Focus 3.2, Firefly SC, Firefly MZ User Manual

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Firefly SC and MZ

Media Players

Version 3.2

User Manual

Page 2

Trademarks

The Focus Enhancements, Visual Circuits, and Firefly logos are registered trademarks in the United States and other countries. All other products, services or company names mentioned herein are claimed as trademarks and trade names by their respective companies.

Focus Enhancements 5155 East River Road, Suite 401 Minneapolis, MN 55421 USA http://www.visualcircuits.com

Publication Number: 813-0049c

All specifications, notices and warnings are subject to change without notice.

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Firefly Safety Requirements

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS:

The following safety instructions apply to the Visual Circuits Firefly:

1. Read and follow all warning notices and instructions marked on the product or included in this manual. Opening or removing covers and/or components may expose you to dangerous high voltage points or other risks. Qualified personnel should perform all servicing.

2. The maximum ambient temperature for the Firefly is 114 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius). Care should be given to allow sufficient air circulation or space between units when Firefly is installed in a closed or multi-unit rack assembly because the operating ambient temperature of the rack environment must be greater than room ambient temperature.

3. Slots and openings in the cabinet (chassis) are provided for ventilation. To ensure reliable operation of the product and to protect it from overheating, maintain a minimum of 1-inch (2.5-cm) clearance on the top and sides.

4. Installation of the Firefly in a rack without sufficient airflow can be unsafe.

5. If installed in a rack, the rack should safely support the combined weight of all equipment it supports. A fully loaded Firefly weighs 4 pounds (1.5 kg).

6. The connections and equipment of the Firefly should be capable of operating safely with the maximum power requirements of the Firefly. In the event of a power overload, the supply circuits and supply wiring should not become hazardous.

7. External power supply AC power inputs are intended to be used with the three-wire grounding type plug (a plug that has a grounding pin). This is a safety feature. Equipment grounding is vital to ensure safe operation. Do not defeat the purpose of grounding type plugs by modifying the plug or using an adapter.

8. If a three-wire grounding type power source is not available, consult a qualified electrician to determine another method of grounding the equipment.

9. Install only in restricted areas in accordance with Articles 110-16, 100-17 and 110-18 of the National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA 70.

10. Do not allow anything to rest on the power cord and do not locate the product where persons will walk on or come in contact with the power cord.

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POWER AND GROUND REQUIREMENTS:

Determine that the cumulative power requirements of the Firefly plus other equipment in the rack do not overload the supply circuits and/or wiring.

CAUTION

If using a power strip or similar supply, make sure the power requirements of the chassis, plus the cumulative power draw of any other equipment in the rack, do not overload the supply circuit.

WARNING

For safe operation, this equipment must be properly grounded.

The chassis should be reliably earth grounded to the rack equipment. This earth ground connection must be maintained when supply connection is other than direct connection to the branch circuit.

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User Manual Regulatory Documentation

Class A Statement

FCC P a r t 1 5 (EN6100 0 - 3 -2)

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 (EN61000-3-

2) of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with this instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his or her own expense.

The Firefly complies with Part 15 (EN61000-3-2) of the FCC rules.

CAUTION

There is danger of explosion if the battery is incorrectly replaced.

A lithium battery on the product provides backup power for the device’s timekeeping capability. The battery has an estimated life expectancy of ten years. When the battery starts to weaken, the date and time may become incorrect. If the battery fails, the unit must be sent back to Visual Circuits for battery replacement.

WARNING

An improperly grounded power supply can result in electrical shock.

The AC power cord provided with your system has a grounded plug. Always use a grounded power cord with a properly grounded wall outlet.

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Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

1. This device may not cause harmful interference.

2. This device must accept any interference that may cause undesired operation.

Industry Canada

This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.

Cet appareil numerique de la classe A respecte toutes les exigences du Regulement sur le materiel brouilleur du Canada.

EMC and Safety Directive Compliance

The CE mark is affixed to this Visual Circuits Corporation product to confirm compliance with the following European Community Directives:

Council Directive 89/336/EEC of 3 May 1989 on the approximation of the laws of Member States relating to electromagnetic compatibility.

And

Council Directive 73/23/EEC of 19 February 1973 on the harmonization of the laws of Member States relating to electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits:

Each amended by Council Directive 93/68/EEC of 22 July 1993 on the harmonization of CE marking requirements.

WARNING

Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

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Class A Warning (EN55024, EN55022)

In a domestic environment this product may cause radio interference in which case the user may be required to take adequate measures.

WARNING

Failure to provide adequate surge protection may cause damage to the Firefly.

Visual Circuits does not warranty damage caused by electrical surges to the system. Surge protection should be provided when connecting any peripheral device and power to the system.

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CONTENTS

Welcome to Firefly SC™ and MZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Quick Start Plug and Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Before You Start, You Will Need. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Installation Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Install the Firefly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Configure for Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Attaching a Laptop or PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Serial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Changing TCP/IP Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

WebView via Ethernet Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

External Control Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Install Media Messenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Configure FTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Setup on-board Firefly FTP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Configure Firefly Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Configuring the Firefly FTP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

How To Create a Basic Playlist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Publish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Via FTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Via CD/DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Software Updating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Encoding Requirements and Recommendations . . . . . 19

Encoding Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Encoding Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

WEBVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Accessing the WebView Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Setup Procedures: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Step 1: Connect to the Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Step 2: Determine the Address of the Firefly. . . . . . . . . . . 24

Step 3: Establishing Communication with the Firefly . . . . . 24

Step 4: Enter Your User Name and Password . . . . . . . . . 25

Forgot Name, Password, IP...???. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Using the WebView Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Transferring Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Webview Software Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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Contents

Reviewing, Previewing and Deleting Firefly Media . . . . . . . . . . 31

Reviewing Media and Storage Usage on the Firefly . . . . . 31

Previewing Videos and Graphic Overlays

on the Firefly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Deleting Media from the Firefly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Using the Playlist Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Creating a New Playlist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Adding Videos to a Playlist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Removing Videos from a Playlist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Moving Videos Within a Playlist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Shuffling Video Playback on a Channel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Adding Graphic Overlays to a Playlist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Working With Graphic Overlays in a Playlist . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Adding Scrolling Text to a Playlist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Working With Scrolling Text in a Playlist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Transparency Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Saving a Playlist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Playing a Playlist Quickly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Using the Schedule Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Creating a New Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Adding an Event to a Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Deleting an Event from a Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Editing an Event within a Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Saving a Schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Additional Saving and Loading Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Assigning Dates for Video Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Exiting the Schedule Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Using the Player Control Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Diagnostics - General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Diagnostics - Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Diagnostics - Playback. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Diagnostics - Logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

System Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

General Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Video Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Audio Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Control Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Network Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Logging Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

WebView Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

FTP Auto-Update Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

HTTP Auto-Update Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

USB Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

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Contents

USB Devices Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

USB Network Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Multicast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Advanced Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Networking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Media Messenger™ Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Product Features: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Benefits: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Updating Video Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Automatic Updating:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Manual Updating: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

FTP UPDATING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

FTP Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Player Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Creating a Firefly FTP Update Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

/scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

/updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

FTP Update Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

FTP Updating Order. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

FTP Font Files (.ttf) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Playlist Parsing Routine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

System Update Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Firefly Storage Cleanup Routine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

MULTICAST UPDATING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Software Update Check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

System Settings for Multicasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Manual Updating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

WebView Updating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Forgot Name, Password, IP...???. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Direct File Access Updating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Log File Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Run Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Diagnostic Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Log Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Run Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

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Contents

Diagnostic Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

DTDs (Document Type Definition) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Log Default Playlist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Maximum Log File Sizes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Uploading Log Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

External Control Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Connecting via RS232 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Connecting via TCP/IP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Basic Hyper Terminal Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

VCC Control Commands:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Playlist Playback Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Playing Individual Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Using Serial Commands To Create Playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Firefly System Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Callback Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Audio and Video Setting Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Networking Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

LDV Control Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

COM Port Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Error Codes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

Command Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Address Arguments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Command Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Playback Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

External Control Commands

Quick Reference Guide: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

VCC Commands:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

LDV Commands: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

General Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

No Power to Firefly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

No Video Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

"Latent Images" or "Flashing" During Playback . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Stuttering Files During Playback. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Some files in the playlist do not play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Smooth Transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

SMPTE time codes are not recognized properly. . . . . . . . . . . 164

Filename Already Exists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

FTPing Font Files (.ttf) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

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Contents

Insufficient Disk Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Forgot Name, Password, IP...???. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Preventing Cabling and Connection Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Firefly Multi-Zone™ (MZ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Installing the MZ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Video Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Functionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

Software Update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Status LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Using Firefly MZ to

Create a Layout and Playlist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Creating the Layout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Setting Display Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Creating a MZ (multi-zone) Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Position Zones in Layout Workspace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

Creating the Playlist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Link the Playlist to the Firefly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Firefly MZ Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

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WELCOME TO FIREFLY SC

™

AND MZ

Thank you for purchasing the Firefly SC™ or the Firefly MZ™. The Firefly SC and MZ are the media players developed specifically for A/V professionals; combining the ease and familiarity, flexibility and control of a disk-based, MPEG-2 decoder. These players provide for playlist creation, time/date scheduling, graphic overlay capability, remote content updating, network compatibility and a web-based “control and monitor” interface.

