FOCUS Enhancements 3.2 manuale d’uso

Firefly SC and MZ Media Players V ersion 3.2 User Manual[...]

T rademarks The Focus Enhancement s, Visual Circuit s, and Firefly logos are registered trademarks in the United S t ates and other countries. All other product s, services or comp any names m entioned herein are claimed as trademarks and trade name s by their respective companies. © Focus Enhancements (formerly V i sual Circuits), 1999-2004. All [...]

i Firefly Safety Requirement s IMPORT ANT SAFET Y INSTRUCTIONS: The following safety instructions apply to the V isual Circuits Fir efly: 1. Read and follow all warning notices and instructions marked on the product or included in this manual. Opening or removing covers and/or components may expose you to dangerous high voltage p oints or other ris[...]

ii POWER AND GROUND REQUIREMENTS: Determine that the cumulative pow er requirements of the Firefly plus other equipment in the r ack do not overload the supply circuit s and/or wiring. CA UTION If using a power strip or similar supply , make sure the power requirements of the chassis, plus th e cumulative power draw of an y other equipment in the r[...]

iii User Manual Regulatory Document ation Class A S t atement F C C P a r t 1 5 ( E N 6 1 0 0 0 - 3 - 2 ) This equipment has been tested and fo und to comply with the limits for a Class A digit al device, pursuant to Part 15 (EN61000-3- 2) of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable pro tection against harmful in terference wh[...]

iv Operation is subject to the follow ing two cond itions: 1. This device may not cause harmful interference. 2. This device must accept any interference that may cause undesired operation. Industry Canada This Class A digital apparatus meets all req uirements of the Canadian Interference- Causing Equipment Regulations. Cet app areil numerique de l[...]

v Class A W arning (EN55024, EN55022) In a domestic envir onment this product may cause radio interference in which case the user may be requ ired to take adequate measures. W ARNING Failure to provide ade quate surge protection may cause damage to the Firefly . Visual Circuits does not warranty damage caused by electrical surges to the syst em . S[...]

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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 t[...]

viii Contents Reviewing, Previewing and Deleting Firefly Media . . . . . . . . . . 31 Reviewing Media and Storage Usage on the Fi refly . . . . . 31 Previewing Video s and Graphic Overlays on the Firefly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Deleting Media from the Firefly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Using the Pl[...]

ix Contents USB Devices Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 USB Network Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Multicast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Advanced Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Netw[...]

x Contents Diagnostic Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 DTDs (Document Type Definition) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Log Default Playlist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Maximum Log File Sizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Uploadi[...]

xi Contents Insufficient Disk Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Forgot Name, Password, IP ...??? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Preventing Cabling and Connection Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Firefly Multi-Zone ™ (MZ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Installing[...]

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1 W ELCOME TO F IREFLY SC ™ AND MZ Thank you for purchasing the Firefly SC ™ or the Firefly MZ ™ . The Firefly SC and MZ are the media players developed specifically for A/V professionals; combining the ease and familiarity, flexibility and control of a disk-based, MPEG-2 decoder. These players provide for playlist creation, time/date schedul[...]

W elcom e to Fir efly S C ™ and MZ 2 Document ation Conventions The Firefly SC and MZ are single-channel devices that share many features and capabilities. Because of these similarities, this manual, in general, does not differentia te between these two players and simply calls them either the Fi refly or the player. Thus, unless specifically ide[...]

3 Q UICK S T ART P LUG AND P LAY The Firefly is a single-channel output device that is simple to con- figure and can reside on a network or stand alone. Before Y ou S tart, Y ou W ill Need Have the following items ready be fore installing the Firefly MZ Media Player . • BNC V ide o cables • IP and FTP Information IP Addressing Mode (Static or D[...]

Quick S tart Plug and Pl ay 4 Installation Sequence 1. Install Firefly on network. a. Connect your v ideo and audio cables to the back of the Firefly . b. Connect the video and audio cables from the Firefly to the inputs on the monito r and audio component. c. Connect the power cable to th e back of the Firefly and plug it in to your power source. [...]

Quick S tart Plug and Pl ay 5 Inst all the Firefly 1. Attach the video cables to the Firefly . ❏ For Composite monitors: Connect a BNC-ended composite cable (not incl uded ) to the composite connector on the back of the Firefly . ❏ For S-V ideo monitors: Connect a BNC-ended Y s-video cable (not included) to the corresponding chroma (C) and luma[...]

Quick S tart Plug and Pl ay 6 2. Attach the audio cables to the Firefly . ❏ For an unbalanced audio co nnection use audio cables with stranded wire ends and connect to terminal 1 (Left +), terminal 4 (Right +), and te rminals 2 and 4 (designated grounds). ❏ If unbalanced audio cable length s exceed 10 meters, use an Audio Line Amp/Balancer such[...]

Quick S tart Plug and Pl ay 7 Configure for Network Often, the Firefly TCP/IP defaul t s must change to accommodate the network where it will reside. Th e best method is to attach a computer to th e media player . Contact the Network Administrator fo r the correct network configur ation information, Attaching a Laptop or PC Before begi nning, verif[...]

Quick S tart Plug and Pl ay 8 Changing TCP/IP Settings Firefly default TCP/IP settings: S tatic IP Address: 10.0.1.1 Login (case sensitive): firefly Password: 123456 There are two methods for initially changing the Firefly TCP/IP settings: W ebV iew and serial commands. W ebV iew via Ethernet Port WebView is a browser-based , administration tool-ki[...]

Quick S tart Plug and Pl ay 9 Restarting the Firefly is only necessary when updating the network settings in a DHCP environment, i. e. going from S tatic to DHCP mode, changing the Host Name, and so on. . External Control Commands External control commands require that the computer has an ASCII generating control program, su ch as Hyper Terminal. T[...]

Quick S tart Plug and Pl ay 10 Inst all Media Messenger Install Visual Circuit’s Media Messenger 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 requ ests the Company Name or Registration Key , enter the name and key precisel[...]

Quick S tart Plug and Pl ay 11 Configure FTP Setup on-board Fir efly FTP Server • Configure Firefly properties. • Configure Firefly FTP server . Configur e Firefly Pr operties 1. Open the Main window of Media Messenger . 2. Right-click in the Firefly object in the Network Pane and display Player drop down menu. 3. Click on Properties to disp la[...]

Quick S tart Plug and Pl ay 12 Configuring the Firefly FTP Server 1. Click on Settings in the Main Menu list and select FTP Server Setup. 2. Fill in the FTP Site Information Fields. a. IP Address/Hostname. Network Administrator provides t he IP Address and Hostname of the FTP server . b. Directory Name of the directory where the files go. c. FTP Us[...]

