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Note ● When errors prevent a DMP 4310G from rendering a SWF asset, failover does not begin immediately. Instead, it starts after a delay of 3 minutes and 10 seconds. The root cause is a defect in the Flash runtime from Adobe Systems. There is no workaround.
These guidelines cite values that are approximate. Do not deploy any design until you have tested its playback performance on at least one DMP.
Rather than crashing when they run low on memory, DMPs are designed to restart automatically, which clears their memory and causes downtime of much less than 1 minute, as opposed to the lengthy downtime that a hard crash would cause. In the rare cases when DMPs do run out of memory and restart automatically, SWF files are almost always responsible. The known scenarios when this can occur are as follows.
Additionally, we recommend that you use the following guidelines when you create SWF files.
Among all other possible options for what any DMP model might render, you can direct DMPs specifically to play:
Many SWFs are self-contained in the sense that they do not have any dependencies outside themselves. Nonetheless, the SWF format specification does not impose or enforce any requirement that they all be self-contained. SWF behaviors can be defined externally. Values from an XML data file that you store at “Location A,” for example, might populate a SWF that you store at “Location B.”
This content development approach supports versatility, speed, and reuse. However, a DMP 4310G cannot take advantage of this approach unless you use a special variable that only a DMP 4310G understands. Moreover, a DMP 4310G cannot begin to render a SWF asset of this kind until you tell it explicitly where to obtain the external values that it is programmed to present.
Note Other DMP models do not require or recognize these special instructions. So, if you mistakenly instruct other DMP models to play URLs that include the variable, they merely disregard every character after the SWF filename extension in the URL. Earlier DMP models — specifically the 4305G and 4400G — are engineered to check for Flash variables in an HTML wrapper file. We use a different method for the DMP 4310G because many of its components and features differ from earlier DMP models.
Thus, the URL syntax requirements for a DMP 4310G are sharply different to render a self-contained SWF, versus one whose values are external.
http://mediahost_FQDN/path/PRESENTATION.SWF
, for example, then this would be exactly the correct URL to use, without modification. http://datahost_FQDN/path/VALUES.XML
. In this case, you must use special syntax to serve the full combination of all these essential goals: – Identify both URLs (SWF and XML) for your DMP 4310G.
– Use a query parameter to invoke a MIB function that we call “fl_flashvars” — which exists exclusively on the DMP 4310G.
– Pass a MIB variable that we call “Data_Url” — which indicates that the two URLs share one, unified purpose. (Third-party Flash applications would use other names for their variables.)
– Apply percent encoding (HTTP URL encoding) to reserved characters in:
• The MIB variable, including its “=” character (which becomes %3D).
• The variable value, including its “://” character string (which becomes %3A%2F%2F).
So, the final string that you would enter for this scenario in place of a conventional URL would be consistent with this example.
http://mediahost_FQDN/path/PRESENTATION.SWF?fl_flashvars=Data_Url%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fdata_host_fqdn%2Fpath%2FVALUES.XML
Tip Remember that there is no need to take these measures unless you use a DMP 4310G and your SWF depends on external values.
We consider an animation to be nonstandard when it does not abide by our best practices to limit complexity and use DMPs effectively. And any animation is complex — for our purposes — when its playback uses so much of the CPU capacity on a DMP that performance suffers. These guidelines suggest how to avoid and reduce complexity in ways that improve performance.
Note DMP 4310G endpoints in this release do not support JavaScript. Instead, they support ActionScript 2.
DMP 4305G endpoints in this release run Flash 7.
Tip You can use video editing software to add an audio track to an MPEG file.
Interlaced video is inferior to progressive-scan video. Modern equipment must expend some of its capacity to deinterlace what is interlaced. By avoiding interlaced video, you can conserve this capacity and expend it on more important functions.
When the width and height of a rectangle are exactly the same — making it a perfect square — we say that its aspect ratio is “1:1.” This notation compares width to height in relative terms. However, there are actually two aspect ratios to consider when you think about digital video.
Note Use a 1:1 pixel aspect ratio when you encode video for playback at a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels.