In addition, the Firefly MZ when teamed with Media Messenger software permits the creation of compelling multi-zone presentations.

The Firefly SC and MZ belong to a new-generation of commercial media players that fit into a wide variety of stand alone or network attached applications, from trade shows and exhibitions to retail merchandising, education and training, corporation communications and digital signage.

The Firefly family continues to develop and evolve to meet the evolving demands of A/V contractors.

Keep up with our latest product offerings by checking our web site at www.visualcircuits.com.

Page 16

Welcome to Firefly SC™ and MZ

Documentation Conventions

The Firefly SC and MZ are single-channel devices that share many features and capabilities. Because of these similarities, this manual, in general, does not differentiate between these two players and simply calls them either the Firefly or the player. Thus, unless specifically identified as belong to a particular player, the information in this manual applies to both.

Information specific only to the MZ is found in the section, Firefly Multi-Zone™ (MZ) on page 167.

Notes

An exclamation point indicates information found in a Note.

Page 17

QUICK START PLUG AND PLAY

The Firefly is a single-channel output device that is simple to configure and can reside on a network or stand alone.

Before You Start, You Will Need

Have the following items ready before installing the Firefly MZ Media Player.

• BNC Video cables

• IP and FTP Information IP Addressing Mode (Static or DHCP) IP Address Hostname FTP Proxy IP Address and Port FTP Username and Password

Content Server

Firefly Players

LAN

Display Devices

Page 18

Quick Start Plug and Play

Installation Sequence

1. Install Firefly on network. a. Connect your video and audio cables to the back of the

Firefly.

b. Connect the video and audio cables from the Firefly to the

inputs on the monitor and audio component.

c. Connect the power cable to the back of the Firefly and plug

it in to your power source.

d. At start up, the Firefly runs through a a short series of self-

diagnostics before beginning automated playback.

The Firefly comes loaded with sample videos that are useful as you become familiar with Firefly’s features and for diagnostic purposes. Video playback is typically controlled through a “playlist” that defines which videos are played and in what order. Only one playlist can be active at any time, though any number of playlists can be stored on Firefly for later use. Whenever Firefly is turned on, the playlist that was last used is reloaded and playback begins automatically.

The default active playlist for a new Firefly is called “factory.fpl”. The fastest way to test Firefly is to simply plug it in, connect the cables and turn it on.

2. Configure Firefly for network, see page 7.

3. Install Media Messenger application, refer to Media Messenger User Manual for details.

4. Configure FTP.

5. Creating a Layout and Playlist.

6. Publishing via FTP or CD/DVD.

The Firefly’s default factory setting plays component, 1080i, and line-level audio. If your application requires the Firefly to employ a different video standard and/or video output type, use Webview to change the system settings as needed. See the section on Video Settings on page 71 for more information.

Page 19

Quick Start Plug and Play

Install the Firefly

1. Attach the video cables to the Firefly.

❏ For Composite monitors: Connect a BNC-ended

composite cable (not included) to the composite connector on the back of the Firefly.

❏ For S-Video monitors: Connect a BNC-ended Y s-video

cable (not included) to the corresponding chroma (C) and luma (Y) connectors on the back of the Firefly.

❏ For Component monitors: Connect BNC-ended

component cables (not included) to the corresponding Pr, Y and Pb connectors on the back of the Firefly.

MZ RGB and Component Output

For best quality video or to putput to an anology display device, it is necessary to use the MZ’s DVI output anlog with a DVI to VGA adapter, see for more details.

Power

12 VDC

USB

Serial

Network

10/100

DVI-I

1 2 3 4 5 6

Digital

S / PDIF

Unbalanced

(Left Right)

S-Video

Y C

Composite

Component

Pb Pr Y

Page 20

Quick Start Plug and Play

2. Attach the audio cables to the Firefly.

❏ For an unbalanced audio connection use audio cables with

stranded wire ends and connect to terminal 1 (Left +), terminal 4 (Right +), and terminals 2 and 4 (designated grounds).

❏ If unbalanced audio cable lengths exceed 10 meters, use an

Audio Line Amp/Balancer such as the Radio Design Labs, Stick On.

❏ For a S/PDIF digital audio, use a stranded audio cables and

connect to terminal 5 Digital Audio (+) and terminal 6 (-).

3. Attach video and audio cables to the video and audio inputs on the video monitor and audio component.

4. Cable the Firefly to the network.

5. Plug in the power supply and attach the power cable to the Firefly. The Firefly powers up and performs a short series of self-diagnostics and then begins automated playback

Page 21

Quick Start Plug and Play

Configure for Network

Often, the Firefly TCP/IP defaults must change to accommodate the network where it will reside. The best method is to attach a computer to the media player.

Contact the Network Administrator for the correct network configuration information,

Attaching a Laptop or PC

Before beginning, verify that the computer and/or the Firefly are powered off. When connections are completed, power on the devices.

Ethernet

❏ Connect the computer directly to the Firefly using an

Ethernet crossover cable.

❏ Connect using standard Ethernet cables and a hub or switch.

Serial

Use a null modem cable, female DB-9 to female DB-9, RS232 cable, when connecting to the Firefly via the serial port.

Ethernet via Hub or Switch.

Ethernet via Cross-over Cable.

Page 22

Quick Start Plug and Play

Changing TCP/IP Settings

Firefly default TCP/IP settings:

Static IP Address: 10.0.1.1 Login (case sensitive): firefly Password: 123456

There are two methods for initially changing the Firefly TCP/IP settings: WebView and serial commands.

WebView via Ethernet Port

WebView is a browser-based, administration tool-kit that resides on the Firefly.

1. Set your PC’s IP address to a number in the same range as the Firefly, such as 10.0.1.2.

2. Open a browser and enter the default IP address 10.0.1.1 in the address field.

3. Access WebView using the default Firefly login and password, shown above.

4. Set the IP address and other TCP/IP parameters as required.

5. Click on Update Settings to save.

6. Click on Player Control.

7. Click on Restart Player. This initializes the new settings.

Page 23

Quick Start Plug and Play

Restarting the Firefly is only necessary when updating the network settings in a DHCP environment, i.e. going from Static to DHCP mode, changing the Host Name, and so on. .

External Control Commands

External control commands require that the computer has an ASCII generating control program, such as Hyper Terminal. The parameters are:

• Serial port 1

• 9600 Bps

• Echo typed letters locally

Use the following Visual Circuits commands to configure the Firefly.

FireflySetIpAddress

Syntax

fireflysetipaddr IP Address

FireflySetNetmask

Syntax

fireflysetnetmask netmask

FireflySetGateway Syntax

fireflysetgateway gateway

FireflySetNetworkType Syntax

fireflysetnetworktype 1 (DHCP) or 2 (Static)

Filenames and External Commands

When using external commands to handle files, it is necessary for those files to have names without, i.e. sales_video.mpg not sales video.mpg. One convention is to use underscores in place of spaces.

For more information about External Control Commands see, External Control Commands on page 119, and for network configuration, see Network Settings on page 77.

Page 24

Quick Start Plug and Play

Install Media Messenger

Install Visual Circuit’s Media Messenger software from the Media Messenger CD by following the online screens and prompts. Refer to the Media Messenger User Manual for details.

Whenever the installation sequence requests the Company Name or Registration Key, enter the name and key precisely as Visual Circuits provided it.

Page 25

Quick Start Plug and Play

Configure FTP

Setup on-board Firefly FTP Server

• Configure Firefly properties.

• Configure Firefly FTP server.

Configure Firefly Properties

1. Open the Main window of Media Messenger.

2. Right-click in the Firefly object in the Network Pane and display Player drop down menu.

3. Click on Properties to display Player Configuration.

4. Fill in the Player Configuration fields.

Set to one for Firefly.

Unique ID set in player before installation, Media Messenger uses it to identify the player.

If player belongs to a group, select the group name fromlist.

Unique name to identify player (Host Name)

Physical location of the player.

Page 26

Quick Start Plug and Play

Configuring the Firefly FTP Server

1. Click on Settings in the Main Menu list and select FTP Server Setup.

2. Fill in the FTP Site Information Fields. a. IP Address/Hostname.

Network Administrator provides the IP Address and Hostname of the FTP server.

b. Directory

Name of the directory where the files go. c. FTP UserName d. FTP Password

3. FTP Proxy Check this box if using a FTP Proxy server, then add its IP address and port.

For additional information, see Updating Video Playback on page 103.

Network Administrator provides FTP configuration information.

This may be the Firefly or an FTP server used for storing presentation content.

When loading directly to Firefly, leave the Directory field blank and place files in FTP root directory.

Security settings provided by Network Administrator.

Page 27

Quick Start Plug and Play

How To Create a Basic Playlist

Playing media on Firefly requires

1. That the MPEG videos reside on the Firefly.

2. That a valid playlist resides on the Firefly.

There are several methods for creating a layout and playlist for the Firefly.

