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Focus 3.2, User Manual

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vii

 

C

ONTENTS

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

W

EB

V

IEW

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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

Summary of Contents for 3.2

Page 1: ...Firefly SC and MZ Media Players Version 3 2 User Manual ...

Page 2: ...nd trade names by their respective companies Focus Enhancements formerly Visual Circuits 1999 2004 All rights reserved No portion of this manual may be copied by any means without the prior consent of Visual Circuits 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...

Page 3: ...he 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 circuit...

Page 4: ...lar 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 t...

Page 5: ...dential 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 ...

Page 6: ... 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 withi...

Page 7: ... 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 ...

Page 8: ...vi ...

Page 9: ...irefly 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...

Page 10: ... 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...

Page 11: ...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 ...

Page 12: ...io 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 Im...

Page 13: ... 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 ...

Page 14: ...xii ...

Page 15: ...rol 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...

Page 16: ... 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: ...work 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: ...er 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 Firef...

Page 19: ...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 S...

Page 20: ...e 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 pow...

Page 21: ...tion 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 or 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...

Page 22: ...s 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...

Page 23: ...mmands 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_...

Page 24: ...essenger 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: ... 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 from list Unique name to identify player Host Name Physical lo...

Page 26: ...ctory 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 Fire fly leave the Direct...

Page 27: ...list 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: ...re 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 2 3 4 6 5 6A 7 ...

Page 29: ...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: ... 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 di...

Page 31: ...he 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 fro...

Page 32: ...18 ...

Page 33: ...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 particul...

Page 34: ...rogram 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 tran...

Page 35: ...o 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 I frame 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...

Page 36: ...22 ...

Page 37: ...hanged to DHCP Login firefly Password 123456 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 use...

Page 38: ...o 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 Fire...

Page 39: ...s 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 fav...

Page 40: ...t 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 com...

Page 41: ...age 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...

Page 42: ... 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...

Page 43: ...er 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 44: ...rred 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 45: ...e 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 displa...

Page 46: ...e 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 a...

Page 47: ...ould 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 del...

Page 48: ...y 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: ...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 playb...

Page 50: ...uttons 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 S...

Page 51: ... 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 Add...

Page 52: ...anges 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 vid...

Page 53: ...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 p...

Page 54: ...t 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 backgroun...

Page 55: ...ys 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 ...

Page 56: ...elect 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 prop...

Page 57: ...th 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 o...

Page 58: ...ite 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 foun...

Page 59: ...ne 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 ...

Page 60: ...lay 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 T...

Page 61: ... 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...

Page 62: ...t 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...

Page 63: ...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 ...

Page 64: ...d 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...

Page 65: ...f 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 pl...

Page 66: ... 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 s...

Page 67: ... 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...

Page 68: ...ll 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 Edit...

Page 69: ...owing 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 ...

Page 70: ...tions 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 ...

Page 71: ...n 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 Exampl...

Page 72: ...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 ...

Page 73: ...e 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 ...

Page 74: ...lems 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 Dia...

Page 75: ...stem 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...

Page 76: ...eo 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 ...

Page 77: ...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 ...

Page 78: ... 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 ...

Page 79: ...mpty 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 automati...

Page 80: ...ou 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 prese...

Page 81: ...ission 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...

Page 82: ...e 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 mul...

Page 83: ...uely 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 ...

Page 84: ... 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 ...

Page 85: ...ings 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 ...

Page 86: ...ve 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 ...

Page 87: ...put 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 ...

Page 88: ...nfig 4 Config MPEG Audio Type Firefly Audio Setting Digital Output Stereo Analog Output 1 MPEG Layer 2 Stereo Audio Dolby Digital S PDIF Yes 2 MPEG Layer 2 Stereo Audio Stereo PCM S PDIF Yes 3 Dolby Digital Audio AC3 Dolby Digital S PDIF Dolby Digital No 4 Dolby Digital Audio AC3 Stereo PCM w opt Upgrade S PDIF Stereo Yes Decoded Firefly Audio Configurations ...

Page 89: ...l 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 th...

Page 90: ...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 controll...

Page 91: ...WEBVIEW 77 Network Settings Figure 32 Settings Network Host Name Choose a unique name that identifies each Firefly unit on the network ...

Page 92: ...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 ...

Page 93: ... 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 g...

Page 94: ...erver 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 abl...

Page 95: ...mmunity 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 ...

Page 96: ... 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 transfer...

