Signage Player Management Software

4-277-824-14 (1) Signage Player Management Software User s Guide Before operating the software, please read this manual thoroughly and retain it for future reference. VSP-BZ10 Version 1.10 and Later 2011 Sony Corporation

NOTICE TO USERS 2011 Sony Corporation. All rights reserved. This manual or the software described herein, in whole or in part, may not be reproduced, translated or reduced to any machine readable form without prior written approval from Sony Corporation. SONY CORPORATION PROVIDES NO WARRANTY WITH REGARD TO THIS MANUAL, THE SOFTWARE OR OTHER INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN AND HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE WITH REGARD TO THIS MANUAL, THE SOFTWARE OR SUCH OTHER INFORMATION. IN NO EVENT SHALL SONY CORPORATION BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, WHETHER BASED ON TORT, CONTRACT, OR OTHERWISE, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS MANUAL, THE SOFTWARE OR OTHER INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN OR THE USE THEREOF. Sony Corporation reserves the right to make any modification to this manual or the information contained herein at any time without notice. The software described herein may also be governed by the terms of a separate user license agreement. Note on Copyrighted Content Content data used for playout, such as video, still images, and text, may be copyrighted. Unauthorized distribution and/or playout of such content may be contrary to the provisions of the copyright laws. Also, the system allows you to use the fonts installed on the computer to create text content. Such fonts are copyrighted. Authorization or right of transmission is required to use them for playout. Trademark Notice BRAVIA is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista, Windows Media, DirectX, DirectShow, PowerPoint, and Internet Explorer are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. Flash is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Other system names, product names and company names appearing in this manual may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. In this manual such names are not indicated by or symbols. 2

Table of Contents Chapter 1 Overview Playout Workflow...7 Simple Scheduling Playout... 7 Schedule Playout... 8 Features...9 Functions of the Management Software... 9 Content Formats that the Management Software Handles... 9 System Configuration Example... 10 System Requirements...11 Personal Computer... 11 Required Software... 11 Notes on Other Software Applications... 12 Main Window...13 Chapter 2 Preparations Setup WorkFlow...15 Setting Up the Network...16 Assigning and Specifying IP Addresses for Each Player... 16 Setting Up the Computer...16 Specifying an IP Address for the Computer... 16 Specifying the Internet Explorer Settings... 17 Installing the Management Software...18 Starting and Exiting the Management Software...19 Starting the Management Software... 19 Exiting the Management Software... 19 Setting Up the System Using the Easy Setting Wizard...20 Chapter 3 Content Preparation Add Content Window...23 Registering and Creating Content Files...25 Registering a Video, Still Image, or Audio File... 25 Creating/Editing Text... 27 Creating/Editing Graphical Text... 29 Table of Contents 3

Chapter 4 Playlist Editing Edit Playlist Window...31 Creating and Editing a Playlist...34 Opening a Playlist... 35 Adding Content Items... 35 Editing a Playlist... 36 Saving an Edited Playlist... 36 Attaching Schedule Information to a Playlist and Distributing It...37 Attaching Schedule Information to the Playlist... 37 Distributing the Playlist via a Network... 37 Distributing the Playlist Using a USB Flash Drive... 38 Chapter 5 Scheduling Edit Schedule Window...39 Items Shown on the Time Table... 43 Creating and Editing a Schedule...44 Opening a Schedule... 44 Adding Playlists, Text Items, and Control Items... 44 Editing a Schedule... 45 Specifying Schedule Information... 45 Saving the Edited Schedule... 46 Chapter 6 Distribution Distribute Window...47 Distributing Schedules to Players...49 Selecting Schedules to Be Distributed... 49 Distributing Schedules via a Network... 50 Distributing Schedules Using a USB Flash Drive... 50 Chapter 7 Interrupt Playout Interrupt Playout Window...52 Interrupting Playout...54 Distributing RSS Feeds...56 Registering RSS Feeds... 56 Specifying the RSS Watch Interval and Display Format... 56 4 Table of Contents

Verifying Players for which RSS Feeds are Distributed... 57 Distributing RSS Feeds... 57 Chapter 8 Maintenance Maintenance Window...59 Checking and Deleting Content from Players...61 Rebooting Players...62 Chapter 9 Settings Settings Window...63 Adding/Deleting Players or Modifying Player Settings After Starting Operation...66 Adding a Player... 66 Deleting a Player... 67 Changing a Player s Settings... 68 Changing Other Player-Related Settings...69 Chapter 10 Other Operations Deleting Content from the Storage Area of a Player...70 From a Player that Receives Content via a Network... 70 From a Player that Receives Content Using a USB Flash Drive... 70 Data Backup...71 Backing Up Content, Playlists, Schedules and System/ Player Settings... 71 Replacing the Computer... 71 Uninstalling the Management Software...72 Glossary...73 Index...75 Table of Contents 5

Chapter 1 Overview Overview Chapter1 This manual describes the operations of the Signage Player Management Software that is supplied with the VSP-BZ10 Digital Signage Player. The VSP-BZ10 player is called a player in this manual. The Signage Player Management Software (herein referred to as the management software ) manages up to ten players. The management software is designed to manage systems that distribute audio, visual, and text (i.e., superimposed text and graphics) content to the players, and then play that content, such as sales promotional videos at stores or commercial videos in public places. The management software supports either landscape or portrait orientation of display devices. Also, it distributes content not only via a network but also using USB flash drives, which enables digital signage even in places where there is no network infrastructure. The main tasks of the management software, such as registering content, and creating playlists and schedules, can be performed by simple drag & drop operations. Read the Operating Instructions of the VSP-BZ10 player and the display device, too, for details on operations of the system. 6

Playout Workflow Prepare content (see page 25) Register video, still images, and audio files. The VSP-BZ10 players enable various playout routines in combination with management software or alone. When this management software is used with the VSP-BZ10 players, the following major playout routines are available. Note Installation and setup operations are required before starting operations shown in the flowcharts. See Preparations on page 15 for details. Simple Scheduling Playout Computer with the management software Playlist VSP-BZ10 player Create a playlist (see page 34) Add content to a playlist according to the playout order. Save the playlist (see page 36) Attach schedule information to the playlist (see page 37) Specify target player(s). Specify period and day(s) of the week when the playlist is to be used. Specify the time when the playlist is to be used. Use network for distribution Distribute to the player(s) (see page 37) Distribute the playlist to the players. Use USB flash drives for distribution Export to a USB flash drive (see page 38) Export the playlist to a USB flash drive. You can export playlists for more than one players using one USB flash drive. Chapter 1 Overview When you want simply to repeat a single playlist, you can attach schedule information to the playlist, and distribute it. This playout routine is referred to as simple scheduling playout. It enables simple playout with fewer steps to perform than schedule playout, which is described in the next section. The following flowchart shows the simple scheduling playout operation. Copy to a player (Refer to the Operating Instructions of the player) Plug the USB flash drive into the USB port of the player. Content, playlists, and settings are copied automatically. Playout Workflow 7

Schedule Playout Schedule consisting of playlists, text, and control items Prepare content (see page 25) Register video, still images, and audio items. Create text items. Chapter 1 Overview Computer with the management software VSP-BZ10 player Create playlists (see page 34) Add content to each playlist according to the playout order. Save the playlists (see page 36) When you want to use text and control items, and/or to combine more than one playlist, arrange them on the time table of a day. This time table is referred to as a schedule in the management software, and playout using schedules is referred to as schedule playout. The following flowchart shows the schedule playout operation. Create a schedule (see page 44) Specify target player(s). Add playlists, text, and control items to the schedule. Specify period and day(s) of the week when the schedule is to be used. Save the schedule (see page 46) Use network for distribution Distribute to the player(s) (see page 49) Distribute the schedule to the players. Use USB flash drives for distribution Export to a USB flash drive (see page 49) Export the schedule to a USB flash drive. You can export schedules for more than one players using one USB flash drive. Copy to a player (Refer to the Operating Instructions of the player) Plug the USB flash drive into a USB port of the player. Content, playlists, schedules, and settings are copied automatically. 8 Playout Workflow

Features Players support an auto-resume function for downloading. If a connection fails during distribution, each player resumes downloading from that point where it was interrupted. Functions of the Management Software The management software provides the following functions: Making settings required for content distribution Registering the players Player Settings Registering content to be played on a player Registering content, such as video, still images, and audio files, that have been created using other application software Creating text content Creating playlists and playout schedules for players Creating playlists Specifying combinations of the content to be played and their playout order. Creating a schedule Listing playlists and text content, and specifying when they should be played. Commands for controlling the player that are provided by the management software, can be listed on a schedule, too. Distribution to a player Distribution of schedules When using a network for the distribution of schedules, the player automatically downloads the necessary data from the computer. When using a USB flash drive for distribution, export the necessary data to the USB flash drive, and copy that data to the player after connecting the USB flash drive to the target player. Interrupt playout (only for players connected to a network) Playout currently being performed on the players will be interrupted by newly distributed content shown over the ongoing playout. RSS distribution (only for players connected to a network) Register RSS feeds for distribution. Checking distribution status Hints A player never downloads items that have already been stored on it, so that time and bandwidth will not be wasted. System maintenance Configuring the system password of each player Rebooting of each player The following functions are enabled only on players connected to a network. Checking the status of each player Checking files stored in the storage of each player, and deleting ones that are no longer necessary Interrupt playout RSS distribution Content Formats that the Management Software Handles The management software handles the following content formats: Type Video 1) Still image Text 2) Audio Format MPEG2 PS Profile/Level: MP@ML Audio: MPEG1 Audio Layer 2 (MP2) MPEG2 TS Profile/Level: MP@HL Audio: MPEG1 Audio Layer 2 (MP2) H.264/AVC Profile/Level: BP@L3, MP@L4, HP@L4 Audio: AAC JPEG PNG BMP Captions that you create with the management software by specifying the characters, color, font, and other attributes. You can also specify PNG files as text content. MPEG1/2 Audio Layer3 (MP3) AAC PCM 1) You can convert Microsoft PowerPoint files (.ppt,.pptx) and Flash files (.swf,.flv) into MPEG2 files using Signage Animation Converter (see page 25). Refer to the specification document for information on limitations and details on each content format. 2) When you use Signage RSS Navigator (see page 56), you can receive news, weather, and other information in RSS (Rich Site Summary / RDF Site Summary) format, and convert the information into text format. This tool periodically checks whether the RSS feed has been updated, and automatically distributes the most recent information. Chapter 1 Overview Features 9

System Configuration Example The following illustration shows a basic example of a system. The management software supports two types of distribution: via a network and using USB flash drives. Chapter 1 Overview Computer (Running the Management Software) Network (Internet/LAN) USB flash drive VSP-BZ10 Digital Signage Player VSP-BZ10 Digital Signage Player Display device Display device * Up to ten players in total can be managed by the management software. 10 Features

System Requirements Personal Computer PC/AT or compatible computer that meets the following minimum requirements: (Home-built computers, computers on which the preinstalled OS has been replaced, and Macintosh computers cannot be used.) OS Windows XP Professional Service Pack3 (32-bit) English edition Windows XP Professional Service Pack3 (32-bit) Japanese edition Windows Vista Business Service Pack2 (32-bit/64-bit) English edition Windows Vista Business Service Pack2 (32-bit/64-bit) Japanese edition Windows 7 Professional Service Pack1 (32-bit/64-bit) English edition Windows 7 Professional Service Pack1 (32-bit/64-bit) Japanese edition The software applications have not been tested on any other operating systems. CPU Processor 1 GHz (2 GHz recommended) Memory 1 GB of installed RAM (2 GB recommended) At least 2 GB of RAM is required to use Signage Animation Converter. HDD 100 MB of hard disk space on the system drive available upon installation. The system drive is the drive where Windows has been installed. However, if Microsoft.NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 is not installed, it will be installed automatically, together with the management software, requiring 700 MB (max.) of free disk space. Network (if connected to the players via a network) Equipped with a network interface If multiple network interfaces exist, select the interface to use with the Adapter setting in the Player Settings window (see page 21). An Internet connection or local network connection is required for communication with the players. Notes If you send data over the Internet, it is recommended that you take appropriate security measures, such as using a VPN. Do not access a single player from two or more management software applications. Note on firewall settings of the computer Set up the firewall to allow sending and receiving of data using the following combinations of the protocols and port numbers, or any data communication involving this software application. Port No. Protocol Used to: 123/udp NTP Synchronize the clock of a player to this computer s. 4980*/tcp HTTP Communicate with a player. * This port number is the default setting. You can change the setting in the System Settings pane of the Settings window. Note If this software is installed in Windows 7, Windows Time Service will be configured to start automatically. Sound card A Microsoft-DirectX9.0c-compatible card Display card and screen resolution A Microsoft-DirectX9.0c-compatible card 1024 768 screen resolution, and 32-bit color mode Notes Leave the default setting ( Normal size (96 DPI) ) unchanged in the DPI setting. Depending on the screen size of the computer, part of the window may be hidden by the taskbar. Select the Autohide the taskbar option in the Windows taskbar properties window, in such a case. Required Software When using Signage Animation Converter, Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 or later is required to convert PowerPoint files, and Adobe Flash Player 8 is required to convert Flash files. Adobe Reader is required to view manuals. Operation is not guaranteed for all computers, even if they comply with the recommended environment. Chapter 1 Overview System Requirements 11

Notes on Other Software Applications Chapter 1 Overview Operation is not guaranteed if another software application is operated simultaneously with the management software. Avoid high CPU utilization rate operations, such as scanning the computer with antivirus software, while the management software is being operated. 12 System Requirements

Main Window The following illustration shows an example of the main window of the management software. The Add Content window is selected in this example. 1 Menu bar 2 Operation guide Chapter 1 Overview 3 Operation window area a Menu bar Provides menus for carrying out the tasks that are related to the entire range of operations of the management software. By selecting a menu item, commands contained in the selected menu are displayed. File menu Command Open Data Folder Exit Opens a window of the data folder in which all content, playlists, schedules, and settings are stored. Ends operations of the management software and closes the window. Tools menu Command Signage Animation Converter Signage RSS Navigator Starts Signage Animation Converter, allowing you to convert PowerPoint files or Flash files into MPEG2 files. Starts Signage RSS Navigator, allowing you configure settings for distributing RSS/Atom-format information received via the network to the player as text. Main Window 13

