Defining Channels and Channel Guides
User Role: Administrator / Content Manager
Cisco Vision Director allows you to distribute in-house video and re-distribute external channels including over the air (OTA) local channels, satellite, and cable TV. Video can be in either high definition (HD) or standard definition (SD). There is no limit to how many channels you can offer. The channels you select will be available for viewing anywhere you have TVs connected to DMPs: in bars and restaurants, the back office, and in luxury suites. Users can change channels from the IP Phone or using the IR remote.
Figure 34 Channel Guide Lineup on TV and IP Phone
Channel Lineup Designation at the Headend
A combination of external and internal channels make up the “channel lineup” that is available throughout the venue.
Although the concept of a channel number doesn’t really exist in the IP world, channel numbers are typically assigned to each channel at the headend. These numbers are arbitrary, but can be numbered correspond to the top 15 channels that will show up on the IP phone control in the Luxury suites.
To enable channel selection at the endpoints:
■On the Cisco DCM, each (in-house or external) channel received is mapped to its unique multicast group address and UDP port number.
■In Cisco Vision Director, each unique multicast group/UDP port number pair is assigned a Vision channel number and a channel name.
■Cisco Vision Director uses this mapping to direct DMPs to specific channels and populate an electronic program guide which lists the available channels.
Note : For information about how to configure the channel lineup at the headend, see the Cisco StadiumVision Video Headend Design and Implementation Guide available to qualified Cisco Vision partners.
Defining the Master Channel List
Once channels have been defined at the headend, define a master channel list. Go to Tools > Control Panel > Channels.
Consider the following before you configure the master channel list:
■Channels to be offered: Decide how many in-house live video feeds you will have and which external channels you will offer.
■Channel Numbering Scheme: You may want in-house channels at the top of your numbering scheme. You may want your numbering scheme to match the area satellite or cable numbering scheme. You may choose to hide some of the channels you have in house.
■Channel Guide Appearance: Decide the channel guide descriptions that appear on the TVs in your luxury suites, bars, and restaurants and whether you want a team logo to appear on the screen.
■For each channel that should appear in the channel lineup accessed by a Cisco IP Phone or IR remote, set the “Visible in IP Phone Guide” field on the Channels panel to Yes.
■For each channel that is to appear in the channel lineup accessed by a third-party touch panel, set the “Visible in 3 rd Party Guide” field on the Channels panel to Yes.
Adding Channels to the Master Channel List
User Role: Administrator / Content Manager
To add channels to the master channel list:
1. Open the Control Panel and select the Setup > Channels. The Master Channel List displays in the Master Channel List tab.
2. Click “+” at the top of the Master Channel List.
3. On the Basic Info tab, define the information listed in Table 13. The description and source ID are optional.
Note : The Channel name configured in Cisco Vision Director should be limited to 12 characters or less. Due to the space allotted for channel names on the IP Phone interface, more than 12 characters may have undesirable results.
Table 13 Adding a Channel to the Master Channel List
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The name of the channel as you would like it to appear on the channel guide that appears on your video displays. A maximum of 12 characters are supported.
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Description of what is playing on the channel (optional). This shows up on the TV only.
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The multicast IP address of this channel designated at the Cisco Vision headend.
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The multicast port used to communicate with this channel as designated at the Cisco Vision headend.
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The number you want to assign to this channel. This channel number will appear in the channel guides on the TVs and IP Phones.
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Placeholder for future program guide integration. Not required.
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|
Ad wrapping refers to displaying this channel in an L-wrapper or similar screen template where advertisements play alongside the video stream.
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Specify “yes” if you want the channel to be listed as a favorite in the channel guide controlled by a 3
rd party touch panel.
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|
Enter a number (between 1 and 10) indicating the ordinal placement of this channel in the listing,
|
4. When you have filled in all the required fields, click Save. As soon as you save this channel, it will appear in the Master Channel List.
Note : You must Save before you add or modify another channel. As soon as you move from one channel to another without doing a save, all of your input is lost.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to add all the channels you want to display in Cisco Vision Director.
Using “Favorites” (Third-Party Touch Panels Only)
In addition to the channel lineup, a maximum of 10 channels can be identified as favorites, which appear on the initial video control page of the third-party touch panels.
For each channel that should be listed as a favorite:
■In the Favorite field, select Yes.
■In the Favorite Order field, enter a number (between 1 and 10) indicating the ordinal placement of this channel in the listing.
Work with the third-party device integrator to determine how the favorites list should be displayed on the third-party touch panels. All installations should move to access channels directly versus indirectly through the favorites mechanism.
Sorting the Master Channel List
Click the Master Channel List column headings (Name or #) to sort the channel names alphabetically in ascending or descending order or by channel number. You can also use the filter box to see only the subset of channels that have the characters you specify in the filter. The filter is not case sensitive. For example, if you type “e” in the filter box the following channels will appear: ESPN, ESPN2, Universal, HD Theater, HDNet, HDNet Movies, and E.