Page 97: ...tput 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 mpeg datetime 12 07 02 20 32 57 chan 1 filename 05saturn mpg overlay 3_ser220 BMP loop 1 duration 00 01 01 percent 100 The format of the diagnostic log is in a simple time event per line format Log Default Playlist Allow...

Page 98: ...ace 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 uplo...

Page 99: ...er 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 ...

Page 100: ...rd 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 ...

Page 101: ...P server If left blank during an update this field will continue to show a blank value and FTP will use port 21 Once you enter a value for the port and save your new value will populate this field Username Enter the FTP server username here Leave this blank if no username is present Password Enter the FTP server password name here Leave this blank if no user password is present ...

Page 102: ...or multiple directories can come in handy Update Interval Allows you to schedule FTP updates every 30 minutes 1 2 4 or 12 hours 1 day or at a fixed time Fixed Update Time Allows you to set an actual fixed time on an hourly basis for an FTP update Example 14 00 In order for this feature to be accessible you must have the Update Interval set to Use fixed time Delete Content FTP Update Now Firefly wi...

Page 103: ... an update this field will continue to show a blank value and HTTP will use port 80 Once you enter a value for the port and save your new value will populate this field HTTP Directory It is advised that you leave this blank and use the home directory of your HTTP account to place your media playlists schedules and or updates folders In the case where you are using multiple directories can come in ...

Page 104: ...lows you to set an actual fixed time on an hourly basis for an HTTP update Example 14 00 In order for this feature to be accessible you must have the Update Interval set to Use fixed time HTTP Update Now Button By pressing this button in Webview will initiate the Firefly to immediately download any new media playlists schedules and or updates ...

Page 105: ...WEBVIEW 91 USB Devices Figure 37 Settings USB Devices ...

Page 106: ... Username Enter the USB server username here Leave this blank if no username is present Password Enter the password required for access to the USB server 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 ...

Page 107: ... 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 Connect Type Disabled On Demand Use Fixed Time Connect Time ...

Page 108: ...t 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 Netmask Specify a range tha...

Page 109: ...rivate 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...

Page 110: ...cation requires it contact a Visual Circuits representative at 1 800 250 5533 Client Select the name of the content provider Client Enable Allows option to enable or disable the multicast client Note that if you make changes to other Multicast settings you must also toggle the Client Enable setting from Disabled to Enabled for the changes to apply For more information on multicasting see Multicast...

Page 111: ...lt your networking specialist for assistance 224 0 0 0 24 is reserved by RFC 224 0 1 0 24 is used by specific applications NTP Listen Port The port address that the multicast client will listen on Transfer Order Allows the option to choose the order in which items are transferred package mode see page 109 for details or script last mode see page 110 details Multicasting is an optional feature enab...

Page 112: ...eed to estimate the largest multicast update you will ever receive example 1000 MBs Then double that amount example 1000 MBs x 2 2000 MBs to allow room for both the compressed archive and the extraction process Once you have determined this value enter it for the Reserve MBs Delete Channel Quickly defaults back to blank Listen fields for the chosen deleted Channel ...

Page 113: ...ver result in poor audio to video synchronization Consult with a Visual Circuits representative if the problem continues Merge Playlists The behavior of the Merge Playlists feature depends upon which mode you are in Single Playlist Mode vs Schedule Mode with your Firefly If you are in Single Playlist Mode the existing playlist is ignored i e the incoming playlist is merged with the current playing...

Page 114: ...lready on the system then any empty channels on the new playlist will utilize the channels from the original playlist Reset Stats Allows you to reset the basic system statistics number of Watchdog Restarts and System Starts as viewable in the WebView Diagnostics General page may be reset to zero ...

Page 115: ...ontrol and unattended playback Firefly nodes respond as directed Modular in design Firefly is an ideal addition to any existing network or for creation of a new network Getting Started The following questions should be considered when establishing a network Number of Fireflys and update method Bandwidth of communication to each Firefly Playback programming scripted show controller combined Creatio...

Page 116: ... via FTP Media Messenger CD DVD Creator for creating Media Update Discs for global or site specific content distribution Benefits Provides centralized management of a network of Firefly Media Players Creates diverse programming by integrating video and graphics into playlists Facilitates easy playback and updating of programming based on date time region or sub grouping of locations Delivers conte...

Page 117: ...n to being able to create edit or delete playlists and or schedules on the Firefly Direct File Access accesses the Firefly directly with an FTP client FTP Updating FTP File Transfer Protocol is a standardized convention to deliver digital data via TCP IP TCP IP is a set of common network protocols for communicating digital data and is commonly used by networking systems such as the internet Using ...