Quick S tart Plug and Pl ay 13 How T o Create a Basic Playlist Playing media on Firefly requires 1. That the MPEG videos reside on the Firefly . 2. That a valid playlist resides on the Firefly . There are several methods for creating a layout and playlist for the Firefly. 1. W ebV iew interface program (see Using the Playlist Editor on page 35 ). 2[...]

Quick S tart Plug and Pl ay 14 Publish Vi a F T P 1. Open W ebV iew , click on System Settings, and select Network. Confirm that the network and security settings are correct. 2. Return to the Media M essenger 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[...]

Quick S tart Plug and Pl ay 15 6. Select the Upload Option: a. a specific playe r , b. a group of players, c. all players, 7. Click Begin Update butto n. When the upload completes, clo se the Update Co ntrol window . The Firefly MZ loads immediately an d begins playing back the playlist. If using a schedule, the pl ayback begins at the appropriate [...]

Quick S tart Plug and Pl ay 16 V ia CD/DVD Another method of tran sporting pl aylists, schedules, and media files is to create a media update disc.This process creates the content image of an autorun disc (CD/DVD). Media Messenger do es not burn a CD or DVD. It prepares the necessary files so that when they are burned on to a disc, an autorun appli[...]

Quick S tart Plug and Pl ay 17 Sof tware Up dating Visual Circuits is continuously looking for ways to improve and expand its features and product pe rformance. We provide a variety of simple methods to keep your Firefly updated with the latest software for your application. Software updates are available from www.visualcircuits.com or by requestin[...]

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19 E NCODING R EQUIREMENT S AND R ECOMMENDATIONS In order to ensure proper play back on the Firefly, the MPEG content must be encoded following a particular set of encoding requirements. The Encoding Requirements , as well as the Encoding Recommendatio ns , listed below provide a brief set of criteria to create MPEG files th at will be compatible w[...]

Encoding Requirements and Recommendations 20 Encoding Recommendations 1. Resolution: 720 X 48 0 or 704 X 480 in NTSC; 704 X 57 6 in PA L . 2. Closed GOP (Group of Pictures) with an “I-frame” every 15 frames is recommended. 3. The recommended audio bit rate is 384kbps and a sampling rate of 48khz. It is recommende d to play back test files using[...]

Encoding Requir eme nts and Recommendation s 21 7. When encodin g files, annotate and store notes on the audio levels of both the source tape an d input settings of the encoder . It will then be possible to verify audio levels of later encoding sessions. It is desirable to maintain a baseline audio level across all files of a presentation whether a[...]

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23 W EB V IEW The WebView interface allows you to access a Firefly over a network using only a conven tional web browser. No special software is required. WebView is compatible with Microsoft Internet Explorer ™ 5.5 and high er. While WebView may work with other web browsers, Visu al Circuits cannot guarantee full compatibility. Accessing the W e[...]

W EB V IEW 24 S tep 2: Determine the Address of the Fir efly Once proper network connections are confirmed on both the Firefly and the web browser co mputer, you will need to kn ow the IP address or DNS name (if your network has a DNS server) of the Firefly. Using DHCP , you should a lso be able to use the address “http:// hostname” or “http:[...]

W EB V IEW 25 S tep 4: Enter Y our User Name and Password All Firefly’s ship from the factory with a default user name of “firefly” and defau lt password “123456”. If you have not yet changed those de faults, you shou ld enter them at this time. Otherwise, if you h ave already created a new user name and password, enter them now. Keep in [...]

W EB V IEW 26 Using the W ebView Interface Once you have logged onto the We bView Interface, yo ur browser will go to the “Media Transfer” pa ge as the default starting point ( page 27 ). Along the left side of the page are the navigation button s used to access different pages in the WebView interface. At the top is a link to download the Fire[...]

W EB V IEW 27 T ransferring Media From this page you can transfer media from your computer or network to the Firefly. Up to six media files can be transferred at once by simply specifying the files to be transferred in each of the Media 1 through Media 6 boxes. Figure 2. Media T ransfer Page If you close or se lect another we b page during a media [...]

W EB V IEW 28 If you cannot remember the names and locations of the files you wish to transfer, simply click th e Browse button to the ri ght of the box you wish to fill in . This will bring up a window that al lows you to search your hard driv e(s) and network for the desired file. Figure 3. Browse for Files W indow After you have selected all the[...]

W EB V IEW 29 When WebView begins transferring the selected files, an animated sequence of flashing circles will appear over the Visual Circuits logo in the lower left portion of the page to let you know that the transfer is in progress. Because media files can be quite large, the transfer process can take several minutes depending on the size of f[...]

W EB V IEW 30 W ebview Software Update To update your Firefly u sing the Media Transfer-Firefly Update method, simply browse your PC for the .upd file you may have obtained from the Visual Circuits web site or CD ROM. Now select “Firefly Update”. After the file has been transferred, the system will immediately begin to pr ocess the update for a[...]

W EB V IEW 31 Reviewing, Pr eviewing and Deleting Firefly Media Within the WebView Media Review page, you will be able to review media and storage usage on the Firefly, pre view video and graphic overlay medi a on the Firefly and delete media from t he Firefly. Figure 6. Media Review Page (V ideo) Reviewing Media and S torage Usage on the Firefly T[...]

W EB V IEW 32 In addition, you will be able review the current storage status of the Firefly by observing the current “Used” space and “Free” space displayed in the upper left portion of the Media Review window. Previewing V ideos and Graphic Overlays on the Firefly Within the Media Review page, you will be able to view basic previews (thum[...]

W EB V IEW 33 Figure 7. Media Review Page (Graphic Overlay) Deleting Media from the Fir efly 1. Select the proper file type tab (video, overlay , playlist or schedule) at the top. 2. Select the file(s) from the media list on the right. If you would like to select multiple files at the same time, you can use the standard W indows ‘Shift/Control’[...]

W EB V IEW 34 Figure 8. Media Review Page (Del eting Multiple Files) WARNING Y ou may delete any or all media files from the Firefly in this fashion. This includes files that may be in use by the cu rrent playlist. If you delete a file that is currently playing, it will be allowed to finish playing before the file is actually removed. The n ext tim[...]

W EB V IEW 35 Using the Playlist Editor Within the Playlist Editor, you will be able to arrange videos on the Firefly into a playlist. A playlist is essentially a group of videos arranged in a particular playback sequence. A p laylist can be used for immediate playback or saved on the Firefly for fu ture playback. In addition, within the Playlist E[...]