Creating and Assigning Channel Guides
Once you have added channels to the Master Channel List, you can create “per-area channel guides” to display a custom channel guide in different areas of the venue. For example, you can have a different set of channels available in each of the suites, concourses, clubs, the owners suite, back offices, locker rooms, concessions and ticket windows.
The per-area channel guides are a subset of the master channel list, meaning the channels numbers and descriptions are preserved. For example, a venue may have raw in-house channels that they want to make available only to the coaching staff and not to the general public. To do this, create two channels guides: one private and one public. The private channel guide is assigned to groups/zones of DMPs that control the TVs in the coaches office and locker rooms. The public channel guide is flagged as the default channel guide and is automatically assigned to all other DMPs.
Designate one channel guide as the default channel guide. Cisco Vision Director automatically assigns this channel guide to any DMP that is not associated with a luxury suite, bar, restaurant, or other area that supports local control, or any DMP that does not have a channel guide defined.
Note : If you make changes to a channel guide that is associated with an area serviced by a third-party touch panel, the third-party device must reload the latest channel guide information. Consult the third-party device integrator (AMX or Crestron) for reload options.
Creating a Channel Guide
User Role: Administrator / Content Manager
To create a channel guide:
1. Go to Tools > Control Panel > Setup > Channels. For more information, see Table 13.
2. Click the Channel Guide tab (next to the Master Channel List tab).
3. Click the plus (+) above the Channel Guide and type a name and description for the new channel guide.
4. (Optional) Enable “Default Channel Guide for All Suites” to make this the default channel guide.
5. Click Save.
Assigning Channels to a Channel Guide
User Role: Administrator / Content Manager
To assign channels to a channel guide:
1. Go to Tools > Control Panel > Setup > Channels. For more information, see Creating a Channel Guide.
2. Open the Channel Guide tab and select the per area channel guide to which you want to assign channels.
3. Click Assign Channel. The Master Channel list displays.
4. Select the channels you want to add to the channel guide and click Add. The channels you add display in the Channel Guide window.
TIP: To select multiple channels, use the keyboard Shift-click and Ctrl-click.
5. Click Save.
Assigning a Channel Guide to a Luxury Suite/Local Control Area
User Role: Administrator / Content Manager
Do this task after the Master Channel List and per area channel guide is created.
To assign a channel guide to a luxury suite:
1. Go to Tool > Control Panel > Setup > Channels > Channel Guide.
2. Select the per-area channel guide.
3. Click Assign (under the “ Used in Suites ” list). The list of undefined luxury suites/local control areas displays.
Note : The term “Luxury Suite” is used to define not only Luxury Suites but also any local control area.
4. Select the luxury suites/local control area to which you want to assign the custom channel guide.
TIP: To select more than one suite/local control area, use the keyboard Shift-click and Ctrl-click.
5. Click Assign.
By default, when the channel guide is brought up on the IP Phone, it is also displayed on the selected TV(s). You can change this behavior by setting the “tvguide.autolaunch” parameter to 0 in the Cisco Vision Director Management Dashboard Registry. See Controlling the Behavior of the Channel Guide.
Adding Icons to the IP Phone Channel Guide
You can associate channel icons that display in the IP Phone channel guide. Channel icons must be obtained locally (the venue must obtain permission from the network) and must be a 24 x 24 PNG file. The most common is a third-party channel icon file that is a 100 X 100 PNG. Figure 35 shows some examples.
Figure 35 IP Phone Icons
Uploading a Phone Channel Icon
You can upload and tag multiple icons for the same usage type at the same time.
To upload a phone channel icon:
1. Copy the icon graphic(s) to your local drive.
2. Select Tools > Control Panel > Setup > Channels.
3. On the Channels toolbar, click the Icon button. The icon list displays.
4. Click Upload Icon and browse to the png file you want to assign as a channel icon.
5. In the Import Content dialog box, enter the following information: Under “ Keyword Tags to Apply ” select where the channel icon will be used:
–DMP (for TV banner)
–Phone
–3rd Party Remote
6. Select an expiration setting.
7. Click Upload. The icon you uploaded will now appear in the icon list.
Assigning a Phone Channel Icon
User Role: Administrator / Content Manager
Once you have created a master channel list and uploaded phone channel icons, assign icons to the channels.
To assign a phone channel icon:
1. Select Tools > Control Panel > Setup > Channels.
2. On the Channels toolbar, click the Icon button. The icon list displays.
3. In the icon list, select the channel for which you want to assign an icon. The channel number displays in the Assigned Icons box.