1. WebView interface program (see Using the Playlist Editor on page 35).

2. Media Messenger, refer to its user manual.

3. Firefly MZ, which is an optional enhancement that works with Media Messenger, see

Using Firefly MZ to Create a Layout

and Playlist on page 170.

Page 28

Quick Start Plug and Play

Publish

Via FTP

1. Open WebView, click on System Settings, and select Network. Confirm that the network and security settings are correct.

2. Return to the Media Messenger main workspace.

3. Select the target player or player group in the Network Pane.

4. Click on Publish in the Media Messenger, Main Menu List and then select Publish to FTP.

5. Confirm that the Media Messenger FTP configuration is correct for the player: click on the FTP Setup button and review setup data.

Page 29

Quick Start Plug and Play

6. Select the Upload Option: a. a specific player, b. a group of players, c. all players,

7. Click Begin Update button. When the upload completes, close the Update Control window.

The Firefly MZ loads immediately and begins playing back the playlist. If using a schedule, the playback begins at the appropriate time.

6A If uploading to one specific Firefly, select the Direct

Upload to Firefly option, otherwise leave unchecked.

Page 30

Quick Start Plug and Play

Via CD/DVD

Another method of transporting playlists, schedules, and media files is to create a media update disc.This process creates the content image of an autorun disc (CD/DVD).

Media Messenger does not burn a CD or DVD. It prepares the

necessary files so that when they are burned on to a disc, an autorun application is created.

1. Go to the Media Messenger main workspace and select the player or group that is to receive the update.

2. Select the Publish to CD/DVD icon.

3. Verify that the correct destination for the files is shown in the destination field: change if necessary.

4. Check the Copy All Needed ... box.

5. Verify that the total space required does not exceed the capacity of the CD or DVD disc.

6. Click on Create CD/DVD Files.

7. Click on Close.

8. Use CD/DVD creation application to burn files on a disc.

Page 31

Quick Start Plug and Play

Software Updating

Visual Circuits is continuously looking for ways to improve and expand its features and product performance. We provide a variety of simple methods to keep your Firefly updated with the latest software for your application.

Software updates are available from www.visualcircuits.com or by requesting a CD/DVD FROM a Visual Circuits representative.

Software updates and upgrades are processed with the following methods.

1. Multicast (optional) updating: An active update that finds a .upd file will automatically update and restart the system. See Multicast Updating on page 108

2. HTTP/FTP updating: An active update that finds a .upd file in the /updates folder will automatically update & restart the system. See

Automatic Updating: on page 103.

3. Webview Firefly Update: Used to manually select the .upd file from your PC through the Webview interface. System automatically updates and restarts. See

Webview Software

Update on page 30

WARNING

Whenever performing a software update it is important to allow the update to complete before rebooting the Firefly.

Page 32

Page 33

ENCODING REQUIREMENTS

AND RECOMMENDATIONS

In order to ensure proper playback on the Firefly, the MPEG content must be encoded following a particular set of encoding requirements. The Encoding Requirements, as well as the Encoding Recommendations, listed below provide a brief set of criteria to create MPEG files that will be compatible with the Firefly playback system.

Encoding Requirements

1. Files must be program stream MPEG2 or system stream MPEG1 of audio/video, or elementary stream MPEG2 or MPEG1 of video only or audio only.

2. Use 4:2:0, not 4:2:2 encoding.

3. In MPEG-2, both audio and video fields should be encoded. This is the normal default.

4. Audio only (Dolby Digital or MPEG Layer 2) files cannot be mixed with files containing videos (MPEG, MPEG2 program stream, video only).

5. Firefly – Standard IDE Hard Drive): The total bit rate of a Firefly player must not exceed 40 mbps.

6. The presentation time stamp (PTS) values contained in the audio and video streams in a file must be continuous and increasing. In particular, the PTS values should not reset to 0 at any point in the file. The time between the first and last time stamps in a file should reflect the actual duration of the file.

7. Files should be no less than 4 megabytes in size. If some of your files are smaller than 4 megabytes, use an editor to combine the files to create a single file at least 4 megabytes in size.

8. Files should be no larger than 2 gigabytes in size.

Page 34

Encoding Requirements and Recommendations

Encoding Recommendations

1. Resolution: 720 X 480 or 704 X 480 in NTSC; 704 X 576 in PAL.

2. Closed GOP (Group of Pictures) with an “I-frame” every 15 frames is recommended.

3. The recommended audio bit rate is 384kbps and a sampling rate of 48khz. It is recommended to play back test files using the original source tapes to confirm audio levels prior to encoding an entire project. This will allow for calibration of the encoding system to obtain a standard audio level.

4. Program stream files should have one end code (00 00 01 b9) at the very end of the file. The Firefly can handle files without end codes, but it is still a good idea to include one.

5. The bit rate can affect the size and transferability of the files. The recommended bit rates for various types of video content are as follows:

Table 1. Bit Rate Encoding Recommendations for Firefly

6. Although Firefly can transcode NTSC and PAL, it is recommended to encode to the video standard (NTSC or PAL) that you will be setting your Firefly to display.

Bit Rate Video Content

4 mbps Good quality with low motion

6 mbps Good quality with typical motion

8 mbps Good quality with high motion

10 mbps High quality with demanding content

Page 35

Encoding Requirements and Recommendations

7. When encoding files, annotate and store notes on the audio levels of both the source tape and input settings of the encoder. It will then be possible to verify audio levels of later encoding sessions. It is desirable to maintain a baseline audio level across all files of a presentation whether at single or multiple locations. If no encoding notes or data is available from previously encoded files, compare the files. When possible, measure audio levels of the source tapes and of the encoded files. At a minimum, listen to and compare files. Even if encoding is done at the same production facility, variances between sessions may occur. Once MPEGs are encoded, the audio level of a file cannot be changed unless the file is reencoded or a new audio track is mixed.

8. MPEG files are constructed from intertwined (i.e. multiplexed) audio and video streams. The length of video and audio stream segments within MPEG files should be identical if possible. Ending the audio segment at a .5 second interval (i.e., at an “Iframe”) will ensure identical stream lengths, providing smooth and seamless looping playback.

9. When encoding SMPTE tracks it is recommended to encode these tracks "hot"--at approximately +6db. This adjustment can compensate for some SMPTE information that may be lost during compression. Not all encoders will respond in the same way. Sample testing should be done with all SMPTE tracks.

10. Standard color bars and audio test tones: MPEG files may be encoded along with the content or source files for reference and calibration. These encoded display test/tuning files should be separate files--not headers or footers of the presentation.

11. To play back still images or computer-based graphics, we recommend software encoders such as DVMPEG (www.darvision.com). Yet, whenever possible, hardware-based encoding systems are preferred.

Multiplexing a blank audio track on all video only MPEG files is highly recommended.

Page 36

Page 37

WEBVIEW

The WebView interface allows you to access a Firefly over a network using only a conventional web browser. No special software is required. WebView is compatible with Microsoft Internet Explorer

™

5.5 and higher. While WebView may work with other web browsers, Visual Circuits cannot guarantee full compatibility.

Accessing the WebView Interface

Firefly-SC comes factory default with a static IP of 10.0.1.1 and can be modified to a different IP or changed to DHCP.

Setup Procedures:

Step 1: Connect to the Network

To begin, both the Firefly and the computer you will be using to access the Firefly must be on a common network. If you need help setting up these connections you should contact your IS department.

WARNING

While it is possible to use WebView over the Internet, all security provisions must be provided by the user's network. Firefly does not include any special security measures and because the user name and password can be displayed as clear text through the on-screen menu system, it is possible for anyone with physical access to the unit to obtain this information.

Page 38

WEBVIEW

Step 2: Determine the Address of the Firefly

Once proper network connections are confirmed on both the Firefly and the web browser computer, you will need to know the IP address or DNS name (if your network has a DNS server) of the Firefly.

Using DHCP, you should also be able to use the address “http:// hostname” or “http://hostname.yourdomain” to access the Firefly without knowing the exact IP address.

Step 3: Establishing Communication with the Firefly

To begin working with the Firefly you should launch your Internet browser program and enter the IP address (or DNS name if appropriate) in the address field. If you have successfully established communication with the Firefly, you will see a screen like the one displayed here.

Figure 1. Login Page

Page 39

WEBVIEW

Step 4: Enter Your User Name and Password

All Firefly’s ship from the factory with a default user name of “firefly” and default password “123456”. If you have not yet changed those defaults, you should enter them at this time. Otherwise, if you have already created a new user name and password, enter them now.

Keep in mind that both the user name and password are case sensitive and require a minimum of 6, but no more than 30, characters.

Forgot Name, Password, IP...???

If you’re in a situation where you cannot get into the Webview interface because of a misplaced “User Name, Password, IP address, DNS Name, etc. Or perhaps the system was inadvertently set to DHCP when you don’t even have a DHCP server. There’s still hope. See

Basic Hyper Terminal Setup on page 120 &

Networking Commands on page 134.

