored Mode

![The control panel in Mirrored mode with four screen boxes in a two-by-two grid, all showing the same SALTMERE Sea and Weather design.](https://flosync.com/images/screenshots/docs-display-modes-mirrored-resort.jpg)

*Mirrored mode, with the same design on all four screens.*

![The control panel with the mode dropdown set to Mirrored and two screen boxes showing the same frame of a video.](https://flosync.com/images/screenshots/docs-display-modes-mirrored.jpg)

*Mirrored mode, with the same frame on both screens.*

![One computer connected to two displays, both showing the same video](https://flosync.com/images/diagrams/screens-one-computer-mirrored.svg)

*One computer, two displays, the same video on both.*

### What It Does

In Mirrored mode, all screens show exactly the same content, visually aligned. When you:

- Load content, it loads on all screens
- Press play (videos), all screens play together
- Scrub the timeline (videos), all screens move to the same position

### When to Use It

- Retail environments where all screens should show the same promotion
- Waiting rooms or lobbies with multiple viewing angles
- Events where viewers might see different screens from different positions
- Backup/redundancy setups

### How It Works

1. Select **Mirrored** from the mode dropdown
2. Load content on any screen - it automatically loads on all screens
3. Use the playback controls - they affect all screens simultaneously (videos only)
4. All screens stay in sync automatically

### Synchronization

FloSync automatically keeps playback aligned across screens (videos only) while prioritizing smooth viewing.

### Audio Behavior

- Audio plays from the **primary screen only** to prevent echo (videos only)
- Secondary screens are automatically muted
- Toggling audio updates the speaker icon on every screen box, but only the primary screen's audio changes

## Spanned Mode

![The control panel with the mode dropdown set to Spanned and four screen boxes in a two-by-two grid showing one continuous aerial view of a beach.](https://flosync.com/images/screenshots/docs-display-modes-spanned.jpg)

*Spanned mode, with one video across four screens.*

![One computer connected to four displays in a two-by-two grid, with a single video continuing unbroken across all four](https://flosync.com/images/diagrams/screens-one-computer-spanned-2x2.svg)

*One computer, four displays in a grid. Each screen shows its own quarter of one video.*

### What It Does

In Spanned mode, your content stretches across all connected screens as if they were one large screen. Each screen shows a portion of the total image.

![The control panel in Spanned mode with three screen boxes, a tall portrait box on each side of a wide landscape box, showing one continuous beach video.](https://flosync.com/images/screenshots/docs-display-modes-spanned-mixed.jpg)

*Spanned mode, with one video across a 4K landscape screen and two 1080p portrait screens.*

For a step-by-step walkthrough of the simplest setup, see [How to Span One Video Across Two Screens with FloSync](https://flosync.com/blog/span-one-video-across-two-screens/).

### When to Use It

- Video walls (2x2, 3x3, or any configuration)
- Wide panoramic setups
- Large-format digital art installations
- Stadium or arena setups
- Any setup where you want one continuous image across multiple screens

### How It Works

1. Select **Spanned** from the mode dropdown
2. FloSync detects your screen arrangement (as configured in your operating system)
3. Load content - FloSync calculates which portion each screen should show
4. Each screen shows its segment of the content, creating one large continuous image

### Audio Behavior

- Audio plays from the **primary screen only** to prevent echo (videos only)
- Secondary screens are automatically muted
- Toggling audio updates the speaker icon on every screen box, but only the primary screen's audio changes

### Content Type Behavior

- **Videos**: Cropped per screen to show correct portion; plays in sync
- **Images**: Cropped per screen to show correct portion; respects fit mode
- **Web Pages**: **Cannot be spanned** - shows same page on all screens (like Mirrored)

> **Important:** Web pages do not support spanning. If you need a web-based video wall, use videos or images instead.

### Screen Arrangement

Spanned mode uses your operating system's screen arrangement. To configure:

**macOS:**

1. Open System Settings > Displays
2. Click "Arrange..."
3. Drag screens to match their physical positions

**Windows:**

1. Right-click desktop > Display settings
2. Scroll to "Multiple displays"
3. Drag screens to match their physical positions

### Best Practices for Spanned Mode

![The control panel in Spanned mode with three portrait screen boxes side by side showing one continuous underwater video of a dolphin.](https://flosync.com/images/screenshots/docs-display-modes-spanned-portrait.jpg)

*Spanned mode, with one video across three portrait screens.*

1. **Match physical arrangement** - Ensure your OS display settings match how your screens are physically positioned
2. **Screens do not have to match** - Different sizes, resolutions and orientations all work. Identical screens give the most even result on a conventional grid, but deliberately mixed arrangements are common in creative and artistic installations
3. **Consider bezel compensation** - Physical bezels between screens may cause visual gaps
4. **Test with static images first** - Load a test pattern to verify alignment before your final content

## Multi-Computer Video Walls (Global Canvas Extension)

For video walls spanning multiple computers, use the **Global Canvas Extension** feature. This allows you to define a virtual canvas larger than your local screens, so each computer shows the correct portion of a wall-sized video.