4. Select the icon you want to assign to the channel.
5. Click Assign Icon.
6. Click Save. A message displays confirming the icon assignment was successful.
Channel Guide Behavior
■If a DMP is assigned to more than one Luxury Suite, it will use the Per-Area Channel Guide associated with the last Luxury Suite to which it was assigned. For example if a DMP is added to Suite 1 and then added to Suite 2, it will use the Channel Guide defined for Suite 2. For this reason, it is recommended that you do not assign a DMP to more than one Luxury Suite.
■If the user changes the channel via an IP phone, IR remote, or 3rd-Party remote, the channel chosen by the user will override the currently playing video playlist with the selected video.
■If the template is full screen video or 3-region video, the template will not change, but the video will change to the selected channel.
■If the template is full screen signage, the signage will be replaced with full screen video showing the selected channel.
■If the DMP is showing a playlist of video, the entire playlist will be replaced by the single video channel. For example, if the playlist contains three videos, all three videos will stop and be replaced by the selected channel.
■When the state changes on a DMP that is associated with a local control area (luxury suite, bar, restaurant, etc.), the script contents will override the user's local control.
Therefore, if you expect a DMP to be locally controlled, any states in use during that period should not change the template or channel. This is particularly important when using ad hoc states with locally controlled DMPs. Cisco Vision Director will treat the return from an ad hoc as a state change, so if the base state has a channel setting, the channel on all locally controlled DMPs will return to the base channel when the ad hoc state ends.
Controlling the Behavior of the Channel Guide
The appearance and behavior of the channel guide are controlled by parameters in the Cisco Vision Director registry. These settings control whether:
■A preview window is displayed when a channel is selected.
■The channel guide is automatically displayed on the TV when it is selected on the phone.
■The phone UI continues to display the channel guide after a channel has been selected.
For individual luxury suites, you can override the setting that controls the automatic display of the channel guide on the TV through the Control Panel.
Configuring Channel Guide Settings in the Registry
User Role: Administrator
To configure channel guide settings in the registry:
1. Go to Tools > Management Dashboard.
2. Go to the Tools drawer > Advanced > Registry . To be sure that you are displaying the current settings, click Load.
3. Scroll through the Registry Data list to the desired parameters.
Note : To change the phoneControl.stayOnChannelSelect parameter from its default (1), you must add the parameter using Add Row.
4. Click the Value field beside each parameter and enter the appropriate values.
5. Click Apply.
Defining a Delay Channel
User Role: Administrator / Content Manager
If you have assigned DMPs to a delay zone, then you can configure the channel you want to display on the TVs controlled by the DMPs in the delay zone during the delay event state.
If no channel is configured, the DMPs will display the default channel during the delay event state.
To define a delay channel:
1. Open the event script.
2. Click the green plus sign (+) above the Ad Hoc states panel.
3. Enable the Manual transition button (the default setting).
4. In the Ad Hoc State box, click Edit.
5. Select the delay group from the tree list.
6. Select the Set FULLSCREEN action source and drag it to the Assigned Actions list.
7. Click Region 1.
8. Select the channel you want to play during a delay from the Playlist Sources channels list.
9. Drag the channel to the Assigned Playlists.
10. Click Apply.
11. Click Save.
Defining a Non-Event Channel
User Role: Administrator / Content Manager
If you have assigned DMPs to non-event zone, you can configure the channel you want the TVs to play when no event script is running in that non-event zone.
If no channel is configured, the DMPs will display the default channel during the non-event state.
To define a non-event channel:
1. Open the event script.
2. Click the green plus sign (+) above the Ad Hoc states panel.
3. Enable the Manual transition button (the default setting).
4. In the Ad Hoc State box, click Edit.
5. Select your non-event group from the tree list.
6. Select the Set FULLSCREEN action source and drag it to the Assigned Actions list.
7. Click Region 1.
8. Select the channel you want to play when no event script is running from the Playlist Sources channels list.
9. Drag the channel to the Assigned Playlists.
10. Click Apply.
11. Click Save.
Setup: Channel Source Types
A new channel source type called External URL that allows you to specify an HTTP, HTTPS, or HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) source as a channel, including HTML page sources.
HLS sources are hardware-accelerated on the DMP. The content is specified as an External URL source type in the Channels setup. The system recognizes the content as an HLS source based on the Allowed HLS file formats designated in the Management Dashboard. The default extensions allowed are m3u and m3u8 . See the Cisco Vision Dynamic Signage Director Release Notes for Release 6.1.
Note: This feature does not replace the existing HTML pass-through feature (New External Content button) from the Control Panel Content screen. HTML pass-through is recommended for content that might be considered for more temporary use in the system.
The Source Type field is available with Video Stream, External URL, and HDMI-In options (Figure 36).
To choose a source type:
1. Go to Tools > Control Panel > Setup > Channel.
2. Click the Basic Info tab.
3. At Source Type pull-down, select External URL to choose an external url for your channel. The dialog box appears (Figure 41).
Figure 36 Channel Source Types
To test the external URL to see if it has X-Frame option, add the URL into the field and click Test (Figure 37).
