BNM_UG Bright Sign Network Manager Guidev1

2016-03-31

: Brightsign Brightsignnetworkmanagerguidev1 BrightSignNetworkManagerGuidev1 website s

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Page Count: 25

User Guide
Network Manager
www.roku.com/brightsign
TM
ii
Copyright
Copyright © 2008–2009 by BrightSign, a division of Roku, Inc. All rights reserved. Roku, the Roku logo,
and the BrightSign logo are trademarks of Roku, Inc. Other brand and product names are trademarks
or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
iii
• • • • • •
Contents
Chapter 1
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
What is BrightSign Network Manager? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Signing into BrightSign Network Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Setting up a BrightSign network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Chapter 2
Managing Presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Creating a presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Arranging the files in your presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Testing a presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Revising a presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Changing your presentation settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Scheduling a presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Copying a presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Renaming a presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Deleting a presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
iv
Chapter 3
Managing Your BrightSign Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Adding units to your BrightSign network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Creating distribution groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Creating reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Viewing reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Downloading reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Creating custom presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Customizing a playlist you create with BrightSign Network Manager . . 18
Adding a playlist or CSV file to your presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Updating your BrightSign software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
1
Chapter 1
• • • • • •
Getting Started
What is BrightSign Network Manager?
BrightSign Network Manager enables you to deliver and manage your digital sign content via an
Internet connection. You can use BrightSign Network Manager with Roku BrightSign HD2000
digital signs.
Signing into BrightSign Network Manager
To use BrightSign Network Manager, you must
contact Roku to obtain an account name, a user
name and a password. Once you have received
your account information, you can sign into the
BrightSign website so you can create and
manage your digital sign content.
1Go to www.BrightSignNetworkManager.com.
2Click Account and enter your account name.
3Click User name and enter your user name.
4Click Password and enter your password.
5Click Sign In.
2
Chapter 1
Setting up a BrightSign network
To use BrightSign Manager, you must first
set up the BrightSign HD2000 units and connect
them to a network with Internet access as described in the HD2000 documentation. Next,
you must prepare your CF/SD cards for use on a BrightSign network.
To prepare CF/SD cards for a BrightSign network:
1Sign into your BrightSign Network Manager account (see “Signing into BrightSign Network
Manager” for details).
2Create the group for which you want to prepare the CF/SD card (see “Creating distribution
groups for details).
3Download the Setup File to your computer:
a
Click
Setup
in the upper-right corner of the
screen.
b
Click the
Group
list, and select the group for
which you want to prepare the CF/SD card.
c
Click the
Time Zone
list and select the time
zone for which you want to prepare the
CF/SD card.
d
Click
Download Setup File
.
4Extract the Setup File onto your CF/SD card:
a
Insert the CF/SD card into a card reader that is connected to your computer.
b
Extract the
Setup File
onto the CF/SD card.
c
Repeat steps 4a and 4b to prepare a separate CF/SD card for each BrightSign in this group
and time zone.
5Prepare CF/SD cards for other BrightSign groups and time zones by repeating steps 2–4 and
selecting the appropriate options for the other groups and time zones.
3
Chapter 2
• • • • • •
Managing Presentations
This chapter shows you how to create presentations and deliver them to the units in your
BrightSign network.
Creating a presentation
When you create a presentation, you select the overall layout of the screen and the content you
want to include. For example, you can specify that you want to split the screen vertically into two
regions: one region for video and the other region for graphics.
1Sign into your BrightSign Network Manager
account (see “Signing into BrightSign Network
Manager” for details).
2Select the layout for your
presentation:
aClick Create Presentation.
b
Click one of the template samples:
Full
screen
,
2-zone horizontal
,
2-zone vertical,
3-zone
,
5-zone
, or
5-zone with clock
.
c
Click
HDMI
or
VGA
and then select the
resolution setting from the list.
d
Enter a name for your presentation, and then
click
Continue
.
4
Chapter 2
3Upload files to your library:
a
Click
Upload New Files
.
b
Do either of the following:
To add files from your local computer
drives, click
Upload content from your
local drive
, select the files you want to
add, and then click
Open
.
The upload
status appears next to each filename while
the files are uploading, and a check
appears next to each filename when the
upload is done.
To access files from a server, click
Use
content from a remote server
, enter the servers address followed by the filename, and
then click
Add
. For example, if your file is called video23.mpg and it is stored in the files
folder on the roku.com server, you need to enter
http://roku.com/files/video23.mpg
.
