| Q1: |
Can I preview
the playlist before actually scheduling the files
to be played? |
| A1: |
Yes, you can assign the playlist to be "Previewed" on any WebDT signage device using the WebDT Content Manager. |
| Q2: |
How do I broadcast
an emergency message immediately to all deployed
signage displays?What happens if Internet connection
is interrupted or lost? |
| A2: |
The WebDT Content Manager incorporates
a feature called the "Urgent Cast", whereby
the manager of the system can send an urgent ticker
message (font sizes, colors can be changed as well)
to all deployed displays. The ticker can interrupt
a scheduled message, or lay over the content being
played. |
| Q3: |
How many zones
are supported in the current version of WebDT Content
Manager? Can I define my own zones? |
| A3: |
16 zones are supported under the current version. Yes, users can predefine the size, placement, and files for zones. 10 predefined system templates are also provided. |
| Q4: |
What about RSS
feed? Do I have access to real time RSS feed from
the Internet? |
| A4: |
Internet RSS sites can be incorporated
into the playlist such that the system will automatically
retrieve up to date RSS feeds. |
| Q5: |
How do you get
a URL zone to force a refresh (not just show the
cache) when you can’t control the web site? I have
a zone that is alternating two URLs, but it is just
showing cached data, not refreshing when the switch
happens. |
| A5: |
Option #1 |
| |
The easiest way may be changing IE
setting (On the player) from
Tool | Internet Options | General | Browser History
Setting, pick “Every time I visit the page”. This
should prevent IE from fetching information from
cache. |
| |
Option #2 |
| |
Server set expiration and no-cache
is the most common way so server (content creator)
can control it. This option is good if you have
control over the web server where the URL resides. |
| |
Option #3 |
| |
Client side html/js to enforce no
cache is also ok, but a little tricky. This has
to be programmed by the javascript programmer (or
other programming languages). This option is good
if you have control over the web server where the
URL resides. |
| Q6: |
What are the
server and communication port numbers required for
the WebDT Content Manager? |
| A6: |
DT Research WebDT Content Manager
(WCM) System Requirements |
| |
Hardware: |
| |
| 1. |
1 GB DRAM or above |
| 2. |
Pentium 4 CPU 2.0 GHz or above |
| 3. |
10/100Mbit Ethernet Adapter |
| 4. |
Hard drive Space at least 80GB |
|
| |
Software:
|
| |
| 1. |
WebDT Content Manager runs on Windows Server
2003 R1/R2 Standard/Enterprise Edition. |
| 2. |
Pentium 4 CPU 2.0 GHz or above |
| 3. |
10/100Mbit Ethernet Adapter |
| 4. |
Hard drive Space at least 80GB |
|
 |
|
| |
Communication Ports |
| |
| A. |
User access to WebDT Content Manager
Server |
|
By default, only port 80 (standard
HTTP) is required. However during installation you
can also choose to install the web server on a separate
port number which is not being utilized. Users can
also choose to enable SSL on the web server which
then requires port number 443 to be opened. |
|
|
| B. |
Client Software (SA1000/SA2000/ SA3000 or other WebDT Signage Appliance) to WebDT Content Manager Server |
|
Again, only port 80 is required depending
on what has been selected as default under section
A. User just needs to go through a onetime “registration”
process in order to punch in the correct server
address and communication is handled by standard
http port. |
|
| Q7: |
When I try to register the WebDT players, it returns the error message “Failed to Register – Cannot connect to the server” message.