Figure 37 External URL Channel Configuration
If the URL will not render on the DMP, you may get an error message (Figure 38). If it passes, click the Channel saved box in the upper right.
Figure 38 Testing the External URL, Error
To test a new External URL from the Library:
1. Right click External Content > Create. The New External Content dialog box appears (Figure 39).
Figure 39 New External Content Dialog Box
2. Type in the Name and the URL.
3. Click Test. You may see an error message here if this external URL cannot render on the DMP.
4. If it passes, click Create. The URL will be stored and will push to the DMP (Figure 40).
Figure 40 Test New External URL from Library
Use an external URL as a channel when you do not need synchronization of content, but you would like to be able to tune to that content from a script, User Control API, IP phone, or IR remote. External URL channels also can be streamed to a DMP-encoded multicast channel but do not support audio when streamed in that form.
Figure 41 External URL Dialog Box
Ex
The items with an asterisk (*) are required.
How to Configure HDMI-In Video Sources on the SV-4K and CV-UHD Media Players
This section includes the following topics:
■ Guidelines for Using HDMI-In on the SV-4K and CV-UHD
■ Prerequisites for Using HDMI-In on the SV-4K and CV-UHD
■ Restrictions for Using HDMI-In on the SV-4K and CV-UHD
■ Configuring HDMI-In as a Video Source in a Region on the SV-4K and CV-UHD Media Players
■ Configuring a DMP-Encoded Multicast Channel on the SV-4K and CV-UHD in Cisco Vision Director
■Starting and Stopping HDMI-In Streaming on the SV-4K and CV-UHD Media Players
■HDMI-In Streaming Versus Display Streaming
■HDMI-In Streaming
■Display Streaming
Guidelines for Using HDMI-In on the SV-4K and CV-UHD
When using HDMI-In on the DMPs, consider the following guidelines:
■If using video with 4K resolution, be sure to observe the guidelines for 4K content in the Cisco Vision Content Planning and Specification Guide and use cables that are HDMI version 1.4 compliant.
■You can use different forms of local control only when using HDMI-In encoding to stream video as a multicast channel. Otherwise, use scripts to start/stop streaming.
■If you want to maintain privacy of channels, create a DMP-encoded channel per suite with a unique multicast address (from 239.193.20.0/24 range) and create a separate channel guide per suite.
For example, if you have 10 suites:
1. Create 10 separate DMP-encoded channels with unique multicast addresses.
2. Create 10 different channel guides for each DMP-encoded channel.
3. Assign each suite to a different channel guide.
Prerequisites for Using HDMI-In on the SV-4K and CV-UHD
Before you use HDMI-In on the DMPs, be sure that the following conditions are met:
■You have purchased a separate encoder software license. For more information, see the Cisco Vision Dynamic Signage Director Release Notes for 6.1.
■Test the devices that you plan to connect to the DMP HDMI-In port to stream content for HDCP support.
■Most Mac OS and Windows laptops should work for HDMI-In video encoding for non-copy-protected content. It is up to the device manufacturer and OS whether or not this is supported.
■When using HDMI-In encoded video channels, be sure that you have configured the allowable multicast range 239.193.20.0/24 for this feature in the network requirements. See Cisco Vision Dynamic Signage Solution Operation and Network Requirements.
Restrictions for Using HDMI-In on the SV-4K and CV-UHD
Before you use HDMI-In on the DMPs, consider the following restrictions:
IMPORTANT: The HDMI-In port on the SV-4K and CV-UHD media players can only be supported either as a source to video region or source to encoder as a channel, but not both. Therefore, you cannot have a script in a state which tunes to the HDMI-In as video source in a region, and then transition to the next state where you are streaming video from HDMI-In.
■Videos with 4K resolution are not supported for HDMI-In streaming.
■When using HDMI-In encoding to stream video content as a multicast channel:
–The streaming state is synchronized only when streaming is started by script, IP phone, IR remote, or User Control API—not when started from the Management Dashboard.
This means that if you start streaming from the Management Dashboard, then the IR remote menu might not properly show which channel is streaming or not streaming.
–The DMPs playing HDMI-In encoded video stops streaming if the DMP is rebooted, even though the script is running. Start Streaming is a direct command, which is sent when the svd server changes state (like RS232 commands or tv on /off type commands). It is only executed when the state is changed, so it is not re-executed on reboot.
