Screen Template Specifications for Cisco Vision Dynamic Signage Director
This chapter defines the screen templates supported by Cisco Vision Dynamic Signage Director. Use a default screen template or create your own custom template.
Default Screen Templates
The following templates are standard in Cisco Vision Dynamic Signage Director. The standard templates can be identified by the lock icon that appears next to the template name. The default screen templates make it easy to create event scripts.
■3-Region Lwrapper
■Full Screen Dual Video
■Full Screen Graphic
■Full Screen Video
Figure 1 shows the 3-region Lwrapper template.
Figure 1 Default Templates in Cisco Vision Dynamic Signage Director
Default Screen Template Dimensions
The dimensions for the default screen templates are fixed and cannot be changed.
Alternatively, you can create custom screen templates (where you specify different sizes for the screen template regions) and overlay screen templates (where you have a non-video or video region overlapping a video or mixed media region).
Table 1 defines the default screen templates that are included in Cisco Vision Dynamic Signage Director.
Note: Obsolete templates (such as 3-Region, 3-Region double, Emergency, Exit, Outside Emergency, Welcome) might still appear in your system if you have upgraded from earlier releases. Installing a full ISO image will remove previously available templates.
Table 1 Default Screen Template Summary
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Mixed Media |
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(Also known as just “Lwrapper.”) |
■Video (Live video or replay; Mixed media in Region 1) ■Advertisements (Playlist of advertisements in Region 2) ■Ticker (Feed of scores or news in Region 3) |
■Video: 1624x914 ■Ads: 296x914 ■Ticker: 1920x166 |
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Using a luma key on the video in region 2 (the top-layer video region), you can enable select areas of video content in region 1 to be visible through the video in region 2.
Note: A luma key on UHD video is not supported. However, an HD video in the secondary region can use a luma key over a UHD video in the primary region.
The Full Screen Dual Video template is available.
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Video 1 (bottom video): 1920x1080
Video 2 (top video): 1920x1080
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Template Resolutions
The default Cisco Vision Dynamic Signage Director screen template size is 1920x1080.
General Guidelines for All Screen Templates
When creating screen templates and populating content, consider the following guidelines:
■Templates are ordered by name.
■For Proof of Play, you can have more than one region with an ad playlist.
■Regions are listed from top-to-bottom layer order, where the top layer appears at the top of the list.
■Layers are numbered, if a screen template contains a non-video region and a video or mixed media region, the video or mixed media region always appears at the bottom of the list.
Note: You can manually drag a video region to be on top of other regions; however, the rendering of the regions below the video region will not be predictable and can be completely invisible.
■A box icon adds a non-video region.
■A film icon adds a video or mixed media region.
■Switching a non-video region to a video region might produce a warning if there is already an existing video region.
■Saving an existing template with regions removed will produce a force dialog for confirmation. In addition, when a template that is used in an event script is edited (including when one is adding a region) a force dialog appears for confirmation. You should also edit the scripts that use the changed template to verify that the added or removed regions contain the appropriate content and changes occur as expected.
Note: The SV-4K, CV-UHD, and CV-UHD2 media players support HD/SD and video content with UHD resolution. Graphics with UHD resolution are not supported. The DMPs only support HD/SD content and do not support UHD video streaming. Review the list of supported content in the Overview of Content Support in Cisco Vision Dynamic Signage Director.
Full Screen Default Templates
Use the full-screen templates that come with Cisco Vision Dynamic Signage Director to display full-screen video (or mixed media), or full-screen graphics. Figure 2 shows an example of a video (or mixed media) in the full screen template. Figure 3 shows an example of a graphic in the full screen template. Both are fixed screen templates and cannot be customized.
Figure 2 Full Screen Video (or Mixed Media) Template Example
Table 2 Full Screen Video or Mixed Media Template Dimensions
Content Type |
Dimensions |
Full Screen Video or Mixed Media |
Region 1: 1920x1080 |
Figure 3 Full Screen Graphic Template Example
Table 3 Full Screen Graphic Template Dimensions
Content Type |
Dimensions |
Full Screen Graphic |
Region 1: 1920x1080 |
3-Region Lwrapper Default Template
Figure 4 shows the region numbering for the 3-Region Lwrapper default template. Table 4 describes the characteristics of each region. This is a fixed screen template and cannot be customized.
Figure 4 Region Numbering and Layout of a 3-Region Lwrapper Template
Table 4 3-Region Lwrapper Region Template Dimensions
Region |
Content Type |
Dimensions |
Description |
1 |
Video or Mixed Media |
1624x914 |
■16:9 aspect ratio. ■Supports live video broadcasts or video replay. For more details on video formats, refer to the Cisco Vision Director Video Headend Design and Implementation Guide for your release (available to qualified Cisco Vision partners). |
2 |
Non-Video |
296x914 |
■Supports playlists of advertisements. ■Due to the small dimensions of Region 2, use graphic-intensive ads rather than ads that have a lot of small text in this region. |
3 |
Non-Video |
1920x166 |
■Designed for displaying a graphic and/or information in the form of a ticker. ■The ticker content can be from a compatible RSS feed approved by the venue. ■The ticker region can be customized with the venue logo (with the ticker content playing in the remaining space). |
Figure 5 shows an example of content in the 3-Region Lwrapper template.
Figure 5 3-Region Lwrapper Template
Full Screen Dual Video Default Template
A full-screen dual video default template is available for the DMPs. Dual video regions allow you to overlay two video regions—a secondary local or multicast video region and a primary video region.
The dual video template provides the following capabilities:
■Show two video feeds at the same time.
■Place video-based advertisements.
■Promote a moment of exclusivity during an event.
■Apply luminance (luma) keying to the secondary video region.