Page 118: ...deos a user may access When a Firefly performs an update the FTP server sees it as a user Each Firefly should be setup with its own site ID established prior to installation Update files created for Firefly can then be named according to the unique Firefly ID In order for a Firefly to perform an update the Firefly must be configured with the network address of the FTP server and login information ...

Page 119: ... for the following directories for updating All media files are posted in the login directory unless the Directory setting in FTP Auto Update Settings is used see Directory on page 88 in which case the Firefly will change that directory after logging in scripts All update packet files with tar fpl or fsc extensions are posted here In most instances either a single update packet will be posted for ...

Page 120: ...D of the Firefly is set to location1 Firefly will look for a file by the name of location1 tar If such a file is found it will be copied to the Firefly and the Firefly will move on to the playlist parsing routine If Firefly does not detect an update packet with a name matching the site ID it will next search for a generic package file by the name of firefly tar If this package is found it will cop...

Page 121: ...o determine if any of these videos are already present Any files that are not present are copied from the FTP site Any files that are found to exist already on the Firefly s hard drive are compared against the file by the same name on the FTP site If the file on the FTP site is found to be identical in size this file is not copied If the file on the FTP site is found to be of a different size the ...

Page 122: ...e to make room This cleanup routine deletes the oldest MPEG files on the system that are not used by any incoming playlists The criteria used to identify the oldest videos on the Firefly is simply the date the videos were originally transferred to the system regardless of the media transfer method used Multicast Updating Firefly Media Player is equipped with a multicast client optional feature The...

Page 123: ...ic overlays is optional Any videos or graphic overlays not referenced by the script will be deleted upon arrival After the transfer is complete the standard cleanup routine will take place to reduce the amount of content on the system to maintain a Reserve MBs of free space This extra free space is needed to ensure that the next incoming multicast transfer has adequate space to complete The amount...

Page 124: ...reover note that with multicast updating new schedules and playlists play immediately on the Firefly Be sure not to mix update files upd with content files when completing multicast updating Software Update Check A software update check searches for any valid software updates If it receives a file in this directory with the extension upd this file will be copied to Firefly s internal storage and e...

Page 125: ...eserved see below consult your networking specialist for assistance 224 0 0 0 24 is reserved by RFC 224 0 1 0 24 is used by specific applications NTP Listen Port The port address that the multicast client will listen on Transfer Order Allows the option to choose the order in which items are transferred package mode see page 109 for details or script last mode see page 110 details Reserves MBs Allo...

Page 126: ...w 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 All is not lost see Basic Hyper Terminal Setup on page 120 Networking Commands on page 134 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 ...

Page 127: ...rk with your Firefly Using a program such as FlashFXP your PC hard drive or computer network will appear on the left pane with the Firefly appearing on the right WARNING The File Access feature is disabled by default because of an inherent security risk By enabling File Access you are opening the FTP port which opens your Firefly up to potential unauthorized access via a network such as the intern...

Page 128: ...to your PC or network Uploading files from your PC or network drive to the Firefly WARNING While using an FTP client keep in mind that you will be able to view and access special system file sub directories that should remain unaltered To prevent potential damage to the operation of your Firefly Media Player do not open or delete any files from these system file sub directories ...

Page 129: ...twork There are two types of data logs available on the Firefly run logs and diagnostic logs You can enable or disable these capturing of these logs in any combination Each of the settings related to log file reporting are found in the System Settings menu accessible via WebView Figure 1 Example of WebView s Logfile Viewer see Diagnostics Logging on page 65 for more information ...

Page 130: ... 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 and percent transferred Storage Cleanup data Records what media have been deleted by the automatic storage cleanup routine including file names sizes and dates Missing Elements ...

Page 131: ...t DTDs Document Type Definition DTDs can be used to import data from a log file into a database Log Default Playlist You have the option 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 Maximum Log File Sizes ...

Page 132: ...on files will be deleted after they are transferred to the FTP server or downloaded from the Firefly player Uploading Log Files You have a 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 play...

Page 133: ...em cable For TCP IP connections consult the control device specification to see if a cross over network patch cable is required Connecting via RS232 The RS232 9 pin D sub connector is located on the back of the Firefly between the audio connectors and the USB connectors Configure the Firefly Control Settings see Control Settings on page 75 to be compatible with your show controller Connecting via ...