W EB V IEW 36 Creating a New Playlist The process for creating a new playlist may be started in one of two ways; by choosing “Ne w Play list” from the “Playlist” drop down menu or by clicking on th e “New” button in the lower right corner. Adding V ideos to a Playlist To add a video to a playlist: 1. Browse the Firefly Media list to loc[...]

W EB V IEW 37 Moving V ideos W ithin a Playlist While you are creating or modifying a playlist, you may find yourself wanting to m odify the order of the vid eos. To move a video up (towards the beginning) in a playlist: 1. Select the video (from the V ideo list) you would like to move. 2. Press the button until the video is where you want it withi[...]

W EB V IEW 38 There are two ways you can add a graphic overlay to a video. The first method is as follows: 1. Click on the video within the playlist that you would like the overlay to associate with. 2. Locate and then click on your desired graphic overlay from the Firefly Media list. 3. Click on th e button to add the graphic overlay . The graphic[...]

W EB V IEW 39 W orking With Graphic Overlays in a Playlist As previously noted , graphic ov erlays exist in a playlist as attributes of specific vide o entri es. The only image types that are compatible with Firefly are .bmp, .j pg, .gif, .tga or .png. Figure 10. Graphic Overlay Properties Page While copying .jp g, .gif, .tga, .png or non 256 -colo[...]

W EB V IEW 40 The process for altering the characteristics of a specific graphic overlay is as follows: (Skip steps 1 and 2 if you have already selected a graphic overlay and are withi n the Graphic Overla y Properties page). 1. Select the video you would like the graphic overlay to be associated with and then click on the button to display the Gra[...]

W EB V IEW 41 5. If desired, adjust the rate (i n seconds) at which you would like the graphic overlay to fade in and/or out on the screen. 6. If desired, select the position on the screen where you would like to have the graphic overlay located (example: left bottom). 7. If desired, use the check boxes on the right side of the screen. The check bo[...]

W EB V IEW 42 Adding Scrolling T e xt to a Playlist The process for adding scrolling text to a playlist is basically the same as the process of adding video files. The one significant difference, however, is that scrolling text is always linked to a particular video. Where adding a video creates a new line at the end of the playlist, adding scrol l[...]

W EB V IEW 43 W orking With Scr olling T ext in a Playlist As previously noted, scrolling text exist in a playlist as attributes of specific video entries. Figure 1 1. Scro lling T ext Properties Page The process for altering the characteri stics of a specific text file is as follows. Select the video you would like the scrolling text to be associa[...]

W EB V IEW 44 3. Reverse - When Reverse is selected to the on position, the T ext assumes the position of Background & visa versa. Entering your own RGB values for the background fe ature only works with 8 bit bitmap graphi cs less than or equal to 720x480 resoluti on. Saving a Playlist Once you have finished editing a playlist, you may save ch[...]

W EB V IEW 45 Playing a Playlist Quickly If you are browsing throug h your playlists and find one y ou would like to play right away, simply c lick the “Play” button, which is located in the lower right portio n of the Playlist Editor screen. Clicking the “Play ” button will over wri te the original playlist file using the same file name an[...]

W EB V IEW 46 Using the Schedule Editor Within the Schedule Editor, there are two separate pages: the Playlist Events Editor and the Video Dates Edit or. Within the Playlist Events Editor you will be able to work with playback schedules. A schedule is a group of one or more playlist events. An ev ent is composed of a single playlist with adjustable[...]

W EB V IEW 47 Creating a New Schedule The process for creating a new schedule may be started in one of two ways; by choosing “New Schedul e” from the Schedule drop down menu or by clicking on th e “New” button in the lower right corner. Within the Playlist Events Editor page, you will have to option to: add an event to a schedule, delete an[...]

W EB V IEW 48 Ta b l e 1 . Event Property Field Examples Adding an Event to a Schedule To add an event to a schedule: 1. Edit the event properties as described below . a. Playlist Name: Choose a playlist from the “Select a Playlist” drop down menu . b. S tart Time: Set the specific start time for the playlist using the number keys on your k eyb[...]

W EB V IEW 49 Figure 14. Day s of the W eek Dialog Box Click on which days of th e week you would like the playlist to play on. A “checked” box indicates the day is selected and an “unchecked” box indicates the day is not selected. If you would like to clear all of the day selecti ons, clic k the Reset button. When you are done making any d[...]

W EB V IEW 50 2. Once you have finished editing the schedule, you may save your changes by following th e instructions found in Saving a Schedule on page 52 . Deleting an Event from a Schedule To delete an event from a schedule, use the following steps: 1. Locate the event (under playlist name) you would like to delete. 2. Change the playlist to ?[...]

W EB V IEW 51 Figure 15. Day s of the W eek Dialog Box Click on which days of th e week you would like the playlist to play on. A “checked” box indicates the day is selected and an “unchecked” box indicates the day is not selected. If you would like to clear all of the day selecti ons, clic k the Reset button. When you done making any desir[...]

W EB V IEW 52 2. Once you have finished editing the schedule, you may save your changes by following the Saving a Schedule instructions found below . Saving a Schedule Once you have finished editing a schedule, you may save changes on the Firefly by clicking either the “Save” or “Save As” buttons at the bottom of the screen. ❏ Clicking th[...]

W EB V IEW 53 Additional Saving and Loading Methods Beyond the standard saving and loading methods directly to and from the Firefly, there are two local options available to you. Save Local: The Save Local option allows you to save a copy of the schedule file currently being ed ited to your lo cal computer or network (examples: ha rd drive, floppy [...]

W EB V IEW 54 Figure 18. Save As Local Dialog Box 3. T ype in your desired name for the schedule file and click the “Save” button. When saving a schedule locally , you must add the schedule file extension “.fsc” to the end of all file names. Once saved, you will be returned to the Schedule Editor main screen. Load Local: The Load Local butt[...]

W EB V IEW 55 Figure 19. Load Local Browse Dialog Box 2. Click the “Browse” button. The following Choose File dialog box will appear: Figure 20. Load Local Save As Dialog Box 3. Locate your desired schedule file (.fsc). On ce found, highlight it and click the “Open” button. 4. The field will be populated with your desired schedule fi le nam[...]

W EB V IEW 56 You will be returned to the Schedule Editor main screen. The schedule you just loaded will be open on your screen, ready for modifications if desired. Assigning Dates for V ideo Playback The Video Dates Editor allows you to desi gnate the actual date(s) a particular video is allowed to play . By selecting a start date, an end date or [...]

W EB V IEW 57 Depending on your application , you may have a need for using any or all of the three previously men tioned date rules. The table below provides some “real world” exam ples for using the Video Da tes Editor. Ta b l e 2 . Video Date Ru le Examples To add a date rule for a vi deo, use the following steps: 1. (From the Schedule Edito[...]