When the file is done uploading, click
OK
.
c
Click
Finished
.
d
Repeat steps
3a
3c
to add other files to your library.
4Add files from your library to your presentation:
a
Under
Files
, check the boxes next to the files you want to include in this presentation.
TIP:
To quickly check or uncheck all your files, click the box next to the
Name
column heading.
Managing Presentations
5
b
Click
Add to Presentation
.
c
Do either of the following:
Click
Continue
to add other files to your presentation.
Click
Layout
to position the files within your template.
NOTE:
If your presentation has only one zone, the
Layout
option is replaced by
Play Order
. This
option enables you to define the sequence in which the files play.
5(Optional) Add an RSS feed to your presentation:
NOTE:
If your presentation includes more than one zone, you can add either an RSS feed or text in
the zone that is designated for this type of content.
a
Under
Widgets
, click
RSS
Feed
Widget
.
b
Enter the web address for
the RSS feed.
c
Click
Every 30 minutes
and
select how often you want to refresh this RSS feed.
d
Click
Add
.
6(Optional) Add text to your presentation:
a
Under
Widgets
, click
Tex t
Widget
.
b
Enter the text you want to
include. To insert a pause
between text segments,
press
Enter
. Do not press
Enter
unless you want to
insert a pause between text segments.
c
Click
Add
.
6
Chapter 2
7(Optional) Enter a comment for this presentation:
a
Under
Presentation
, click
Add a
comment
.
b
Enter a description or any other notes you
want to include about this presentation.
The comment does not appear during
playback of the presentation.
c
Click
Save
.
Arranging the files in your presentation
After you select the screen layout and the files you want to include in your presentation, you
need to indicate where you want each file to appear on the screen and in which order you want
the files to appear.
1If necessary, open the presentation you want to arrange:
aSign into your BrightSign Network Manager account (see “Signing into BrightSign
Network Manager” for details).
b
Click the
My Files
tab.
c
Click the
Presentations
list and select the
presentation you want to arrange.
2If you presentation includes more than one zone, indicate where you want each file to
appear on the screen:
a
Click
Layout
.
b
Move a file to another zone by clicking the circle in the new zone.
TIP:
Use the thumbnail image in the upper-left corner of the screen to see where the various zones
are located on the screen. By default, files are placed in Zone 1. Other items such as text, an RSS
feed, and the clock, cannot be moved to other zones.
c
Click
Save
to confirm your changes and proceed to defining the play order.
Managing Presentations
7
3Indicate the order in which you want the files to play:
a
Under
Zone 1
, change the numbers next to each file
to indicate the playback sequence for that zone.
b
Click
Update Zone 1
.
c
Repeat this process for any other zones that have
been assigned multiple files.
d
After you update all of the zones, click
Finished
.
8
Chapter 2
Testing a presentation
After you arrange the files in your presentation, you need to test the presentation to make sure
it plays as you intended. To test the presentation, run it on a BrightSign that is attached to your
local network.
1Prepare a CF/SD card for the LocalTest group (see “Setting up a BrightSign network” for
details.)
2Select the presentation you want to test:
a
Click the
Scheduling
tab.
TIP:
You can also access the scheduling screen by clicking
Schedule Presentation
on the
home screen.
b
Under
Unscheduled Presentations
, click the presentation you want to test.
3Test the presentation:
a
Click
Test Presentation
.
b
Insert the LocalTest group card you
prepared in step 1 into a BrightSign that is
connected to your network and is currently
turned off.
c
Click
Start Test
.
d
Turn on the BrightSign.
e
Wait for the presentation to download and
play on the BrightSign.
4Do one of the following:
If your presentation did not play as intended, click
Cancel
and follow the steps in the next
section,
“Revising a presentation”
before you continue.
If the test was successful and your presentation played as intended, click
Skip Test
and follow
the steps in
“Scheduling a presentation
to continue.
Managing Presentations
9
Revising a presentation
If your presentation does not play as you intended, or you simply want to make enhancements,
you can revise your presentation.
NOTE:
Once you create a delivery schedule for you presentation, you cannot change the content
in your presentation unless you cancel the schedule.
1Open the presentation you want to revise:
a
Sign into your BrightSign Network Manager account (see
“Signing into BrightSign Network
Manager”
for details).
b
Click the
My Files
tab.
c
Click the
Presentations
list and select the
presentation you want to revise.
2Do any of the following:
Remove a file from the presentation. Under
Presentation
,
click
remove
next to the file
name.
Assign files to a specific area on the screen
(see
“Arranging the files in your
presentation
for details.)