Note: Do not apply a luma key to video content with UHD resolution on the SV-4K, CV-UHD, or CV-UHD2 digital media player. Luma keying is only supported for dual video when an HD video in the secondary region uses a luma key over a UHD video in the primary region.
Table 5 lists the specifications of dual video regions.
Table 5 Full Screen Dual Video Template Specifications
Region |
Specification |
Video 1 |
■Can be controlled using an infrared remote (IR) remote or local control. ■In the template, video region 1 appears as the bottom or primary layer. ■Supports audio. ■Source: Local or multicast video. |
Video 2 |
■Cannot be controlled through an IR remote or local control. ■In the template, video region 2 fully overlaps video region 1. ■Luminance (luma) keying is applied to second video region (it cannot be disabled or changed in the template). It cannot be applied on UHD content. ■Does not play audio. ■Source: Local or multicast video. |
Note: The luma key default is set to #ff2000. To enable luma keying, click the checkbox (Figure 6).
Figure 6 Full Screen Dual Video Enable Luma Keying
To change the global luma key value:
Go to More > Management Dashboard > Dynamic Signage Director Configuration > System Configuration > Global DMP Settings > Default - Audio/Video/Closed Caption.
For additional information on luma keying, refer to the Cisco Vision Dynamic Signage Director Operations Guide.
Guidelines for Dual Video Screen Templates
When using the dual video template for the media players, consider the following:
■A combination of up to full-HD (1920x1080) at either 30 or 60 fps for local video and multicast video are hardware-accelerated.
■Using multicast videos for both video regions is supported; we recommend using a combination of multicast and locally stored videos for the video regions.
■Place video regions below any non-video content for consistent playback and performance.
■Match the template region aspect ratio with the aspect ratio of the video content that will play in that region.
■If the secondary video region is not displaying, verify that there are no staging errors, that the secondary region is not behind the primary region, and the resolution does not exceed 1920x1080.
■In the dual video template, the secondary region (video 2) will appear above the primary region (video 1). Using luma keying on video region 2, you can enable select areas of video region 1 content to be visible through video region 2. To change the order of the dual video regions, copy the locked template to create a custom template and change the order accordingly.
■Do no apply a luma key to video content with UHD resolution on the SV-4K, CV-UHD, and CV-UHD2 media player. Luma keying is only supported for dual video when an HD video in the secondary region uses a luma key over a UHD video in the primary region.
Custom Screen Templates
In addition to using the standard templates that come with Cisco Vision Dynamic Signage Director, you can also create your own custom or overlay template.
Custom screen templates allow you to change the size and arrangements of the regions on the screen to fit the sponsor/venue needs. See Figure 7 for an example.
Figure 7 Custom Template Example
Guidelines for Custom Screen Templates
Consider the following guidelines when creating custom screen templates:
■Regions can contain non-video content (static graphics), video, or a combination of both (in a mixed media region).
■Up to 5 regions are supported for each screen template—more than 5 may cause degradation. Results may vary depending on what type of non-video content is used. For example, a very simple widget may not cause degradation but a very complex widget could.
■A custom template can contain up to two video regions.
–Dual UHD video regions on the SV-4K, CV-UHD, and CV-UHD2 are not supported.
–Using luma keying on video content in Region 2, you can enable select areas of video Region 1 content to be visible through video Region 2 (see Figure 6).
–Change the order of the video regions by changing their relative layer order in the template.
■When layering regions, the non-video content (graphics, widgets, etc.) will always appear on top of the video content.
Note: When layering two video/mixed media regions, if the playlist for the first video/mixed media region includes both video and non-video content, the non-video content in the first region will always appear on top of the video in the second video region.
TIP : If you must include non-video content in Region 1, create a local video of the static content and use that in the playlist so that it remains in the primary region.
■To optimize performance, the video and graphic aspect ratio sizes should match the aspect ratio of the region. Multi-screen template stretching generally is not currently supported. However, multicast video and local video scaling is supported on all digital media players.
■All regions must fit within the 1920x1080 dimensions. If you are using an overlay, then you can have two regions that are both 1920x1080.
Note: The DMPs support negotiation to many resolutions. However, when the negotiated resolution is less than 1920x1080, the template will crop to that lower resolution.
Table 6 provides the number of content regions you can have when creating custom templates.
Table 6 Number of Allowed Regions When Creating Custom Templates
Region Type |
SV-4K, CV-UHD, CV-UHD2 |
DMP 2K, CV-HD and CV-HD2 |
Non-Video Graphic |
0 or more |
0 or more |
Video Region 1 or Mixed Media |
Up to One |
Up to One |
Video Region 2 or Mixed Media |
Up to One |
Not Supported |
Custom Overlay Screen Templates
Overlay screen templates are custom templates that allow a non-video region (graphics) to overlap a video (or mixed media) region on the media players. You also can create a custom screen template with dual video regions (or you can use the default full-screen dual video template).
The screen overlay feature can be assigned to any region. Using the overlay feature you can display:
■A full-screen video (or mixed media) region with a full-screen non-video (graphic) content region overlaid on top.
■A brand/graphic overlaid in a small region of the screen.
■A ghosted brand/graphic such as a transparent logo where some of the colors in the logo are transparent and others are not.
Note: When creating an overlay screen template that has a primary video and a non-video region on top, be sure that the image is designed to fit on the canvas. If the image is placed off the canvas, only part of the image will appear.
Guidelines for Graphics in Overlay Screen Templates
■Use 8-bit or 24-bit PNG (transparent pixels supported) file format.
■Make the pixels transparent in the.PNG for the full-size video region.
■Do not use JPG files because they do not preserve transparency.
Note: Graphics always overlay video. You cannot place video over graphics.