W EB V IEW 58 To delete a date rule for a video, use the following steps: 1. (From the Schedule Editor main screen) Select the V ideo Dates Editor from the drop down me nu. The V ideo Dates Editor screen will be displayed. 2. Locate the video (under V ideo Name) you would like to delete the date rule for . 3. Change the video to “Select a V ideo?[...]

W EB V IEW 59 Using the Player Contr ol Panel The Player Control panel mirrors the basic functionality of the Firefly remote control. You will be able to Pl ay, Pause and Stop the currently playing file (display ed on the output window). In addition, you will be able to skip to the Previ ous and Next video in a playlist using the respective Previou[...]

W EB V IEW 60 Diagnostics The Diagnostics pages display a nu mber of statistics about what the Firefly is doing at a fairly technical level. The information found within these pages can serve as a tool to help the Visual Circuits technical support team wo rk with yo u over the phone in the event that you are experiencing problems. The Diagnostics p[...]

W EB V IEW 61 Figure 23. Diagnostics - General Page Diagnostics - General Player version :Displays the version of the Firefly (incorporating both hardware and software). Currently loaded schedule :Displays the file name of the currently loaded schedule (if app licable) on the system. Currently loaded playlist :Displays the file name of the currentl[...]

W EB V IEW 62 Figure 24. Diagno stics - V ideo Page Diagnostics - V ideo Horizontal Size :Defines the horizontal r esolution of the currently playing MPEG file in pixels. Vertical Size :Defines the vertical reso lution of the currently playing MPEG file in pixels. Video Bitrate :Def ines the Video Bitrate or data rate of the currently playing MPEG [...]

W EB V IEW 63 Timecode :Displays the current timecod e within the playing MPEG file offset 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 on ly, mpg2v - mpeg2 video only, mpg1a - audio only, a[...]

W EB V IEW 64 Figure 25. Diagnostics - Playback Page Diagnostics - Playback Interrupts :Displays the number of in terrupts that have been received from the MPEG decoder. AV Syncs :Displays the number of times the audio or video streams had to be adjusted to mai ntain proper synchronization. (It is not uncommon for this to be a h igh nu mber as this[...]

W EB V IEW 65 Audio Data :Displays the amount of da ta currently in the MPEG decoder’s audio data buff er. Raw Data : Bytes of MPEG data in RAM. Disk Underflow :Displays the number of disk underflows that hav e occurred. A disk underflow occurs when the Firefly is unable to get the data off the disk fast enough to keep the disk b uffers from beco[...]

W EB V IEW 66 Figure 26. Diagno stics - Logging Page (Run log) Once in the Run logfile viewer , th e video pla yback data will b e listed with one video per line and will be sorted by pl ayback time (using Firefly’ s internal 24-hour clock). Y ou may move to the previous or next pages by clicking on the respective <<Prev or Next>> lin[...]

W EB V IEW 67 Diagnostic Logs Diagnostic logs can be used to view a record of all media update transactions and any system errors on a Firefly. Information contained in th e diagnostic log incl ude: ❏ FTP/DVD Updating data: T racks date, time of connection/ disconnection, errors- yes/no, files, sizes, percent transferred and FTP permission errors[...]

W EB V IEW 68 Figure 27. Diagnostics - Logging Page (Dia gnostic lo g) Once in the Diagnosti c logfile viewer , the data will be listed with one diagnostic event per line and will be sorted by playback time (using Firefly’ s internal 24-hour clock). Y ou may move to the previous or next pages by clicking on the respective <<Prev or Next>[...]

W EB V IEW 69 System Settings Within the System Settings me nu, the following options are availabl e: General Settings Figure 28. Settings-General Site ID The Site ID uniquely identifies th e Firefly as it up dates via FTP. It is also used for Media Messenger software to enable automa ted management of cont ent, playlists & schedule updates. Da[...]

W EB V IEW 70 Time Zone Allows you to select the appropriate time zone (measured in hours and minutes plus or minus Greenwich Mean Time) for wh ere the Firefly is being used. Ve r s i o n This is where to reference the software version for technical support purposes or verifying version change following a “software update”. Uptime This value in[...]

W EB V IEW 71 V ideo Settings Figure 29. Settings-V ideo Channel 1 V ideo Selects the standard for video output: ❏ NTSC (USA) ❏ P AL (European) ❏ 480p ❏ 576p ❏ 720p ❏ 1080i ❏ NTSC Cropped ❏ P AL Cropped Interleave Mode When change frame size, select whether to use interleaving or not and the type . ❏ None ❏ Interleave[...]

W EB V IEW 72 ❏ Bob (Bob and W eave) 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 V ideo Out Selects the type of video ou tput: Composite/S-video or Component. Composite and S-Video signals can be used simultaneo usly.[...]

W EB V IEW 73 Audio Settings Figure 30. Settings-Audi o Vo l u m e This setting allows you to set th e volume level for audio played back on the Firefly. The d efault volume setting is 10 on the 0-20 scale. Audio Output Firefly gives you several audio output options depending on th e configuration you use (see Table 3 on page 74 ). Standard MPEG la[...]

W EB V IEW 74 Ta b l e 3 . Firefly Audio Configurations Firefly Dolby Digital D/A decoding is only available when using the optional Dolby Digital Software Upgrade (config #4). Config MPEG A udio Type Fire fly A udio Settin g : Digi tal Out p ut Stereo Analog Out p ut? 1 MPEG Layer 2 Stereo Audio Do lby Dig ital S/PD IF Yes 2 MPEG Layer 2 Stereo Au[...]

W EB V IEW 75 Control Settings Figure 31. Settings-Control Accept TCP/IP In conjunction with RS232 serial commun ication, TCP/IP allows the user to remotely operate th e Firefly by sending op eration commands through a network or locally using an external PC or show controller (see External Control Commands on page 119 ). Accept UDP Select to use U[...]

W EB V IEW 76 Auto Play Upon initial start up, Firefly will begin playing the latest loaded playlist/schedule automatically. Follo wing start up, if you choose to begin playback manually vi a External commands, you can default this option to “Off” to deactivate automatic playback. Baud Rate Select an identical value to your external contro ller[...]

W EB V IEW 77 Network Settings Figure 32. Settings-Network Host Name Choose a unique name that iden tifies each Firefly unit on the network.[...]

W EB V IEW 78 Mode DHCP (Dynamic Hos t Configuration Protocol) - A TCP/IP serv ice protocol that offers dynamic leased config uration of host IP addresses and distributes other configuration parameters to eligible network clients. DHCP provides safe, reliable, and simple TCP/IP network configuration, prevents ad dress conflicts, and helps conserve [...]