Set the order in which the files play (see
Arranging the files in your presentation
for details.)
Add a file, widget, text, or comment to the presentation (see
Creating a presentation
for details).
Edit a text widget on a Windows PC. Under
Widgets
, highlight the text on the screen and then
press
Ctrl + C
. Open
Notepad
and paste the text into a new note by pressing
Ctrl + P
. Revise
the note in Notepad, and then highlight all of the text and press
Ctrl + C
. Return to the
BrightSign Network Manager screen, and under
Presentation
, click
remove
next to
Text
.
Under
Widgets
, click
Text Widget
, and then press
Ctrl + P
to paste the revised text into the
text widget. Click
Add
to accept the revised text.
10
Chapter 2
Edit a comment for a file. Under
Files
, click
Edit
in the comments column for that file.
View a file. Under
Files
, click the file name.
View a specific group of files. Under
Files
, click the
Filter By
list and select the type of files you
want to view.
TIP:
If you want to use this presentation as a template for other presentations, save a copy of it
with a different name (see
Copying a presentation
for details).
Changing your presentation settings
Before you schedule a presentation, you can change general settings for the presentation.
1Open the presentation for which you want to change the settings:
a
Sign into your BrightSign Network Manager account (see
“Signing into BrightSign Network
Manager”
for details).
b
Click the
My Files
tab.
c
Click the
Presentations
list and select the
presentation you want to revise.
2Under Presentation, click Settings, and then adjust any of the following settings:
Check Server for New Files:
Specify when BrightSign
units check for new content. You can choose a time range
such as 10 pm - 2am or a frequency such as every 12
hours. If you choose a time range, the units connect at
random within the specified time frame. We recommend
this method if you have several units that need to receive
the same content.
Unit Status Check:
Specify how often BrightSign units
contact the network to indicate that they are up and
running. This feature enables you to identify units that are
not functioning or communicating with the network
properly. To view the information collected by the unit
status feature, create a report and look at the
Last
Connect Time
data.
Managing Presentations
11
Screen Resolution:
Select the
HDMI
or
VGA
video output connector, and then select the
resolution setting of your video monitor. If you’re using component video, select
HDMI
.
Audio Output:
Select the method used to output audio from the BrightSign units:
Analog audio
SPDIF audio with stereo PCM (HDMI audio)
SPDIF audio with raw AC3
Analog audio with raw AC3 output on the SPDIF connector
Volume:
Set the audio volume by selecting a number from 1–100.
Slide Transition:
Select the effect used to transition from one image to the next image. The
selected transition applies to all zones in your presentation.
Slide Delay Interval:
Set how many seconds an image appears onscreen before moving to
the next file in the playlist. The selected interval applies to all zones in your presentation.
3Click Save.
Scheduling a presentation
After you test your presentation and confirm that it plays as you intended, youre ready to create
a delivery schedule. The delivery schedule determines which units in your BrightSign network
will play the presentation and the dates and times the presentation begins to play.
A scheduled presentation has one of three statuses:
Active:
The presentation is currently running on the assigned BrightSign.
Pending:
The presentation is scheduled to run in the future.
Expired:
The presentation has reached its end date and been replaced by an active
presentation.
12
Chapter 2
Each BrightSign can contain only one active and one pending presentation. You can, however,
schedule multiple pending presentations in BrightSign Network Manager, but only one pending
presentation resides on a BrightSign at any given time. Each time a BrightSign connects to the
network, it compares its active and pending presentation with the schedule on the server, and if
necessary, it downloads a new active presentation and the next pending presentation. When a
BrightSign is scheduled to switch presentations, playback stops, the card is modified to use the
new content, and the unit reboots.
1Open the scheduling screen:
aSign into your BrightSign Network Manager account (see “Signing into BrightSign
Network Manager” for details).
b
Click
Schedule Presentation
.
TIP:
If you’re already signed in to BrightSign Network Manager, you can access the scheduling
screen by clicking the
Scheduling
tab.
2Assign the presentation to groups, dates, and times:
a
Under
Unscheduled
Presentations
, click
the presentation you want to schedule.
b
Click the boxes next to the groups to
which you want to assign this
presentation
. (See
“Creating distribution
groups”
for details on creating groups.)
c
Enter an effective date for each of the
assigned groups.
d
Enter the time you want the
presentation
to play for each of the assigned groups.
(
Be sure to specify the time based on the time zone in which the unit is located).
e
Click
Schedule
.
