9
6.
Appendix: FAQ
What is the maximum file size for a single video file?
The maximum video file size for the XDS-104 is 2GB. We recommend reserving a safety margin to avoid exceeding the
limit (i.e. limiting files to 1850MB).
How do I manage the playback of contents?
Playback on a schedule is one of the main functions of the XDS-104. For most users, it can be managed via the easy to
use Adfotain Manager Express software. Scala users may obtain a player license from Scala to manage the media
player directly from Scala Content Manager. For advanced customization, there is SMIL compatibility. See the
developer’s manual for customizing the player with open-standard W3C SMIL commands.
About Adfotain Manager Express: Unlike the difficulty of programming VCRs from a remote control, the Adfotain
Manager Express software is designed to be simple by using a graphical personal computer interface. Playback
contents are laid out visually in a calendar view. Anyone with basic computer skills can quickly create or modify
schedules, delivering the right message to the right audience at the right times. Please refer to the Adfotain Manager
Express User’s Manual for detailed operations and techniques.
Could the player display Flash or Microsoft PowerPoint presentations?
The player features limited PowerPoint support, but not Flash support.
While PCs can play many formats with varying degrees of success, RISC-based media players are designed to reliably
play specific video formats (Please see spec for details). While Microsoft PowerPoint native files could not play directly
on a RISC-based player, the file is converted through other software (i.e. Adfotain Manager Express) into an image
format to be played as an image slideshow.
Why won’t some media files play smoothly?
The video data bit-rate may be higher than the recommended bit rate (2Mbps). MPEG-4 ASP is the required codec.
Please search for the “transcode” tutorial at
www.IAdea.com/support
to transcode unplayable videos.
The media playback looks different on a PC compared to the media player’s screen. (Wrong aspect ratio)
The XDS-104 will always stretch contents to wide-screen aspect ratio (approx. 16:9), regardless of the
native
resolution
of the video source. If you format your video for 16:9 (wide) in your editor, the output should be correct
regardless of the encoding resolution.
There are 2 major aspect ratios (width-to-height ratios) for video content, but many kinds of displays. If you play 4:3
video on a 16:9 display (or vice versa), a circle becomes oval, and the picture takes on a squeezed or stretched look. To
avoid this distorted look, adding black bars are a common technique.
Some JPEG images cannot be played in the media player.
Progressive JPEG are not supported. Please convert to baseline JPEG for maximum compatibility.
JPEG images can be either of 2 types: baseline or progressive compression. Baseline JPEG offers greatest compatibility,
while progressive JPEGs are suitable for web site images. Progressive images are downloaded and displayed
“progressively,” being rendered more clearly as more data is received over the internet. Devices with local storage
such as the CF/Network Media Player are usually incompatible with the latter type. Make sure to save images as
baseline JPEG in your photo editor, or resave them as baseline JPEGs using free tools such as Paint.net
(
http://www.paint.net/
).
Does the media player support video streaming?
No, all media files are designed to play from local storage.
During content and schedule sync, contents are transferred to player’s local storage before being presented on screen.
This ensures the best possible presentation and fluid delivery of your video message. Video streaming raises many
playback quality issues such as image freezing, blocking, or blue-screens, costing you valuable “air time” and losing
your audience's attention.
The media player is not playing. What should I do?
Check the player’s messages on the display (OSD, or on screen display) for status information.
Since RISC-based media player usually lack input devices such as keyboard or mouse like PCs, troubleshooting is