W EB V IEW 79 Netmask Specify a range that falls on subnet boundaries. Most TCP/IP networks use subnets in order to manage routed IP addresses. For the range specified in From and T o, W indows 2000 calculates the closest matching subnet. The range of addresse s in the closest matching subnet may exceed the range specified. Unless the addresses spe[...]

W EB V IEW 80 FTP Proxy IP Enter the address for the proxy, in IP format. FTP Proxy Port The number of the port to be us ed to access the FTP proxy server. Contact you system administ rator for this information. HTTP Proxy T ype Select the type of HTTP prox y best suited for application. HTTP Proxy IP Enter the address for the proxy, in IP format. [...]

W EB V IEW 81 SNMP Netmask Designates the Netmask informa ti on for the system(s) that will be able to monitor and co ntrol the Firefly. So for the individual example above you wou ld set, (Ex. 1- 255.255.255.25 5) and for the range example ab ove (Ex. 2- 255.255.255.0). Communi ty The SNMP Community name defin es the relationship between an SNMP s[...]

W EB V IEW 82 Logging Settings Figure 33. Settings-Logging Run Log Allows you turn to “On” or “Off” the run log. The run log provides a record of which videos played (with which graphic overlays, if applicable), starting at what da tes/times, playing back what percentage of the video and for how long. Diagnostic Log Allows you to turn “On[...]

W EB V IEW 83 ❏ Storag e Cleanup data: Records what media have been deleted by the automatic storag e cleanup routine, including file names, sizes and dates. ❏ Missing Elements Log: Re cords all missing media referenced by an active playlis t or schedule, including date, time and file element. ❏ Error Summary data: Record s important user pla[...]

W EB V IEW 84 Max Log MBs Allows you to set a value (i n megabytes) for the maximum size a log file is able to reach. The de fault value is 10 MB. You may want to keep this value relatively small if you wish to maintain a large amount of free space for videos and graphic overlays. However, if you do not reserve enough space, Firefly will delete the[...]

W EB V IEW 85 W ebV iew Settings Figure 34. Settings-Logging WebV iew Enable This feature gives the user access to Firefly over a network using a conventional web browser (see WebView on page 23 ). File Access Enable/Disable - Accesses the Firefl y directly with an FTP client. Username Enter at least 6 (but no more than 15) alphanumeric characters [...]

W EB V IEW 86 Password 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 .[...]

W EB V IEW 87 FTP Auto-Update Settings Figure 35. FTP Auto-Update Settings Screen FTP IP Address Enter the FTP server IP Address here. FTP Port Allows you to enter the port for the FTP 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 [...]

W EB V IEW 88 Directory It is advised that you leave this blank and use the home directory of your FTP account to place your me dia, playlists, schedules and/or updates folders. In the case where you are using multiple Firefly’s with different content for each unit, single and or multiple directories can come in handy. Up date Interval Allows you[...]

W EB V IEW 89 HTTP Auto-Update Settings Figure 36. Settings-HTTP Aut o Update HTTP Address Enter the HTTP server IP Address here. HTTP Port Allows you to enter the port fo r the HTTP server. If left blank during 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 [...]

W EB V IEW 90 Up date Interval Allows you to schedule HTTP updates every 30 minutes, 1, 2, 4 or 12 hours, 1 day or at a fixed ti me. Fixed Up date Time Allows 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 fixe d ti[...]

W EB V IEW 91 USB Devices Figure 37. Settings-USB Devices[...]

W EB V IEW 92 USB Devices Settings Figure 38. Settings-USB Modem Enable Dialup If dialup is required. Phone Number 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 hand les URL name [...]

W EB V IEW 93 Gateway A service that allows Firefly to connect to other servers . Creating a gateway also allows client comput ers running only Microsoft client software to access server resource s through the gateway. See your Network Administrator fo r further information. Connect T ype ❏ Disabled ❏ On Demand ❏ Use Fixed T ime Connect T ime[...]

W EB V IEW 94 USB Network Settings Figure 39. Settings USB Network Mode Type of network being accessed: Dynamic or Static. IP Address A 32-bit address used to identify a node on an IP internetwork. Each node on the IP in ternetwork must be assigned a unique IP address, which is made up of a network identifier and a host identifier. This address is [...]

W EB V IEW 95 Most TCP/IP networks use subnets in order to manage routed IP addresses. For the range specified in From and T o, W indows 2000 calculates the closest matching subnet. The range of addresse s in the closest matching subnet may exceed the range specified. Unless the addresses specified in From and T o are subnet boundaries, the range b[...]

W EB V IEW 96 Multicast Figure 40. Settings-Mul ticast Multicasting is an optional feature en abled by a software upgrade . If your Firefly does not have the optional Multicasting feature (me nu items are “grayed out”) and your appl ication requires it, contact a Visual Circuit s representative at 1-800-250-5533. Client Select the name of the c[...]

W EB V IEW 97 Channel Like presets, you can assign a Channel number for each “Listen” configuration. This allows you to easily recall up to 99 Channe ls of Listen Address & Port combinations. Listen Address The IP address that the multicast client will listen on. The value must be a Class D multicast addre ss, which will typical start with [...]

W EB V IEW 98 Reserves MBs Allows you to allocate a fixed amount of Firefly’s internal storage space for receiving a multicast update. To de termine this value, you will need to estimate the larg est multicast update you will ever receive (example: 1000 MBs). Then, double that amount (example: 1000 MBs x 2 = 20 00 MBs) to allow room for both the [...]

W EB V IEW 99 Advanced Settings Figure 41. Settings-Advanced Audio/V ideo Sync Turns audio/vide o synchronization on and off. Turning the audio to video synchro nization or “lip sy nc” off, sometimes eliminates stuttering video playback. This may however result in poor audio to video synchroni zation. Consult with a Visual Circuits representati[...]

W EB V IEW 100 If you are in “Schedule Mode”, if a new playlist has the same filename as a playlist already on the system, then any empty channels on the new playlist w ill utilize the channel s from the original playlist. Reset S tat s Allows you to reset the basic system statistics (number of Watchdog Restarts and System Starts) as viewable i[...]

101 N ETWORKING Overview Firefly players can be deployed as a network of media playback nodes. Because Firefly can be placed o n a network, standard network setup (i.e. establishing a Username, IP configuration, etc.) is fully supported. Firefly co mes standard with fully integrated FTP functionality. Developing a network of centrally managed and c[...]

Networking 102 Media Messenger ™ Sof tware Visual Circuits Media Messenger ™ software (sold separately) combined with Firefly Media Player creates a simple, yet powerful, end-to-end solution for the dist ribution and utilization of high- quality digital media. Product Featur es: ❏ W indows XP/2000 compatible ❏ Firefly Network Manager - for [...]

