Playing the memorial video at the service: TV, projector or laptop

Short answer: the simplest way to play a slideshow at a funeral is to use the screen the room already has. A TV suits a small room. A projector suits a chapel or a large hall. A laptop is often the player behind either one. Save the video as one finished file, try it on the real equipment, and bring a spare copy.

Here is how each option works, what tends to go wrong, and how to make the day feel calm.

Three ways to show it

Most services use one of three setups. Each one works well in the right room.

• A large TV. Good for a smaller room, a family home or a reception after the service.
• A projector and screen. Good for a chapel, a church or a hall where people sit in rows.
• A laptop on its own. Fine for a few people gathered close, or as a loop on a side table.

Before you choose, find out what the venue has. Many funeral homes and churches already have a screen and someone who runs it. Ask what it is, how a video reaches it, and whether you can try it before the day.

A TV for a smaller gathering

A TV is the easiest choice. The picture is bright, even with the lights on. Most modern TVs can play a video straight from a USB stick.

A few things help:

• Save it as a common video file. An MP4 file plays on almost every TV and computer.
• Use a plain USB stick. Put only the finished video on it, nothing else, so the right file is easy to find.
• Find the TV's own player. It usually appears when you plug the stick in. Practise once so you know which buttons to press.
• Turn off sleep settings. Some TVs dim or switch off if nobody touches the remote.

Place the TV where people can see it without turning in their chairs. Near the front, slightly above head height, works in most rooms.

A projector for a larger room

A projector fills a big wall, so everyone in a chapel can see the faces. It has one weakness. Light from windows or ceiling lamps washes the picture out.

If you are using one, ask whether the lights can be dimmed while the video plays. Ask too whether the projector has its own speakers or is linked to the room's sound system.

Projectors often connect to a laptop with a cable. Check which cable the venue uses, and whether your laptop needs a small adapter to fit it. That one detail causes more last-minute worry than anything else.

A laptop as the player

A laptop gives you the most control. You can start, pause and replay with one key. It also brings its own small risks, and each one is easy to prevent.

• Play the file from the laptop itself. Do not rely on the venue's internet to stream it. Download the finished video first.
• Plug in the charger. A video played on battery can stop at the worst moment.
• Silence notifications. Turn on a do-not-disturb setting so no message pops up over a photo.
• Open the video full screen before people sit down. Pause it on the first frame, so the room never sees your desktop.

If you made the slideshow on your phone, you can still play it this way. Our guide to making a memorial slideshow on your phone covers saving the finished video so it can move to a laptop or a USB stick.

Making sure everyone can hear it

The music carries a memorial video, so sound matters as much as the picture. A laptop's own speakers are too quiet for most rooms. TV speakers are fine for a small room, but thin in a large one.

If the venue has a sound system, ask whether your laptop or TV can connect to it. If not, a small portable speaker helps a great deal. Set the volume with a few people in the room, because a full room absorbs sound.

Music licensing is your responsibility when you bring your own songs or use well-known recordings. If you would prefer a ready-to-use option, we offer a royalty-free music library as a paid add-on, with the permit included, so you can use those tracks in the service without any additional steps on your end.

Length matters on the day too. A video that runs a little shorter keeps everyone with it. Our guide to how long a funeral slideshow should be helps you choose a length that suits the service.

A spare copy in your pocket

Bring the video in two places. A USB stick and the laptop, or a USB stick and a phone. If one fails, the other is ready, and nobody in the room ever knows.

It also helps to choose one calm person to press play. Someone close, but not the person giving the eulogy. Tell them when the video should start and whether it plays once or loops.

If you have not finished the video yet, Create, our funeral slideshow maker, is made for the service. You add the photos, choose the music, and watch the whole film before paying, from $99. Then you have a finished video ready to carry into the room.

Located in Westchester, NY, we serve families nationwide through our fully remote platform.