### Example: 3x2 Video Wall

Consider a 3x2 video wall (3 columns by 2 rows) using 3 computers, each controlling 2 vertically stacked 1920×1080 screens:

![A three-by-two video wall of six screens driven by three computers, each computer driving one column](https://flosync.com/images/diagrams/global-canvas-3x2-wall.svg)

*Six screens combine into one 5760×2160 global canvas.*

Each computer needs different extension settings:

| Computer | Extension (Top, Right, Bottom, Left) | Position |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Left PC | 0, 3840, 0, 0 | Shows left third |
| Middle PC | 0, 1920, 0, 1920 | Shows center third |
| Right PC | 0, 0, 0, 3840 | Shows right third |

### Setting Up Global Canvas Extension

*The Global Canvas Extension icon, just right of the schedule icon.*

1. **Open the extension dialog** - Click the grid icon in the toolbar
2. **Enter extension values** - Specify how many pixels extend beyond your local screens in each direction (Top, Right, Bottom, Left)
3. **Use Quick Adjustments** - Click the buttons in that row to add or subtract common resolutions: ±1920 for 1080p screens, ±3840 for 4K screens
4. **Click Apply** to save your settings
5. **Preview the layout** - Enable "Show Global Canvas" (zoom icon) to see your local screens positioned within the larger canvas

![The Global Canvas Extension dialog with Top 0, Right 1920, Bottom 0 and Left 1920, a Quick Adjustments row of 1080p and 4K buttons, and Reset, Cancel and Apply.](https://flosync.com/images/screenshots/docs-canvas-extension-dialog.png)

*The Global Canvas Extension dialog, set for the middle computer of a three-computer wall.*

### Visual Preview

When global canvas preview is enabled, you'll see:

- **Dark extended areas** - Represents space occupied by other computers
- **Grid overlay** - Shows screen cell boundaries when using uniform screen sizes
- **Labeled regions** - "Extended Left", "Extended Top", etc. mark the extension areas
- **Your local screens** - Highlighted within the global canvas

You can **drag your local screens** within the preview to visually adjust your position:

- Regular drag snaps to screen-sized grid cells
- Hold **Shift** while dragging for free (non-snapping) positioning

## Go Live with Display Modes

Each display mode works with the Go Live feature to create fullscreen presentations:

### Independent Mode + Go Live

- Each fullscreen window shows its assigned content
- Audio continues per the screen's audio setting (videos only)
- All video content stays synchronized

### Mirrored Mode + Go Live

- All fullscreen windows show the same content
- Only the primary screen window plays audio (videos only)
- Visual alignment across all screens (videos only)

### Spanned Mode + Go Live

- Each fullscreen window shows its portion of the content (videos and images)
- Content is properly cropped for each screen's position
- Creates a seamless video wall experience
- Web pages show the same content on all screens (not cropped)
- Only primary screen plays audio (videos only)

## Switching Modes

You can switch modes at any time using the mode dropdown in the top bar (when not in live mode):

1. Click the mode dropdown
2. Select your desired mode
3. The change takes effect immediately

> **Note:** The mode dropdown is disabled during live mode. Exit live mode first to change display modes.

> **Tip:** When using scheduling, each scene can have its own display mode. Right-click a scene card in the schedule panel to quickly set a scene's mode without opening the edit dialog.

### What Happens When You Switch

| From | To | What Happens |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Independent | Mirrored | All screens load the content from the primary screen |
| Independent | Spanned | All screens load the content from the primary screen, then split it |
| Mirrored | Independent | Screens keep their current content but can now be controlled separately |
| Mirrored | Spanned | Content splits across screens (videos/images) or stays mirrored (web pages) |
| Spanned | Independent | Each screen keeps its current content portion |
| Spanned | Mirrored | Full content shows on all screens |

## Choosing the Right Mode

**Ask yourself:**

1. **Should all screens show the same thing?**

   - Yes, same content everywhere → **Mirrored**
   - Yes, but as one big picture → **Spanned**
   - No, different content per screen → **Independent**

2. **Is this a video wall?**

   - Yes → **Spanned** (probably)
   - No → **Mirrored** or **Independent**

3. **Do viewers see multiple screens at once?**

   - Yes, and they should match → **Mirrored**
   - Yes, and it's one big image → **Spanned**
   - No, they only see one screen at a time → **Independent**