Page 134: ...n your BIOS setting Also make sure nothing else is using COM 1 Once you ve established connection select File Properties Settings Tab ASCII Setup button Check the Echo typed characters locally box and select OK twice Now you can proceed with typing in the Syntax desired A correct responce will return ACK If you mispell hit enter and try again i e don t try to correct Please consult the Hyper Termi...

Page 135: ...ylistload This command allows you to preload a playlist preparing it for playback Playlistload loads up a playlist preparing it for playback This command allows you to initiate playback when precision timing is desired An mpgPlay or mpgPlayAll command is required to start playback Syntax Playlistload name once Parameters optional name Name of the playlist file e g loop1 fpl You do not need to incl...

Page 136: ...ylistplay starts playback automatically whereas Playlistload only loads up the playlist Yet an Mpgplayall command is required to actually start playback Playlistload is for when you need to control the exact time the playback begins Syntax playlistplay name once Parameters optional name Name of the playlist file e g loop1 fpl You do not need to include the fpl extension once 0 loops the playlist e...

Page 137: ...he Firefly SC single channel player should always be 0 mpgLoad This command loads an MPEG file for playback on the specified channel This command does not play the file Syntax mpgLoad 0 channel videoname Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly 0 videoname The storage path and video name of the MPEG file to load If no path is designated Firefly will default to local storage Return Values This...

Page 138: ...g the file was not found mpgLoadDef This command loads an MPEG file for playback on the specified channel This command does not play the file Videoname should include the storage path If files are stored locally on Firefly no storage path designation is required This command will loop the file indefinitely Syntax mpgLoaddef 0 channel videoname Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly 0 videon...

Page 139: ...lues This command returns ACK to indicate that the file was loaded successfully or NAK to indicate that the file could not be loaded e g the file was not found mpgClearDef This command clears the default looping playlist This cancels the playlist defined by mpgLoadDef and mpgLoadNextDef and the playlist loaded by the Firefly at startup Syntax mpgClearDef 0 channel Parameters channel The channel on...

Page 140: ...alues This command returns ACK if playback was started successfully or NAK if playback could not be started e g no file previously loaded mpgStop This command stops playback of an MPEG file that is currently playing on the specified channel Syntax mpgStop 0 channel Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly 0 Return Values This command returns ACK if playback was stopped successfully or NAK if ...

Page 141: ...rns ACK to indicate that playback was started successfully or NAK to indicate that playback could not be started on all channels mpgSetInitOnOpen This command controls the video loading behavior of all channels Syntax mpgSetInitOnOpen on Parameters on on 1 output goes black playback memory is cleared on 0 seamless transition to new video no output reset Last played frame of video remains until nex...

Page 142: ... started successfully or NAK if mpgBlack could not be started Remarks Video playback is completely independent of whether the video is muted with mpgBlack Videos will play underneath the black normally audio will be unaltered and callbacks will be sent normally If a playlist is played with one of the commands such as playlistPlay unused channels channels with no video files will be set to the blac...

Page 143: ...To cover the video again use the mpgBlack command Syntax mpgUnblack 0 channel Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly 0 Return Values This command returns ACK if mpgUnblack was started successfully or NAK if mpgUnblack could not be started Remarks See mpgBlack on page 128 for more information on blacking out video ...

Page 144: ...xt commands as follows call mpgClearDef to clear the old default playlist call mpgLoad to specify the first file in the list call mpgLoadNext once for each additional file the order they should play wait a few seconds for the files to load call mpgPlay to start playback To interactively insert one time files into the default playlist you can use the mpgLoad and mpgLoadNext commands without calling...

Page 145: ... This command enables Firefly to update video content playlists schedules and software via an FTP server see FTP Updating on page 103 for more information fireflyRestart This command restarts the entire Firefly system This process normally takes about 1 minute to complete ...

Page 146: ...mpgCallback on Parameters on on 1 send callbacks default off Play Complete Callback Each time a file ends and another file is started a string is sent back to the controller over the serial port This string has the following format CB 0 channel 2 0 is the Firefly channel and 2 equals the end of the file ...

Page 147: ...uder mpgSetVolumeLeftRight 0 channel leftVolume rightVolume Parameters channel 0 based index of the channel on the Firefly leftVolume 0 255 the audio level on the left channel rightVolume 0 255 the audio level on the right channel mpgMute The mpgMute command turns off the audio mpgMute 0 channel Parameters channel 0 based index of the channel on the Firefly 0 mpgUnMute The mpgUnMute command turns ...