WARNING

Default user names and passwords are a favorite tool of hackers. Since many people never bother to change the defaults, once hackers learn them they will try them on every like product they find. Your first layer of security should always be to change the default settings immediately.

Page 40

WEBVIEW

Using the WebView Interface

Once you have logged onto the WebView Interface, your browser will go to the “Media Transfer” page as the default starting point (

page 27). Along the left side of the page are the navigation buttons used to access different pages in the WebView interface. At the top is a link to download the Firefly User Manual in PDF format. There is a link to the Visual Circuits web site in the lower left corner of the page.

The Visual Circuits web site link will actually take you out of the WebView interface to Visual Circuits Internet web site. If you are not connected to the Internet through your network, this link will not work. The user manual download, however, comes directly off of the Firefly and therefore will work even without an Internet connection.

Page 41

WEBVIEW

Transferring Media

From this page you can transfer media from your computer or network to the Firefly. Up to six media files can be transferred at once by simply specifying the files to be transferred in each of the Media 1 through Media 6 boxes.

Figure 2. Media Transfer Page

If you close or select another web page during a media transfer, the transfer will terminate. If you would like to multi-task during a transfer, you may open a new web browser and log in.

WARNING

Do not use the Internet Explorer “History” function within WebView. Because the WebView interface needs to query the Firefly player to refresh, pulling the history out of the Internet Explorer cache file will cause inconsistent results. For the same reason, do not use the Internet Explorer backward or forward navigation buttons. Use the WebView navigation buttons instead.

Page 42

WEBVIEW

If you cannot remember the names and locations of the files you wish to transfer, simply click the Browse button to the right of the box you wish to fill in. This will bring up a window that allows you to search your hard drive(s) and network for the desired file.

Figure 3. Browse for Files Window

After you have selected all the media files you wish to transfer to the Firefly, clicking the Transfer Media button will initiate the transfer. If you wish to change your selections before the transfer begins, you can click the Reset button to clear all selections.

While copying .jpg, .gif, .tga, .png or non 256-color .bmp image files, Firefly converts those files to a standard 8-bit, 256-color bitmap format and reduces the image sizes, if necessary, to the system maximum of 720 x 480 for NTSC. As a result, all image files listed on the system have the file extension .bmp. The conversion to .bmp format ensures that all graphic overlays are consistent in appearance and functionality.

An alternative to the auto-formatting performed by the Firefly is to create the images and convert them to the 8-bit standard mentioned above before importing them.

Page 43

WEBVIEW

When WebView begins transferring the selected files, an animated sequence of flashing circles will appear over the Visual Circuits logo in the lower left portion of the page to let you know that the transfer is in progress.

Because media files can be quite large, the transfer process can take several minutes depending on the size of files you have selected and the speed of your network connection.

Figure 4. WebView Media Transfer In Progress

After WebView has successfully transferred all of the selected files to the Firefly, a summary page will be displayed showing what was uploaded. If you wish to transfer more files to the Firefly, you may return to the Media Transfer page by clicking the Media Transfer navigation button on the left side of the screen.

Page 44

WEBVIEW

Webview Software Update

To update your Firefly using the Media Transfer-Firefly Update method, simply browse your PC for the .upd file you may have obtained from the Visual Circuits web site or CD ROM. Now select “Firefly Update”. After the file has been transferred, the system will immediately begin to process the update for approx. 60 seconds and then restart the player.

You may notice some video stuttering during the update, but this is completely normal as the update requires a significant amount of processing bandwidth. After the player has restarted, verify that the system version has changed, indicating a successful update.

Figure 5. Media Transfer Summary Page

WARNING

Do Not Reboot the Firefly while the update is going on.

Page 45

WEBVIEW

Reviewing, Previewing and Deleting Firefly Media

Within the WebView Media Review page, you will be able to review media and storage usage on the Firefly, preview video and graphic overlay media on the Firefly and delete media from the Firefly.

Figure 6. Media Review Page (Video)

Reviewing Media and Storage Usage on the Firefly

The Media Review page allows you to review the video and graphics overlay files that are currently on the Firefly.

To review a video or graphic overlay:

1. Select the proper file type tab (video or overlay) at the top.

2. Select the file from the media list on the right.

The media review box on the left will display the name of the file and its size (in MBs).

Page 46

WEBVIEW

In addition, you will be able review the current storage status of the Firefly by observing the current “Used” space and “Free” space displayed in the upper left portion of the Media Review window.

Previewing Videos and Graphic Overlays on the Firefly

Within the Media Review page, you will be able to view basic previews (thumbnail images) of videos and graphic overlays on the Firefly.

To preview a video on the Firefly:

1. Select the video tab at the top.

2. Select the file from the media list on the right.

The media review box on the left will display the name of the file and its size (in MBs).

3. Click the “Preview” button.

A short series of still, thumbnail images from the video will be displayed in an animated sequence. This is a useful feature for you to see what is in the video, especially when a file name is not descriptive.

After you have previewed a particular video on the Firefly once, the thumbnail images will be stored on the Firefly allowing the preview to load automatically in successive review attempts.

In some cases, certain video files will be unavailable for preview.

To preview a graphic overlay on the Firefly:

1. Select the overlay tab at the top.

2. Select the file from the media list on the right.

The media review box on the left will display the name of the file, its size (in MBs) and a thumbnail preview of the graphic overlay image.

Page 47

WEBVIEW

Figure 7. Media Review Page (Graphic Overlay)

Deleting Media from the Firefly

1. Select the proper file type tab (video, overlay, playlist or schedule) at the top.

2. Select the file(s) from the media list on the right. If you would like to select multiple files at the same time, you can use the standard Windows ‘Shift/Control’ methods.

The media review box on the left will display the name of the file and its size (in MBs). In cases where you have selected more than one file, all of the file names will be listed along with a total combined size (in MBs) for the group of files.

3. Click the “Delete” button.

The media file(s) will be deleted from the Firefly storage.

Page 48

WEBVIEW

Figure 8. Media Review Page (Deleting Multiple Files)

WARNING

You may delete any or all media files from the Firefly in this fashion. This includes files that may be in use by the current playlist. If you delete a file that is currently playing, it will be allowed to finish playing before the file is actually removed. The next time it is called by the playlist it will be skipped.

There is no way to recover files after they have been deleted.

Page 49

WEBVIEW

Using the Playlist Editor

Within the Playlist Editor, you will be able to arrange videos on the Firefly into a playlist. A playlist is essentially a group of videos arranged in a particular playback sequence. A playlist can be used for immediate playback or saved on the Firefly for future playback.

In addition, within the Playlist Editor, you will be able to utilize graphic overlays. A graphic overlay is a static image (.bmp, .jpg, .gif, .tif, .tga or .png) placed over an associated video. You can assign individual graphic overlays to specific videos within a playlist or to all videos within a playlist if desired. The graphic overlay feature provides an effective way to display a company logo, sale sign or any other image over your regular video playback.

To access the Playlist Editor, click on the Playlist Editor navigation button on the left side of the WebView interface.

Figure 9. Playlist Editor Page

Page 50

WEBVIEW

Creating a New Playlist

The process for creating a new playlist may be started in one of two ways; by choosing “New Playlist” from the “Playlist” drop down menu or by clicking on the “New” button in the lower right corner.

Adding Videos to a Playlist

To add a video to a playlist:

1. Browse the Firefly Media list to locate the video you wish to add.

2. Once you have found the video you wish to add, select it and then click on the

button located on the center buttons

panel.

Additional videos you wish to add must be selected and added one at a time.

1. The chosen video file will always be added to the end of the list and can be used multiple times.

2. All MPEG files used in a given layout need to be of the same resolution and size. This provides for a smoother transition between the videos.

Removing Videos from a Playlist

To remove a video from the playlist:

1. Select the video in the Video listbox.

2. Click on the button located on the center buttons panel. This will remove the video from that specific playlist (not from the Firefly entirely).

Additional videos you wish to be deleted must be selected and deleted one at a time.

Page 51

WEBVIEW

Moving Videos Within a Playlist

While you are creating or modifying a playlist, you may find yourself wanting to modify the order of the videos.

To move a video up (towards the beginning) in a playlist:

1. Select the video (from the Video list) you would like to move.

2. Press the button until the video is where you want it within the playlist.

To move a video down (towards the end) in a playlist:

1. Select the video (from the Video list) you would like to move.

2. Press the button until the video is where you want it within the playlist.

Continue using the method outlined above to move other videos in order to create your desired playlist.

Shuffling Video Playback on a Channel

Occasionally, you may want to vary the playback order of your videos for a given playlist. The Shuffle playback feature within the Playlist Editor allows you to do just that. By activating Shuffle playback, videos within the playlist you are working with will be played back in random order.

To turn Shuffle playback “On” or “Off” for a playlist, simply check (for On) or uncheck (for Off) the Shuffle checkbox located at the bottom right of the applicable playlist.