103 U P DATING V IDEO P LAYBACK Firefly players can be upda ted in a variety of ways usin g a couple different interfaces. These updating processes include both automatic (minimal intera ction) and manual methods. Automatic Up dating: ❏ FTP , HTTP & Multicast Auto-Update - allows regular scheduled updating via F TP of any new media, playlists[...]

Updating V ideo Playback 104 (LAN). Often LAN connections have ac cess to the internet, but be sure to check with a netw orking specialist for information on setting up an account if internet a ccess is required to reach the FTP server. Often internet access from a LAN requires the use of a proxy server an d fire wall permissions. Although there ar[...]

Updating V ideo Playback 105 This person does not ne ed to be familiar with how the network is maintained technically, or how the Firefly nodes are serviced a nd maintained. What is crucial is th e quality assurance and revi ew of the videos. This review of videos and scripts is critical prior to posting for update to make sure that the intended re[...]

Updating V ideo Playback 106 FTP Update Process When an FTP update is initiated on the Firefly , either by selecting Update Now or by a regular up date interval or fixed time trigger , the Firefly will try to establish co mmunications with the specified FTP site. If communicatio n is established, the Firefly will first search the update packets dir[...]

Updating V ideo Playback 107 FTP Updating Order The Firefly system will look for an update file following a specific order. It will proceed sequentially through th is order until it finds a matching file and will then proceed to the When moving font files (.ttf) via FTP, set FTP mode to binary. on page 107 . 1. siteid .tar 2. firefly .tar 3. siteid[...]

Updating V ideo Playback 108 System Update Check After Firefly has finished its update ro utine it will search the /updates directory under the home d irectory of the FTP site for any valid software updates. If it finds a file in this directory with the extension “.upd” this file will be copied to Firefly’s internal storage and executed. A .u[...]

Updating V ideo Playback 109 Overview Each Firefly on your net work must have a unique serial number. This serial number will be used to identify the individual Firefly during a multicast update to ensure that the proper medi a goes to the correct player. Within Firefly multicasting, two multicast modes are available: Package Mod e and Script Last [...]

Updating V ideo Playback 110 Script Last Mode: In Script Last Mode, individua l files can be sent to the Firefly. Any content will be stored on the system (unless none of its files are on the system). Any .tar/.fpl sent w ill be processed and played as long as it has at least one content file on the Firefly. Script Last Mode allows you to simply ?[...]

Updating V ideo Playback 111 System Settings for Multicasting The System Settings for Multicas ting detailed below are accessible via either the remote control, WebView or Front Panel interfaces. Client Enable: Allows option to enable or disable the multicast client. Note that if you make change s to other Multicast settings, you must also toggle t[...]

Updating V ideo Playback 112 Manual Up dating W ebV iew Updating W ebV iew is a web-based interface tha t can be used to transfer media from your computer and/or network to the Firef ly . See T ransferring Media on page 27 for instructions on transferring media to the Firefly usin g the W ebV iew interface. In addition, W ebV iew may be used to cre[...]

Updating V ideo Playback 113 Dir ect File Access Updating Direct File Access (enabled in “W eb” scree n within Firefly System Settings) can be used to update the Firefly directly wit h an FTP client. Programs such as FlashFXP (see description be low) may be used. Figure 1. Example of Direct File Access Using FlashFXP Direct File Access is a pow[...]

Updating V ideo Playback 114 Some of the options av ailable to you include: ❏ V iewing the contents of your Firefly . ❏ Deleting files from your Firefly . ❏ Downloading files from your Firefly to your PC or network. ❏ Uploading files from yo ur PC or network drive t o the Firefly . W ARNING While using an FTP client, keep in mind th at you [...]

115 L OG F ILE R EPORTING Overview The logging of playback verificati on data, as well as diagnostic data, provides for easier and more powerful management of a Firefly Media Player network. There are two types of data logs availa ble on the Firefly: run logs and diagnostic logs. You ca n enable or disable these capturing of these logs in any combi[...]

Log File Reporting 116 Run Logs The run log provides a record o f which videos played (with which graphic overlays, if applicable), on which channels, starting at what dates/times, playing back what percentage of the video and for how long. The primary uses for this feature are for verification of playback schedules and for compliance to paid playb[...]

Log File Reporting 117 Log Format Run Logs The available output formats for a Firefly run log file are either .CSV or .XML Sample from a .CSV format run lo g: 12-07-02 20:30:07, 1,05saturn.mpg,3_ser220.BMP,1, 00:01:01,100 Sample from a .XML format run lo g: <mpeg datetime=”12-07-02 20:32:5 7” chan=”1” filename=”05saturn.mpg” overlay=[...]

Log File Reporting 118 When the log files exceed the maximum amount of defined storage space, 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 after they are transferred to the F TP server or downloaded from the Firefly player. Uploading[...]

119 E XTERNAL C ONTROL C OMMANDS Within this chapter, there are two types of external control commands that are described: Vi sual Circuits Co rporation (VCC) control commands and Laserdi sc emulation (LDV) control commands. Please note that the VCC control commands are proprietary in nature, and therefore are not designed to be mixed with LDV cont[...]

External Contr ol Commands 120 Basic Hyper T erminal Setup You will need a PC with Hyper Terminal (all Windows machines contain this under “Start/Pro gr ams/Accessories/Commuications”) and a null modem cable (female 9 pin ‘D” to female 9 pin D - RS- 232 cable). Connect cable and start Hyper Terminal. Select Serial Port 1 & 9600BPS. Hit [...]

External Control Commands 121 VCC Control Commands: Filenames and External Commands When using externa l commands to handl e files, it is n ecessary for those files to have n ames without, i.e. sales_ video.mpg not sales video.mpg. One convention is to use underscores in place of spaces. Playlist Playback Commands Playlistload This command allows y[...]

External Contr ol Commands 122 Playlistplay This command initiates playback as soon as t he files are fully queued up and load ed. There may be a slight delay b etween this command and playback. The Playlistplay and Playlistload commands b ehave the same except Playlistplay starts playback automatically, whereas Playlistload only loads up the playl[...]

External Control Commands 123 Playing Individual Files To accurately control the pla yback of individual vide os, the following commands are used: 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 (sin[...]

External Contr ol Commands 124 mpgLoadNext This command queues an MPEG file to play when the current video file finishes. This file will play once. Synt ax mpgLoadNext 0 channel videon ame Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly (0) videoname The full path and video name of the MPEG file to load. (See description for mpgLoad.) Return V alues [...]