Page 148: ...6 Syntax fireflysetdefault Parameters None Remarks This command is useful for situations where you simply would like to clean house and start over If you ve forgotten an IP address password etc you mightfind the following network commands more useful FireflySetIpAddr The FireflySetIpAddr command will allow you to change the players IP Address Syntax fireflysetipaddr IP Address Parameters IP Addres...

Page 149: ...etmask parameter Syntax fireflysetnetmask netmask Parameters Netmask Defines a subnet boundry range FireflySetNetworkType The FireflySetNetworkType command defines whether the media player is on a Network using a DHCP server or simply set up Statically Syntax fireflysetnetworktype 1 DHCP or 2 Static Parameters DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol A TCP IP service protocol that offers dynamic l...

Page 150: ...le FireflyGetIpAddr The FireflyGetIpAddr command retrieves current setting Syntax fireflygetIpAddr FireflyGetGateway The FireflyGetGateway command retrieves current setting Syntax fireflysetgateway FireflyGetNetmask The FireflyGetNetmask command retrieves current setting Syntax fireflygetnetmask FireflyGetNetworkType The FireflyGetNetworkType command retrieves current setting Syntax fireflygetnetw...

Page 151: ...External Control Commands 137 FireflyGetWeb_Enable The FireflyGetWeb_Enable command retrieves current setting Syntax fireflygetweb_enable Remarks 0 Enabled 1 Disabled ...

Page 152: ...of all files on the Firefly Syntax mpgDir mpgDelete This command permanently removes a media file from the Firefly Syntax mpgDelete name Parameters name The full name of the media file video or graphic overlay to remove The list of all media can be obtained with the mpgDir command ...

Page 153: ...e channel Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly 0 infoGetPlaylist Syntax infoGetPlaylist 0 channel Returns the current playlist Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly 0 infoGetSchedule Syntax infoGetSchedule 0 channel Returns the current schedule or None Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly 0 ...

Page 154: ...Commands 140 infoGetState Syntax infoGetState 0 channel Returns the current playback state of the player Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly 0 Return Values STATE_PLAY STATE_STOP STATE_PAUSE STATE_REW STATE_FF ...

Page 155: ...tary in nature and therefore and not designed to be mixed with Laserdisc emulation LDV control commands Doing so could cause inconsistent results and is not recommended COM Port Settings Any serial device controller may be used to control Firefly Some manufacturers of these controllers include Crestron AMX Triad Alcorn McBride and Sky Skan This list of controllers is not all inclusive nor is it an...

Page 156: ...nd will be ignored and an error code will be returned In the event that the command was global again each channel will report back independently The following table describes the system error codes Field Setting Baud Rate Either 4800 or 1200 Parity Odd or Even Stop Bit 2 Data Bit 7 Code Message Meaning NAK Communication Error Command or address argument cannot be parsed invalid syntax E06 Missing ...

Page 157: ...ers to a video playlist as a Chapter or CH To specify a file address within a chapter the sequential position is indicated by x CH5 for example would indicate the fifth file in the playlist or chapter Designating the file position x is also accepted It is also possible to define an address within a video itself FRx indicates a frame number within a video where FR denotes frame and x refers to the ...

Page 158: ... Some address arguments are optional and will be designated by whereas mandatory addresses will be designated by The channel parameter is required for certain commands These same External Control Command parameters are also used in Visual Circuits multi channel products The default channel for the Firefly SC single channel player should always be 0 ...

Page 159: ...dress is received while playback is already in progress playback will continue uninterrupted and any previously set pause address will be cleared In the event that a play command is received with an out of range address value i e time code greater than the length of the current file or chapter number higher than the number of files in the playlist the play command will not be processed and the err...

Page 160: ...op RJ Command Stops playback and resets the file pointer to the head of the playlist equivalent to a stop button on a DVD or CD player Format RJ CR Response R CR Examples RJ CR Stops playback and resets playback pointers to head of playlist ...

Page 161: ...evices which can use PA as a means of spinning up the disc without actually beginning playback By transitioning from Stop to Pause the Firefly will give the control system the expected response if a status request is made later In all cases PA results in video being blacked out until another command is received The Blackout will only remain in effect for as long as the unit is in Pause mode Any co...

Page 162: ... the video output going black the current video frame is held on screen If an ST command is received after a PA the effect will simply be to unmute the video output Likewise if a PA is received after an ST the effect will simply be to mute the video Examples ST CR Pauses the Firefly and freezes the current frame on each video output 0 ST CR Pauses the Firefly and freezes the current frame video ou...