Managing Presentations
13
Copying a presentation
If you need to create a new presentation that is based on another presentation, you can use the
Save As option to make a copy of an existing presentation.
1Open the presentation you want to copy:
aSign into your BrightSign Network Manager account (see “Signing into BrightSign
Network Manager” for details).
b
Click the
My Files
tab.
c
Click the
Presentations
list and select the
presentation you want to copy.
2Save the copy:
a
Under
Presentation
, click
Save As
.
b
Enter a name for the copy of the
presentation.
c
Click
Save
to create the copy.
Renaming a presentation
You can rename a presentation at any time.
1Open the presentation you want to rename:
aSign into your BrightSign Network Manager account (see “Signing into BrightSign
Network Manager” for details).
b
Click the
My Files
tab.
c
Click the
Presentations
list and select the
presentation you want to rename.
14
Chapter 2
2Rename the presentation:
a
Under
Presentation
, click
Rename
.
b
Enter a new name for the
presentation.
c
Click
Save
to keep the new name.
Deleting a presentation
You can delete any presentation that has not been assigned to a delivery schedule. Once you
create a schedule for a presentation, you cannot delete it unless you cancel the schedule.
1Open the presentation you want to delete:
aSign into your BrightSign Network Manager account (see “Signing into BrightSign
Network Manager” for details).
b
Click the
My Files
tab.
c
Click the
Presentations
list and select the
presentation you want to delete.
2Delete the presentation:
a
Under
Presentation,
click
Delete
.
b
Click
Yes
to confirm deletion, or click
Cancel
to keep the
presentation
.
15
Chapter 3
• • • • • •
Managing Your BrightSign Network
This chapter shows you how to add units to your BrightSign network and how to create
distribution groups, reports, and custom scripts.
Adding units to your BrightSign network
Each unit represents a BrightSign that is connected to your network. Units enable you to
distribute presentations to and view reports about specific BrightSigns.
When you set up your BrightSign network (see
“Setting up a BrightSign network”
), the
BrightSigns you set up are automatically added as units in BrightSign Network Manager the first
time the units connect to the network. You can, however, use the Units tab to add a name and
description for each unit and to change the group and time zone you assigned when you created
the CF/SD card.
1Sign into your BrightSign Network Manager account (see “Signing into BrightSign Network
Manager” for details).
2Click the Units tab.
3Click Add Unit.
4Enter the Unit ID.
5Click the Group
Assignment list, select the
group to which this unit
belongs.
16
Chapter 3
6Click the Time Zone list and select the time zone where this unit is located.
7(Optional) Enter a Name and Description for this unit.
8Click Save.
TIP:
If you prefer to enter your unit information in a spreadsheet, you can download your Units
information to your computer by clicking
Download Units File
. Open the file in a spreadsheet on
your computer, enter your unit information, and then save the file. When you’re ready to upload
your unit information to BrightSign Network Manager, click
Import Unit File
, click
Browse
and
select the location of the unit file, and then click
Upload
.
Creating distribution groups
Groups enable you to test your presentation and then distribute them to a specific set of
BrightSigns. For example, you can create groups based on the region or department in which the
BrightSigns reside.
BrightSign Network Manager includes two default groups: Default and LocalTest. LocalTest is the
group you use to test your presentations on your local network.
1Sign into your BrightSign Network
Manager account (see “Signing into
BrightSign Network Manager” for details).
2Click the Groups tab.
3Click Add Group.
4Enter a name for this group.
5Click Save.
TIP:
To delete a distribution group, click the
Delete
icon. When the
Delete Group
message appears, select the group into which you want to transfer any units assigned to the
group you’re deleting, and then click
OK
.
Managing Your BrightSign Network
17
Creating reports
You can view and download usage information for the BrightSigns in your network. Each entry
on the report represents a different BrightSign unit, and includes the following information:
Last time the unit connected to the network
Unique unit ID (mac address)
Unit name and description (if assigned)
Group and time zone when unit connected to the network
Active and pending presentations
IP address
CF/SD card size
Viewing reports
1Sign into your BrightSign Network Manager account (see “Signing into BrightSign Network
Manager” for details).
2Click the Reports tab.
3Click the Filter By list and select the group(s) you want to include in this report.
Downloading reports
You can download report information to your computer and then import the information into
another application to format it.
1Sign into your BrightSign Network Manager account (see “Signing into BrightSign Network
Manager” for details).
2Click the Reports tab.
3Click the Filter By list and select the group(s) you want to include in this report.
4Click Download Report Data.
18
Chapter 3
5Click Save, and select the folder in which you want to store the report data.