External Control Commands 125 mpgLoadNextDef This command queues an MPEG file to play when the current video file finishes. Th is command adds file to a looping playlist. Synt ax mpgLoadNextde f 0 channel videon ame Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly (0) videoname The full path and video name of the MPEG file to load. (See description fo[...]

External Contr ol Commands 126 mpgPlay This command plays a previously loaded MPEG file on the specified channel. The file must have already been loaded using the mpgLoad command. Synt ax mpgPlay 0 channel Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly (0) Return V alues This command returns ACK if playback was started successfully, or NAK if playba[...]

External Control Commands 127 mpgPlayAll This command starts playback on all channels simu ltaneously. The files for each channel to play must have been previously loaded using the mpgLoad command. Synt ax mpgPlayAll Parameters None Return V alues This command returns ACK to indicate that playback was started successfully, or NAK to indicate that p[...]

External Contr ol Commands 128 mpgBlack This command covers MPEG vide o on a channel, causing the corresponding video displays to go “black.” Note: This black may not be recognized by all di splays as a true video signal. To cover the video again, use the mpgUnblack command. Synt ax mpgBlack 0 channel Parameters channel The channel on the Firef[...]

External Control Commands 129 mpgUnblack This command uncovers MPEG vide o, reversing the effects of the mpgBlack command. To cover the video again, use the mpgBlack command. Synt ax mpgUnblack 0 channel Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly (0) Return V alues This command returns ACK if mpgUnblack was started successfully, or NAK if mpgUnb[...]

External Contr ol Commands 130 Using Serial Commands T o Create Playlists You can create a pla ylist “on the fly” with the mpgLoadD ef and mpgLoadNex tDef commands. Thes e two commands ar e used to define a “default” (i.e. loopin g) playlist of MPEG files. T o make a playlist: ❏ call mpgClearDef to clear the old default playlist. ❏ call[...]

External Control Commands 131 Fir efly System Commands fireflyFtpUp date This command enables Firefly to update video content, playli sts/ schedules and software via an FTP server (see FTP Updating on page 103 for more information). fireflyRest art This command restarts the entir e Firefly system. This process normally takes about 1 minute to compl[...]

External Contr ol Commands 132 Callback Commands mpgCallback Turns on/off callback (play complete). Synt ax 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 con troller over the serial port. This string has the following format: CB[...]

External Control Commands 133 Audio and V ideo Setting Changes mpgSetV olumeLeftRight The mpgSetVolumeLeftRight command sets the le ft and right audio volumes independently. The default volume level is 124. Lowering this value will make the volume so fter or raising this value will make the volume louder. mpgSetVolumeL eftRight 0 channel leftVolume[...]

External Contr ol Commands 134 Networking Commands FireflySetDefault This command sets the ne tworking bac k to it’s factory state : IP Address - 10.0.1.1 Gateway - 255.255.255.0 Netmask - Network Type - Static (2) Web Enable - On (0) Web User Name - firefly Web Password - 123456 Syntax fireflysetdef ault Parameters None Remarks This command is u[...]

External Control Commands 135 FireflySetGateway The FireflySetGateway command will allow you to change the players network Gateway. Syntax fireflysetgat eway gateway Parameters Gateway A service that allows Firefl y to connect to other servers. Creating a gateway also allows client computers ru nning only Microsoft client software to access server [...]

External Contr ol Commands 136 FireflySetWeb_Enable The FireflySetWeb_Enable command gives the user the option to turn on & off network co mmunication to Webview. Syntax fireflysetweb _enable 0 (enable) or 1 (disable) FireflyGetIpAddr The FireflyGetIpAddr command retrieves current setting. Syntax fireflygetIpA ddr FireflyGetGateway The FireflyG[...]

External Control Commands 137 FireflyGetWeb_Enable The FireflyGetWeb_Enable command retrieves current setting. Syntax fireflygetweb _enable Remarks 0 = Enabled 1 = Disabled[...]

External Contr ol Commands 138 Media Calls mpgDir This command returns the names of all files on the Firefly. Synt ax mpgDir mpgDelete This command permanently remov es a media file from the Firefly. Synt ax mpgDelete name Parameters name The full name of the media file (vid eo or graphic overlay) to remove. The list of all media can be obtai ned w[...]

External Control Commands 139 Information Calls infoGetFile Synt ax infoGetFile 0 channel Returns the file pl aying the channel. Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly (0) infoGetPlaylist Synt ax infoGetPlayli st 0 channel Returns the current playlist. Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly (0) infoGetSchedule Synt ax infoGetSchedu le[...]

External Contr ol Commands 140 infoGetS t ate Synt ax infoGetState 0 channel Returns the current playback state of the player. Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly (0) Return V alues “STATE_PLAY”, “STATE_STOP”, “STATE_PAUSE” , “STATE_REW”, “STATE_FF”,[...]

External Control Commands 141 LDV Control Commands Introduction Firefly may be controlled serially via the Laserdisc emulation control set described in this section. This interface sends commands to Firefly dictating vide o playback, player settings or to report back system informa tion. Commands received and recognized by Firefly will return an ?[...]

External Contr ol Commands 142 Other optional se ttings include: Be sure that the control device an d Firefly’s COM port settings are the same. For Laserdisc Video serial communica ti ons, “LDV” must be selected in the Command Mode under System Settings.”VCC” is set for factory default. Erro r Codes If Firefly acknowledges a command, the [...]

External Control Commands 143 Command Syntax All commands shown in this section will be upper case. There are no spaces in the command argument itself. However, between commands there will be spaces. A sequence such as <command1> (space)<com mand2>(spa ce)<command 3>(space) <command4> <CR> would indicate four se parate[...]

External Contr ol Commands 144 Command Summary Remember all commands are either upper case or lower case characters as well as other ASCII characters. 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 Externa[...]

External Control Commands 145 Playback Commands Play (PL) Command: Plays from the current file position and continues to play until the (address) value is reached. If no (a ddress) is specified, play mode continues indefinitely. Format: (address)PL<CR> Response: R<CR> Explanation: This command is used to begin playback from the current [...]

External Contr ol Commands 146 Reject “S top” (RJ) Command: Stops playback and resets the file poi nter 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.[...]

External Control Commands 147 Pause (P A) Command: Pauses the current file positi on and blacks out the picture. Format: PA<CR> Response: R<CR> Explanation: The PA command will pause play back, Scan Reverse or Scan Forward. While having no visible effect on screen, it should also transition from Stop to Pause holding on frame 1 of the f[...]