Page 163: ...ommand the video will transition to Still mode until another command is received In the event that a search command is received with an out of range address value i e chapter number higher than the number of files in the playlist the search command will not be processed and the error code E12 will be returned Examples 0 CH15SE Jumps to the head of the 15th file in the playlist and then transitions...

Page 164: ...ard of the current position In the event that a Jump Forward command is received with an out of range address value i e chapter number greater than the remaining number of files in the playlist the Jump Forward command will not be processed and the error code E12 will be returned Examples 0 CH3JF Jumps to the head of the file 3 places down in the playlist and then transitions to still mode If for ...

Page 165: ...s value i e chapter number greater than the current file in the playlist the Jump Reverse command will not be processed and the error code E12 will be returned Examples 0 CH1JR Jumps to the head of the current file and then transitions to still mode The only condition under which this command could generate an error code would be if video was stopped or if no playlist was loaded 0 CH3JR Jumps to t...

Page 166: ...value of 0 for x will turn on the graphic overlay while a value of 1 will turn off the graphic overlay Any other value is considered invalid and will return an error code of NAK without changing the state of the graphic overlay Examples 0DS Turns on the graphic overlay for the Firefly If the graphic overlay was already enabled on a channel at the time this command was received no change is made 0 ...

Page 167: ...al Control Commands 153 Frame Number Request F Command Requests the file position in the current MPEG file in frame number format Format F CR Response framenumber CR Examples Command Response 0 F CR 02045 CR ...

Page 168: ...ponse timecode CR Explanation This command can be global specific If received as a global command the Firefly will respond with the file position Examples Command Response Meaning 0 T CR 0123329 CR 0Hr 12Min 33sec 29Fr T CR 0011402 CR 1081622 CR 0000612 CR 0103729 CR 0Hr 1Min 14Sec 2Fr 1Hr 8Min 16Sec 22Fr 0Hr 0Min 6Sec 12Fr 0Hr 10Min 37Sec 29Fr ...

Page 169: ...155 Chapter Number Request C Command Requests the position in the current playlist Format C CR Response filenumber CR Explanation This command can be global specific Examples Command Response 0 C CR 3 CR C CR 3 CR 1 CR 3 CR 7 CR ...

Page 170: ...d not P01 stopped Format P CR Response Examples Response P01 indicates video is stopped P04 indicates video is playing P05 indicates video is stilled paused with image frozen P06 indicates video is paused paused with black screen P08 indicates video is in fast forward or rewind Command Response Meaning 1 P CR P04 CR Playing P CR P04 CR Video is Playing ...

Page 171: ...ommand Requests the software version Format X CR Response channels V softwarever CR Explanation This command is always global specific Examples Command Response Meaning X CR 4V2 00 CR 4 channels ver 2 00 software X CR 2V3 12 CR 2 channels ver 3 12 software ...

Page 172: ...f the specified playlist schedule is found on the hard disk then playback of the previous playlist schedule is halted and the new playlist schedule is loaded If Auto Play is enabled playback will automatically start when a new playlist schedule is loaded via the LD command However if Auto Play is disabled playback will NOT automatically start playback of the playlist schedule must be started with ...

Page 173: ...flyGetGateway fireflyGetNetmask fireflyGetNetworkType fireflyGetWeb_Enable mpgCallback Play Complete Callback mpgSetVolumeLeftRight osdLoadBMP osdShow osdHide osdSetXYMix genSetVideo genSetAudio 0 chip Source mpgDir infoGetFile infoGetPlaylist infoGetSchedule infoGetState LDV Commands Play PL Reject Stop RJ Pause PA Still ST Search SE Multi Track Jump Forward JF Multi Track Jump Reverse JR Key Loc...

Page 174: ...160 ...

Page 175: ... power cable in alternate device or use different power cable 4 If there is still no power please contact your technical support representative No Video Playback Firefly should automatically begin playing videos when power is applied Videos play off of the internal storage of the player If there is power to the Firefly but no video playback 1 Run Play Test File 2 To stop the test file playback sim...

Page 176: ...orm seamless playback when using a playlist of files is to insert an encoded black file with blank audio track between MPEG 1 and MPEG 2 files The black MPEG file preceding the playback file should be of the same standard In other words prior to an MPEG 1 file the black file again with a blank audio track should be MPEG 1 and vice versa Stuttering Files During Playback Irregular playback can be ca...

Page 177: ...mance Mismatched AV track lengths will result in overall degradation of system performance Often a bad file will cause uneven or stuttering playback on other channels of the system as well Through digital editing MPEG 2 files can be demultiplexed separating the audio from video information The audio and video tracks can then be edited to match The two tracks can then be multiplexed back together A...