Configuring HDMI-In as a Video Source in a Region on the SV-4K and CV-UHD Media Players
User Role: Administrator / Content Manager
To configure HDMI-In as a video source in a region:
1. From the Cisco Vision Director Main Menu, go to: Tools > Control Panel > Schedule (Figure 42).
Figure 42 Control Panel Schedule Screen
2. Create a new script by typing a name (Figure 43).
3. Add the state named HDMIIn_State.
4. Select the group/zone where the event script runs to assign actions and content to the HDMIIN_State (Figure 44).
Figure 43 New State Name
Figure 44 Script State
5. Select a video/mixed media template.
6. Click Channels.
7. Drag Local HDMI-In to a template region.
8. Click OK to save the script.
Verifying the Script Plays Local HDMI-In Content
To verify that the script plays the local HDMI-In content:
1. From the Cisco Vision Director Main Menu, go to Tools > Control Panel .
2. Double-click the Local HDMI-In script that you created (Figure 45). The Start Script dialog box appears (Figure 46).
Figure 45 Script Verification
Figure 46 Start Script Dialog Box
3. Add in all the parameters.
4. Click Start.
Figure 47 HDMIIN_State Verification
5. Start the HDMIIn_State. Verify that the TV display for the target DMP is playing the expected HDMI-In content.
Configuring a DMP-Encoded Multicast Channel on the SV-4K and CV-UHD in Cisco Vision Director
User Role: Administrator / Content Manager
To configure a DMP-encoded multicast channel on the DMPs:
1. From the Cisco Vision Director, go to Tools > Control Panel > Setup > Channel.
2. Select or create a channel guide where you want to include the DMP-encoded channel.
TIP: If you want to maintain privacy of channels, create a DMP-encoded channel per suite with a unique multicast address (from 239.193.20.0/24 range) and create a separate channel guide per suite.
3. From the Basic Info tab, configure the options shown in Figure 48 and described in Table 14.
Figure 48 DMP-Encoded Multicast Channel Example
Table 14 DMP-Encoded Multicast Channel Options
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Simple name for the channel that will appear in local control devices.
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(Required) Select this checkbox to configure an encoded multicast channel on the SV-4K.
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Two times the encode bit rate.
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Resolution that matches the configuration of the content and TV display.
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Time-to-Live for the multicast packet.
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Value between 2000 to 25000 Kbps.
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(Required) Multicast address from range 239.193.20.0/24 according to your Connected Stadium network configuration.
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(Required) Multicast port.
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Number that appears in local control.
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4. Click Save.
Starting and Stopping HDMI-In Streaming on the SV-4K and CV-UHD Media Players
Table 15 summarizes the methods of starting and stopping streaming for HDMI-In video sources on the DMPs.
Table 15 Methods for Starting and Stopping HDMI-In Streaming by Type of HDMI-In Content Source
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DMP-Encoded Multicast Channel
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Yes |
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Yes |
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Yes |
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Yes |
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Yes |
Note : When using the Management Dashboard to start/stop streaming for a DMP-encoded multicast channel, the channel parameters are configured directly in the Management Dashboard.
Starting and Stopping Streaming by IP Phone
A luxury suite user can use a configured IP phone to select HDMI-In Broadcast on the selected DMP-encoded player. The user can select the configured DMP encoded channels or Off to start streaming or stop streaming respectively.
For more information, see the phone guide Using a Cisco Unified IP Phone with Cisco Vision: HDMI-In Broadcast.
Starting and Stopping Streaming by IR Remote
A luxury suite user can use an IR Remote to broadcast HDMI-In contents. On selection of the HDMI-In Broadcast menu, the list of DMP-encoded channels for streaming are listed for selection and “Off” to stop streaming.
Starting and Stopping Streaming by Script Action
Two new actions of Start and Stop streaming can be defined as actions within a script. When the script starts running according to the defined state, either start streaming or stop streaming action will be executed.
Starting and Stopping Streaming by Management Dashboard Command
User Role: Administrator
To start and stop streaming in the Management Dashboard:
Figure 49 Start/Stop Streaming Commands in Management Dashboard
1. From the Management Dashboard, go to DMP and TV Controls > DMP Commands > Start Streaming .
2. Configure the DMP-encoded channel options in the SV-DMP Parameters.
3. Select the device where you want to start HDMI-In streaming.
4. Click the Play button to execute the command.
5. From the Management Dashboard Console, verify that the Start Streaming command is successful.
HDMI-In Streaming Versus Display Streaming
For HDMI-In streaming, what streams from the DMP is the audio/video from the HDMI-In port source ONLY (Figure 50).
For Display Streaming, entire video composition (without audio) will be streamed from the DMP - i.e., an encoded rendition of what you see on the TV connected to the DMPs HDMI-out.
Display streaming can be used even when your video source is not HDMI-In, or in cases where you want to encode/stream not just HDMI-In but also other elements on the screen, or maybe an HTML5 page (you don't need a video source in display streaming). Display streaming parameters are set in channels where the DMP is the encoder (DMP encoded channels).
Local HDMI-In (HDMI-In Pass-Through Supported by SV-4K and CV-UHD Players)
Script Configuration
1. Assign for DMP.94 pre-defined Channel 0 “Channel HDMI-In” to action Full Screen Mixed Video.
When script runs, all input from HDMI-In will be streamed out to the Display via HDMI-OUT (Figure 51).