Adding Graphic Overlays to a Playlist

The process for adding graphic overlay files to a playlist is basically the same as the process of adding video files. The one significant difference, however, is that a graphic overlay is always linked to a particular video. Where adding a video creates a new line at the end of the playlist, adding a graphic overlay attaches the overlay to the currently selected video entry in the Video listbox. Therefore, at least one video must be in the Video listbox before you can add any type of graphic overlay.

Page 52

WEBVIEW

There are two ways you can add a graphic overlay to a video.

The first method is as follows:

1. Click on the video within the playlist that you would like the overlay to associate with.

2. Locate and then click on your desired graphic overlay from the Firefly Media list.

3. Click on the button to add the graphic overlay.

The graphic overlay you selected will appear across from its associated video in the Overlay listbox. The properties of the overlay will be set to the default settings. If you wish to modify the graphic overlay properties at this point, select either the video or the graphic overlay and then click on the

button to display the Graphic Overlay Properties page. You may make your desired changes in this screen (see

Working With Graphic Overlays in a

Playlist on page 39 for details).

If a graphic overlay is added while a video that already has an associated graphic overlay is selected on the playlist, the new selection will replace the original contents.

The second method, which allows you to review and/or adjust the graphic overlay properties before saving, is as follows:

1. Click on the video within the playlist that you would like the overlay to associate with.

2. Click on button to display the Graphic Overlay Properties window.

3. Click on the Overlay Filename drop down menu to locate and select your desired graphic overlay from the Firefly Media list.

4. Review and/or adjust the overlay properties (see Working With Graphic Overlays in a Playlist on page 39 for details on this).

5. Click the OK button.

The graphic overlay you selected will appear across from its associated video in the Overlay listbox.

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Working With Graphic Overlays in a Playlist

As previously noted, graphic overlays exist in a playlist as attributes of specific video entries. The only image types that are compatible with Firefly are .bmp, .jpg, .gif, .tga or .png.

Figure 10. Graphic Overlay Properties Page

An alternative to the auto-formatting performed by the Firefly is to create the images and convert them to the 8-bit standard mentioned above before importing them.

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The process for altering the characteristics of a specific graphic overlay is as follows:

(Skip steps 1 and 2 if you have already selected a graphic overlay and are within the Graphic Overlay Properties page).

1. Select the video you would like the graphic overlay to be associated with and then click on the

button to display the

Graphic Overlay Properties page.

2. Click on the Overlay Filename drop down menu to locate and select your desired graphic overlay from the Firefly Media list.

3. If desired, select a level of transparency between 0 and 100%. This value will adjust to what extent the graphic overlay covers the video below. If you want the graphic overlay to blend in with the video, you may select a higher transparency level. Conversely, if you would like the graphic overlay to stand out, you may select a lower or zero-value transparency level.

4. If desired, adjust the key color. The key color property deals with blocking out or cropping specified colors within the graphic overlays. For example, if the image you are using is your company logo (in color) and is placed on top of a white rectangular background, you may only want to display the company logo, instead of the logo on top of the white background.

Within the key color property, there are three options: None, Auto Key or RGB. You can choose None to not use the key color option at all. You can choose Auto Key have the system automatically make transparent the background color. The system selects the color in the upper left most corner of the image to determine which color to remove. In most instances, Auto Key will be the easiest to use and most effective “make transparent” method. Or you can choose to manually set the RGB (Red, Green and Blue) key color level. The RGB option requires you to know the specific RGB value of the color you would like to “make transparent”

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5. If desired, adjust the rate (in seconds) at which you would like the graphic overlay to fade in and/or out on the screen.

6. If desired, select the position on the screen where you would like to have the graphic overlay located (example: left bottom).

7. If desired, use the check boxes on the right side of the screen. The check boxes correspond to each of the graphic overlay properties. These check boxes can be used to copy the properties in their associated frames to all of the existing graphic overlays across all channels in a playlist. For example, if you would like ensure that all existing graphic overlays for a given playlist always appear in the lower right corner, then you would set the screen position attribute to right bottom and would check the “Apply to All” box to the right of that frame. If, for example, you would like to have the same graphic overlay with all of the same properties applied to all of the videos in a given playlist, you would check each of the “Apply to All” boxes to the right of the option frames (Overlay Filename, Transparency, Key Color, Fade In/Out and Position on Screen).

8. Click the OK button to save your changes and to return to the Playlist Editor screen.

Use a solid background (one color) in your graphic overlays for the Auto key feature to work properly.

Entering your own RGB values for the key color feature only works with 8 bit bitmap graphics less than or equal to 720x480 resolution.

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Adding Scrolling Text to a Playlist

The process for adding scrolling text to a playlist is basically the same as the process of adding video files. The one significant difference, however, is that scrolling text is always linked to a

particular video. Where adding a video creates a new line at the end of the playlist, adding scrolling text attaches the text to the currently selected video entry in the Video listbox. Therefore, at least one video must be in the Video listbox before you can add any text.

The Graphic Overlay & Scrolling Text features cannot be used simultaneously on a single video file.

Adding Scrolling Text:

1. In the Playlist Editor page, select the video file which you want to associate the scrolling text with and then select the

icon.

2. The Scrolling Text properties page will appear as seen in Figure 11 on page 43.

3. You can type or paste text from another file into the “Scrolling Text String” window. A maximum of 500 character spaces is allowed.

4. Select OK, then Play to preview. Once you are satisfied, make sure to Save your work.

5. Once you are satisfied with the results, select ‘Save’ or ‘Save As’ another Playlist.

The properties of the scrolling text will be set to the default settings. If you wish to modify the properties at this point, select either the video or the scrolling text file and then click on the button to display the Scrolling Text Properties page. You may make your desired changes in this screen (See

Working With

Scrolling Text in a Playlist on page 43 for more details).

Characters & symbols, other than what is currently displayed on most keyboard key caps, are not supported. Be aware of Word Processing programs that have the “AutoCorrect” feature enabled.

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Working With Scrolling Text in a Playlist

As previously noted, scrolling text exist in a playlist as attributes of specific video entries.

Figure 11. Scrolling Text Properties Page

The process for altering the characteristics of a specific text file is as follows. Select the video you would like the scrolling text to be associated with and then click on the

button to display the

Scrolling Text Properties page:

Transparency Level

1. All - If desired, select a level of transparency between 0 and 100%. This value will adjust to what extent both background and text will “overlay” the video. If you want the background & text to blend in with the video, you may select a higher transparency level. Conversely, if you would like them both to stand out, you may select a lower or zero-value transparency level.

2. Background - The same rules apply here as “All” except only the background is affected.

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3. Reverse - When Reverse is selected to the on position, the Text assumes the position of Background & visa versa.

Entering your own RGB values for the background feature only works with 8 bit bitmap graphics less than or equal to 720x480 resolution.

Saving a Playlist

Once you have finished editing a playlist, you may save changes by clicking either the “Save” or “Save As” buttons at the bottom of the screen.

❏ Clicking the “Save” button will overwrite the original

playlist file using the same file name.

❏ Clicking the “Save As” button will bring you to a screen

where you will need to enter a new file name (maximum of 14 characters).

Figure 12. Save Playlist Dialog Box

After entering the new file name, click the OK button to save the modified playlist and to return to the Playlist Editor main page.

❏ If you check the “Load this playlist now” check box (found

below the Firefly Media list), the modified playlist will begin playing on the Firefly as soon as you save it. If you do not check this box, the playlist will be saved, but playback will not be started until the playlist is later selected for playback.

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Playing a Playlist Quickly

If you are browsing through your playlists and find one you would like to play right away, simply click the “Play” button, which is located in the lower right portion of the Playlist Editor screen.

Clicking the “Play” button will overwrite the original playlist file using the same file name and will begin designated playback on the Firefly immediately.

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Using the Schedule Editor

Within the Schedule Editor, there are two separate pages: the Playlist Events Editor and the Video Dates Editor.

Within the Playlist Events Editor you will be able to work with playback schedules. A schedule is a group of one or more playlist events. An event is composed of a single playlist with adjustable playback properties. Beyond simple start and stop times, events can be set to play on certain days of the week, interrupt other events, play just once or at certain repeating intervals.

The Video Dates Editor allows you to assign a specific start date, end date or both a start and an end date for an individual video. This is especially useful when you have time sensitive media that you cannot have played before a certain date, after a certain date or outside a certain date range.

To access the Schedule Editor, click on the Schedule Editor navigation button on the left side of the WebView interface. By default, the Playlist Events Editor will open.

Figure 13. Schedule Editor - Playlist Events Editor Page

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Creating a New Schedule

The process for creating a new schedule may be started in one of two ways; by choosing “New Schedule” from the Schedule drop down menu or by clicking on the “New” button in the lower right corner.

Within the Playlist Events Editor page, you will have to option to: add an event to a schedule, delete an event from a schedule, or edit an event within a schedule. In addition, (using the Video Dates Editor) you will be able to assign date rules to individual videos if desired.

Each of the major tasks in the Playlist Events Editor involve adjusting the event property fields. The following table provides basic overviews and examples for each of the event property fields:

Property Description

Playlist Name

Designates which playlist to play.