Chapter 1 Overview Help menu Command Error Code List, Specifications Update About Displays the corresponding document. Connects to the Internet, and checks whether software updates are available. Displays the version number and other information of the management software. b Operation guide Provides buttons corresponding to the main tasks of the management software. Selecting a button displays a window used for the operation of the corresponding task in the operation window area. Notes The management software does not allow you to click the operation guide buttons during distribution. Do not delete the data folders, as doing so may result in malfunctions during startup of the management software. Button Displays the Settings window. This window provides setup items related to the entire system. You can also register new players in the management software, edit or delete player registration in this window. c Operation window area Displays the window, according to the selected operation guide button. In the example above, the button is selected, hence the Add Content window is displayed. This area may be divided into several panes, depending on the displayed window. You can drag a border line of a pane to expand/narrow the pane. See chapter 3 and after for details on each window displayed in the operation window area. Button Displays the Add Content window. You can register or create content to be played on the players in this window. Displays the Edit Playlist window. You can create and edit playlists by specifying the combination and playout order of the content items in this window. Displays the Edit Schedule window. You can create and edit playout schedules by listing playlists, text, and control items in this window. Displays the Distribute window. You can distribute the selected playout schedule with the content and playlists required for playout to players in this window. Displays the Interrupt Playout window. You can distribute a new content item and play it immediately over the playout currently performed on the players. Displays the Maintenance window which lists all the players, showing the errors that have occurred and the remaining storage capacity of each player. From this window, you can check the content files stored on each player, and delete some of them to increase available storage capacity. You can also reboot each player in this window. 14 Main Window

Preparations 2 Chapter Setup WorkFlow The following flowchart shows an example of the operations required when the system is installed: Chapter 2 Preparations Make a note of serial numbers of the players that will receive content using USB flash drives. Connect players to display devices. For details, refer to the VSP-BZ10 Installation Manual. Use a network Set up the network (see page 16) Do not use a network Specify the following system settings; Location of the data folder. Schedule start time Easy Setting Wizard (see page 20) Set up the computer (see page 16) Install the management software on the computer (see page 18) Register players in the management software. Click [Send and Complete] or [Complete]. Repeat for as many players as you are using Start the management software (see page 19) For players receiving content via a network For players receiving content using USB flash drives The settings are sent to the players. When a playlist or schedule is exported to a USB flash drive, the settings, too, are copied to the USB flash drive automatically. Setup WorkFlow 15

Setting Up the Network Setting Up the Computer When you intend to use a network for distribution, players should be assigned with IP addresses, and connected to a network. When you intend to use a network for distribution, specify a static IP address to the computer on which the management software will be installed, and make the required settings related to Internet Explorer. Chapter 2 Preparations Assigning and Specifying IP Addresses for Each Player Each player requires two IP addresses: one for Signage Web Manager (IP Address 1), and the other for content playout (IP Address 2). Assign two IP addresses for each player. All IP addresses must be unique. Refer to the Operating Instruction of the player for details on IP address settings. Hint Make a note of IP addresses 1 and 2 specified for each device. You will need to enter these addresses to register the player in the management software. Specifying an IP Address for the Computer In this system, the computer that will be running the management software should have a static IP address, rather than obtaining an IP address automatically, as each player will download content from this computer upon content distribution. Note In a system configuration where data is sent and received between the players and the computer via the Internet, a global IP address must be used for the computer. If the computer and players are connected by a LAN only, you may use a private IP address. For details about the network addresses that you can use, ask your network administrator. 1 Click the Windows Start button, then click [Control Panel]. The Control Panel window appears. 2 In the Control Panel window, click the View network status and tasks link in the Network and Internet block. The Control Panel window changes to the Network and Sharing Center window. Note When the Classic View of the Control Panel window is chosen, double-click the Network and Sharing Center icon to open the Network and Sharing Center window. 16 Setting Up the Network / Setting Up the Computer

Both windows close. 9 Close the Local Area Connection Status window by clicking [Close], and then close the Network and Sharing Center window by clicking the button. View status link Specifying the Internet Explorer Settings 3 Click the View status link displayed on the right. The Local Area Connection Status window appears. 4 Click [Properties]. The Local Area Connection Properties window appears. 5 Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), then click [Properties]. During communication with the players, the management software uses the web browser (Internet Explorer) settings. Make the required settings as follows. Note The illustrations used in the following steps are those of Internet Explorer Version 7.0. The procedure is the same even if you are using another version of Internet Explorer. 1 Start the web browser (Internet Explorer). The Internet Explorer window appears. Chapter 2 Preparations The Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) Properties window appears. 2 Click [Tools] on the menu bar, then click [Internet Options] from the pull down menu. The Internet Options window appears. 3 Click the Connections tab. The following window appears. Click Connections. 6 Enter the IP address for the computer in the IP address text box, for example, 192.168.0.10. When you click the Subnet mask text box, the subnet mask that corresponds to the entered IP address appears. 7 Enter the IP address of the default gateway to be used, if necessary, in the Default gateway text box. 8 Click [OK] in the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/ IPv4) Properties window, and then click [OK] in the Local Area Connection Properties window. 4 Click [LAN Settings]. The Local Area Network (LAN) Settings window appears. 5 Make the following settings in the Local Area Network (LAN) Settings window. Setting Up the Computer 17

When a proxy server is not to be used on the network that is used during operation 1 Remove all check marks. Installing the Management Software Next, install the management software on the computer. Chapter 2 Preparations 2 Click [OK]. When a proxy server is to be used on the network that is used during operation Note Installation must be done by a Windows computer administrator. 1 Insert the installation CD-ROM supplied with the player into the CD drive. 2 Double-click the Setup.exe file stored on the installation CD. The installer starts. 1 Remove check marks. 2 Place a check mark. Note If a confirmation message from Windows appears, click [Continue] or [Allow]. 3 Make settings according to the instructions of your network administrator. 4 Click [OK]. The Internet Options window returns. 6 Click [OK] in the Internet Options window. 3 Install the software according to the instructions given by the wizard displayed on the screen. When a license agreement document is displayed, read it thoroughly, click I accept the terms in the license agreement, and continue installation. 4 At the end of the installation process, click [Finish] according to the instructions given by the wizard. 18 Installing the Management Software

Starting and Exiting the Management Software Note A Windows limited user is not allowed to operate the management software. Starting the Management Software Double-click the Signage Player Management Software shortcut on the Windows desktop. The main window of the management software opens, allowing you to use the software. Exiting the Management Software Click [File] > [Exit] on the menu bar of the main window. The main window of the management software closes, and the software terminates. If there is an unsaved item or unsent changes of settings, or when the management software is communicating with a player, a confirmation message appears. Click [Yes] to save the item or send the settings, if necessary. Provided distribution has been finished, content will be played automatically according to playlists and schedules, even after the management software is terminated. Note If the management software should fail, restart Windows to stop the background processes that remain operating. Chapter 2 Preparations Notes When you start the software for the first time after installation, the Easy Setting Wizard appears automatically instead. Proceed according to the instructions given by the wizard to set up the system. See Setting Up the System Using the Easy Setting Wizard on page 20 for details on the Easy Setting Wizard. When you start the management software in Windows 7 or Windows Vista, a window requesting confirmation on whether to allow running of the HTTP server appears. Click [Continue]. Starting and Exiting the Management Software 19

Chapter 2 Preparations Setting Up the System Using the Easy Setting Wizard When the management software is started for the first time after being installed, the Easy Setting Wizard will start automatically. Set up the following items using this wizard before you start operating the management software. Location of the data folder in which all content, playlists, schedules, and settings will be stored Orientation (landscape or portrait) of the display devices to be used Start time of the schedule for a day Players to be managed by the management software Notes The location of the data folder and the start time of the schedule for a day are fundamental settings for system operations. It is not possible to modify these two later. To modify them, you must initialize the player and reinstall the software before specifying the new settings. The data you are using, such as content and playlists, will not be available after reinstallation. Refer to the Operating Instructions of the player for details on initializing the player. When setting the location of the data folder, specify a location for which users of the management software will have access privileges. 1 When the welcome screen of the wizard is displayed as shown in the image above, click [Next]. The next screen appears, asking the location of the data folder. 2 Specify the desired location of the data folder, either by entering its path, or clicking [Browse] and selecting the folder, then click [Next]. The management software will store all the data in this data folder. The next screen appears asking the orientation of the display devices. 3 Select Landscape or Portrait, then click [Next] The next screen appears asking the start time of the schedule (time table) of each day. 4 Specify the desired time (24-hour system) using the Time drop-down list boxes, then click [Next]. The next player registration screen appears. Note The management software regards 24 hours starting from the specified Schedule Start Time as a single schedule day. Playout of any item must be scheduled within one schedule day. Playout starting on a certain schedule day cannot end on another schedule day. 20 Setting Up the System Using the Easy Setting Wizard

5 Click [Add] to register a player. The Player Settings window appears. Item Adapter Enable RSS distribution Network adapter used for communication with the players. Enable text distribution via Signage RSS Navigator. When this is enabled, interrupt playout from the management software is disabled. 1) If you change this setting, restart each player after sending the settings to the players. The management software checks the connection between the player and the computer. If a connection is established, information on that player, such as the serial number and size of the storage, is displayed in the Player Settings window. Chapter 2 Preparations Hint Under factory default settings, IP address 1 and 2 are automatically acquired via DHCP. The subnet mask and default gateway settings can be changed using Signage Web Manager. To check the settings for IP address 1 and IP address 2, press the INFO button on the player while the player is connected to a display. 6 Register one of the players you use in this window. For a player receiving content via a network Select the Network Operation option button, enter the following data in the respective fields, then click [Connect]. Item Player Name Display Orientation 1) Display Model Playout Mode 1) Name used to identify the player. You can use up to 100 characters in a player name. However, the following symbols cannot be used. \ / : *? " < > Orientation in which the display device is installed. Select from Sony public displays, BRAVIA, and other models. Select from AVOUT Auto, HD15 1080p60, HD15 1080p50, HD15 720p60, or HD15 720p50. Time Zone 1) Time zone in which the player will be placed for operation. IP Address 1 IP address used for Signage Web Manager. IP Address 2 IP address used for playout operations. All IP addresses must be unique in a network segment. For a player receiving content using a USB flash drive Select the USB Flash Drive Operation option button, if any, then enter the following data in the respective fields. Item Player Name Display Orientation 1) Display Model Playout Mode 1) 1) If you change this setting, restart each player after copying the settings to the players. 7 Click [OK] in the Player Settings window. The window closes. Name used to identify the player. You can use up to 100 characters in a player name. However, the following symbols cannot be used. \ / : *? " < > Orientation in which the display device is installed. Select from Sony public displays, BRAVIA, and other models. Select from AVOUT Auto, HD15 1080p60, HD15 1080p50, HD15 720p60, or HD15 720p50. Time Zone 1) Time zone in which the player will be placed for operation. Serial No. The serial number of the player. Setting Up the System Using the Easy Setting Wizard 21

8 Repeat steps 5 to 7 to register another player. You can register up to ten players in total. When all players have been registered, click [Next]. The next screen, for confirmation of the registered players, appears. 9 Check the displayed settings, then click [Send and Complete] or [Complete]. Chapter 2 Preparations Setup with Easy Setting Wizard is complete. The settings you made are sent to the players connected to the network. For players that will receive content using a USB flash drive, the settings are saved in the management software for now. They will be automatically copied when content, playlists, and schedules are exported to a USB flash drive for distribution, and transferred to the player. If connection between the player and the computer fails When you click [Connect] in step 6, the management software checks the connection between the player and the computer. You can register the player even if connection cannot be established at that time. In the Player Settings window, such a player is displayed with a mark in its Connect column. Once network communication has succeeded, a o mark is displayed instead, and the player will be able to be used. 22 Setting Up the System Using the Easy Setting Wizard

Content Preparation 3 Chapter Add Content Window Clicking the button of the operation guide displays the Add Content window. This window is used for content preparation, that is, registering video/still images and audio files, and creating text items. The following illustration shows an example of the Add Content window. It has only the My Collection Folder pane. Chapter 3 Content Preparation My Collection Folder pane My Collection Folder pane The My Collection Folder pane shows the content that is registered in the management software. This pane enables you to register or create new content items, too. The pane has a thumbnail view and a detail view, and consists of three parts. Add Content Window 23

1 Toolbar 2 Tree You can create a sub folder in these folders to manage content items. Up to 30 levels can be created in the sub folder directory hierarchy. Clicking a folder on the tree selects that folder, then the sub folders and the items in it appear on the content list. Chapter 3 Content Preparation 3 Content list a Toolbar Provides buttons corresponding to the functions related to content registration and creation. Button Opens the My Document folder window to enable you to register content files. Moves up to the previous level on the tree. Creates a new folder in the currently selected folder. Opens the Move to window to specify the destination folder for moving the selected item. Deletes the selected item after showing a confirmation message. Opens the Properties window for the selected content item. Opens the Edit Text window to create a new text item. Opens the Edit Graphical Text window to specify a PNG file and create a new text item. Opens the Edit Text window or Edit Graphical Text window to edit the currently selected text item (text or PNG). Selects the thumbnail view. Selects the detail view. c Content list Shows the sub folders and items contained in the currently selected folder. The buttons on the toolbar allow you to switch between the following two content list views: Detail view Information on the items, such as the file names and sizes is displayed as a list. You can sort the items on the list by clicking a column title. For example, to sort the items by size, click Size. Clicking the same column title switches between ascending and descending orders for the listing. Thumbnail view Thumbnail pictures or icons and the file names are displayed. A thumbnail picture is basically displayed for a video or still image item. However, if the management software cannot obtain a thumbnail picture of a video file, the video icon will be displayed instead. Besides the thumbnail pictures, the following icons are used for the items. Icon Video item (Displayed for a video item if its thumbnail picture cannot be obtained.) Text item Audio item When you are going to perform an operation with a content item, playlist, or schedule, first select the desired item, then use one of the buttons on the toolbar. b Tree Shows the Content folder in the My Collection folder. This Content folder is provided to store content items. Besides the Content folder, there are three other folders provided to store playlists, schedules, and control commands respectively, but they are not shown in the My Collection Folder pane in the Add Content window. Each folder can contain one or more sub folders. 24 Add Content Window

Registering and Creating Content Files Clicking the button of the operation guide displays the Add Content window. Content to be played on the players should be registered or created in the My Collection Folder pane. See Add Content Window on page 23 for details on the window. 3 Display the folder in which the files to be registered are stored. The files in that folder are displayed. 4 In the My Collection Folder pane of the Add Content window, select the folder in which you would like to register files. You can use the button on the toolbar to create a sub-folder, and register content files in it. 5 Select the files to be registered in Windows Explorer. The procedure for registering or creating content varies, depending on the type of content. Registering a Video, Still Image, or Audio File To use video, still image, or audio content, register the files created using other programs. 6 Move the selection to the Add Content window using a drag & drop operation. If you drag & drop PowerPoint files or Flash files, Signage Animation Converter will start automatically. You can use this tool to convert the PowerPoint or Flash files and register them as MPEG2 files. See To convert PowerPoint and Flash files into video on page 25 for details. Chapter 3 Content Preparation See Content Formats that the Management Software Handles on page 9 for details on the types of files that can be used for playout. Notes Create content for registration in the landscape orientation. Content in the portrait orientation cannot be registered. When using a display that is oriented in the portrait position, register any portrait-oriented content on its side. You can then rotate this content and change its orientation for previewing when editing the playlist. The management software displays the name of the original file as the name of a content item, therefore two or more content items may exist with identical name. You can use up to 25 ASCII characters in the file names. If you move, delete, or rename registered content files using Windows Explorer or other means, No File will appear when you display playlists that include these files, and these playlists cannot be distributed. 1 Click the button of the operation guide. The Add Content window appears. It consists of the My Collection Folder pane only. 2 Click the button on the toolbar. The My Document folder window opens. The dropped files are copied to the data folder, and displayed in the My Collection Folder pane. To convert PowerPoint and Flash files into video Use Signage Animation Converter to convert PowerPoint files and Flash files into MPEG2 format video files for registration. Notes If the CPU processing load on the computer is high during conversion of a PowerPoint file, the video and audio may not be synchronized properly. In addition, if the slide transitions in the PowerPoint file have been configured to include animated effects, the file may not convert to the specified playout duration. If a PowerPoint file includes video, the video portion will not be converted. Registering and Creating Content Files 25