Figure 50 HDMI Streaming
Figure 51 Full Screen Video Streaming
Script configuration
1. Create DMP-encoded CH1 configuration (Figure 52).
Figure 52 Create DMP-Encoded Channel 1
2. Attach video source to HDMI-IN.
3. For DMP.94 (Figure 53): Script action Start HDMI-In Streaming and assign it to DMP encoded channel 1.
4. For DMP.93: Tune in on DMP Encoded channel 1 (Figure 54).
Figure 53 Start HDMI-In Streaming to DMP-Encoded Channel 1
Figure 54 DMP-Encoded Channel 1
5. On DMP.94: stop display streaming (Figure 55).
Figure 55 Stop HDMI-In Streaming
HDMI-In Streaming with External URL Source or Playlist
When you want to use the DMP HDMI-IN encoder to broadcast an External URL Script or a Playlist, there is an additional head-end DMP required (DMP.95).
Script Configuration
1. Create separate script and run Ex. Mixed playlist on DMP.95.
2. Connect the HDMI-OUT to the HDMI-IN of DMP.94 (Figure 56).
Figure 56 Start HDMI-In Streaming and Assign to DMP-Encoded Channel
3. In DMP.94 Start HDMI-Streaming and assign to DMP encoded Channel.
4. DMP.93: Select DMP Encoded channel 1.
5. On DMP.94, stop display streaming (Figure 57).
Figure 57 Stop HDMI-In Streaming on DMP 94
Display Streaming with Video Source Input on DMP HDMI-In
In this scenario, everything entering the HDMI-IN is displayed on the TV connected to the encoder DMP (DMP.94) and will be streamed out on DMP channel Encoded Ch1.
Script Configuration
1. In DMP.94, start display streaming (Figure 58) and assign to DMP encoded Channel 1 (Figure 59).
Figure 58 Start Display Streaming on DMP.94
IMPORTANT: When content rules are in place, a DMP that reboots may not display the same content as other DMPs in the same group until the next state change.
Figure 59 Select Streaming Channel
2. For DMP.93, tune to DMP-encoded Channel 1 (Figure 60).
Figure 60 Start Display Streaming on DMP.93
Display Streaming with External URL or Mixed Media Playlist
In this scenario, no HDMI-IN of the DMP is used. A script in DMP 94 is setup and started. Once the script runs, “Start Display Streaming” will attach it to the DMP-encoded channel, functioning as a multicast channel.
Script Configuration
1. Set up script.
2. Choose event state “Mixed PL.”
3. Assign “Full Screen Video or Mixed (1920X1080)” to DMP.94 (Figure 61).
Figure 61 Assign DMP.94
4. For DMP.94, Start Display Streaming (Figure 62) and assign it to DMP-encoded Channel 1 (Figure 63).
Figure 62 Start Display Streaming on DMP.94
Figure 63 Select Streaming Channel
On DMP.93, choose the DMP-encoded channel 1 (Figure 64).
Figure 64 Assign DMP.93 to Channel DMP Encoded HDMI-In Channel 1
On DMP.94, Stop HDMI-In Streaming (Figure 65).
Figure 65 Stop HDMI-In Streaming on DMP.94
How to Manage Content (Assets)
This section includes the following topics:
■ Information About the Library (Content) Screen
■Library View
■Playlist View
■Asset Search Methods
■Guidelines for Asset Tags
■Getting Content Into Cisco Vision Director
■Staging Content to the Media Player
Information About the Library (Content) Screen
The Library (Content) screen allows you to both manage content as well as create and modify playlists.
Use the Library menu to do the following tasks:
■Import static graphics or local video content.
■Import widgets, templates, channels, or external content.
■Add an HTML pass-through URL.
■Manage content:
–Sort the content by name, type, URL, size, or expiration date.
–Search for content.
–Tag content.
–Delete content.
–Create folders for content.
■Create and manage playlists.
Content Screen Views
The Content screen has three views:
■ Library View (default)
■ Playlist View
■ Detail View (content and playlist panels displayed)
The menu bar is organized based on the selected view.
Library View
Figure 66 identifies the content-related layout and task options available from the Library.
Figure 66 Library List View
Asset Items Panel
Asset items display as a file list with details or as thumbnails. Use the slider in blue in the top right to change views.
By default, the Library Assets window shows List View of the following items stored in the Library:
■Images (static graphics)
■Videos
■Widgets
■Channels
■External URLs
■Dynamic Menu Board gadgets (available in the Tools drop-down menu)
Playlist View
1. Click Playlist in the Library window to display your available playlists. The screen shows List View and gives the Title, Type, and Duration of your content.
2. Click any row to get the details of any content selected (Figure 67).
Figure 67 Playlist Detail
3. Use the pen icon to edit information for your content. The Validity Rules panel appears (Figure 68).
4. Set the Effective Start and End Dates and Times. Click the calendar icon.
5. You can also choose Restrict Playback here. Set the days and times specifically as to when your content will not display.