Example: “I’d like to have my product demonstration playlist selected to play”.

Start Time

Designates time to start playing playlist.

Example: “I’d like to have my playlist start playing at 9:00”.

Stop Time

Designates time to stop playing playlist.

Example: “I’d like to have my playlist stop playing at 18:00”.

Days

Designates days of week to play playlist.

Example: “I’d like to have my playlist play only on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays”.

Interrupt

Option to cut off video playing in previous playlist instead of waiting for video to finish playing.

Example: “I’d like to have the video in my sales promotion playlist interrupt the video in my product demonstration playlist”.

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Table 1. Event Property Field Examples

Adding an Event to a Schedule

To add an event to a schedule:

1. Edit the event properties as described below. a. Playlist Name: Choose a playlist from the “Select a

Playlist” drop down menu.

b. Start Time: Set the specific start time for the playlist using

the number keys on your keyboard.

c. Stop Time: Set the specific stop time for the playlist using

the number keys on your keyboard.

d. Days: Click on any of the days to display the “Days of the

Week” dialog box.

Play Once

Option to play playlist exactly once and then return to previously scheduled playlist.

Example: “I’d like to play my one hour specials playlist just once during the business day”.

Interval

Option to repeat a “play once” event periodically at a specified interval.

Example: “I’d like to play my one hour specials playlist once every 2 hours throughout the business day”.

Property Description

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Figure 14. Days of the Week Dialog Box

Click on which days of the week you would like the playlist to play on. A “checked” box indicates the day is selected and an “unchecked” box indicates the day is not selected. If you would like to clear all of the day selections, click the Reset button. When you are done making any desired changes, click the OK button to return to the Schedule Editor screen.

e. Interrupt: Click on the Interrupt check box to have the first

video in a scheduled playlist start playing precisely at its schedule time (interrupting or “cutting off” the video playing in the previously scheduled playlist). This is useful if you have a time sensitive playlist. A “checked” box indicates that Interrupt is selected, interrupting the previous video and an “unchecked” box indicates that Interrupt is not selected, allowing the video to finish playing before the new playlist begins playing.

f. Play Once: Click on the Play Once check box to choose to

have the playlist played back only once (regardless of its time allotment). A “checked” box indicates that Play Once is selected and an “unchecked” box indicates that Play Once is not selected.

g. Interval: Click on the Interval check box to choose to have

a Play Once event played back once at a designated time interval. Set the interval time using the number keys on your keyboard.

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2. Once you have finished editing the schedule, you may save your changes by following the instructions found in

Saving a

Schedule on page 52.

Deleting an Event from a Schedule

To delete an event from a schedule, use the following steps:

1. Locate the event (under playlist name) you would like to delete.

2. Change the playlist to “Select a Playlist” from the playlist name drop down menu. When done, this will delete the playback event and its associated properties from the schedule.

3. Once you have finished editing the schedule, you may save your changes by following the instructions found in

Saving a

Schedule on page 52.

Editing an Event within a Schedule

To edit an event within a schedule, use the following steps:

1. Edit the event properties as described below. a. Playlist Name: Choose a playlist from the “Select a

Playlist” drop down menu.

b. Start Time: Set the specific start time for the playlist using

the number keys on your keyboard.

c. Stop Time: Set the specific stop time for the playlist using

the number keys on your keyboard.

d. Days: Click on any of the days to display the “Days of the

Week” dialog box.

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Figure 15. Days of the Week Dialog Box

Click on which days of the week you would like the playlist to play on. A “checked” box indicates the day is selected and an “unchecked” box indicates the day is not selected. If you would like to clear all of the day selections, click the Reset button. When you done making any desired changes, click the OK button to return to the Schedule Editor screen.

e. Interrupt: Click on the Interrupt check box to have the first

f. Play Once: Click on the Play Once check box to choose to

g. Interval: Click on the Interval check box to choose to have

a Play Once event played back once at a designated time interval. Set the interval time using the number keys on your keyboard.

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2. Once you have finished editing the schedule, you may save your changes by following the Saving a Schedule instructions found below.

Saving a Schedule

Once you have finished editing a schedule, you may save changes on the Firefly by clicking either the “Save” or “Save As” buttons at the bottom of the screen.

❏ Clicking the “Save” button will overwrite the original

schedule file using the same file name.

❏ Clicking the “Save As” button will bring you to a screen

where you will need to enter a new file name (maximum of 14 characters).

Figure 16. Save Schedule Dialog Box

After entering the new file name, click the OK button to save the modified schedule and to return to the Schedule Editor main page.

❏ If you check the “Load this schedule now” check box

(found above the New button), the modified schedule will begin playing on the Firefly as soon as you save it (if the active schedule coincides with the current day and time). If you do not check this box, the schedule will be saved, but playback will not be started until the schedule is later selected and scheduled for playback.

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Additional Saving and Loading Methods

Beyond the standard saving and loading methods directly to and from the Firefly, there are two local options available to you.

Save Local:

The Save Local option allows you to save a copy of the schedule file currently being edited to your local computer or network (examples: hard drive, floppy drive). This is a useful feature for transferring files to other Firefly’s or for backing up important data.

To perform a local save:

1. Click on the “Save Local” button at the bottom of the Schedule Editor screen. The following dialog box will appear:

Figure 17. Save Local File Download Dialog Box

2. Select “Save this file to disk” and click the “OK” button.

The following Save As dialog box will appear:

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Figure 18. Save As Local Dialog Box

3. Type in your desired name for the schedule file and click the “Save” button.

When saving a schedule locally, you must add the schedule file extension “.fsc” to the end of all file names.

Once saved, you will be returned to the Schedule Editor main screen.

Load Local:

The Load Local button allows you to load a schedule file from your local computer or network as opposed to directly from the Firefly. This is a useful feature because your schedule file(s) may only be available on another computer or removable media.

To perform a local load:

1. Click on the “Load Local” button at the bottom of the Schedule Editor screen. The following dialog box will appear:

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Figure 19. Load Local Browse Dialog Box

2. Click the “Browse” button.

The following Choose File dialog box will appear:

Figure 20. Load Local Save As Dialog Box

3. Locate your desired schedule file (.fsc). Once found, highlight it and click the “Open” button.

4. The field will be populated with your desired schedule file name. If the file appears correct, click the “OK” button.

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You will be returned to the Schedule Editor main screen. The schedule you just loaded will be open on your screen, ready for modifications if desired.

Assigning Dates for Video Playback

The Video Dates Editor allows you to designate the actual date(s) a particular video is allowed to play. By selecting a start date, an end date or both a start and an end date you can establish a “date rule” for the playback of a particular video.

Figure 21. Schedule Editor - Video Dates Editor Page

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Depending on your application, you may have a need for using any or all of the three previously mentioned date rules. The table below provides some “real world” examples for using the Video Dates Editor.

Table 2. Video Date Rule Examples

To add a date rule for a video, use the following steps:

1. (From the Schedule Editor main screen) Select the Video Dates Editor from the drop down menu. The Video Dates Editor screen will be displayed.

2. From the “Select a video” drop down menu, select the video you would like to assign a date rule to.

3. If desired, set the specific start date for the video using the number keys on your keyboard.

4. If desired, set the specific stop date for the video using the number keys on your keyboard.

5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 to add date rules to additional videos if desired.

6. Once you have finished adding date rules, you may save your changes by following the instructions found in

Saving a

Schedule on page 52.

Start Date

Stop Date

Description

02/01/03 - -/- -/- - Start date with no stop date.

Example: “I want my product demonstration video available to playlists the day the product is released, but no sooner than that”.

- -/- -/- - 05/31/03 No start date with stop date.

Example: “I want my new marketing campaign video available to playlists from now until the end of the spring months”.

01/01/03 01/31/03 Both start date and stop date.

Example: “I’ want my January promotions video available to playlists only during the month of January”.

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To delete a date rule for a video, use the following steps:

1. (From the Schedule Editor main screen) Select the Video Dates Editor from the drop down menu. The Video Dates Editor screen will be displayed.

2. Locate the video (under Video Name) you would like to delete the date rule for.

3. Change the video to “Select a Video” from the Video Name drop down menu. When done, it will delete any previous video date rule.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to delete date rules for additional videos if desired.

5. Once you have finished deleting date rules, you may save your changes by following the instructions found in

Saving a

Schedule on page 52.

To edit a date rule for a video, use the following steps:

1. (From the Schedule Editor main screen) Select the Video Dates Editor from the drop down menu. The Video Dates Editor screen will be displayed.

2. From the “Select a video” drop down menu, select the video you would like to assign or modify a date rule to.

3. If desired, set or modify the specific start date for the video using the number keys on your keyboard.

4. If desired, set or modify the specific stop date for the video using the number keys on your keyboard.

5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 to edit date rules for additional videos if desired.

6. Once you have finished editing date rules, you may save your changes by following the instructions found in

Saving a

Schedule on page 52.