Note Despite the extreme and misleading similarity of their names, the VC-1 codec for digital video and the.VC1 container format (“wrapper”) for digital video are not the same thing — nor are they equivalent, interchangeable, or mutually compatible.
• Some DMP models support part of the VC-1 codec, when used with the.ASF container format.
• No DMP models support any part of the.VC1 container format.
The Microsoft standard for its Windows Media VC-1 video codec includes three profiles: Simple, Main, and Advanced. Although DMP 4400G and 4310G endpoints support the Simple profile and the Main profile, they do not support the Advanced profile.
Video assets with.VC1 as their filename extension use the SMPTE 421M codec, which we do not support. (Such files are used on Blu-ray discs and HD DVD discs.).VC1 files are also likely to be protected with DRM technologies that prevent unauthorized playback.
In playlists that show two video clips in sequence, there is sometimes an extremely brief delay while switching playback from one video to the next. This delay — which lasts about 200 milliseconds — is so brief that many viewers cannot perceive it. Even so, your use of the “bridging image” feature in DMD can help to reduce human perception of such fleeting delays in playback.
A bridging image is a specially designated GIF or JPEG file, whose playback duration is roughly 200 milliseconds long. You can designate any graphic as the bridging image for a video. However, our intent for this feature is that the bridging image should look identical to the nearest visible frame of video. For best results, its resolution, cropping, and frame aspect ratio should match the equivalent video frame exactly. The desired effect is either of these:
Note ● This feature does not generate bridging images automatically for you. Instead, it provides the means to use a bridging image (or not) and assign particular image assets to serve this purpose for particular video assets. After you couple a video clip to a bridging image, the bridging image loads itself automatically into any future playlist that includes its coupled video clip.
When you capture a frame of video for use as a bridging image, strive to match these video attributes identically:
Tip The background color for a playlist can also influence whether video transitions are obvious. For best results, avoid any background color that is in stark contrast to your videos.
Step 1 Click Media on the toolbar.
Step 2 Use any combination of these functions to find assets in your media library.
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Step 3 Stop. You have completed this procedure.
Step 1 Click Media on the toolbar.
Step 4 Choose between two methods.
Step 5 When DMD reveals a field to you in response to your choice in Step 4, use the field.
a. Enter the communications protocol to use, such as http://.
b. Enter the server’s fully-qualified domain name, such as www.example.com.
c. Enter a logical port number — if needed, such as :8080.
d. Enter the full pathname to the asset, such as /root/subdirectory/example.gif.
Tip The Download check box controls whether your media library should download a local copy of the asset or use the version of it that is stored remotely.
– Enter the asset’s full local pathname if you know it, using syntax that is correct for your operating system.
OR
– Click Browse, and then navigate among the folders on your locally mounted volumes. When you locate the asset, click to highlight its name or icon. Then, use your browser’s method to confirm the selection. Your browser then populates the Local File field for you.
Step 6 Enter a title to identify the asset.
Step 7 Choose the appropriate asset type.
Tip When you choose Video from this list, we reveal a toggle near the bottom of the page (). You will use this toggle a few minutes from now if you already captured a bridging image for your video asset and uploaded the bridging image to a webserver.
Step 8 Enter the estimated duration for playback.
Note The user interface in Cisco Digital Signs sometimes shows a mistaken estimate of 0 (zero) seconds as the full duration of a video playlist. Even though the estimate is wrong, the error does not have any practical consequences. Playback starts and stops as scheduled, without disruption.
This occurs after you set any video asset in the playlist to use 0 seconds as its planned duration. A video asset whose planned duration is 0 (zero) seconds will play from beginning to end.
When you want to skip a video instead of playing it, you must remove it from the playlist. Any playlist’s constituent nonvideo assets must have a planned duration of at least 1 second.
Step 9 Ensure that the asset is associated to categories that are best for it.
Step 11 Specify who in your organization is responsible for this asset.
Is your asset a video? And should the video use a bridging image? If so, you must direct DMD to the exact location of your bridging image on a webserver.
a. Click Advanced () to open the toggle and show the bridging image controls.
b. Click the radio button labeled Image URL.
c. Enter http:// as the communications protocol.
d. Enter the server’s fully-qualified domain name, such as www.example.com.
e. Enter a logical port number — if needed, such as :8080.
f. Enter the full pathname to the bridging image, such as /root/subdirectory/example.gif.