Chapter 3 Content Preparation Do not configure switching effects for the first slide of a PowerPoint file. Configured effects will not be converted. Specify [On-screen Show (4:3)] or [On-screen Show (16:9)] under [Page Setup] in the PowerPoint settings to configure the size of the slides in the PowerPoint file. If you specify any other size, the file cannot be converted. If you are using Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 or later in Windows Vista or Windows 7, PowerPoint file conversion may not be performed properly and a video of a blank white screen may result, depending on your operating environment. In such cases, changing the following settings to disable the Windows Aero function may enable proper conversion. - Click Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Personalization > Change the theme, and change the desktop theme to Windows Classic. If you are using Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 or later and you convert PowerPoint files with [Resolution/Format] set to [SD/NTSC] or [SD/PAL], the message, End of slide show, may appear at the end of the resulting video, depending on your operating environment. In such cases, perform one of the following procedures for configuration and conversion. - Set [Resolution/Format] to [HD/60i] or [HD/50i] and perform conversion again. - Insert a blank dummy page at the end of the slideshow, perform conversion, and then shorten the playout duration in the property configuration page of the video so that the dummy page will not be played. If you are using Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 in Windows Vista or Windows 7, PowerPoint files that include animations may not be properly converted, depending on your operating environment. In such cases, remove the animation effects or use PowerPoint 2010. 1 Drag & drop the PowerPoint files or Flash files to the Add Content window. Signage Animation Converter appears. If Signage Animation Converter was already displayed, you can drag & drop the files directly to the content list in Signage Animation Converter. Content list 2 Click the Setup button to display the Output Setting window, and configure the conversion settings. Item Resolution/Format Rotate Video Output Folder PowerPoint Slide Duration Specifies the image size and video format. Select HD/60i, HD/50i, SD/ NTSC, or SD/PAL. When this is enabled, content in the portrait orientation will be automatically converted into images for portrait display. However,.flv format files will not be converted. Click the BROWSE button to display the Output Folder window, and specify the folder to which the images will be output. Specifies the playout duration for the PowerPoint file slides. You can specify a duration between 1 and 300 seconds. This setting is not applied to slides for which animation is configured. 3 Click [OK]. 26 Registering and Creating Content Files

4 Click [Start] in Signage Animation Converter. Video conversion starts. The progress and status of conversion is displayed in the content list. When conversion is complete, the content is automatically registered to the My Collection folder. Notes The video resulting from conversion will include audio that was output from the computer during conversion, in addition to the audio included in the PowerPoint file. However, conversion will not be possible if you disable the computer s audio. When you convert a Flash file for which playback starts automatically and cannot be paused or resumed, the playout duration after conversion will differ from that of the original file. When creating Flash files that will be converted, create them so that pause and resume controls are enabled. If you are unsure of whether a Flash file can be paused, play the Flash file in a Web browser, rightclick the image, and check whether you can pause playback from the context menu. In addition, if a check mark does not appear next to [Show All] in the context menu when you right-click the Flash file image in a Web browser, proper conversion to the resolution specified in Signage Animation Converter may not be possible for that Flash file. If you set [Resolution/Format] to [HD/60i] or [HD/50i] and convert a PowerPoint file, white lines may be included in the outer frames of the slides or parts of the image may not be displayed. In such cases, set [Resolution/Format] to [SD/NTSC] or [SD/PAL], and convert the file again. 3 Click the button in the Properties window. The Duration Setting window appears. 4 Specify the desired duration (hours, minutes, and seconds in the HH:MM:SS format) using the Duration drop-down list boxes, then click [OK]. The Duration Setting window closes, and the specified duration is displayed in the Properties window. 5 Click the button at the top right of the window to close the Properties window. Creating/Editing Text Chapter 3 Content Preparation To specify duration for a video The management software allows you to specify duration for a video item in its Properties window. Hint You can also modify the duration of a video item, using this procedure. When you shorten the duration, the remainder of the video item will be cut. When you extend the duration, the picture of the last frame will be displayed for the added duration. 1 In the Add Content window, select the desired video item. 2 Click the button on the toolbar. The Properties window appears, showing the properties for the selected video item. Create text content, and specify the colors, font, size, and effects for the items. 1 Click the button of the operation guide. 2 Click the button on the toolbar to create a new text item. To edit an existing text item, select the item to be edited in the My Collection Folder pane, then click the button. In either case, the Edit Text window appears. When editing a text item, the selected item appears in the window. Registering and Creating Content Files 27

Text box Preview area Item Effect Speed Specifies one of the following text display effects: Single Line (Scroll): Makes text flow across the screen from right to left. Length Scroll: Makes text flow across the screen from bottom to top. Single Line (Static): Displays single-line stable text. Full Screen (Static): Displays multiline stable text. Specifies the speed of text flow. Select Slow, Medium, or Fast after you select Single Line (Scroll) or Length Scroll for Effect. Specifies text alignment. Select Left, Center, or Right after you select Length Scroll, Single Line (Static), or Full Screen (Static) for Effect. Changes the orientation of the display. Specifies the vertical display position of the text. Chapter 3 Content Preparation Slider (Enabled only for a scroll text item.) 3 Type the desired text or edit the text in the text box at the top. Alignment Text Position 4 Specify the properties as desired using the buttons and drop-down list boxes in the Edit Text window. Note that some of the properties can be assigned to the selected part of the text item. Item Font Size Selects the font face. Assigns/removes the bold style alternately to the selected characters. Assigns/removes the italic style alternately to the selected characters. Assigns/removes the underline style alternately to the selected characters. Opens a color palette to enable you to select the background color, including transparent background. Opens a color palette to enable you to select the color for the selected characters. Specifies the character size. Select Small, Medium, Large, or Custom. When you select Custom, specify the desired size in the text box. 5 Click [Check]. The text you typed is displayed in the preview area of the Edit Text window with the specified properties. Check the text size in this area. When the Single Line (Scroll) or Length Scroll effect is selected, the slider at the bottom of the window is enabled, allowing you to check the entire text. When the Single Line (Scroll) effect is selected, the approximate time required to display the entire text content is shown as the Scroll Time. Use the slider to check the entire scroll text. It may be useful to remember the displayed scroll time for creating schedules. Note The Edit Text window does not show movement of the text even when you select a scroll effect. 6 To modify the text item, repeat steps 3, 4, and 5. To save the edited text item, click [Save] in the Edit Text window. The Save Text window appears. 7 To save the newly created text item or the edited text item as a new one, specify the location in which the created text item should be stored and the file name 28 Registering and Creating Content Files

for the item in the Save Text window, then click [OK]. You can use up to 25 ASCII characters in the file names. PNG file list To save the edited text item over the original item, check the displayed location and file name, and click [OK]. The created text item is stored in the specified folder. If there is already a file having the same name in the specified folder, a confirmation message appears. Click [OK] to overwrite the file. Preview area Note To apply a text item that has been overwritten to a schedule that has already been distributed, be sure to redistribute the schedule that includes the respective text item. Creating/Editing Graphical Text Create graphical text content by specifying the PNG file to display in addition to specifying effects and the display positions. Slider (Enabled only for a scroll text item.) 3 When creating a new item, drag & drop the PNG file from Windows Explorer to the PNG file list. Chapter 3 Content Preparation 1 Click the button of the operation guide. 2 Click the button on the toolbar to create a new graphical text item. To edit an existing graphical text item, select the item to be edited in the My Collection Folder pane, then click the button. In either case, the Edit Graphical Text window appears. When editing a graphical text item, the selected item appears in the window. Notes Refer to the specification document for details on supported PNG file sizes. When creating a new item, you cannot drag & drop PNG files that differ in size at the same time. To create a graphical text item from a PNG file that differs in size, close the Edit Graphical Text window, and reopen it before creating the new item. To delete a file that appears in the PNG file list, select the file and press the [Delete] key. 4 Specify the properties as desired using the buttons and drop-down boxes in the Edit Graphical Text window. Item Effect Specifies one of the following display effects: Single Line (Scroll): Makes the PNG file flow across the screen from left to right. Single Line (Static): Displays the PNG file in a static position. Full Screen (Static): Displays a full-screen PNG file in a static position. Length Scroll: Makes the PNG file flow across the screen from bottom to top. Registering and Creating Content Files 29

Item Speed Png Position Specifies the speed of the flow. Select Slow, Medium, or Fast after you select Single Line (Scroll) or Length Scroll for Effect. Specifies the vertical display position of the graphical text. 5 Click [Check]. The specified PNG file is displayed in the preview area of the Edit Graphical Text window with the specified properties. Chapter 3 Content Preparation When the Single Line (Scroll) or Length Scroll effect is selected, the slider at the bottom of the window is enabled, allowing you to check the entire text. When the Single Line (Scroll) or Length Scroll effect is selected, the approximate time required to display the entire text content is shown as the Scroll Time. It may be useful to remember the displayed scroll time for creating schedules. 6 To modify the graphical text item, repeat steps 4 and 5. To save the edited graphical text item, click [Save] in the Edit Graphical Text window. The Save Graphical Text window appears. 7 To save the newly created graphical text item or the edited graphic item as a new one, specify the location in which the created graphic item should be stored and the file name for the item in the Save Graphical Text window, then click [OK]. You can use up to 25 ASCII characters in the file names. To save the edited graphical text item over the original item, check the displayed location and file name, and click [OK]. The created graphical text item is stored in the specified folder. If there is already a file having the same name in the specified folder, a confirmation message appears. Click [OK] to overwrite the file. Note To apply a graphical text item that has been overwritten to a schedule that has already been distributed, be sure to redistribute the schedule that includes the respective graphical text item. 30 Registering and Creating Content Files

Playlist Editing 4 Chapter Edit Playlist Window Clicking the button of the operation guide displays the Edit Playlist window. This window is used for playlist editing. The following illustration shows an example of the Edit Playlist window. It consists of the My Collection Folder pane, Playlist Editor pane, Content Preview pane, and Playlist Settings pane. My Collection Folder pane Chapter 4 Playlist Editing Content Preview pane Playlist Settings pane Playlist Editor pane Save and Distribute as Default, Save, and Save and Distribute buttons My Collection Folder pane The My Collection Folder pane in the Edit Playlist window is similar to that in the Add Content window. However, it shows the playlists already created, and content, which is to be used on playlists, registered in the management software. Schedules, control, and text items are not shown in this pane in the Edit Playlist window. Edit Playlist Window 31

The toolbar provides the following buttons in the Edit Playlist window: 1 Video or still image indication Button Moves up to the previous level on the tree. Chapter 4 Playlist Editing Besides the thumbnail pictures of video and still image items, the following icons are used for the items in the Edit Playlist window: Icon Creates a new folder in the currently selected folder. Opens the Move to window to specify the destination folder for moving the selected item. Deletes the selected item after showing a confirmation message. Opens the Properties window for the selected content item or playlist. Opens the selected playlist in the Playlist Editor pane to edit it. Selects the thumbnail view. Selects the detail view. Video item (Displayed for a video item if its thumbnail picture cannot be obtained.) Audio item Playlist 2 Change orientation button a Video or still image indication Shows the image of the video or still image listed at the selected point in the playlist. b Change orientation button Changes the orientation of the screen. Playlist Settings pane The Playlist Settings pane is used to specify the following settings for the playlist currently displayed in the Playlist Editor pane. Still Image Transition Specifies the effect to be used upon transition between two adjacent still images in the playlist. Select one of the options from the drop-down list box. You can select a playlist to edit in the My Collection Folder pane. During playlist editing you can select the content items to be listed in the playlist. See also My Collection Folder pane on page 23 for details on this pane. Content Preview pane The Content Preview pane displays the screen content of the selected point of the playlist shown in the Playlist Editor pane. You can view how the specified video/still image will be displayed on a player. The Content Preview pane may consist of the following two parts: Transition Speed Specifies the transition speed to be applied when you select an effect with the Still Image Transition dropdown list box. Select either the Slow or Fast option. Default Duration for Still Image Specifies the default duration for still images. When a still image is added to the playlist by a drag & drop operation, its duration will be the same as this setting. Specify the desired duration (HH:MM:SS) using the dropdown list boxes. Playlist Editor pane The Playlist Editor pane is used to create and edit playlists, by adding content items in the order of playout. When editing an existing playlist, the content of the selected playlist is displayed in this pane. The file name of the playlist is shown on the title bar, in such a case. 32 Edit Playlist Window

The Playlist Editor pane consists of the following four parts: 1 Toolbar 2Audio Selection To create a playlist, drag the desired content items from the My Collection Folder pane, and then drop them onto the list. See Creating and Editing a Playlist on page 34 for details on how to create and edit a playlist. When you are going to perform an operation with an item in the playlist, use a drag & drop operation, or select the item first, then use one of the buttons on the toolbar. Notes a Toolbar Provides the following buttons that correspond to the functions related to playlist editing. Button 4 Playlist 3Total Duration Clears the displayed playlist and starts creating a new playlist. Deletes the selected item from the playlist. Opens the Duration Setting window to modify the duration of the video or still image selected in the playlist. b Audio selection When simultaneously playing an audio file and a video file that includes audio, this selects which audio to output. c Total Duration Select one of the following as the total playout duration for the playlist. Video & Still Image: Total playout duration of video and still image content Audio: Total playout duration of audio content If you select [Video & Still Image] and [Audio Repeat], the audio content will be set to repeat playout. d Playlist Shows the playlist to be edited. A playlist is a sequence of content items in the order of playout from left to right. As the player can playout video and still images and audio content at the same time, the playlist consists of two lines: one for video and still images and the other for audio content. Each video or still image is shown as a thumbnail picture (or an icon if no thumbnail picture for an item was obtained) together with the duration. Each audio content is shown as an icon together with the file name. The Time column shows the start time of each item, assuming the first item starts from 00:00:00. The playlist displays the order in which the respective content items will be played. Both a tensecond content item and a 30-minute content item may have the same width in the playlist. If there is a No File indication shown for a content item, that means that the corresponding item is missing. This may happen when an item used in a playlist was deleted. Such playlists cannot be distributed. Save and Distribute as Default, Save, and Save and Distribute buttons There are buttons for saving the displayed playlist at the bottom of the Edit Playlist window. Save and Distribute as Default button Opens the Save Playlist window if the playlist displayed in the Playlist Editor pane has been edited, and has not yet been saved. See the description of the Save button (below) for details on the Save Playlist window. The playlist is saved and distributed to the player as default content. Default content is played during the period between the schedule start time (time at which the DisplayON.xml command is configured) and the schedule stop time (time at which the DisplayStandby.xml command is configured) when no other playlists are configured. See Creating and Editing a Schedule on page 44 for details on how to create and edit a schedule. Save button Opens the Save Playlist window. When you have created a new playlist, or you would like to save an edited playlist as a new file, specify the location and file name of the playlist, then click [OK] in this window. You can use up to 25 ASCII characters in the file names. To overwrite an existing playlist file, simply click [OK] in the Save Playlist window, as the location and file name are displayed in the respective fields. Chapter 4 Playlist Editing Edit Playlist Window 33