Page 178: ...rmers used at the installation site are also useful in eliminating noise and cleaning up the SMPTE signal Filename Already Exists This is considered a non fatal error and you will be given the opportunity through the dialog box below to make the decision as to how to handle this condition FTPing Font Files ttf When FTPing font files ttf set FTP to binary files Insufficient Disk Space A check for t...

Page 179: ...nnot get into the Webview interface because of a misplaced User Name Password IP address DNS Name etc Or perhaps the system was inadvertantly set to DHCP when you don t even have a DHCP server All is not lost see Basic Hyper Terminal Setup on page 120 Networking Commands on page 134 ...

Page 180: ...sive cables allow operating distances of 5 7 meters Very little deterioration is apparent For component video RG 59 cables are suitable for up to 10 meters For longer distances up to 20 25 meters a better cable should be used such as RG 11 Check that impedance of the cable really matches your application Firefly is terminated at 75 ohms Check the connectors on the cables Poor quality connectors ma...

Page 181: ...Z Installing the MZ Video Output For best quality video out put and for output to analog displays it is necessary to attach a DVI to VGA adapter to the MZ s DVI output This connector is provided with the Firefly MZ DVI S VideO ...

Page 182: ...a Firefly MZ Media Player are 1 Set Display Parameters see Setting Display Parameters on page 170 2 Create the layout Creating the Layout on page 170 3 Create a playlist and add content to it Creating the Playlist on page 173 4 Create a schedule for the Playlist optional Refer to the Media Messenger online Help for details 5 Link the playlist or schedule if used or to the Firefly MZ Link the Playl...

Page 183: ...oftware updates in the same manner as the SC There is one diffence however Status LED The MZ Status LED displays RED while an update is occuring while te SC does not indicate that a update is in progress WARNING Do Not Reboot Firefly SC or MZ during an update ...

Page 184: ... Playlist optional Refer to the Media Messenger online Help for details 6 Linking the playlist or schedule if used to the Firefly MZ Creating the Layout The layout is a template used to position and size the playlist content A playlist has only one layout Setting Display Parameters Set the Layout Editor workspace to the appropriate video standard and resolution for the display device 1 Open Media ...

Page 185: ...een Resolution and choose the appropriate setting 5 Next select Video Resolution and choose the appropriate video standard 6 Save Creating a MZ multi zone Layout Go to the Layout Editor workspace Auto stretch Sizing Snap Positioning Delete Save Workspace Zone Parameters Video Zone Graphic Zone Scrolling Text Save Zone Settings ...

Page 186: ...ne with a video file to function There is only one video zone in a layout Scrolling Text Zone There is only one scrolling text zone per layout Scrolling text zones can overlay the video or graphics zones Graphics Zones To eliminate the potential of left over images after a transition from one playlist layout to another create a black graphic zone that masks all unused areas within the layout ...

Page 187: ...ut Creating the Playlist 1 Return to the Media Messenger main workspace 2 Open the Playlist Editor 3 Verify that the correct playlist is shown in the Playlist Menu field Navigation Pane Scheduling Pane Schedule Menu Playlist Menu Playlist Pane ...

Page 188: ... or if the file is already resident on the Firefly MZ Media Player enter the filename with its extension when it is requested by application The full path is not required provided that all the files for the playlist are transferred to the same directory on the player File Formats Video Mpeg 1 Mpeg 2 Unencrypted DVD Graphics BMP GIF JPG PNG TGA TIF 6 If required add content to the default Scrolling...

Page 189: ...he playlist or a schedule to the player Link the playlist to the player if only this playlist is to play back If multiple playlists are to playback on the Firefly create a schedule Use Media Messenger to generate a schedule that determines when and for how long each playlist runs on the player Refer to Media Messenger Help for details about setting up schedules Each new video zone is a parent to a...

Page 190: ...e 1 Return to main Media Messenger workspace 2 Verify that the correct playlist is displayed in the Playlists Pane 3 Select the player by clicking on its icon in the Network Pane 4 Click on the Link button This instructs the player or group of players to playback that particular playlist The Playlists Pane displays a list of the videos used in the playlist ...

Page 191: ...y by dragging a side or corner To maintain the aspect ratio of zone hold down the Shift key while dragging Automatically by using the Auto stretch buttons Precisely by using the Width and Height fields Save the size settings by clicking the Assign button 6 Zone positions are modified in three ways Manually by dragging the zone to its position Automatically by using the Snap buttons Precisely by us...

