FAST Channel Art Specs — Logos, Banners, and Thumbnails
The exact image specifications required for Roku, Fire TV, Samsung TV Plus, and other FAST platforms — channel logos, banners, poster art, and episode thumbnails with pixel dimensions, file sizes, and design best practices.
Every FAST platform requires specific image assets to list your channel. Getting these specs wrong — wrong dimensions, wrong format, wrong aspect ratio — causes your channel to display incorrectly in TV platform UIs or fail certification entirely.
This guide lists the exact specifications for every major platform and best practices for artwork that actually works on TV.
Why TV artwork requirements are different from web
TV interfaces are fundamentally different from web or mobile. Artwork is viewed from 10 feet away on a large screen with a remote control. The design rules are different:
- Text must be large. Small text is unreadable from 10 feet on even a 65-inch TV.
- High contrast is essential. TV displays vary wildly in brightness and color calibration. Low-contrast designs disappear on some screens.
- Simple reads better. Complex artwork with many elements looks cluttered on TV UI tiles.
- Logo-forward design. TV channel grids display small tiles. Your logo must be recognizable at small sizes.
Vidiyo channel artwork requirements
| Asset | Dimensions | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel logo | 500×500px minimum | PNG (transparent bg preferred) | Square, logo only |
| Channel banner | 1920×480px | JPG/PNG | No critical content in outer 200px |
| Episode thumbnail | 1280×720px | JPG/PNG | 16:9 aspect ratio |
Logo design guidance:
- Pure logo, no tagline text that becomes illegible at small sizes
- Transparent background for logo files (PNG) — Vidiyo places the logo on various backgrounds
- Avoid very thin lines that disappear when scaled down
- Test your logo at 100×100px — if it's unreadable at that size, simplify it
Roku channel artwork specifications
For a branded Roku channel (your own app in the Channel Store):
| Asset | Dimensions | Format | Max file size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel poster | 540×405px | PNG/JPG | 150 KB |
| Channel icon | 336×336px | PNG | 100 KB |
| Category icon | 128×128px | PNG | 50 KB |
| Focus icon | 540×405px | PNG | 150 KB |
| Screenshot | 1280×720px | PNG | 1 MB |
| Splash screen | 1920×1080px | JPG | 1 MB |
Roku-specific notes:
- All Roku artwork uses safe zones — keep important content within the center 80% of each asset. Roku UIs crop and resize artwork.
- Focus icon (the larger version shown when a channel is selected) should have more detail than the regular icon
- Screenshots shown in the Channel Store should feature actual channel content, not just a logo
Fire TV (Amazon) channel artwork specifications
| Asset | Dimensions | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small icon | 114×114px | PNG (transparent bg) | Shown in grid views |
| Large icon | 1280×720px | PNG | Featured placement |
| Background | 1920×1080px | JPG/PNG | Channel detail page |
| Featured image | 1920×1080px | JPG | Homepage feature |
Amazon-specific notes:
- Small icon should work at tiny sizes — test at 57×57px equivalent
- Background image should not have a logo duplicating the icon (Amazon overlays the icon on the background)
- Text in background images should be minimal — the UI overlays metadata text on top
Samsung TV Plus specifications
Samsung TV Plus is selective about both content and artwork quality. Their requirements are stricter:
| Asset | Dimensions | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel logo | 800×450px | PNG (white logo on transparent) | White logo only |
| Channel background | 1920×1080px | JPG | Clean, minimal |
| Program poster | 960×540px | JPG | Episode/show art |
Samsung-specific notes:
- Samsung requires the logo to be a white version on transparent background — they composite it onto their own dark UI. Don't submit full-color logos.
- Artwork that contains text (other than the logo) in languages other than English requires Samsung approval.
LG Channels specifications
| Asset | Dimensions | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel thumbnail | 1280×720px | JPG | Used in channel grid |
| Channel logo | 400×300px | PNG (transparent) | Displayed in guide |
Episode thumbnail best practices
Episode thumbnails appear in the EPG, in recommendations, and in search results on TV platforms. Best practices:
Show something identifiable. A frame from the episode, key art, or a title card. Generic channel logos as episode thumbnails are missed opportunities.
Text is ok but brief. Episode title in large text on the thumbnail is fine. Multi-line descriptions are not readable at EPG thumbnail sizes.
People's faces perform well. If your content features talent, a close-up of the host's face is often the most engaging thumbnail for TV viewers.
Consistent visual language. All your episode thumbnails should look like they belong to the same channel. Consistent color palette, font treatment, and compositional style.
Contrast for dark UIs. Most TV platform UIs have dark themes. Dark episode thumbnails blend into the background. Use a light element, bright color, or contrasting border to ensure your thumbnails pop.
Testing your artwork
Before submitting:
-
Open your channel artwork on an actual TV (or large external monitor), not just a laptop screen. What looks fine on a laptop often reads differently from 8 feet away.
-
Check at the minimum displayed size. TV platform grids show channel tiles very small. Export your logo at 100×100px and see if it's still recognizable.
-
Test in dark mode. All major TV platforms use dark UI themes. Make sure your artwork reads clearly on a dark background.
-
Check for TV overscan. Some TVs crop the outer 5% of the screen (overscan). Keep any critical content — especially text — within the center 90% of the image frame.
What's next
Ready to launch your TV channel?
Vidiyo handles HLS playout, SSAI, EPG, and cross-platform distribution so you can focus on programming.