6. Click the Save icon in the top of the panel.
Figure 68 Validity Rules Panel
Asset (Content) Validation
If you upload a piece of content that is not supported by the DMP (Figure 69), you get a warning message. The warning symbols means that the content may be distorted on the display. Best practice is to clear the validity of your content so it will appear as planned. Hover over the icon for information.
Figure 69 Warning Symbol for Content Validity
To check the validity of content:
1. Go to Library > Tools > Management Dashboard > Dynamic Signage Configuration > System Configuration > Dynamic Signage Director Settings > Content Validation Parameters.
Note : Since you can upload images, videos, channels and external content, each type has different issues involved in troubleshooting them. For images and videos, clear the warning here.
2. Check the resolution parameters of your assets to be certain they fall within the ranges allowed.
Figure 70 Management Dashboard Portrait Resolution Configuration Property
Asset Search Methods
Use the Playlist screen to find your asset items or playlists in multiple ways:
■Search for asset items assigned with a particular tag name by selecting the tag in the Library left pane.
■Search for asset items by name or file type using the Search box on the Playlist panel.
TIP: You can enter the first few letters of the content file name, or enter a file type such as ".jpg" in the search box.
■Search for playlists using the Search box on the Playlist panel, and by typing in the first few letters of the playlist name.
Guidelines for Asset Tags
Consider the following guidelines to create asset tags:
■Proof of Play processing requires the following naming convention:
■ <tag name> _PoP
where <tag name> is the name for your proof of play label, and the “_PoP” suffix is required to designate the label for proof of play processing.
■The following characters are not supported in tag names: / ? < > \ : * | "
■Content in multiple playlists can use the same tag. The number of playlists that have content assigned to a tag displays under the # column in the Playlist Detail window next to the tag name.
Creating and Assigning Content Tags
User Role: Administrator / Content Manager
TIP: Consider assigning zone and group names as tags for the content files used in those areas. This allows you to type in a single search word or phrase and find all the content for a given zone or group, such as “Luxury Suite Delta” or “Concourse A.” You can also use tags that correspond to the type of content in the playlist, such as “menu.”
To create and assign content tags:
1. Click Library > Tag arrow. New Tag appears.
2. Click New Tag.
3. In the field, type a new name for the tag.
4. Hit Return/Enter. The tag name appears.
IMPORTANT: The following characters are not supported in tag names: / ? < > \ : * | ".
Note : If the tag name doesn’t appear, click Refresh.
Be sure to include the required “_PoP” suffix in your tag name for proof of play records. For more information about Proof of Play, see the Cisco Vision Director Proof of Play.
5. To assign a tag to content, select the content (asset) from the Grid or List view. The detail pane appears ( Figure 71).
6. Click the Pen icon to edit the metadata.
7. Select the tag name you want to attach to your content.
8. Click the Save icon.
Figure 71 Assigning a Tag to Content
TIP : Assign tags to content when you first upload content to the Library.
9. To verify that the content was assigned to the tag, click the tag name. The content assigned to the selected tag will display in the Content Items area.
Removing a Tag From Content
User Role: Administrator / Content Manager
When you remove a tag from content, the content will no longer be associated with that tag but the content itself remains in the Asset Library. Figure 72 summarizes the steps to remove a tag from selected content.
Figure 72 Workflow Summary to Remove a Tag From Content
To remove a tag from content:
1. In Library, select the tag name. The content items for that tag display in the Tags panel.
2. Click on the content item from which you want to remove the tag.
TIP: Use the keyboard Shift-Click function to select and untag multiple content items assigned to a tag.
3. Click the pen icon in the Detail Panel to “Edit” the tag metadata. The Tag information appears.
4. Click the tag name and the “–” symbol to remove the tag from the asset.
There is no confirmation prompt. The tag is immediately removed from the content.
5. Click Save at the top of the Detail Panel.
Getting Content Into Cisco Vision Director
Cisco Vision Director supports a wide variety of content types and methods for ingesting content.
There are limitations and specifications for the content size and formats supported by Cisco Vision Director. These vary depending upon a number of factors including the TV display resolution, the media player used in the venue, the screen template region layout, and the TV proximity to the fans.
Before you deploy content to Cisco Vision Director, be sure that you refer to the Cisco Vision Content Planning and Specification Guide, Dynamic Signage Director, Release 6.0 to be sure the content is in the correct format, is the appropriate size, and has the correct dimensions for where it will be displayed. If the content is not the correct size for the region into which it will be placed, the image will either be cropped or there will be blank space in the region.
Table 16 summarizes the different content types supported by Cisco Vision Director, the methods of how you ingest the content, and references to topics in this document and other external guides where you can find the details about how to work with that content type.