In either case, a confirmation message will appear before an existing playlist file is overwritten. Note To apply a playlist file that has been overwritten to a schedule that has already been distributed, be sure to redistribute the schedule that includes the respective playlist file. See Saving an Edited Playlist on page 36 for details on how to save an edited playlist. Save and Distribute button Opens the Save Playlist window if the playlist displayed in the Playlist Editor pane has been edited, and has not yet been saved. Creating and Editing a Playlist A playlist describes the order of content (video, still image, and audio) to be played on the players. A player plays the video and still image content and audio content according to the playlist. There are two layers on the screen, as illustrated below, and the content, excluding audio and control items, are placed on the designated layers, respectively. Video or still image (1) See the description of the Save button (above) for details on the Save Playlist window. Chapter 4 Playlist Editing When the playlist has been saved, the Simple Scheduling Playout window opens to allow you to specify schedule information to be attached to the playlist, and distribute it. See Attaching Schedule Information to a Playlist and Distributing It on page 37 for details on how to attach schedule information to a playlist. Text (2) The numbers in parentheses represent the order of overlay. The dates and times for playlist and text playout are specified by schedules. See Creating and Editing a Schedule on page 44 for details on schedules. Note A player actually has one more layer over these two: the interruption layer. The interruption layer is used only for playout interruption. See Interrupting Playout on page 54 for details on the interrupt layer. A playlist is created/edited using the following procedure: Open a playlist Add content items Edit a playlist Save an edited playlist 34 Creating and Editing a Playlist

Opening a Playlist Adding Content Items 1 Click the button of the operation guide. The Edit Playlist window appears. It consists of the My Collection Folder, Content Preview, Playlist Settings, and Playlist Editor panes. 2 To create a new playlist, click the button on the Playlist Editor pane toolbar. To modify an existing playlist, select the desired playlist in the My Collection Folder pane then click the button on the My Collection Folder pane toolbar. A blank playlist, or the selected playlist appears in the Playlist Editor pane. If there has been a previous playlist displayed in the Playlist Editor pane, and it has not been saved, the management software displays a message asking whether you want to save it. Save the displayed playlist, if necessary. 3 Check the settings for the playlist in the Playlist Settings pane. Change the setting(s), if necessary. See Playlist Settings pane on page 32 for details on the playlist setting items in the Playlist Settings pane. 1 Select the desired content item in the My Collection Folder pane, then add it to the playlist by a drag & drop operation. To add content to the end of the playlist, drop the item in an empty space after the last item in the playlist. Skip step 2 in this case. To replace content in the playlist with other content, drop the new item on the item to be replaced. To insert content in the middle of the playlist, drop the item in a location for insertion. The new content will be inserted after the content on which the item was dropped. In either case, a window appears asking whether you want to replace the current item with the new one. 2 Click [Replace] to replace the item. Or, click [Insert] to insert the dropped item next to the current item. The added item is displayed in the playlist. 3 Select the audio to playout or modify the playout duration, if necessary. See Editing a Playlist on page 36 for details on selecting playout audio, modifying playout durations, and performing other edit operations for playlists. Chapter 4 Playlist Editing 4 Repeat steps 1 through 3 to add more content items to the playlist. Creating and Editing a Playlist 35

Chapter 4 Playlist Editing Editing a Playlist Selecting audio for playout If you added audio content in the same time period on the playlist as video that includes audio, select the video in the playlist, and select the audio to playout using the audio selection option. If you select the audio content, the audio for the video that is played at the same time period will be disabled. Modifying the playout duration for an item For a video or still image, select the desired item in the playlist, then click the button on the Playlist Editor pane toolbar. This opens the Duration Setting window. Specify the desired duration (hours, minutes, and seconds in the HH:MM:SS format) using the Duration dropdown list boxes, then click [OK]. If you specify a video playout duration that is shorter than the actual length of the item, the remainder of the item will be cut. If you specify a duration that is longer than the actual length of the item, a freeze frame of the last frame will be displayed for the additional duration. If the duration of a video item has a subsecond fraction, it will be rounded up. For audio, if you specify a playout duration that is shorter than the actual length of the item, the remainder of the item will not be played. If you specify a duration that is longer than the actual length of the item, the audio will repeat for the additional duration. Moving an item in the playlist Select the item in the playlist, then move it to the desired position by using a drag & drop operation. When it is dropped on a different video or still image in the playlist, a window appears asking whether you want to replace the item with the dropped one. Click [Replace] to replace the item, or click [Insert] to insert the dropped item next to the existing item. Saving an Edited Playlist 1 Click [Save] at the bottom. The Save Playlist window appears. If the edited playlist has already been saved before, its location and file name are displayed in the Save Playlist window. 2 To overwrite the playlist file, click [OK]. To save a newly created playlist, or save the playlist as a new one, specify the location where the playlist file should be saved, and the file name for the playlist, then click [OK]. You can use up to 25 ASCII characters in the file names. If you overwrite the playlist file or there is a playlist file having the same name in the specified folder, a confirmation message appears. 3 Click [OK] to overwrite the file and save the playlist. Notes The specified duration of a video item in a playlist is effective only when the playlist is used for playout. It does not affect the duration as a property of the video item. When the management software is not able to obtain the duration of a video item, the default duration (10 seconds) will be used when the item is added to a playlist. See To specify duration for a video on page 27 and specify the appropriate duration. Hint When you would like a single playlist to be played repeatedly rather than combining more than one playlist and/or text items and control items, you can attach schedule information to the created playlist and distribute it from the Edit Playlist window. See Attaching Schedule Information to a Playlist and Distributing It (next) for details. Deleting an item from the playlist Select the item to be deleted in the playlist, then click the button on the Playlist Editor pane toolbar. When content is deleted, all the items that followed will be moved up, so that there is no space left. 36 Creating and Editing a Playlist

Attaching Schedule Information to a Playlist and Distributing It If you would like simply to repeat a single playlist, it is recommended that you attach schedule information to the playlist, and distribute it in the following procedure: Notes Attach schedule information to the playlist Distribute the playlist via a network Distribute the playlist using a USB flash drive Before distribution, make sure that the time and time zone settings of the target players are appropriate. Distributing a playlist to a player that is currently playing interrupting content may disturb playout. Attaching Schedule Information to the Playlist 1 After creating the desired playlist in the Playlist Editor pane, click [Save and Distribute as Default] or [Save and Distribute] at the bottom. The Save Playlist window may appear. 2 Save the playlist by specifying the location and the file name for the playlist and clicking [OK]. You can use up to 25 ASCII characters in the file names. See Saving an Edited Playlist on page 36 for details on saving the playlist. The playlist is saved, and the Simple Scheduling Playout window appears. 3 Select the player(s) to which you would like to distribute the playlist. You can select All or a single player, using the Player drop-down list box. If you selected [Save and Distribute as Default] in step 1, you do not need to perform the rest of this procedure. 4 Specify the start and end times when the playlist should be played, using the Time drop-down list boxes. The playlist will be played repeatedly between the specified times. 5 Specify the first and last days of the playout period of the playlist, using the Period drop-down list boxes. Clicking the button of a drop-down list box displays a calendar. The date you click on the calendar will be specified in the drop-down list box. 6 Place check marks for the days in the Day of the Week check boxes to specify specific days of the week in the period. To use the created playlist only on Saturdays in a period, for example, place a check mark only in the Sat check box. 7 Select a color from the Calendar Color drop-down list box. This color is used on the calendar in the Schedule Editor pane of the Edit Schedule window to indicate that there is a schedule on those days. See Edit Schedule Window on page 39 for details on the Edit Schedule window. Distributing the Playlist via a Network 1 After you attach schedule information to the playlist, click [Distribute via Network] in the Simple Scheduling Playout window. Chapter 4 Playlist Editing The management software attaches the specified schedule information to the playlist, then distributes the playlist to the target player(s). Progress of the distribution is displayed in the Distribution Status window. 2 After distribution is complete, click [Close] in the Distribution Status window to close it. Attaching Schedule Information to a Playlist and Distributing It 37

Distributing the Playlist Using a USB Flash Drive 1 After you attach schedule information to the playlist, plug a USB flash drive into a USB port on the computer, then click [Export to USB] in the Simple Scheduling Playout window. Note Make sure to plug the USB flash drive into a USB port of the player when the player is powered on (i.e., when the standby indicator is lit green). The Export to USB window appears. Chapter 4 Playlist Editing 2 Specify the location for the playlist file to be exported. 3 If you want to copy the exported playlist with the content required for the playout after deleting all old content stored on the player, place a check mark in the Delete all content items stored on the player before the schedule you are exporting is copied check box. This prevents the player storage from being full of unnecessary content. If you check this box, all the content currently stored on the player will be deleted when the USB flash drive is plugged into a USB port of the player. 4 Click [OK] in the Export to USB window. Exporting starts. The Export to USB window closes, and the Export Status window appears. You can stop the export operation, if necessary. 5 After the transfer of data to the USB flash drive is complete, remove the USB flash drive from the computer, then plug it into a USB port of the target player. The playlist is copied to the player together with the content to be used and system/player settings. If you have selected All players as the target, plug the USB flash drive into a USB port of the players, one by one, to copy the playlist, content, and settings. If you placed a check mark in the Delete all content items stored on the player before the schedule you are exporting is copied check box in step 3, the old content items are deleted from the player before the new playlist is copied. 38 Attaching Schedule Information to a Playlist and Distributing It

Scheduling 5 Chapter Edit Schedule Window Clicking the button of the operation guide displays the Edit Schedule window. This window is used for schedule editing, that is, listing playlists, text items and control items, according to the desired time table. The following illustration shows an example of the Edit Schedule window. It consists of the My Collection Folder pane and Schedule Editor pane. My Collection Folder pane Chapter 5 Scheduling Schedule Editor pane Save button My Collection Folder pane The My Collection Folder pane in the Edit Schedule window is similar to that in the Add Content window. It shows the schedules already created, as well as playlists, text items, and control items, which are to be used on schedules, registered in the management software. Other content items are not shown in this pane in the Edit Schedule window. The toolbar provides the following buttons in the Edit Schedule window: Edit Schedule Window 39

Button Moves up to the previous level on the tree. 1) When inserting the DisplayStandby.xml and DisplayOn.xml commands into the schedule, leave a period of at least 7 minutes between the commands. Chapter 5 Scheduling Creates a new folder in the currently selected folder. Opens the Move to window to specify the destination folder for moving the selected item. Deletes the selected item after showing a confirmation message. Opens the Properties window for the selected content item, playlist or schedule. Opens the selected schedule in the Schedule Editor pane to edit it. Selects the thumbnail view. Selects the detail view. For the items in the My Collection Folder pane, the following icons are used: Icon Playlist Schedule Text item Control item You can select the schedule to edit in this pane. During schedule editing, you will select the playlists, text items and/or control items to be listed on the time table. The following control commands are available in the My Collection Folder pane. Commands common to Sony public displays and BRAVIA LCD televisions: File name DisplayOn.xml 1) Turns on the display device. Startup begins approximately five minutes before the time set in the schedule. DisplayStandby.xml 1) Sets the display device to standby mode. Entry into standby mode begins approximately one minute after the time set in the schedule. Volume_nn.xml Sets the volume to nn (number value). Volume_Mute.xml Sets the volume to 0. Volume_Unmute.xml Releases the muting status. Commands unique to Sony public displays: File name FWD-INPUT-HDMI.xml FWD-INPUT-DVI.xml FWD-INPUT- HD15(RGB).xml FWD-INPUT- HD15(COMPONENT).xml FWD-INPUT-VIDEO.xml FWD-INPUT-SVIDEO.xml FWD-INPUT- OPTION(RGB).xml FWD-INPUT- OPTION(COMPONENT). xml FWD-INPUT- OPTION(SDI).xml FWD-INPUT- OPTION(HDMI1).xml FWD-INPUT- OPTION(HDMI2).xml Sets input to HDMI. Sets input to DVI. Sets input to HD15 (RGB). Sets input to HD15 (COMPONENT). Sets input to VIDEO. Sets input to SVIDEO. Sets input to OPTION (RGB). Sets input to OPTION (COMPONENT). Sets input to OPTION (SDI). Sets input to OPTION (HDMI1). Sets input to OPTION (HDMI2). Commands unique to BRAVIA LCD televisions: File name BRAVIA-INPUT-TV.xml BRAVIA-INPUT- VIDEO1.xml BRAVIA-INPUT- VIDEO2.xml BRAVIA-INPUT- VIDEO3.xml BRAVIA-INPUT- COMPONENT1.xml BRAVIA-INPUT- COMPONENT2.xml BRAVIA-INPUT- COMPONENT3.xml BRAVIA-INPUT- HDMI1.xml BRAVIA-INPUT- HDMI2.xml BRAVIA-INPUT- HDMI3.xml BRAVIA-INPUT- HDMI4.xml BRAVIA-INPUT- HDMI5.xml BRAVIA-INPUT-PC.xml BRAVIA-INPUT- DMPORT.xml Sets input to TV. Sets input to VIDEO1. Sets input to VIDEO2. Sets input to VIDEO3. Sets input to COMPONENT1. Sets input to COMPONENT2. Sets input to COMPONENT3. Sets input to HDMI1. Sets input to HDMI2. Sets input to HDMI3. Sets input to HDMI4. Sets input to HDMI5. Sets input to PC. Sets input to DMPORT. 40 Edit Schedule Window