Page 192: ...ighest quality results make certain that the dimensions are the same for the content zone and source graphic Sizing a graphic by dragging a content zone handle or changing the content zone dimensions does not always produce the best visual results There are two sizing methods that provide the most precise images Create the layout design in Media Messenger using the content zone objects and then si...

Page 193: ...Firefly Multi Zone MZ 179 11 Smooh Video Transitions MPEG files used in a layout should be of the same resolution and size height x width ...

Page 194: ...180 ...

Page 195: ...Requires Internet Explorer 5 5 or higher Media Messenger for managing and distributing media via FTP or HTTP to a single Mantis MC server Media Messenger Multi player version optional for managing and distributing media via FTP HTTP or multicast to groups of networked Mantis Firefly or POPVideo servers Video MPEG 1 ISO 11172 MPEG 2 ISO 13818 2 Program transport and elementary streams NTSC PAL tran...

Page 196: ...182 ...

Page 197: ... cable null modem 7 cabling 166 impedance 166 CD DVD publish playlist 16 certification and regulation 181 Channel 97 cleanup routine 108 client enable 96 111 color bars 21 color depth MZ 178 Community 81 component 5 72 166 composite 5 72 166 configure network 7 via ethernet 7 via serial port 7 connecting audio cables 166 video cables 166 Control Settings 75 auto play 75 baud rate 76 data bits 76 p...

Page 198: ... 46 adding 48 days of week 47 deleting 50 editing 50 interrupt 47 interval 48 play once 48 playlist name 47 properties 47 start time 47 stop time 47 External Control Commands 159 external control commands 9 119 error codes 142 quick reference guide 159 F fade in rate 41 fade out rate 41 file access 85 113 Firefly changing TCP IP settings 8 configure for network 7 configuring properties 11 onboard ...

Page 199: ... Group of Pictures 20 H host name 77 HTTP Address 89 HTTP Auto Update Settings 89 HTTP Directory 89 HTTP Port 89 HTTP Proxy Port 89 HTTP Update Now Button 90 Hyper Terminal 120 I insufficient free space 164 IP address 24 78 K KenCast 96 108 package mode 109 script last mode 110 key color 40 L latent images 162 layout creating MZ 171 layout creating 170 LDV control commands 141 LED status 169 liste...

Page 200: ...laylist creating 173 merge playlists 99 mode 78 MPEG 19 21 162 encoding 19 program stream 19 MPEG1 19 162 MPEG2 19 162 mpgLoadNext 124 mpgPlay 126 mpgPlayAll 127 mpgSetVolumeLeftRight 133 mpgStop 126 multicast client enable 96 KenCast 96 108 listen address 97 listen port 97 package mode 109 reserve MBs 98 script last mode 110 transfer order 97 updating 108 Multicast Settings client enable 96 111 l...

Page 201: ...ating 173 Playlist Editor WebView 35 playlists 4 35 adding graphic overlays 37 adding videos 36 creating 13 36 default active 4 factory fpl 4 graphic overlays 39 43 linkin to Firefly 175 moving videos 37 new 36 parsing routine 107 playing 45 removing videos 36 saving 44 port 2180 75 119 positioning 41 power specidicarions 181 presentation time stamp 19 previewing media 31 32 Priv Passphrase 81 pro...

Page 202: ...ate Check 110 specifications power 181 specifications technical 181 start dates 57 static IP 78 status LED 169 updating 169 stop 59 stop dates 57 stopping playback 126 s video 5 72 166 System Commands 131 System Settings 69 Advanced Settings 99 Audio Settings 73 Control Settings 75 FTPAuto UpdateSettings 87 96 General Settings 69 Logging Settings 82 Network Settings 77 Video Settings 71 WebView Se...

Page 203: ...mands 121 Version 70 video cabling 166 component 5 composite 5 date rules 56 dates 56 decoding 181 mode 4 output 181 previewing 32 resolution 20 standard 4 stream 21 s video 5 Video Dates Editor 46 56 video output 72 Video Settings 71 video output 72 video standard 71 video standard 71 video zone default 174 videos shuffling 37 smooth transition 179 volume 73 W Watchdog 61 100 web browser 23 WebVi...

Page 204: ...190 Index uploading 29 username 25 Video Dates Editor 56 WebView Settings 85 file access 85 password 86 username 85 WebView 85 weight 181 Z zone video default 174 zones graphic 174 scrolling text 174 ...

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Page 206: ...813 0049c 2004 Focus Enhancements ...

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