Exiting the Schedule Editor

At any point while you are working within the Schedule Editor you may exit by clicking on any of the menu navigation buttons on the left side of the screen. Any unsaved changes you have made will be lost.

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Using the Player Control Panel

The Player Control panel mirrors the basic functionality of the Firefly remote control. You will be able to Play, Pause and Stop the currently playing file (displayed on the output window). In addition, you will be able to skip to the Previous and Next video in a playlist using the respective Previous and Next buttons.

Figure 22. Player Control Panel

In addition to using the standard player controls, the Display Position checkboxes allow you to display the position bar. The Display Position indicator shows the current playback position within the file.

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Diagnostics

The Diagnostics pages display a number of statistics about what the Firefly is doing at a fairly technical level. The information found within these pages can serve as a tool to help the Visual Circuits technical support team work with you over the phone in the event that you are experiencing problems.

The Diagnostics pages provide a snapshot of the system status at the time the pages were entered. The pages do not automatically update the information unless you click on the “Enable Auto Refresh” button.

The Diagnostics pages contains four types of information: General, Video, Playback and Advanced.

By default, when you click on the Diagnostics navigation button you will be routed to the Firefly Diagnostics - General page. Within this page you will find basic information about the Firefly and the media being played on it.

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Figure 23. Diagnostics - General Page

Diagnostics - General

Player version:Displays the version of the Firefly (incorporating

both hardware and software).

Currently loaded schedule:Displays the file name of the currently loaded schedule (if applicable) on the system.

Currently loaded playlist:Displays the file name of the currently loaded playlist on the system.

Video loaded:Displays the file name of the currently loaded video.

Last FTP Update:Displays the date and time of the last FTP

update.

Last FTP Connect:Displays the date and time of the last FTP connect.

Watchdog Restarts:Displays the number of times the Watchdog system has restarted the Firefly.

System Starts:Displays the number of times the Firefly has been started.

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Figure 24. Diagnostics - Video Page

Diagnostics - Video

Horizontal Size:Defines the horizontal resolution of the currently

playing MPEG file in pixels.

Vertical Size:Defines the vertical resolution of the currently playing MPEG file in pixels.

Video Bitrate:Defines the Video Bitrate or data rate of the currently playing MPEG file.

Audio Bitrate:Defines the Audio Bitrate or data rate of the currently playing MPEG file.

Audio Frequency:Defines the frequency of the Audio stream.

Frame Rate:Defines the frame rate of the currently playing MPEG

file. The standard NTSC frame rate of 29.97 fps is shown as 2997.

Current Frame:Displays the current frame number playing within the MPEG file (analogous to the timecode field but with a greater level of accuracy).

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Timecode:Displays the current timecode within the playing MPEG file offset so that all files start at 00:00:00.

File Type:Displays the type of MPEG file being played on the channel. The possible types are: mpeg1 - mpeg1 system stream, mpeg2 - program stream, mpg1v - mpeg1 video only, mpg2v mpeg2 video only, mpg1a - audio only, ac3 - ac3 audio only, ??? unknown type or no file loaded.

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Figure 25. Diagnostics - Playback Page

Diagnostics - Playback

Interrupts:Displays the number of interrupts that have been

received from the MPEG decoder.

AV Syncs:Displays the number of times the audio or video streams had to be adjusted to maintain proper synchronization. (It is not uncommon for this to be a high number as this is a running total. Many functions such as fast forward, rewind and seek can cause large numbers of av syncs. It is only of concern if you see this number growing quickly during routine playback).

Last Sync:Displays the number of frames that had to be skipped or repeated during the last av sync to bring the audio and video back into proper synchronization.

Video Data:Displays the amount of data currently in the MPEG decoder’s video data buffer.

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Audio Data:Displays the amount of data currently in the MPEG decoder’s audio data buffer.

Raw Data: Bytes of MPEG data in RAM.

Disk Underflow:Displays the number of disk underflows that have

occurred. A disk underflow occurs when the Firefly is unable to get the data off the disk fast enough to keep the disk buffers from becoming empty.

Data Underflow:Displays the number of data underflows that have occurred. A data underflow occurs when the Firefly is unable to transfer data into the MPEG decoder buffers fast enough to keep them from becoming empty. Note that during regular playback conditions it is normal to have a small number of Data Underflows in this field

Diagnostics - Logging

At the top of the Logging page, from the “Select Logfile” drop down menu, you can select the log file you would like to view.

The two buttons located at the bottom of the Logging page, “Refresh” and “Auto Refresh”, allow you to manually refresh or have the system automatically refresh the logfile data as you view it.

Refer to Log File Reporting on page 115 for information on setting up how your Firefly works with logfiles.

Run Logs

Run logs provide a record of which videos played (with which graphic overlays, if applicable), on which channels, starting at what dates/times, playing back what percentage of the video and for how long.

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Figure 26. Diagnostics - Logging Page (Run log)

Once in the Run logfile viewer, the video playback data will be listed with one video per line and will be sorted by playback time (using Firefly’s internal 24-hour clock). You may move to the previous or next pages by clicking on the respective <<Prev or Next>> links. You can also move to view the playback data for a certain time of day by entering either hours, minutes and/or seconds in the time boxes and then clicking the “Go” button.

Time:Displays the time of day the event was logged based on Firefly’s internal 24-hour clock.

Filename:Displays the filename of the video.

Overlay:Displays the filename of the graphic overlay that was

associated with the video (if present).

Duration:Displays the total amount of time (HH: MM: SS) that a video played.

%:Displays the percentage played of the video.

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Diagnostic Logs

Diagnostic logs can be used to view a record of all media update transactions and any system errors on a Firefly.

Information contained in the diagnostic log include:

❏ FTP/DVD Updating data: Tracks date, time of connection/

disconnection, errors- yes/no, files, sizes, percent transferred and FTP permission errors.

❏ Storage Cleanup data: Records what media have been

deleted by the automatic storage cleanup routine, including file names, sizes and dates.

❏ Missing Elements Log: Records all missing media

referenced by an active playlist or schedule, including date, time and file element.

❏ Error Summary data: Records important user player

diagnostic information, including the number of system restarts, number of watchdog restarts, the player version, etc.

❏ Serial Commands: Records most incoming and outgoing

external control commands.

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Figure 27. Diagnostics - Logging Page (Diagnostic log)

Once in the Diagnostic logfile viewer, the data will be listed with one diagnostic event per line and will be sorted by playback time (using Firefly’s internal 24-hour clock). You may move to the previous or next pages by clicking on the respective <<Prev or Next>> links. You can also move to view the diagnostic data for a certain time of day by entering either hours, minutes and/or seconds in the time boxes and then clicking the “Go” button.

Time:Displays the time of day the event was logged based on Firefly’s internal 24-hour clock.

Source:Displays the source of the diagnostic event (playback, multicast, system, etc.).

Event:Displays the diagnostic event.

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System Settings

Within the System Settings menu, the following options are available:

General Settings

Figure 28. Settings-General

Site ID

The Site ID uniquely identifies the Firefly as it updates via FTP. It is also used for Media Messenger software to enable automated management of content, playlists & schedule updates.

Date/Time

Sets the Firefly internal clock for date and time.

When a field is edited in any one of the following Settings Categories, the text for that category will turn red until you update the settings.

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Time Zone

Allows you to select the appropriate time zone (measured in hours and minutes plus or minus Greenwich Mean Time) for where the Firefly is being used.

Version

This is where to reference the software version for technical support purposes or verifying version change following a “software update”.

Uptime

This value indicates how long the unit has been in operation since the last power cycle.

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Video Settings

Figure 29. Settings-Video

Channel 1 Video

Selects the standard for video output:

❏ NTSC (USA) ❏ PAL (European) ❏ 480p ❏ 576p ❏ 720p ❏ 1080i ❏ NTSC Cropped ❏ PAL Cropped

Interleave Mode

When change frame size, select whether to use interleaving or not and the type.

❏ None ❏ Interleave

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❏ Bob (Bob and Weave)

Display Mode

❏ 720 x 480 ❏ 720 x 560 ❏ 640 x 480 ❏ 800 x 600 ❏ 840 x 480 ❏ 1024 x 768 ❏ 1024 x 852

Channel 1 Video Out

Selects the type of video output: Composite/S-video or Component. Composite and S-Video signals can be used simultaneously.

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Audio Settings

Figure 30. Settings-Audio

Volume

This setting allows you to set the volume level for audio played back on the Firefly. The default volume setting is 10 on the 0-20 scale.

Audio Output

Firefly gives you several audio output options depending on the configuration you use (see

Table 3 on page 74). Standard MPEG layer-2 files will output from both the digital and stereo analog outputs. Dolby Digital (AC3) files will output from the digital outputs only. However, by upgrading your unit/s. you can “mix down” AC3 files to the stereo analog outputs. If your application requires a 2-channel (stereo) mix of AC3, please contact a Visual Circuits representative for more information.

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Table 3. Firefly Audio Configurations

Firefly Dolby Digital D/A decoding is only available when using the optional Dolby Digital Software Upgrade (config #4).

