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Sift

Playback

Playback is where you choose how videos and photos play, in the player, the popout and Theater. To open it, go to Settings > Playback.

Come here to make Sift remember where you left off, choose what a screenshot does, or set how Theater opens.

The Playback pane in Settings

On this pane

Section titled “On this pane”

The first rows have no heading: resuming, photos on a playthrough, and converted copies. Then the pane draws these groups, in this order:

  • Screenshots: what happens when you take a screenshot of a video, and where a saved one goes.
  • Popout: whether a video keeps playing in the Mini player when you leave the popout.
  • Remote: whether a phone signed in as you can control this browser.
  • Theater: the layout Theater opens with, center stage, autoplay and how long each cell plays.

Every setting

Section titled “Every setting”

Remember where you left off

Section titled “Remember where you left off”

Reopening a video resumes where you stopped instead of starting over.

Only remember videos longer than

Section titled “Only remember videos longer than”

Shorter videos always start at the beginning, and so does one you watched to the end.

Include photos on a playthrough

Section titled “Include photos on a playthrough”

Play through shows each photo for two seconds, then moves on. A GIF plays once.

When you take a screenshot

Section titled “When you take a screenshot”

Copy puts it on the clipboard, ready to paste. Save adds it to your library, in the folder you choose.

Over a plain http address the browser has no clipboard for pictures, so there the screenshot is downloaded instead.

Save screenshots to

Section titled “Save screenshots to”

A folder in your library. Unless you choose one, screenshots go to your download folder.

Largest size for converted videos

Section titled “Largest size for converted videos”

Used only when your browser can’t play a video and this device can’t convert it fast enough at full size.

Space for converted copies

Section titled “Space for converted copies”

Sift converts a video only when your browser can’t play the original, and keeps the converted copy so it doesn’t convert it twice.

Default layout when Theater opens

Section titled “Default layout when Theater opens”

You can choose another from the wall itself.

When a preview comes up

Section titled “When a preview comes up”

Stage View shows up to four videos in focus with previews under them. Double-clicking a preview always brings it into focus.

Something new means the next file in that preview’s queue. Resuming after a pause, a seek or a stall isn’t a new file, so it doesn’t bring a preview into focus.

Start playing when Theater opens

Section titled “Start playing when Theater opens”

Every cell starts as soon as Theater opens.

Play the next file after

Section titled “Play the next file after”

How long a cell shows one file before it plays the next, finished or not.

Leave it empty to wait for each file to end.

Pick up where you left off

Section titled “Pick up where you left off”

Coming back to Theater, or reloading the page, brings back the layout and what each cell was playing. It’s forgotten when the window is closed.