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    • (1) Core Elements

    Owned by Roger Hsu
    Last updated: Apr 02, 2024 by BrightSign TechDocs
    3 min read

    The usage of BrightSign’s products can be broken down into the following core elements:

    1. Authoring - creating/authoring content for players to display

    2. Player Configuration - setting up players for use

    3. Publishing Mode - publishing/delivering content to players

    4. Player Management - managing/monitoring players on an ongoing basis

    1. Authoring

    Generally speaking, there are two approaches for authoring player content:

    BrightAuthor:connected Presentations

    Users can author presentations using BrightSign’s all-in-one authoring and player management app, BrightAuthor:connected. From simple, looping videos to advanced, interactive presentations spanning multiple screens, BrightAuthor:connected enables users to take full advantage of our players' capabilities.

    Note that BrightAuthor:connected is our latest app for authoring and player management. 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.

    Web-Based Presentations

    Thanks to the Chromium engine that comes with every player, players are capable of displaying standards-compliant web pages. Users can thus use familiar web technologies (i.e., HTML, JavaScript, etc.) to create presentations for players to display.

    2. Player Configuration (Provisioning)

    The process of setting up a player for use is known as player configuration and will be covered in more detail later in this section. When BSN.cloud, BrightSign’s cloud platform, is used to configure a player, the process is referred to as player provisioning or just provisioning.

    Since the vast majority of users use BSN.cloud to configure players, the term provisioning is often used to refer to player configuration.

    3. Publishing Mode

    One of the most important aspects of player configuration is establishing the method of delivering content to the player. The available options are as follows:

    Publishing Mode

    Description

    Publishing Mode

    Description

    Standalone

    • Content is manually published/copied to a storage device (often a microSD card) and the storage device is then manually inserted into the player.

    • Players do not require a network connection.

    Local Network

    • Content is published to the player over the local network.

    • Players must be accessible over the local network but do not require internet access.

    BSN.cloud

    • Content is stored, published, and managed using BSN.cloud’s Content Management System (CMS) known as the Content Cloud. More details on this can be found on the next page.

    • Players require internet access.

    Web Folder

    • Content resides on a web folder that is accessible by the player.

    • Players periodically check the web folder for content updates and when new content is available, it is automatically published to the player.

    • Players require internet access.

    Partner App

    • BrightSign has many partners who provide an alternative CMS for managing content. This publishing mode sets up players to utilize the specified partner’s CMS for content publishing and management.

    • Players require internet access.

    App URL

    • Content is packaged and placed at a URL that is accessible by the player.

    • This method is similar to Web Folder but does not have the automatic checks for content updates that the Web Folder method offers.

    • Players require internet access.

    When determining a player’s publishing mode, the primary considerations are:

    • Does the player have network access?

      • If so, is the player accessible over the local network and/or is it accessible over the internet?

    • Will a CMS will be used?

      • If so, will it be BrightSign’s Content Cloud CMS or a Partner CMS?

    The desired publishing mode will then generally determine which user interface will be used to interact with the player. The user interface will either be BrightAuthor:connected or, in the case of a partner CMS, a web browser.

    This table summarizes these considerations and the corresponding user interface:

    Publishing
    Mode

    Local Network Access

    Internet
    Access

    CMS

    User Interface

    Publishing
    Mode

    Local Network Access

    Internet
    Access

    CMS

    User Interface

    Standalone

    No

    No

    None

    BrightAuthor:connected

    Local Network

    Yes

    No

    None

    BrightAuthor:connected

    BSN.cloud

    No

    Yes

    Content Cloud

    BrightAuthor:connected

    Web Folder

    No

    Yes

    None

    BrightAuthor:connected

    Partner App

    No

    Yes

    Partner CMS

    Web browser

    App URL

    No

    Yes

    Partner CMS

    Web browser

    4. Player Management

    In addition to player configuration/provisioning, BSN.cloud also offers a rich set of tools to manage players on an ongoing basis such as the ability to monitor player status/activity/health, troubleshoot issues, etc. These tools can be accessed via BrightAuthor:connected or, as will be described on the next page, a web browser.

     

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