Config MPEG Audio Type

Firefly Audio

Settin

Digital

Output

Stereo Analog

Output?

MPEG Layer 2

Stereo Audio

Dolby Digital S/PDIF Yes

MPEG Layer 2

Stereo Audio

Stereo PCM S/PDIF Yes

Dolby Digital Audio

(AC3)

Dolby Digital

S/PDIF (Dolby

Digital)

Dolby Digital Audio

(AC3)

Stereo PCM (w/opt

Upgrade)

S/PDIF Stereo Yes (Decoded)

Firefly Audio Configurations

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Control Settings

Figure 31. Settings-Control

Accept TCP/IP

In conjunction with RS232 serial communication, TCP/IP allows the user to remotely operate the Firefly by sending operation commands through a network or locally using an external PC or show controller (see

External Control Commands on page 119).

Accept UDP

Select to use User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

WARNING

For security reasons, “Accept TCP/IP” is factory defaulted to “No”. Be aware that if you decide to use this feature over a large network (namely the Internet), the potential for outside intervention (hacking) is greatly increased because there is literally no security (protection) on this port. Enabling this option will open port 2180.

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Auto Play

Upon initial start up, Firefly will begin playing the latest loaded playlist/schedule automatically. Following start up, if you choose to begin playback manually via External commands, you can default this option to “Off” to deactivate automatic playback.

Baud Rate

Select an identical value to your external controller. The following options are available: 1200, 4800, 9600, 38400 & 115200. It is recommended starting with a Baud Rate of 9600 for your Hyper Terminal connection.

Data Bits

Select an identical value to your external controller. The following options are available: 5, 6, 7, & 8.

Parity

Select an identical value to your external controller. The following options are available: None, Odd & Even.

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Network Settings

Figure 32. Settings-Network

Host Name

Choose a unique name that identifies each Firefly unit on the network.

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Mode

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) - A TCP/IP service protocol that offers dynamic leased configuration of host IP addresses and distributes other configuration parameters to eligible network clients. DHCP provides safe, reliable, and simple TCP/IP network configuration, prevents address conflicts, and helps conserve the use of client IP addresses on the network. DHCP uses a client/server model where the DHCP server maintains centralized management of IP addresses that are used on the network. DHCPsupporting clients can then request and obtain lease of an IP address from a DHCP server as part of their network start up process. See your Network Administrator for further information.

STATIC -For a local area connection (LAN), in IP address, Subnet mask, and Default gateway, type the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway addresses. For all other connections, in IP address, type the IP address. See your Network Administrator for further information.

IP Address

A 32-bit address used to identify a node on an IP internetwork. Each node on the IP internetwork must be assigned a unique IP address, which is made up of a network identifier and a host identifier. This address is typically represented in dotted-decimal notation, with the decimal value of each octet separated by a period, for example, 192.168.7.27.

You can configure the IP address statically or dynamically through DHCP. See your Network Administrator for further information.

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Netmask

Specify a range that falls on subnet boundaries.

Most TCP/IP networks use subnets in order to manage routed IP addresses. For the range specified in From and To, Windows 2000 calculates the closest matching subnet. The range of addresses in the closest matching subnet may exceed the range specified. Unless the addresses specified in From and To are subnet boundaries, the range based on the calculated subnet will be larger than the range specified. To avoid this, specify a range that falls on subnet boundaries, For example, if you are using the 10.0.0.0 private network ID for your intranet, a range that falls on subnet boundaries is 10.0.1.168 to 10.0.1.175. Or, if you are using the

192.168.0.0 private network ID for your intranet, a range that falls on subnet boundaries is 192.168.1.0 to 192.168.1.255. See your

Network Administrator for further information.

Gateway

A service that allows Firefly to connect to other servers. Creating a gateway also allows client computers running only Microsoft client software to access server resources through the gateway. See your

Network Administrator for further information.

Nameserver

The IP address for the server, local or ISP, that handles URL name resolution for the network. Contact you system administrator for this information.

FTP Proxy Type

Select the type of FTP proxy best suited for application, i.e. None, Socks4, Socks5, USER usr@hst p, USER usr@hst:p, SITE usr@hst p, SITE usr@hst:p, NetCache or NAT Firewall.

Note: The NAT Firewall setting will put the FTP client in passive mode.

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FTP Proxy IP

Enter the address for the proxy, in IP format.

FTP Proxy Port

The number of the port to be used to access the FTP proxy server. Contact you system administrator for this information.

HTTP Proxy Type

Select the type of HTTP proxy best suited for application.

HTTP Proxy IP

Enter the address for the proxy, in IP format.

HTTP Proxy Port

The number of the port to be used to access the HTTP proxy server. Contact you system administrator for this information.

NTP Server

The IP address of the NTP server the Firefly will time-sync with on the network.

Enable SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)

Allows you to enable or disable the SNMP feature. SNMP can be used to monitor the Firefly on your network. You can also retrieve and change settings on the Firefly in addition to monitoring the unit by using the Firefly MIB file.

SNMP Network

Designates the IP address of the system(s) you wish to be able to monitor and change settings on the Firefly. Notation must be dotted-decimal as with all IP settings on the Firefly. To allow an individual machine to control the Firefly, set to a specific IP address, (Ex. 1- 192.168.0.100). To allow a group of machines to control the Firefly, set the IP to a range, (Ex. 2 - 192.168.0.0).

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SNMP Netmask

Designates the Netmask information for the system(s) that will be able to monitor and control the Firefly. So for the individual example above you would set, (Ex. 1- 255.255.255.255) and for the range example above (Ex. 2- 255.255.255.0).

Community

The SNMP Community name defines the relationship between an SNMP server system (your Firefly) and the client systems. This acts like a password to control the clients’ access to the Firefly.

Security Name

SNMPv3 feature: Defines the security name for the authentication and encryption for SNMP transmissions.

Auth Passphrase

SNMPv3 feature: Provides authentication but no encryption on SNMP information.

Priv Passphrase

SNMPv3 feature: Provides authentication and encryption on SNMP information.

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Logging Settings

Figure 33. Settings-Logging

Run Log

Allows you turn to “On” or “Off” the run log. The run log provides a record of which videos played (with which graphic overlays, if applicable), starting at what dates/times, playing back what percentage of the video and for how long.

Diagnostic Log

Allows you to turn “On” or “Off” the diagnostic log. The diagnostic log can be used to view a record of all media update transactions and any system errors on a Firefly.

Information contained in the diagnostic log include:

❏ FTP/DVD Updating data: Tracks date, time of connection/

disconnection, errors- yes/no, files, sizes, percent transferred and FTP permission errors.

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❏ Storage Cleanup data: Records what media have been

deleted by the automatic storage cleanup routine, including file names, sizes and dates.

❏ Missing Elements Log: Records all missing media

referenced by an active playlist or schedule, including date, time and file element.

❏ Error Summary data: Records important user player

diagnostic information, including the number of system restarts, number of watchdog restarts, the player version, etc.

❏ Serial Commands: Records most incoming and outgoing

external control commands.

Log Format

Allows you to set the output format of the run log file to either.CSV or.XML.

Sample from a .CSV format run log:

12-07-02 20:30:07,1,05saturn.mpg,3_ser220.BMP,1,00:01:01,100

Sample from a .XML format run log:

The format of the diagnostic log is in a simple “time - event” per line format.

Log Default Playlist

Allows you to designate whether or not the default playlist playback is included in the playback log file data. Choosing “Yes” includes the default playlist in the playback data. Conversely, choosing “No” excludes the default playlist from the log file data.

If you are not using the scheduling feature (single playlist mode), note that the playlist will not be logged.

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Max Log MBs

Allows you to set a value (in megabytes) for the maximum size a log file is able to reach. The default value is 10 MB. You may want to keep this value relatively small if you wish to maintain a large amount of free space for videos and graphic overlays. However, if you do not reserve enough space, Firefly will delete the oldest residing logs in order to make room for the new ones.

When the log files exceed the maximum amount of defined storage space, an automatic cleanup process will delete the oldest file as required to contain the total log file space under the set limits. In addition, files will be deleted (cut) after they are transferred to the FTP server or downloaded from the Firefly player.

Upload Logs

Allows “Yes” or “No” choice for uploading log files to the “logfiles” directory on your FTP server.

If you choose “Yes” to have the log files uploaded, you may download the log files to your choice of storage options, such as a database you have designated for Firefly media playback data, from your FTP server.

After log files have been successfully uploaded to your FTP server, they will be deleted from the Firefly.

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WebView Settings

Figure 34. Settings-Logging

WebView Enable

This feature gives the user access to Firefly over a network using a conventional web browser (see

WebView on page 23).

File Access

Enable/Disable - Accesses the Firefly directly with an FTP client.

Username

Enter at least 6 (but no more than 15) alphanumeric characters here. This field is case sensitive.

The user name and password are used for both WebView and the FTP server.

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Password

Enter at least 6 (but no more than 15) alphanumeric characters. This field is case sensitive.

WARNING

It is strongly recommended to change the user name and password from their original default values for system security.