File name Button BRAVIA-INPUT-SHARED- INPUT1.xml Sets input to SHARED-INPUT1. Deletes the selected item from the time table. See My Collection Folder pane on page 23 for details on this pane. Schedule Editor pane The Schedule Editor pane is used to create and edit schedules, by specifying playlists, and/or text items and control items, in the respective columns, according to the desired time table. The management software manages schedule data classified by targeted players. To create a new schedule, select the target player, or All if the schedule is for all the players, using the Player drop-down list box in the Schedule Editor pane. When editing an existing schedule, the content of the schedule is displayed in this pane. The file name of the schedule is shown on the title bar, in such a case. The Schedule Editor pane consists of the following five parts: 1 Toolbar 2 Scale buttons Time column Playlist column 3 Time table Text Item column Control column b Scale buttons Switches time scale for the time table (length of a cell) among one hour, 15 minutes, and one minute. c Time table A list consisting of playlists, text items, and control items to be played on a player, is displayed. The Time column shows 24-hour system time in a day. It starts from the Schedule Start Time specified during the initial setup using the Easy Setting Wizard, and ends 24 hours later. In the Playlist and Text Item columns, playlists and text items to be played are specified, and their file names are displayed. In the Control column, control items to be carried out are specified. The control items are provided by the management software to control each player and the display device. The control items are, for example, power-on/standby of the display devices or sound volume control. See Items Shown on the Time Table on page 43 for details on the marks and buttons used on the time table. To create a schedule, drag the desired playlists/text items/control items from the My Collection Folder pane and then drop them onto the time table. They will be played/carried out at the times shown in the Time column. See Creating and Editing a Schedule on page 44 for details on how to create/edit a schedule. Chapter 5 Scheduling 4 Schedule information a Toolbar Provides the following buttons that correspond to the functions related to schedule editing. Button 5 Calendar Cell Clears the displayed schedule and starts creating a new schedule. Notes The management software regards 24 hours starting from the Schedule Start Time as a single schedule day. Playout of any item must be scheduled within one schedule day. Playout starting on a certain schedule day cannot end on another schedule day. If there is a No File indication shown for a playlist or text item, that means that the corresponding item is missing. This may happen when a playlist or text item used in a schedule was deleted. Such schedules cannot be distributed. If a period of time where the player is idle (i.e., no content playout) is included in a schedule, the final image of the immediately preceding content will continue to be displayed. To prevent this from occurring, register default content (page 33) or Edit Schedule Window 41

create the schedule so that the stop time for the playlist coincides with the standby start time. When All is selected Chapter 5 Scheduling d Schedule information Specifies the following information that consists of a schedule together with the time table data: Item Player Name Period Day of the Week Calendar color Selects the target player(s) of the currently displayed schedule. You can select All or a single player from the drop-down list. Specifies the first and last days of the period when the schedule will be used. Clicking the button of a drop-down list box displays a calendar. The date you click on the calendar will be specified in the drop-down list box. Specifies specific days of the week in the period on which the schedule will be used. Selects the color to be used on the calendar on the right. This color indicates the days for which the currently displayed schedule is created. e Calendar The calendar shows whether there is any schedule for each day or not, and which schedule has been planned to be used with the color. When you select the target player(s) with the Player drop-down list box, the calendar display changes accordingly. When All (all players) is selected, dates for which a schedule for all players has been created are painted with the color specified for that schedule. Dates for which a schedule for any of the players, but not for All, has been created are painted in light gray with white frames. Days for which another schedule for All has been created. In the same way, when a single player is selected, dates for which a schedule for All has been created are painted in light gray with white frames. Notes Days for which a schedule for All has been created. Days for which no schedule for All is created, but schedule(s) have been created for one or more of the players. Days for which no schedule for All has been created. When you save a schedule that is being edited, the calendar display will be updated. Changes in the schedule information area will not be shown on the calendar until then. When the Schedule Start Time is not 00:00, the day of a schedule is decided according to the start time of the schedule. For example, if the Schedule Start Time is 23:00, and hence the time table starts at 23:00 and ends at 23:00 on the next day, that schedule appears for the day it starts on the calendar in the Schedule Editor pane, even though most of the hours in the schedule occur on the next day. Clicking the or button of the calendar selects and displays the previous or next month. Clicking the button opens the Calendar window to display a large calendar. Clicking the button updates the entire calendar display. When you delete schedules in the My Collection Folder pane, click this button to update the calendar. Save button Opens the Save Schedule window. When you created a new schedule, or you would like to save the edited schedule as a new file, specify the location and file name of the schedule, then click [OK] in this window. You can use up to 25 ASCII characters in the file names. To overwrite an existing schedule file, simply click [OK] in the Save Schedule window, as the location and file 42 Edit Schedule Window

name are displayed in the respective fields. In either case, a confirmation message will appear before an existing schedule file is overwritten. See Saving the Edited Schedule on page 46 for details on how to save the edited schedule. Examples of the items on the time table File name This mark means there are more item(s) in the cell. Items Shown on the Time Table There are several ways in which an item is shown on the time table, depending on the selected scale for the time table, and the playout duration of the item. 1 File name 2 Start time/duration settings button A time table may have the mark shown in the example above. This appears when more than one item is specified in a single cell. By selecting the 15-minute or one-minute scale button, the other items will be displayed, as follows: 3 Handle (Not shown for a control item) Scale: One hour Scale: 15 minutes The illustration shown above is a basic example of an item on the time table. It appears when the playout duration of the item and the length of the corresponding cell(s) are identical. Each time frame shown on the time table is referred to as a cell in the user s guide. The displayed length of a cell is changed according to the selected scale button. If multiple items with durations under one minute exist and you select the one-minute scale button, the mark in the illustration above may still be displayed. If you click the mark in such cases, a menu that allows you to select the items in the cell appears. Chapter 5 Scheduling a File name Shows the file name of the playlist, text item, or control item. b Start time/duration settings button Opens the Start Time/Duration Settings window. You can modify the start time and/or playout duration of the item. c Handle Used to modify the end time (and hence playout duration) of the item using a drag & drop operation. Click the handle and drag the mouse to modify the end time of the item. Edit Schedule Window 43

Chapter 5 Scheduling Creating and Editing a Schedule You can create a playout schedule in the Schedule Editor pane, using playlists, text items, and control items displayed in the My Collection Folder pane. A schedule is created/edited using the following procedure: Open a schedule Add playlists, text items, and control items Edit a schedule Specify schedule information Save the edited schedule Opening a Schedule 1 Click the button of the operation guide. The Edit Schedule window appears. It consists of the My Collection Folder and Schedule Editor panes. management software displays a message asking whether you want to save it. Save the displayed schedule, if necessary. Adding Playlists, Text Items, and Control Items 1 Scale the time table by using one of the one-hour, 15- minute, or one-minute Scale buttons, if necessary. The Scale buttons are located at the upper right corner of the Schedule Editor pane. 2 Select a playlist, text item, or control item in the My Collection Folder pane, then add it to the desired cell in the corresponding column of the time table by a drag & drop operation. The added item is displayed on the time table. When a playlist or text item is added, it will be played from the beginning to the end of the cell in which you dropped the item. If the duration of the added playlist or text item is shorter than the duration of the cell, playout will be repeated. If the duration is longer than that of the cell, playout will be stopped, even in the middle of the file. 3 Modify the start time and/or duration of the item, if necessary, when the added item is a playlist or text item. See Editing a Schedule (next) for details and more information on schedule editing. 4 Repeat steps 1 through 3 to add more items to the schedule. 2 To create a new schedule, click the button on the Schedule Editor pane toolbar. To modify an existing schedule, select the desired schedule in the My Collection Folder pane, then click the button on the My Collection Folder pane toolbar. Or, double-click the desired schedule from the My Collection Folder pane. A blank schedule, or the selected schedule appears in the Schedule Editor pane. If there has been a previous schedule displayed in the Schedule Editor pane, and it has not been saved, the Notes The minimum duration for content that can be played with this player is 10 seconds. If the length of the final content item in a playlist is shortened to under 10 seconds as a result of adding the playlist to a schedule, that final content item will not be played. When a Length Scroll text item is added, the scroll speed may decrease depending on the content that is playing simultaneously. Be sure to always specify the schedule start and stop times by dragging & dropping the DisplayON.xml control command to the schedule start time cell and the DisplayStandby.xml control command to the schedule stop time cell. 44 Creating and Editing a Schedule

Editing a Schedule Modifying the start time and/or duration of a playlist or text item The management software provides two methods to modify the start time and/or duration of an item: using the handle of the item and using the Start Time/Duration Settings window. Note Modification is not allowed if the new playout time will overlap with a different item in a column of the time table. Using the handle of the item 1 Scale the time table by using one of the one-hour, 15- minute, or one-minute Scale buttons, so that a handle and a button are shown on the desired item. The Scale buttons are located at the upper right corner of the Schedule Editor pane. Deleting a playlist, text item, or control item from the schedule Select the item on the time table, then click the button on the Schedule Editor pane toolbar. Moving a playlist, text item, or control item on the schedule Select the item on the time table, then move it to the desired position by using a drag & drop operation. Notes The item will be played from the beginning of the cell in which you dropped the item. The playout duration of the item is maintained. Moving an item is not allowed if it will result in an overlap with a different item. Specifying Schedule Information 2 Select the handle, and move it using a drag & drop operation. Using the Start Time/Duration Settings window 1 Scale the time table by using one of the one-hour, 15- minute, or one-minute Scale buttons, so that a handle and a button is shown on the desired item. 2 Click the button for the item. The Start Time/Duration Settings window appears. 1 In the Schedule Editor pane, select the player(s) for which you are going to create a schedule, using the Player drop-down list box. When you are going to create a schedule for all the players, select All from the drop-down list box. Chapter 5 Scheduling 3 Modify the start time and/or the duration for the item using the corresponding drop-down list boxes. The end time indication will be changed accordingly. 4 Click [OK] in the Start Time/Duration Settings window. The window closes, and the playout time of the item is modified. 2 Specify the first and last days of the playout period for the schedule, using the Period drop-down list boxes. Clicking the button of a drop-down list box displays a calendar. The date you click on the calendar will be specified in the drop-down list box. 3 Place check marks for the days in the Day of the Week check boxes to specify specific days of the week in the period. To use the created playlist only on Saturdays in a period, for example, place a check mark only in the Sat check box. 4 Select a color from the Calendar Color drop-down list box. This color is used on the calendar on the right to indicate that there is a schedule on those days. See the explanation of the calendar in Calendar on page 42 for details. Creating and Editing a Schedule 45

Saving the Edited Schedule 1 Click [Save] at the bottom. The Save Schedule window appears. If the edited schedule has already been saved before, its location and file name are displayed in the Save Schedule window. 2 To overwrite the schedule file, click [OK]. To save a newly created schedule, or save the schedule as a new one, specify the location where the schedule file should be saved, and the file name for the schedule, then click [OK]. You can use up to 25 ASCII characters in the file names. If you overwrite the schedule file or there is a schedule file having the same name in the specified folder, a confirmation message appears. 3 Click [OK] to overwrite the file and save the schedule. Chapter 5 Scheduling Note Distribute the created schedule to the player(s) to use it for playout. See Distribution on page 47 for details. 46 Creating and Editing a Schedule

Distribution 6 Chapter Distribute Window Clicking the button of the operation guide displays the Distribute window. This window is used to distribute schedules to the players. When the players are connected to a network, schedules can be distributed via the network. The playlists and content required for playout of the schedules are distributed along with the schedules. When the players are not connected to any network, you can distribute schedules by exporting them to a USB flash drive. Plugging the USB flash drive into a USB port of each player starts copying of the schedules to the player automatically. The playlists, content, and the system/ player settings will be copied, too, via the USB flash drive. The following illustration shows an example of the Distribute window. The window consists of the Schedule List pane, Waiting List pane, and Player Status pane. Schedule List pane Waiting List pane Chapter 6 Distribution Player Status pane Distribute Window 47

Schedule List pane The Schedule List pane in the Distribute window lists all the schedules stored in the management software. The window enables you to select schedule files to be distributed. Schedule list Shows all the schedules stored in the management software, regardless of the target players and locations of the files. The following icons are used in the schedule list. Chapter 6 Distribution Mark Displayed for a schedule that will be distributed via a network. Displayed for a schedule that will be distributed using a USB flash drive. Displayed for a schedule that will be distributed via a network and using a USB flash drive. Displayed for content intended for landscape display. Displayed for content intended for portrait display. You can sort the schedules on the list by clicking a column title. For example, to sort the schedules by the target player, click Player. To delete a schedule from the list Select the schedule you want to delete in the My Collection Folder pane of the Edit Schedule window, and click the delete button in the toolbar. Add button Copies the schedules selected in the Schedule List pane to the Waiting List pane. Waiting List pane Displays the schedules to be distributed. Waiting list(s) When the system uses a network for distribution, there are two waiting lists: Network list and USB list. These waiting lists show the schedules to be distributed. Schedules that are to be distributed via a network are displayed on the upper Network list, and those that are to be distributed using a USB flash drive are displayed on the lower USB list. The border of these two waiting lists can be moved by a drag operation. You can sort schedules on the list by clicking a column title. For example, to sort schedules by the target player, click Player. When network distribution via a network or export to a USB flash drive is complete, the listed items are cleared. Remove, and Remove All buttons The Remove button removes the selected schedules from the waiting list. The Remove All button removes all the schedules on the waiting lists. In either case, the schedules are removed only from the waiting list. They are still kept in the original folder, and hence in the Schedule List pane. Distribute via Network button Distributes all the schedules registered to the Network waiting list, together with the playlists and content required for their playout, to the target players. Export to USB button Opens the Export to USB window and allows you to export all the schedules registered to the USB waiting list, together with the playlists and content required for their playout, to the USB flash drive connected to the computer. 48 Distribute Window

The exported schedules, playlists, and content will be copied to the target player when the USB flash drive is connected to the player. Each schedule contains information on its target player. You can store more than one schedule for more than one target player on a USB flash drive simultaneously, and copy them to the respective players, one by one. Player Status pane The Player Status pane is used for the players receiving content via a network. When the Refresh All button is clicked, it displays the status of each player, as well as used and remaining capacity of the storage of each player. Note The status list is blank when the Distribute window is open. Click the Refresh All button to display the player information. Status list Shows the registered players with their respective status information. You can sort the players on the list by clicking a column title. For example, to sort the players by amount of used storage, click Used Storage. Refresh All button Updates the status list display. Distributing Schedules to Players When the playlists and schedule have been created and the required content is ready, distribute the created schedule to the players. All the content and playlists required for playout of the schedule are distributed, too, automatically. Network distribution allows you to distribute schedules without interrupting schedule playout operations that may be in progress. Notes Schedules are registered to players by day, starting from the schedule start time. If you distribute a schedule to a player on which another schedule is already registered, the registered schedule day is overwritten. If a schedule for a particular day is distributed while another schedule is in progress, the schedule in progress will be overwritten and stopped. Before distribution, make sure that the time and time zone settings of the target players are appropriate. If distributing to players that are currently playing, playback stops and Registering Schedule appears on the display while the schedule is being registered. If the storage of a player becomes full, it is no longer possible to distribute content, playlists, and schedules to that player. You should first delete unnecessary items, in such a case. See Checking and Deleting Content from Players on page 61 for details on the procedure for the players that receive content via a network. See Deleting Content from the Storage Area of a Player on page 70 for the players that receive content using USB flash drives. Chapter 6 Distribution A schedule is distributed using the following procedure: Select schedules to be distributed Distribute schedules via a network Distribute schedules using a USB flash drive Selecting Schedules to Be Distributed 1 Click the button of the operation guide. The Distribute window appears. It consists of the Schedule List, Waiting List, and Player Status panes. Distributing Schedules to Players 49