Table 16 Content Ingestion Methods by Type of Content
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For more information see:
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Control Panel > Setup > Channels
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Content Feeds (Atom, RSS)
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Control Panel > Setup > Data Integration
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Release 6.0: Cisco Vision Director Data Integration Guide
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Database (MySQL or SQLServer)
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Control Panel > Setup > Data Integration > Generic Data Source
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Release 6.0: Cisco Vision Director Data Integration Guide
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Control Panel > Setup > Data Integration > Generic Data Source
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Release 6.0: Cisco Vision Director Data Integration Guide
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Library > New External Content
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Control Panel > Setup > Data Integration > Generic Data Source
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Release 6.0: Cisco Vision Director Data Integration Guide
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Control Panel > Setup > Data Integration > Generic Data Source
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Release 6.0: Cisco Vision Director Data Integration Guide
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Library > Tool> DMB Application
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Menu Boards Using POS Data Sources
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Control Panel > Setup > Data Integration
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Release 6.0: Cisco Vision Director Data Integration Guide
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Control Panel > Setup > Data Integration
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Release 6.0: Cisco Vision Director Data Integration Guide
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Control Panel > Setup > Data Integration
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Static Graphics (Content screen)
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Static Graphics (Direct upload to non-video playlist)
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Control Panel > Setup > Data Integration > Generic Data Source
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Control Panel > Setup > Data Integration > Generic Data Source
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Importing Local Video and Images to the Library
User Role: Administrator / Content Manager
To import local video and images from the Main Menu (Library):
1. Go to Library > Upload Assets.
TIP: Use the keyboard Shift-Click function to select and untag multiple content items assigned to a tag.
2. Browse to the file that you want to upload.
TIP: Use the drop-down box by the File name to filter your selection by file type, including.zip files.
3. Click Open.
4. From the Upload Content dialog box, do the following (Figure 73):
Figure 73 Upload Assets (Content)
a. (Optional) Add or delete available tags.
b. (Optional) Select available tags to be assigned to the content that you are uploading.
5. Click Continue. The content uploads and appears in the Listview.
Staging Content to the Media Player
Once you have content uploaded to Cisco Vision Director, it must be pushed to the media player before it can be run by a script. This process of pushing content to the media player is called content staging.
Content staging needs to be done when:
■New custom fonts or language packs have been installed in the Software Manager.
■There have been changes to any content imported to the content Library (CMS). This includes local video and graphics files, and channels.
Note : Changes to widgets or data integration sources do not require content staging.
There are two ways that you can stage content from the Main Menu (Library):
■Staging content manually
Manual content staging is performed outside the actual running of the script using the Staging button on the Script Control > Staging screen. With this method, you can stage content per script for all media players, or by selected media players.
Note : Only Administrator and Event Operator roles can stage content manually. Venue operator roles cannot stage content this way.
■Scheduling content staging
With this method, you can schedule content staging to occur at a specified number of minutes ahead of script start, or at a script start.
Staging Content Manually
User Role: Administrator / Event Operator
To stage content manually:
1. Go to Script Control > Staging tab (Figure 74).
2. Select the script whose content you need to update on the media players.
3. Click the Play icon. The Start Manual Staging box appears (Figure 75).
Figure 74 Staging Details
4. In the Staging screen, select the script you want to stage in the For Script field. Use the pull-down arrow.
Figure 75 Start Manual Staging Dialog Box
5. Select the target media players to receive the content updates. If you click “Selected DMPs configured in script,” a list of available media players appears (Figure 76).
Figure 76 Selected DMPs Configured in Script
6. Select the available media players to receive the content updates.
7. Click Start Staging.
Scheduling Content Staging with Script Start
User Role: Administrator / Event Operator / Venue Operator
It is up to the user to determine how long before the script start to schedule staging. However, the script will not start until staging is complete, even if 0 minutes ahead of script start is configured.
For more information about running event scripts, see also the Running an Event Script.
To schedule content staging with script start:
1. Go to Script Control > Script tab. The Script Details screen appears (Figure 77) with your scripts.
Figure 77 Script Details Screen
2. Select the script.
3. Right click the script and click Start. The Start Script dialog box appears (Figure 78).
Figure 78 Start Script Dialog Box
4. Set the start time as Now or type in the minutes.
5. Use the drop-down arrow to choose the Duration. The duration has values listed in seconds.
6. Click the Staging Yes or No button.
a. Type in the Minutes Ahead of Script Start to stage content to the media players (Script Start).
b. To run staging immediately before running the script, specify a value of 0. The script will not start until staging is complete.
7. Click Start.
If the script start is blocked by validation error(s), Figure 79 appears.
Figure 79 Confirm Force Script Start
Use the drop-down arrow to see more information on your script. The Status column shows “ Starting.” When complete, see “Past” and icon, as well as the date and time in the Started column.
Click Staging to see the details of your job.
Double click the line to see how to resolve the error.