6Click Save to begin the download.
7Import the file into a spreadsheet, database, or another application that can read a CSV
(comma separated values) file and format the report.
Creating custom presentations
The web-based BrightSign Network Manager software enables you to create a wide range of
presentations. If you need to include features in your presentation that are not supported by the
web-based software, you can create a custom presentation in one of the following ways:
Create a custom playlist from scratch
Create a custom CSV file from scratch
Use BrightSign Network Manager to create a playlist, and then customize it
For details on creating custom playlists and CSV files from scratch, see the BrightSign
User Guide
at
www.roku.com/brightsign/support/userguide.php
. To customize the playlist you create with
BrightSign Network Manager, follow the steps in this section.
Customizing a playlist you create with BrightSign Network Manager
1If necessary, open the presentation you want to modify:
aSign into your BrightSign Network Manager account (see “Signing into BrightSign
Network Manager” for details).
b
Click the
My Files
tab.
c
Click the
Presentations
list and select the
presentation for which you want to customize
the playlist.
2Create a playlist by arranging the files in your presentation (see Arranging the files in your
presentation for details).
Managing Your BrightSign Network
19
3Download the playlist to your computer:
aOn the autoplay.bsp line under
Presentation
,
click Edit.
b
When the Advanced Script Editing message appears, click
autoplay.bsp
.
c
Click
Save
.
d
Select the folder where you want to store the file and then click
Save
.
4On your computer, edit the file you downloaded.
Adding a playlist or CSV file to your presentation
Whether you create a playlist or CSV file from scratch, or customize a playlist that you created
with BrightSign Network Manager, you can use the following steps to add the file to your
presentation.
1Sign into your BrightSign Network Manager account (see “Signing into BrightSign Network
Manager” for details).
2Click the My Files tab.
3Under Files, click Upload New Files.
4Select the type of file you want to add:
Click
Upload a custom playlist file
to add a
playlist you customized or created from
scratch.
Click
Upload a CSV file
to add a CSV you
created.
5Select the presentation to which you want to
add the file:
Select
Create a new presentation
to add the
file to a new presentation.
Select
Add to an existing one
and select an
existing presentation from the list.
20
Chapter 3
6Click Browse and select the playlist or CSV file on your computer.
7Do one of the following depending on the option you selected in step 4:
Click
Upload a Playlist File
.
Click
Upload a CSV File
.
8Click Finished.
Updating your BrightSign software
Roku periodically updates the BrightSign Network Manager. When a new version is available, you
can download it from the BrightSign website. The update process is very safe. If for some reason
the update fails, for example if there is a power failure in the middle of the update, the unit boots
in
safe-mode
and completes the update.
1Sign into your BrightSign Network Manager account (see “Signing into BrightSign Network
Manager” for details).
2Download the update file to your computer:
a
Click
Setup
in the upper-right corner.
b
Under
Beta Downloads
, click the
version you want to download.
c
Click
Save
, and select the folder in which you want to store the report data.
d
Click
Save
to begin the download.
3
Extract the update file onto your CF/SD card and give it one of the following names:
update.rok
: Use this file name if you want to auto-delete the update file after the update is
complete. This is useful when you want to distribute the update to the field on the same CF/SD
card that contains the display content. After the first boot, the BrightSign automatically runs
any auto-run content on the CF/SD card.
update_save.rok
: Use this file name if you want to keep the update file on the CF/SD card
after the update is complete. This is useful when you want to use the same CF/SD card to
update multiple BrightSigns.
Managing Your BrightSign Network
21
update_newer.rok
: Use this file name if you want to apply the update only if the version is
newer than the version currently on the BrightSign. The update file is not deleted.
update_different.rok
: Use this file name if you want to apply the update only if the version
does not match the version currently on the BrightSign. The file is not deleted.
4Run the update:
a
Insert the CF/SD card into the BrightSign.
b
Apply power and wait for the unit to boot. If a display is connected it will be blank, but the
LEDs on the front panel light as the unit boots.
c
Wait for the red upgrade LED to light up. During the upgrade, the connector activity LEDs
turn on and off to indicate that the upgrade is in progress.
If you named the file
update.rok
, the file deletes when the update finishes and the unit
reboots.
NOTE:
If the card was formatted with NTFS or HFS+, then the
update.rok
file does not delete and
the unit does not reboot after the update. Instead, the Video Mode LEDs flash.
If you named the file
update_save.rok
, the Video Mode LEDs flash when the update
finishes. The upgrade file does not delete and the unit does not reboot.

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