Note You must use a dedicated webserver to host a bridging image. Do not use an FTP server to host it. Do not use a content distribution network to host it. Do not use DMP local storage to host it.
Step 14 Stop. You have completed this procedure.
Note The amount of time that a batch download operation requires depends on the speed of your connection, the number of directory levels that you search for downloadable files, and the total combined file size of all files that you transfer.
Step 1 Click Media on the toolbar.
Step 4 Use the Base URL field to enter the root-level URL for a batch-download operation.
Step 5 Use the Pattern area to enter a filename pattern that matches only the files that should all be downloaded.
For example, to download every file that uses the three-letter MPG filename extension, the pattern would be *.MPG.
Note Do not enter the filename pattern to use any unsupported file type.
Step 6 Choose the appropriate asset type.
Step 7 Choose how many levels to search for matches.
Step 8 Click the name of the one category that should contain these assets.
Step 10 Stop. You have completed this procedure.
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Single (properties sheet) |
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Enter exactly the URL from which to download the asset, when it is stored on a remote volume. Permitted values in this field always start with with http://, udp://, or rtsp://. The URL must be encoded properly (using %20 instead of spaces, for example), according to the principles set forth in RFC 2396. We do not support any use of spaces in URLs. This field is visible only when “URL (recommended)” is chosen in the Source area. |
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Upload the asset from a volume that you have mounted locally. Click Browse to navigate to the folder where you can choose and upload the asset. This field is visible only when “Local File” is chosen in the Source area. |
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A unique and human-readable name for the asset. Angle brackets ( < or >) and ampersands ( &) are forbidden values in this field. |
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Choose the type that best describes the asset. See our release notes on Cisco.com to learn more specifically which formats we support per asset type in this release. – The filename extension must be SWF. – You must enter the estimated duration. – The filename extension must be JPG, JPEG, GIF, or PNG. – The filename extension must be HTM or HTML. |
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The estimated duration for playback, counted in hours, minutes, and seconds. |
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States which categories include the asset. Click Select Category to associate the asset with additional categories. Choose at least one. |
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Optional, brief description of the asset. Descriptions cannot use any more than 255 characters. Angle brackets ( < or >) and ampersands ( &) are forbidden values in this field. |
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Batch (properties sheet) |
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An HTTP URL that points to a directory on a server. The directory that you point to serves as the root-level URL for the batch download operation; every file that you download is retrieved from this directory or from one of its children at a lower level. The URL must be encoded properly (using %20 instead of spaces, for example), according to the principles set forth in RFC 2396. We do not support any use of spaces in URLs. |
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The filename pattern that identifies which files to download. We do not support any use of spaces in filenames. |
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Choose the type that best describes these assets:
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The number of levels below the specified base URL to search for (and download) files with filenames that match the specified pattern. Unless you choose a numbered option explicitly, we search all levels. |
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Click the name of the one category that should contain these assets. |
Q. Why does SWF playback stop momentarily?
SWF playback stops momentarily when the main processor in a DMP 4310G exhausts its reserved memory capacity to render a SWF. The playback is stopped just long enough to clear DMP memory. Then, the DMP restarts SWF playback automatically. However, this process fails on rare occasions. When it fails on a DMP where failover is enabled, Flash failover occurs. But when it fails while failover is disabled, the DMP 4310G does not play anything. To prevent this behavior, you might use a greater variety of SWF assets for your digital signs or edit your playback schedule. To work around this problem, set the DMP failover URL to load the same SWF.
Q. What makes a playlist stop before it should?
A DMP 4310G might stop rendering a playlist immediately before you expect it to load and render a SWF asset. Or, it might fail to render a SWF asset in some other context.
In either case, examine the FLA source for the SWF and verify that it does not use ActionScript 3. Or, when you do not have the FLA source, open DMPDM on the DMP 4310G and choose Flash Playback from the Display Actions list. Then, direct DMPDM to play the SWF. DMPDM will not play an incompatible SWF.
We do not support any use of ActionScript 3 on a DMP 4310G. Instead, we support ActionScript 2.