The Device Manager is showing a green status on each of the players. Any ideas on why they might not be able to contact the WebDT Content Manager Publishing Server? |
| A7: |
There are many variables that could cause the WebDT Players to not able to connect to the WebDT Server. Please go through each of the scenarios below:
|
| |
| 1. |
Can you login (through IE) to the WebDT WCM server from any of your player? (http://w.x.y.w/) If not, check your Internet/Ethernet connection between the WebDT Player and the WebDT Content Manager Server. |
| 2. |
From the player, can you also launch IE and do a http://w.x.y.w/publish to determine if you can see the following? If you can, that means the WebDT Server is responding to requests. |
|
| |
|
| |
| 3. |
Are the players and servers on the same subnet? Do they have to go through a proxy server? Do you have a firewall in between? Check your proxy server or firewall settings. |
| 4. |
The device manager shows green status but that only checks the health of the system (network connection through UDP is good, the players are still running) and not the application layer (which is handled by the WebDT Content server) |
|
| Q8: |
I recently installed the WebDT Content Manager (WCM) 3.2 I but couldn’t seem to start the WebDT Web Server Service from the Windows Services section? |
| A8: |
WCM 3.2 currently does not support JDK 1.6xx by default, due to the use of Tomcat Server v5.5 which does not work with JDK1.6 if you utilize the default setting. If you have to utilize JDK 1.6, please perform the following procedure additionally on the server: |
| |
| 1. |
Run regedit |
| 2. |
Find the key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Apache Software Foundation\Procrun 2.0\WCMWebServer\Parameters\Java\JvmMx], it is the maximum memory used by Tomcat. |
| 3. |
Its default value is: 0x400 (Decimal: 1024MB) |
| 4. |
Change the value from 0x400 to 0x200 (Decimal: 512MB) or 0x258 (Decimal: 600MB) or 0x2bc (Decimal: 700MB) |
| 5. |
Start the web service from the start menu. |
|
| Q9: |
What settings do I need to take care of when uploading a Powerpoint file to be displayed on the WebDT 3.2 player? |
| A9: |
| 1. |
Open the original PPT file and make sure the “show” is setup as “Browsed at a kiosk” and “Loop continuously until “esc” is checked. See screen shot below: |
| |
|
| 2. |
Save it as Powerpoint presentation file |
| 3. |
Login to WebDT Content Manager site and upload the file. |
| 4. |
When you upload the file don’t specify the duration (the system will assign a duration automatically) |
| 5. |
Create your playlist and insert the media file (don’t specify duration here either, let the system assign it automatically) |
|
| Q10: |
How many ways could I publish a Flash project or application? |
| A10: |
| 1. |
You can zip up all your swf files (main file along with all associated .xml, .jpg, .flv, etc) and send that to the content manager which would in turn redistribute them to all the WebDT Players in the field. The draw back with this method is that when you need to change a sub-file, you would have to re-zip everything to be sent over to each player again. |
| 2. |
Another way would be to program a SWF file that retrieves real time information (XML) from URLs. If you go with the URL route, then the player goes out to the internet to retrieve the web site (with the embedded swf). If you have a stable internet link, definitely by just distributing the URL would be the best case scenario. |
| 3. |
The third method involves pre-programming and preload the SWF files onto the player and “execute” the swf file in a zone from within the content manager. You could then program your swf application into an executable .exe flash project to make this work. |
| |
If your flash application needs access to local directories on the player, you need to also enable the security setting on flash on the player below:
Change Flash Player Settings: |
| |
| Open this link on the player IE browser: |
 |
|
|
| Q11: |
Is it possible to have a scrollbar added to the URL zone? Also can the movement of the cursor be limited to just the URL zone? |
| A11: |
| You would have to add the scroll bar as part of the HTML code and that’s quite easy to do. The cursor cannot be limited to just one zone. Actually the cursor wouldn’t show unless you check the “Show cursor” check box under the playlist. Since your other zones are non-interactive, you should have to worry about people touching the other zones. |
|
| Q12: |
I have noted that with a keyboard attached to the Signage Appliance there is the ability for the user to either stop the software ('ctrl'+'shift'+'space') or bring up the Windows Start Menu (via the Windows Key). Is there any way these can be disabled or can you suggest any work around?
|
| A12: |
| We don’t have a mechanism to disable that at this moment. Future versions of WCM will have userid/password authentication mechanism built in before the user could exit the player screen. The best way is to not install keyboards on site. Also usually when this is deployed the SA device should be positioned inside an enclosure of some kind for maximum security. The USB ports could also be disabled prior to deployment via a USB hack but that would also mean field service would be more difficult. |
|
| Q13: |
I have concerns about the security of a user being allowed to log in via the URL, add items to their basket and pay for their purchases using a credit card/debit card. |
| A13: |
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