2 When distribution is complete, click [Close] in the Distribution Status window to close it. The distributed schedules in the Waiting List pane are cleared. To stop distribution Click [Stop Distribution] in the Distribution Status window. The management software requests the players currently downloading data to terminate the operation. Chapter 6 Distribution 2 In the Schedule List pane, select the schedules to be distributed. 3 Click [Add] between the Schedule List pane and the Waiting List pane. The selected schedules appear on the Network or USB waiting list, according to the target player and whether the player receives content via a network or using a USB flash drive. When there are both type of players in the system, and the target of the schedule is All, the schedule appears on both waiting lists. 4 Repeat steps 2 and 3 to add more schedules to the waiting list. Hint Each schedule contains information on its target player. You can store more than one schedule for more than one target player on a USB flash drive simultaneously, and copy them to the respective players, one by one. Note Clicking [Stop Distribution] does not delete the data that has already been distributed to the player(s). Delete the data manually, if necessary. See Checking and Deleting Content from Players on page 61 (for players receiving content via a network) or Deleting Content from the Storage Area of a Player on page 70 (for players receiving content using a USB flash drive) for details on deleting data. To shorten download times When schedules are distributed while the player is playing video, download times may be longer. In such cases, stop video playout before distributing the schedules. By creating a schedule in which the DisplayStandby.xml control command is set to be executed immediately after distribution starts, you can stop video playout in such cases automatically. Distributing Schedules Using a USB Flash Drive To remove schedules from the waiting list If you would like to remove some of the schedules from the waiting list, select the schedules to be removed on the waiting list, then click [Remove] in the Waiting List pane. Or, to remove all the schedules on the waiting lists, click [Remove All]. 1 Plug a USB flash drive into a USB port on the computer. 2 Click [Export to USB]. The Export to USB window appears. Distributing Schedules via a Network 1 Click [Distribute via Network]. Distribution starts. Progress of the distribution is displayed in the Distribution Status window. 3 Specify the location for the schedules to be exported. 50 Distributing Schedules to Players

4 If you want to copy the exported schedules with the content required for the playout after deleting all old content stored on the player, place a check mark in the Delete all content items stored on the player before the schedule you are exporting is copied check box. This prevents the player storage from being full of unnecessary content. If you check this box, all the content currently stored on the player will be deleted when the USB flash drive is plugged into a USB port of the player. 5 Click [OK] in the Export to USB window. Exporting starts. The Export to USB window closes, and the Export Status window appears. You can stop the export operation, if necessary. 6 After the transfer of data to the USB flash drive is complete, remove the USB flash drive from the computer, then plug it into a USB port of the target player. The schedule(s) are copied to the player together with the playlists and content to be used, and the system/ player settings. If you placed a check mark in the Delete all content items stored on the player before the schedule you are exporting is copied check box in step 4, the old content items are deleted from the player before the new schedule(s) are copied. Note Make sure to plug the USB flash drive into a USB port of the player when the player is powered on (i.e., when the standby indicator is lit green). Chapter 6 Distribution To stop export In step 5, click [Stop Export] in the Export Status window. The files that have already been transferred are removed from the USB flash drive. Distributing Schedules to Players 51

Interrupt Playout Chapter7 Interrupt Playout Window Clicking the button of the operation guide displays the Interrupt Playout window. This window is used to play a video, still image, or text item by interrupting ongoing playout on the selected players, or to carry out a control item immediately on the players. This is helpful for displaying urgent information, like a news flash. When a video or still image is selected, it will be played on the players over the ongoing playout displayed on them at that time. When a text item is selected, it will be displayed on the selected players instead of the text item that is being displayed on the respective players. If there is no text item being displayed at that time, the selected text item will be displayed on the top. The video or still image behind the text continues to be displayed. Note Operations in this window are available only when the players are connected to a network. The following illustration shows an example of the Interrupt Playout window. It consists of the My Collection Folder pane, Interrupt Content pane, and Player List pane. My Collection Folder pane Chapter 7 Interrupt Playout Interrupt Content pane Player List pane Play and Stop buttons 52 Interrupt Playout Window

My Collection Folder pane The My Collection Folder pane in the Interrupt Playout window is similar to that in the Add Content window. It shows content registered in the management software. Playlists and schedules are not shown in this pane in the Interrupt Playout window. 1 Image display The toolbar provides the following buttons in the Interrupt Playout window: Button Besides the thumbnail pictures of video and still image items, the following icons are used for the items in the Interrupt Playout window: Icon Moves up to the previous level on the tree. Creates a new folder in the currently selected folder. Opens the Properties window for the selected content item. Opens the Edit Text window to create a new text text item. Opens the Edit Graphical Text window. to specify a PNG file and create a new text item. Opens the Edit Text window or Edit Graphical Text window. to edit the currently selected text item (text or PNG). Selects the thumbnail view. Selects the detail view. Text item a Image display When a video or still image is selected as the content to be used for interrupt playout, that image appears here. b Change orientation button Changes the orientation of the screen. Player List pane The Player List pane lists the players connected to a network. It enables you to select the players on which interrupt playout should start. You can also check the current status of each player. The Player List pane consists of the following three parts: 1 Player list 2 Change orientation button 2 Refresh All button You can select the content items to be used for interrupt playout, as well as create/edit text items in this pane. See My Collection Folder pane on page 23 for details on this pane, and Creating/Editing Text on page 27 and Creating/Editing Graphical Text on page 29 for details on creating and editing text content. Chapter 7 Interrupt Playout Interrupt Content pane The Interrupt Content pane displays the content item selected for interrupt playout. The file name of the selected content item is shown with the pane title. This pane is used to check the selected video or still image. The Interrupt Content pane consists of the following two parts: 3 Interrupt playout type selector a Player list Shows all the players connected to a network. You can check the status of each player. Interrupt playout of the selected content item will be performed on the players with check marks in the respective check boxes. Interrupt Playout Window 53

b Refresh All button Updates the status display of all the players on the player list. c Interrupt playout type selector Specifies how long interrupt playout should continue. Play until [Stop] is clicked : Interrupt playout will continue until you click the Stop button at the bottom of the Interrupt Playout window. Play for specified duration : Interrupt playout will be performed for the specified duration, then it will end automatically. The drop-down list boxes are used to specify the duration (HH:MM:SS). Hide Text Item: Text items that are playing before the playout interruption will be hidden. If a text item is selected as the interrupt content, current playout of text items will be hidden, regardless of this setting. Play and Stop buttons There are buttons for controlling interrupt playout at the bottom of the Interrupt Playout window. Play button Used to start interrupt playout of the content item displayed in the Interrupt Content pane on the player(s) displayed with check marks in the Player List pane. The management software prepares the content item, and requests the selected player(s) to start interrupt playout. Then, the respective player(s) will download the prepared data, and start playout of the content. Interrupting Playout The management software provides an interrupt playout function that distributes content, such as a video, still image, or text item and requests the players to play that item immediately. The operation performed on the players varies depending on the type of interrupting content. In the case of a text item, the text item contained in the ongoing playlist will be replaced with the interrupting content, but other content in the current playlist continues to be displayed. If there is no text item contained in the playlist, the interrupting text item will be displayed on the top. In the case of a still image, the interrupting content will be played on the special interruption layer. The interruption layer is located at the top of the layers, so that content being played in the ongoing playout is completely hidden behind the interrupting still image played on the interruption layer. Still image (1) Chapter 7 Interrupt Playout Stop button Stops interrupt playout on the player(s) displayed with check marks in the Player List pane. The numbers in parentheses represent the order of overlay. Notes Interruption (2) Text (3) Interrupt playout is available only when the players are connected to a network. Refer to the specification document for details on the formats of content that can be used for interrupt playout. Distributing schedules to a player that is currently playing interrupting content may disturb playout. If the storage of a player becomes full, it is no longer possible to distribute content, playlists, and schedules to that player. You should first delete unnecessary items, in such a case. See Checking and Deleting Content from Players on page 61 for details. 54 Interrupting Playout

When video content that is shorter than 15 seconds in duration, or a playlist that contains multiple audio files is playing, interrupt playout may not be possible. Interrupt playout is not possible on players for which RSS distribution is configured. The following procedure interrupts playout. 1 Click the button of the operation guide. The Interrupt Playout window appears. It consists of the My Collection Folder, Interrupt Content, and Player List panes. 5 Select either of the following options in the Player List pane, then click [Play]. Option Play until [Stop] is clicked Play for specified duration Interrupt playout will continue until you click [Stop]. Interrupt playout will be performed for the specified duration. Specify the duration with the drop-down list boxes. The management software requests the selected players to start interrupt playout. Then, the respective players will download the content item, and start playout of the content immediately. A scroll text item is played repeatedly if interrupt playout continues longer than the length of the item. 6 If you selected the Play until [Stop] is clicked option button in step 5, place check marks in the check boxes for the desired players, then click [Stop] at the bottom of the Interrupt Playout window to stop interrupt playout. When interrupt playout stops, the scheduled playout returns visible. 2 In the My Collection Folder pane, select the content item to be played. 3 Drag the selected content item to the Interrupt Content pane, and drop it there. The file name of the content is displayed in the Interrupt Content pane title. Hint You can create or edit a text item for use in interrupt playout in the Interrupt Playout window. Click the or button on the My Collection Folder pane toolbar to create a new text item, or select the desired text item and click the button to edit an existing text item. See Creating/Editing Text on page 27 and Creating/Editing Graphical Text on page 29 for details on creating and editing text content. Hints Clicking [Stop] terminates the ongoing interrupt playout, even if the Play for specified duration option is selected. Interrupt playout will also stop if the display device goes into the standby mode. To check the status of players You can check the status of all the players by clicking [Refresh All]. To use different content for interrupt playout on players When you would like to use different content for interrupt playout on two or more players, wait until distribution of the content is complete before starting operation for the next player. Click [Refresh All] to update the status display. Chapter 7 Interrupt Playout 4 In the Player List pane, select the players where you are going to interrupt playout. Place a check mark in the check box for each player to be selected. Interrupting Playout 55

Distributing RSS Feeds 6 Click the Save button. The RSS information that you registered is saved. You can receive news, weather, and other RSS feeds via the Internet, and convert the information into text format for distribution to the player. To edit registered RSS feeds Click the button for the Feed Reader List. Edit the registered content in the editing screen that appears. Registering RSS Feeds Register the URLs for the RSS feeds you want to distribute. 1 Select Signage RSS Navigator in the Tools menu of the main window. Signage RSS Navigator appears. To delete registered RSS feeds Click the button for the Feed Reader List. To change the RSS distribution sequence Select an RSS feed in the Feed Reader List, and click the R and r buttons to move it in the list. The RSS feeds are distributed in the order in which they appear in the list. Note The title portion of registered RSS information is displayed as text items. Up to 25 RSS titles can be displayed, starting from the top of the distribution sequence. However, if a title consists of text that does not fit within one screen, the maximum number of titles may be less than 25. Specifying the RSS Watch Interval and Display Format Chapter 7 Interrupt Playout 2 Click the Add Content button in the operation guide of Signage RSS Navigator. 3 Click the Add button. The Feed Reader window appears. Configure the interval at which to check for RSS feed updates, and specify the text display format for converted RSS feeds. 1 Click the Settings button in the operation guide of Signage RSS Navigator. 4 Enter a name for the RSS feed and the URL of the feed, and click [OK]. The Feed Reader window closes, and Signage RSS Navigator returns. 5 To register multiple RSS feeds, repeat steps 3 and 4. 2 Specify the interval at which to check for RSS updates in Watch Interval. 56 Distributing RSS Feeds

3 Specify the properties as desired using the buttons and drop-down boxes in the Text Settings. Item Font Size Speed Text Position 4 Click the Save button. Selects the font face. Assigns/removes the bold style alternately to the selected characters. Assigns/removes the italic style alternately to the selected characters. Assigns/removes the underline style alternately to the selected characters. Opens a color palette to enable you to select the background color, including transparent background. Opens a color palette to enable you to select the color for the selected characters. Specifies the character size. Select Small, Medium, Large, or Custom. When you select Custom, specify the desired size in the text box. Specifies the speed of text flow. Select Slow, Medium, or Fast. Specifies the vertical display position of the text. Select Top or Bottom. Item Player Name Serial No. Status Name used to identify the player. Orientation in which the display device is installed. The serial number of the player. The status of the player. Distributing RSS Feeds 1 Click the Add Content button in the operation guide of Signage RSS Navigator. The specified settings are saved. Verifying Players for which RSS Feeds are Distributed RSS feeds are distributed to players for which the Enable RSS distribution check box is selected in the Player Settings window. Chapter 7 Interrupt Playout Note Interrupt playout is not possible on players for which RSS feeds are being distributed. To verify the players for which RSS feeds are distributed, click Distribute in the operation guide of Signage RSS Navigator. Information on the players for which RSS feeds are distributed appears in the player list. 2 In the Feed Reader List, place a check mark in the Select column for the RSS feeds you want to distribute. (You can select multiple.) 3 Click the Save button. Distribution of the selected RSS feeds begins. After distribution begins, the update status of an RSS feed is checked at the interval specified in Watch Interval of the settings screen, and any updated feeds will be converted into text content and distributed. Distributing RSS Feeds 57

Notes Do not exit Signage RSS Navigator while RSS distribution is in progress. Exiting Signage RSS Navigator will also end the RSS distribution. If you distribute RSS feeds to a player that is currently playing an AVC file, the playout image may be distorted. Chapter 7 Interrupt Playout 58 Distributing RSS Feeds

Maintenance 8 Chapter Maintenance Window Clicking the button of the operation guide displays the Maintenance window. This window is used to check the content and playlist files stored on a player. You can also delete unnecessary files from the player, if desired. When a player has a serious problem, you can reboot it in this window. The following illustration shows an example of the Maintenance window. It has only the Player List pane. The Player List pane consists of the player list and some buttons. Player List pane View buttons Chapter 8 Maintenance Player list Maintenance Window 59

