(3) Content Management
- BrightSign TechDocs
The software used to manage player content is known as a Content Management System, or CMS. Content management consists of the following activities:
Publishing - getting content onto the player
Scheduling - setting when or under what circumstances content will display
Updating - changing / modifying content
Authoring (optional) - creating presentations for players to display
Content authoring may be included as part of the CMS, although in many cases (such as with HTML/web-based presentations described below), authoring is done outside of the CMS.
CMS Options
There are a number of CMS solutions available which can be broadly categorized into three options.
Option 1: Free CMS
BrightAuthor:connected is BrightSign’s free, all-in-one app for player setup / management, authoring, and content management. This CMS is best for users who:
Intend to manage and publish content residing on their local computer.
Have relatively small player networks (typically less than 10 players).
BrightAuthor:connected is available for Mac or PC and can be downloaded here.
Note that BrightAuthor:connected is our latest app for managing content and players. Although similarly named, it is different from BrightAuthor, our legacy app. Development of BrightAuthor has largely ceased and the app will eventually be deprecated and replaced with BrightAuthor:connected.
Option 2: Content Cloud (Paid)
BrightSign’s subscription-based Content Cloud offers cloud-based content management and can be accessed using either BrightAuthor:connected or a web browser (e.g., Chrome). More info about this option on the next page.
Option 3: Partner CMS (Paid)
Users can opt to use a non-BrightSign CMS, often referred to as a Partner CMS. These users will use a web browser to interface with the Partner CMS for content management. Player setup and management are also done using a web browser via control.bsn.cloud (more on this on the next page).
In most cases, the partner company will already have an established relationship with the user from the sale of the player. If you are unsure about this, inquire with the company from which the player was purchased.
Authoring
Generally speaking, there are two approaches for authoring player content:
BrightSign-Based Presentations
Presentations from simple to advanced can be created using BrightAuthor:connected or via a web browser at bsn.cloud.
Web-Based Presentations
Thanks to the Chromium engine built-in to every player, players are capable of displaying standards-compliant web pages. Common web technologies (i.e., HTML, JavaScript, etc.) can thus be used to create web-based presentations for players to display.