Chapter 8 Maintenance Player List pane Refresh All button Updates the display of players that receive content via a network in the player list. The management software communicates with all the players one by one, and updates information on the player list. Player list Lists all the players in the system and connected to a network. It enables you to check the status and used/ available capacity of the storage of each player. Information on the players, such as the time on each player, used/available capacity of the storage, and status of each player is displayed as a list. You can sort the players on the list by clicking a column title. For example, to sort the players by status, click Status. Clicking the same column title switches between ascending and descending orders for the listing. There is a View button for each player at the right end of the player list. Clicking one of these buttons opens the View Storage window for the player on that line to display the content items and playlists stored on that player. You can check the items stored on the player, and if necessary, delete the unnecessary items from the player in the View Storage window. See Checking and Deleting Content from Players on page 61 for details on this operation. Power On button Standby button Sets the power of player or displays connected to the players selected in the player list to on or standby. Refer to the specification document for details on display models that can be controlled. Get Logs button Only for service use. Note If you acquire a log while RSS distribution is in progress, the Signage Player Management Software will not function properly. When acquiring logs, exit Signage RSS Navigator and stop RSS distribution beforehand. Reboot button Sends the reboot command to each player having a check mark in the check box on the player list to reboot it. See Rebooting Players on page 62 for details on this operation. System Password button Displays the System Password window for players selected in the player list. In this window, you can change the password used for communication between the players and the computer that is running the management software. The password is used even for the players that receive content using USB flash drives. The default settings are: User name: bz10_user Password: bz10ad To change the password, enter the user name and password currently used, as well as the new password into the respective text boxes, then click [OK] in the System Password Settings window. Notes Each player has an Player Access Password setting. If this has not been changed using Signage Web Manager, you can change the Player Access Password setting for all the players as well as the password to be used by the computer simultaneously using this System Password setting. Refer to the Operating Instructions of the player for details. If System Password configuration or editing fails, use Signage Web Manager to change the Player Access Password. If Signage Web Manager is disabled, reset the player(s). This will return the Player Access Password to default settings. For security reasons, it is recommended that you change the system password, and not continue to use the default one. Firmware Update button Updates the firmware for players selected in the player list. For players operating via a network, the firmware will be updated directly via the network when this button is clicked. For players operating with USB flash drives, the firmware update will be exported to the USB flash drive. The firmware will be updated for these players when the USB flash drive is connected to the players. Notes Malfunctions will result if the firmware versions of the player and the management software do not match. If you update the management software version, be sure to also update the firmware of the player. Make sure to plug the USB flash drive into a USB port of the player when the player is powered on (i.e., when the standby indicator is lit green). Firmware updates can take up to 10 minutes or longer. When update is complete, players restart automatically. Never turn off the player while firmware update is in progress. 60 Maintenance Window

Checking and Deleting Content from Players The following procedure displays content and playlist files stored on the selected player. You can delete unnecessary files from the player. See Deleting Content from the Storage Area of a Player on page 70 for details on how to delete unnecessary files from storage of the players that receive content using a USB flash drive. 6 Click [Refresh] in the View Storage window, and check that the selected items have been deleted. Note It may take some time to complete deletion. 7 Click [Close]. The View Storage window closes. 1 Click the button of the operation guide. The Maintenance window appears. 2 Click [View] for the desired player on the player list. The View Storage window appears. The name of the selected player is shown on its title bar. The content and playlist files stored on the player are listed in this window. Content and playlist files that are currently playing or registered to schedules are not displayed. 3 Select the items to be deleted. 4 Click [Delete]. Chapter 8 Maintenance A confirmation message appears. 5 Click [OK]. A progress window appears, then the selected files are deleted from the player. Note The video and audio may skip while the deletion is in progress. Checking and Deleting Content from Players 61

Rebooting Players The following procedure sends a reboot command to the selected players to reboot them. 1 Click the button of the operation guide. The Maintenance window appears. 2 Select the players to be rebooted. You can check the player status and error code, if any, on the player list. Place a check mark in the check box for each player to be selected. 3 Click [Reboot] at the bottom of the Maintenance window. A confirmation message appears. 4 Click [OK]. The management software sends a reboot command to the selected players, and the players will reboot automatically. 5 Click [Refresh All] and check that the selected players have rebooted. Chapter 8 Maintenance 62 Rebooting Players

Settings 9 Chapter Chapter 9 Settings Settings Window Clicking the button of the operation guide displays the Settings window. This window is used to modify the system settings or add/edit/delete players managed by this software. Note The management software provides the Easy Setting Wizard for initial setup of the system. Use this Settings window to modify the settings after the initial setup has been completed and operations of the Digital Signage system have started. The following illustration shows an example of the Settings window. It consists of the Player Registration pane and the System Settings pane. Player Registration pane System Settings pane Send and Complete button Settings Window 63

Chapter 9 Settings Player Registration pane The Player Registration pane lists all the players that have already been registered in the management software. It is used to add or delete players, or to modify the settings of a registered player. The Player Registration pane consists of the following two parts: 1 Add button See Deleting a Player on page 67 for details on this operation. System Settings pane The System Settings pane contains the following setup items that are related to all the players registered in the management software. You can change the settings on the players by modifying the setting(s) in this pane and sending them to the players. Note 2 Player list Edit and Delete buttons a Add button Opens a blank Player Settings window. You can add a new player by specifying its IP addresses or the serial number and time zone in the Player Settings window. See Adding a Player on page 66 for details on this operation. b Player list Lists all the players registered in the management software. Information on each player, such as the name, serial number, IP addresses, and time zone setting is displayed as a list. There is a column for connection status, in which whether connection to each player has been successful ( o ) or failed ( x ). For a player that receives content using a USB flash drive, this column is left blank, and for a player to which connection has never been succeeded, this column displays a mark. You can sort the players on the list by clicking a column title. For example, to sort the players by the time zone, click Time Zone. Clicking the same column title switches between ascending and descending orders for the listing. There are Edit and Delete buttons for each player at the right end of the player list. Clicking an Edit button opens the Player Settings window for the player on that line. You can modify the name, IP address(es)/serial number, and/or the time zone setting for the player in this window. See Changing a Player s Settings on page 68 for details on this operation. Clicking a Delete button deletes the player on that line, after displaying a confirmation message. Click the Send and Complete button after you modify the item(s) in this pane. Otherwise, the change(s) you made will not be effective. Video Thumbnail Position Specify the position within a video file (0 to 4 seconds) that is to be used as its thumbnail picture for the item. Normally, the default setting of 2 seconds will be all right. However, change the setting if you use video files that have black burst or color bar signals recorded at the top, so that the thumbnail pictures will represent the content of the video. Note Changing this setting does not affect the thumbnail pictures for items that have already been registered. Communication Port Specify the port number of the content server. Adjust Player Time to This Computer (Effective only for players connected to a network) Specifies whether the clocks of all players should be automatically synchronized with the computer that is running the management software. Place a check mark in the check box to synchronize the clocks of all players with the computer. If you want to synchronize the player clocks individually with an NTP server, do not place a check mark in this check box. Instead, specify the NTP server for each player using Signage Web Manager. Refer to the Operating Instructions of the player for details. Notes When you change this setting, reboot the players after sending the settings to the players. When the Adjust Player Time to This Computer setting is checked, players regularly ask the time to the computer. If the computer is turned off for a long period, the players time may be inaccurate. Also, depending on the time difference between a player and the computer, 64 Settings Window

content playout on the player may pause upon time adjustment. When synchronizing the player time with the computer, be sure to enable Windows Time Service on the computer beforehand. Configure the firewall settings on the computer to allow communication with the player. See Note on firewall settings of the computer on page 11 for details. Daylight Saving Time Specifies whether daylight saving time is to be on/off. When daylight saving time starts, place a check mark in the check box here, then send the settings to the players. And when daylight saving time ends, clear the check mark and send the settings to the players. The Player Time/Date window appears when you click the [Date/Time for USB Operation Player] button in the System Settings pane. To set the clock of a player for which content is distributed via USB flash drives, you must press the INFO button on the player on the date and time specified in this window. Configure the setting as follows. 1 Connect the USB flash drive to the computer. 2 Click [Date/Time for USB Operation Player] in the System Settings pane. The Player Time/Date window appears. 3 Specify the date and time to be configured to the player. Chapter 9 Settings Notes Players do not put daylight saving time into effect automatically. Modify this setting and send the settings to the players at the start and end of the period. When you change this setting, reboot the players after sending the settings to the players. The Signage Web Manager web application can also be used for changing the Daylight Saving Time setting. Refer to the Operating Instructions of the player for details. Signage Web Manager Activate Specifies whether the Signage Web Manager web application for the players is to be enabled or not. Place a check mark or clear the check box, depending on your operation. Refer to the Operating Instructions of the player for details on this web application. Note It is recommended that you do not use Signage Web Manager while the management software is operating. If the two applications are used simultaneously, the settings sent to the player later will be effective. The date and time specified here are not the current date and time, but the date and time at which you will press the INFO button on the player. 4 Click the Export to USB button. The specified date and time is exported to the USB flash drive. 5 Remove the USB flash drive from the computer. 6 Connect the USB flash drive to the player, and press the INFO button on the player on the date and time you specified. Send and Complete button The Send and Complete button is used to send the settings specified in the Settings window to the player(s) connected to a network. For players that receive content using a USB flash drive, the settings are saved in the management software for now. They will be automatically copied to a USB flash drive upon distribution, and transferred to the player. Date/Time for USB Operation Player To synchronize the clocks of players for which distribution is performed via USB flash drives, set a date and time in the System Settings pane and export it to the USB flash drive. You must then press the INFO button on the player on the specified date and time. Settings Window 65

Chapter 9 Settings Adding/Deleting Players or Modifying Player Settings After Starting Operation To change the settings for individual players after starting operation, for example, to add or remove players from the system, use the following procedures. Note You must click [Send and Complete] at the end of each procedure. Without this step, the changes will not be effective. For the players that are connected to a network, clicking [Send and Complete] saves the modified settings and transfers them to each player. For the players that are not connected to any network, clicking [Send and Complete] saves the modified settings. Upon content distribution, they will also be copied to the USB flash drive, and then transferred to players. 3 Click [Add] in the Player Registration pane. The Player Settings window appears. Adding a Player 1 To add players that will receive content via a network, specify the IP addresses (IP Address 1) for the new players, and make a note of these IP addresses. See Assigning and Specifying IP Addresses for Each Player on page 16 for details. To add players that will receive content using a USB flash drive, make a note of their serial numbers. They are written on the bottom of the players. 2 Click the button of the operation guide. The Settings window appears. 4 Register one of the players you use in this window. For a player that will receive content via a network Select the Network Operation option button, enter the following data in the respective field, then click [Connect]. Item Player Name Name used to identify the player. You can use up to 100 characters in a player name. However, the following symbols cannot be used. \ / : *? " < > 66 Adding/Deleting Players or Modifying Player Settings After Starting Operation

Item Display Orientation 1) Display Model Playout Mode 1) Orientation in which the display device is installed. Select from Sony public displays, BRAVIA, and other models. Select from AVOUT Auto, HD15 1080p60, HD15 1080p50, HD15 720p60, or HD15 720p50. Time Zone 1) Time zone in which the player will be placed for operation. IP Address 1 IP address used for Signage Web Manager. IP Address 2 IP address used for playout operations. Adapter Enable RSS distribution 1) If you change this setting, restart each player after sending the settings to the players. The management software checks the connection between the player and the computer. If a connection is established, information on that player, such as the serial number and size of the storage, is displayed in the Player Settings window. Note Under factory default settings, IP address 1 and 2 are automatically acquired via DHCP. For a player that will receive content using a USB flash drive Select the USB Flash Drive Operation option button, and enter the following data in the respective fields. Item Player Name Display Orientation 1) Display Model Playout Mode 1) All IP addresses must be unique in a network segment. Network adapter used for communication with the players. Select whether to enable text distribution via Signage RSS Navigator. When this is enabled, interrupt playout from the management software is disabled. Name used to identify the player. You can use up to 100 characters in a player name. However, the following symbols cannot be used. \ / : *? " < > Orientation in which the display device is installed. Select from Sony public displays, BRAVIA, and other models. Select from AVOUT Auto, HD15 1080p60, HD15 1080p50, HD15 720p60, or HD15 720p50. Item Time Zone 1) Serial No. 1) If you change this setting, restart each player after copying the settings to the players. 5 Click [OK] in the Player Settings window. The window closes. The newly added player is displayed on the player list. (However, it has not yet been registered.) 6 Repeat steps 3 to 5 to add more players. The management software accepts up to ten player registrations. 7 Check that the items in the System Settings pane are specified as you desire. See System Settings pane on page 64 for details on the items in the System Settings pane. 8 Click [Send and Complete] at the lower-right corner of the Settings window. The newly added player(s) are registered in the management software. Note To apply any changes to the Playout Mode, Display Orientation, Time Zone, Adjust Player Time to This Computer, and Daylight Saving Time settings, rebooting of the player(s) is required. For player(s) that will receive content via a network, reboot them after you click [Send and Complete]. For player(s) that will receive content using a USB flash drive, reboot them after you copy the settings to the player(s). Deleting a Player Time zone in which the player will be placed for operation. The serial number of the player. 1 Click the button of the operation guide. The Settings window appears. 2 On the player list in the Player Registration pane, select the player to be deleted, and click [Delete] for that player. A confirmation message appears. Chapter 9 Settings Adding/Deleting Players or Modifying Player Settings After Starting Operation 67

Chapter 9 Settings 3 Click [OK] to delete the player. The selected player disappears from the player list. (However, its registration has not yet been deleted.) 4 Repeat steps 2 and 3 to delete more players. 5 Click [Send and Complete] at the lower-right corner of the Settings window. The registration of the player(s) are deleted. Changing a Player s Settings 1 Click the button of the operation guide. The Settings window appears. 2 On the player list in the Player Registration pane, select the player for which settings should be changed, and click [Edit] for that player. The Player Settings window for the player appears. 3 To change a Network Operation player into a USB Flash Drive Operation player, select the USB Flash Drive Operation option button. To change a USB Flash Drive Operation player into a Network Operation player, select the Network Operation option button. Skip this step if you do not want to change the player type. 4 Modify the following information for the selected player in the respective fields, then click [OK]. For a Network Operation player Item Player Name Display Orientation 1) Display Model Playout Mode 1) Name used to identify the player. You can use up to 100 characters in a player name. However, the following symbols cannot be used. \ / : *? " < > Orientation in which the display device is installed. Select from Sony public displays, BRAVIA, and other models. Select from AVOUT Auto, HD15 1080p60, HD15 1080p50, HD15 720p60, or HD15 720p50. Time Zone 1) Time zone in which the player will be placed for operation. Item IP Address 1 IP Address 2 Adapter Enable RSS distribution IP address used for Signage Web Manager. IP address used for playout operations. All IP addresses must be unique in a network segment. Network adapter used for communication with the players. Select whether to enable text distribution via Signage RSS Navigator. When this is enabled, interrupt playout from the management software is disabled. 1) If you change this setting, restart each player after sending the settings to the players. For a USB Flash Drive Operation player Item Player Name Display Orientation 1) Display Model Playout Mode 1) Time Zone 1) Serial No. Name used to identify the player. You can use up to 100 characters in a player name. However, the following symbols cannot be used. \ / : *? " < > Orientation in which the display device is installed. Select from Sony public displays, BRAVIA, and other models. Select from AVOUT Auto, HD15 1080p60, HD15 1080p50, HD15 720p60, or HD15 720p50. Time zone in which the player will be placed for operation. The serial number of the player. 1) If you change this setting, restart each player after copying the settings to the players. The modified information is displayed on the player list. 5 Repeat steps 2 to 4 to change the settings for more players. 6 Check that the items in the System Settings pane are specified as you desire. See System Settings pane on page 64 for details on the items in the System Settings pane. 7 Click [Send and Complete] at the lower-right corner of the Settings window. 68 Adding/Deleting Players or Modifying Player Settings After Starting Operation

Note To apply any changes to the Playout Mode, Display Orientation, Time Zone, Adjust Player Time to This Computer, and Daylight Saving Time settings, rebooting of the player(s) is required. For player(s) that will receive content via a network, reboot them after you click [Send and Complete]. For player(s) that will receive content using a USB flash drive, reboot them after you copy the settings to the player(s). Changing Other Player- Related Settings To change the common player settings, for example, the daylight saving time setting, or the password used for communication between the computer and each player, use the following procedure. Note You must click [Send and Complete] at the end of this procedure. Without this step, the changes will not be effective. When the players are connected to a network, clicking [Send and Complete] saves the modified settings and transfers them to each player. When the players are not connected to any network, clicking [Send and Complete] saved the modified settings. Upon content distribution, they will also be copied to the USB flash drive used, and then transferred to players. Chapter 9 Settings 1 Click the button of the operation guide. The Settings window appears. 2 Modify the desired settings in the System Settings pane of the Settings window. See System Settings pane on page 64 for details on the items in the System Settings pane. 3 Click [Send and Complete] at the lower-right corner of the Settings window. Changing Other Player-Related Settings 69

Other Operations Chapter10 Chapter 10 Other Operations Deleting Content from the Storage Area of a Player If the storage area of a player becomes full, it is no longer possible to distribute content, playlists, and schedules to that player. You should regularly delete unnecessary items, as follows. 1 Press the 1 button to place the player in the standby mode, then remove the memory card from the memory card slot of the player. 2 Insert the memory card into a memory card slot of a computer. 3 Check the items stored on the memory card. The contents and playlists that can be deleted are stored in the following folders, where xxxxxxx corresponds to the player s serial number. Note Do not delete items required for future playout. If any content item required for playout is deleted, a black screen will be displayed during playout. From a Player that Receives Content via a Network Delete unnecessary content and playlists using the Maintenance window. See Checking and Deleting Content from Players on page 61 for details. From a Player that Receives Content Using a USB Flash Drive There are two methods used to delete unnecessary files. By removing the memory card from the player A memory card is inserted in the card slot of each player as its storage medium. Insert this memory card into a memory card slot of a computer, and delete unnecessary items. SCAxxxxxxx\content\done\ SCAxxxxxxx\program\done\ SCAxxxxxxx\schedule\done\ The contents and playlists stored in the following folders are required for playout of registered schedules. SCAxxxxxxx\content\queue\ SCAxxxxxxx\program\queue\ SCAxxxxxxx\schedule\queue\ SCAxxxxxxx\content\default\ SCAxxxxxxx\program\default\ SCAxxxxxxx\schedule\default\ SCAxxxxxxx\db\ 4 Delete unnecessary items. Deleting files stored in one of the folders listed above will not affect player settings. 5 Remove the memory card from the computer, then insert it into the memory card slot of the player. By deleting old content items upon content distribution When a playlist or schedule is exported, the displayed Export to USB window provides the Delete all content items stored on the player before the schedule you are exporting is copied check box. Placing a check mark in this check box will produce a command that deletes content items stored on the player 70 Deleting Content from the Storage Area of a Player

before the exported playlist or schedule is copied to the player in the USB flash drive. See Distributing the Playlist Using a USB Flash Drive on page 38 or Distributing Schedules Using a USB Flash Drive on page 50 for details on these operations. Data Backup You can back up the content, playlists, schedules, and system/player settings that are used in the management software, and move it to a separate location for preparing to replace your computer. Backing Up Content, Playlists, Schedules and System/Player Settings The management software saves all data in its data folder, that is specified in the initial setup process using Easy Setting Wizard. Use the following procedure to check the folder and copy the data. Chapter 10 Other Operations 1 In the main window of the management software, click [File] on the menu bar, then select [Open Data Folder] on the popup menu. A window opens, displaying the data folder. 2 Copy the entire data folder to the storage medium you are using for backup. For example, if C:\DigitalSignageData is displayed as the data folder, copy that folder to an external hard disk or a network drive. Replacing the Computer If you are changing the computer that is running the management software to a different computer, you can copy the backed up content, playlists, schedules, and system/player settings to continue operation as before. Note If you are using a network for distribution, the new computer must be set up for it. See Setting Up the Computer on page 16 and make the required settings. 1 Before installation of the management software on the new computer, copy the backup folder over the folder that is to be the data folder of the management software. 2 Install the management software on the new computer. See Installing the Management Software on page 18 for details. Data Backup 71

Note During installation, you must select the same options as those used for the previous computer. Uninstalling the Management Software Chapter 10 Other Operations 3 Start the management software. The Easy Setting Wizard starts automatically. See Starting the Management Software on page 19 for details on how to start the software, and Setting Up the System Using the Easy Setting Wizard on page 20 for details on the Easy Setting Wizard. 4 When the Easy Setting Wizard asks the location of the data folder, specify the folder into which you have copied the backup data in step 1. 5 Click [OK]. The Easy Setting Wizard ends here, and the main window of the management software appears. You will be able to operate the system as before. To uninstall the management software, proceed as follows: Select [Start] on the Windows task bar, then [Program], [Sony], [Signage Player Management Software], and then [Uninstall Signage Player Management Software]. The uninstall program starts. Uninstall the software according to the instructions given by the wizard displayed on the screen. Notes Previously created user data will not be removed in the uninstallation process. Delete the data folder, including its subfolders, manually. Before uninstallation, you can open the data folder by clicking [File] on the menu bar of the main window of the management software, then selecting [Open Data Folder] on the displayed popup menu. If a confirmation message from Windows appears, click [Continue] or [Allow]. 72 Uninstalling the Management Software

Glossary Content, Content Items Video, still image, text, audio files, and control commands registered in the management software. Playlists and schedules are created by listing these content items in the order of playout. Video, still image, and audio items are listed on playlists, whereas text items and control commands are listed on schedules. Control, Control Items A system provided to control a player or a display device connected to a player. Control items for the players and display devices are registered in the management software upon installation. Actions such as adjusting the output audio level, turning the power on/ standby, and switching the input signal of the display device, etc., are available by adding the corresponding control item to a schedule. Default content The default playlist that is played during periods where no other playlists are specified on a player on which schedule playout is in progress. You can specify a playlist as default content by clicking the Save and Distribute as Default button after editing the playlist. Distribution To send schedules and settings to players. When a schedule is distributed, the playlists and content required for the scheduled playout are distributed automatically. There are also two distribution methods: using a network and using a USB flash drive. When a network is used for distribution, each player is actually downloading data from the computer, data is not sent to the player by the management software. When a USB flash drive is used for distribution, the data is exported to the USB flash drive that is plugged into a USB slot on the computer. The exported data will then be copied from the USB flash drive to the storage of the player. Exporting To transfer data to a USB flash drive for distribution. Exporting is used for players that are not connected to any network. When a schedule is exported, the playlists and content required for the scheduled playout will be copied to the USB flash drive, too, automatically. Also, the system/player settings specified in the initial setup process using Easy Setting Wizard, and in the Settings window are also copied to the USB flash drive simultaneously, and transferred to players. Interrupt Playout A function that distributes content to a player that is performing scheduled playout, and ensures the distributed content is played immediately. This is used for urgent information, like a news flash. When a text item is selected for interrupt playout, the text item currently playing will be replaced with the interrupting content, but other content will continue playing. If there is no text item currently playing, the interrupting text item will be displayed on the top layer. When a still image is selected, the interrupting content will be played on the special interruption layer, which is located at the top of the layers, so that content being played in the ongoing playout is completely hidden behind the interrupting still image played on the interruption layer. Layer Each player has two basic display layers: one for video or still images, and the other for text items, and a special display layer used for interrupt playout managed by a player. Video or still image (1) Interruption (2) Text (3) A player plays a single content item at a time on each layer, according to a playlist. The special layer for interrupt playout is located at the top of the layers and used when a still image is used as the interrupting content. The layers are overlaid in the order as shown in the figure above. (The numbers in the figure show the order.) Layout The position (Y-coordinate) of a single-line text item. Player The VSP-BZ10 Digital Signage Player. It stores content distributed from the management software in its storage, and plays the content according to the specified playlist and schedule. Playlist A sequence of content items in the order of playout. When a playlist is created, you can attach schedule information, such as the time, period, and days of the week when it should be played on the players, then distribute that playlist. Appendix Glossary 73

You can also manually create a schedule for a playlist, in combination with text items and/or control items. Schedule Listed information for each day in which sets of a time period and playlist or audio item to be played in that period are specified, like a time table. The control items can be specified in a schedule, too. Each schedule has added information on the period and days of the week when the schedule is used for playout, when saved. The start time and stop time for a schedule are specified by the DisplayON.xml and DisplayStandby.xml control commands. Appendix Schedule Start Time A setting specified with the Easy Setting Wizard. It specifies the start time of the schedule (time table) of each day. The schedule (and hence time table) continues 24 hours from this time point as a single day. The day of a schedule is decided according to the start time of the schedule. Playout of any item must be scheduled within one schedule day. Playout starting on a certain schedule day cannot end on another schedule day. Transition A setting for a playlist that specifies whether an effect should be used upon transition between two adjacent still images in the playlist. You can select the transition time, either slow or fast. This setting is for each playlist. This setting will affect all the still images in the playlist. 74 Glossary

Index A Add Content window 23 adding content items to playlists 35 players 66 playlists, text items, and control items to schedules 44 Adjust Player Time to This Computer setting 64 application installing 18 assigning IP addresses for players 16 attaching schedule information to playlists 37 audio files, registering 25 audio items, adding to schedules 44 B backing up content, playlists, schedules, and system/player settings 71 C changing player settings 68, 69 checking content stored on players 61, 70 computers replacing 71 requirements 11 setting up 16 specifying IP addresses 16 content 73 adding to playlists 35 checking and deleting from players 61, 70 creating 25 formats 9 registering 25 content items 73 Content Preview pane 32 control 73 control items 73 adding to schedules 44 creating content 25 graphical text 29 playlists 34 schedules 44 text 27 D data backup 71 Daylight Saving Time setting 65 default content 73 Default Duration for Still Image setting 32 deleting content from players 61, 70 players 67 Distribute window 47 distributing playlists 37 schedules 49 distributing RSS 56 distributing using USB flash drives playlists 38 schedules 50 distributing via networks playlists 37 schedules 50 distribution 73 duration, modifying 27 E Easy Setting Wizard, setting up 20 Edit Playlist window 31 Edit Schedule window 39 edited playlists, saving 36 edited schedules, saving 46 editing graphical text 29 playlists 34 schedules 44 text 27 editing playlists 36 examples, system configuration 10 exiting, management software 19 exporting 73 exporting to USB flash drives playlists 38 schedules 50 F features 9 file formats 9 Firmware Update 60 flow schedule playout 8 setup 15 simple scheduling playout 7 formats, content 9 functions, management software 9 G graphical text, creating and editing 29 I installing, management software 18 Internet Explorer setting, specifying 17 Interrupt Content pane 53 interrupt playout 73 Interrupt Playout window 52 interrupting playout 54 IP addresses specifying for computers 16 specifying for players 16 items shown on the time table 43 L layer 73 layout 73 M main window 13 Maintenance window 59 management software exiting 19 functions 9 installing 18 starting 19 uninstalling 72 material formats 9 memory cards checking content stored 61, 70 menu bar 13 modifying player settings 68, 69 video duration 27 My Collection Folder pane 23, 31, 39, 53 N network, setting up 16 O opening playlists 35 schedules 44 operation guide 14 operation window area 14 overview 6 P personal computers, requirements 11 Player List pane 53, 60 Player Registration pane 64 player settings, modifying 68, 69 Player Status pane 49 Index Index 75

Index players 73 adding 66 assigning and specifying IP addresses 16 checking and deleting content 61, 70 deleting 67 modifying settings 68, 69 rebooting 62 Playlist Editor pane 32 Playlist Settings pane 32 playlists 73 adding to schedules 44 attaching schedule information 37 creating and editing 34 distributing using USB flash drives 38 distributing via networks 37 editing 36 exporting to USB flash drives 38 opening 35 saving 36 playout workflow 7 playout, interrupting 54 preparations 15 Q quitting, management software 19 R rebooting players 62 registering content 25 players 66 video files, still images, or audio files 25 replacing, computers 71 required software 11 requirements, system 11 restarting players 62 RSS distribution 56 distributing 49 distributing using USB flash drives 50 distributing via networks 50 exporting to USB flash drives 50 opening 44 saving 46 selecting for distribution 49 selecting, schedules to be distributed 49 setting up computers 16 network 16 system 20 Settings window 63 setup workflow 15 Signage Animation Converter 25 Signage RSS Navigator 56 Signage Web Manager Activate setting 65 simple scheduling playout 7 software exiting 19 installing 18 starting 19 system requirements 11 uninstalling 72 specifying Internet Explorer settings 17 IP addresses for computers 16 IP addresses for players 16 schedule information 45 video duration 27 starting, management software 19 Still Image Transition setting 32 still images, registering 25 storage, checking content stored 61, 70 system requirements 11 setting up 20 system configuration examples 10 System Password 60 System Settings pane 64 V video duration, specifying 27 video files, registering 25 Video Thumbnail Position setting 64 W Waiting List pane 48 windows Add Content 23 Distribute 47 Edit Playlist 31 Edit Schedule 39 Interrupt Playout 52 main 13 Maintenance 59 Settings 63 workflow 7 schedule playout 8 setup 15 simple scheduling playout 7 S saving playlists 36 schedules 46 Schedule Editor pane 41 schedule information attaching to playlists 37 specifying 45 Schedule List pane 48 schedule playout 8 Schedule Start Time setting 74 schedules 74 creating and editing 44 T text, creating and editing 27 time table, items 43 Tools menu 13 transition 74 Transition Speed setting 32 U uninstalling, management software 72 76 Index

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