External Contr ol Commands 148 Still (ST) Command: Pauses the current file positi on and freezes the picture. Format: ST<CR> Response: R<CR> Explanation: ST is treated exactly the same as PA except that instead of the video output going black , the current video frame is held on screen. If an ST command is received afte r a PA the effec[...]

External Control Commands 149 Search (SE) Command: Jumps to the specified position within the current MPEG file or playlist. Format: <address>SE<CR> Response: R<CR> Explanation: The Search command can jump to any I-frame within the current file or the head of any other file within the playlist. After executing the search command t[...]

External Contr ol Commands 150 Multi-T rack Jump Forward (JF) Command: Jumps forward in the cu rrent MPEG file or playlist by the amount specified in the <address> argument. Format: <address>JF<CR> Response: R<CR> Explanation: The Jump Forward command is similar to the search command accept that the address argument is inter[...]

External Control Commands 151 Multi-T rack Jump Reverse (JR) Command: Jumps backward in the current MPEG file or playlist by the amount specified in the <address> argument. Format: <address>JR<CR> Response: R<CR> Explanation: The Jump Reverse command is simila r to the search command accept that the address argument is inter[...]

External Contr ol Commands 152 Display Control (DS) Command: Turns the on screen status d isplay on or off . Format: xDS<CR> Response: R<CR> Explanation: This command is used to call up a graphic overlay. All elements of that overlay ex cept the border box around the edg e of the picture are included. A value of 0 for x will turn on the[...]

External Control Commands 153 Frame Number Req uest (?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>[...]

External Contr ol Commands 154 Time Code Request (?T) Command: Requests the file position in the current MPEG file in time code format. Format: ?T<CR> Response: <timecode><CR> Explanation: This command can be global sp ecific. If received as a global command, the Firefly will respond with the file position. Examples: Command Respo[...]

External Control Commands 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>[...]

External Contr ol Commands 156 Player Active Mode Request (?P) Command: Requests the current mode. Note: The state after a reject command (RJ) will be P05 (stilled), 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 ima ge fr[...]

External Control Commands 157 Firefly Model Request (?X) Command: 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[...]

External Contr ol Commands 158 Load Playlist/Schedule (LD) Command: Loads a playlist/schedule. Format: “<filename>”LD <CR> Response: R<CR> Explanation: This command is used to load a new playlist/schedule. When this command is received a check is done to be sure the specified filename actually exists on the Firefly hard drive.[...]

External Control Commands 159 External Control Commands Quick Reference Guide: V CC Commands: P laylistload P laylistplay m pgLoad m pgLoadDef m pgLoadNextDef m pgLoadNext m pgClearDef m pgPlay m pgStop m pgSetInitOnOpen m pgBlack f ireflyFTPUpdate F ireflySetDefault f ireflySetIP Addr f iref lySetGateway f ireflySetNetmask f iref lySetNetworkT ype[...]

160[...]

161 T ROUBLESHOOTING General Issues No Power to Fir efly Firefly should automatically start up when power is applied and begin playing back video. If there is no power indicator: 1. Confirm power sources by plugg ing in another electrical device. 2. V erify that electrical plug is fu lly seated in power supply and or the video player . 3. T est pow[...]

T r oubleshooting 162 "Latent Images" or "Fla shing" During Playback 1. Incorr ect timecodes or improperly closed encoding session . If the incorrect timecode is given for a particular file it is possible to actually encode a frame or two of the trailer or header information from the source. Ofte n this "extra" frame i[...]

T r oubleshooting 163 3. The bit rate of the MPEG files being played exceed the sys tem capabilities: The V isual Circuit MPEG decoder boards and digital servers all have a maximum sustaine d bit rate that can be delivered. Refer to the syst em capabilities above for basic information. Consult your V isual Circuits representative prior to encoding [...]

T r oubleshooting 164 Smooth T ransitions For smoother transitions, MPEG f iles in the same playlist should be encoded at the same resolution and size (height x width). SMP TE time codes ar e not recognized pr operly Some SMPTE tracks loose inform ation during compression an d may not "trigger" events as required . It is recommended to en[...]

T r oubleshooting 165 Forgot Name, Passwo rd, IP ...??? If you’re in a situation where y ou cannot get into t he W ebview interface because of a misplaced “User Name, Password, IP address, DNS Name, etc. Or perhaps the system wa s inadvertantly set to DHCP when you don’t even have a DHCP server? All is not lost (see Basic Hyper T erminal Setu[...]

T r oubleshooting 166 Preventing Cabling and Connection Problems The suggestions listed below prov ide basic tips for preventing or minimizing problems relate d to cabling and co nn ections to and from the Firefly. ❏ Use the best cable you can afford. ❏ Use the shortest cables possible. For composite video, P AL or NTSC, RG-59 cable can be used[...]

167 F IREFLY M ULTI -Z ONE ™ (MZ) Inst alling the MZ V ideo Output For best qualit y 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[...]

Fir efly Multi-Zone ™ (MZ) 168 Functionality Firefly Multi-Zone ™ functionality is availa ble through the Media Messenger Multi-Zone Layout Edito r that provides the ability to integrate high-resolution, rich-content graphics with dy namic video and scrolling text in a simultaneou s display. The Layout Editor does this by dividing the screen in[...]

Fir efly Multi-Zone ™ (MZ) 169 Sof t ware Up date The MZ handles software updat es in the same manner as the SC . There is one diffence, however. S tatus LED The MZ Status LED displays RED while an update is occuring while te SC does not indicate th at a update is in progress. W ARNING Do Not Reboot Firefly SC or MZ during an update.[...]

Fir efly Multi-Zone ™ (MZ) 170 Using Firefly MZ to Create a Layout and Playlist Creating a Playlist requires: 1. Setting Display Parameters. 2. Creating the MZ (m ulti- zone) layout. 3. Creating a playlist and attaching layout to it. 4. Adding content to playlist. 5. Creating a schedule for the Playlist (optional) . Refer to the Media Messenge r [...]

Fir efly Multi-Zone ™ (MZ) 171 3. Select the New Layout, giv e the layout a name, and click OK 4. Return to the Layout button, select Screen Resolution and choose the appropriate setting. 5. Next select V i deo Resolution and choose the appropriate video standard. 6. Save. Creating a MZ (multi-zone) Layout Go to the Layout Editor workspace: Auto-[...]

Fir efly Multi-Zone ™ (MZ) 172 Position Zones in Layout W orkspace 1. Create the V ideo Zone first. 2. Add Scrolling T ext Zone if required. 3. Add Graphics Zones Video Zone The Layout must have a video zone with a video fi le to function. There is only one video zone in a layout. Scrolling T ext Zone There is only one scrolling text zone per lay[...]

Fir efly Multi-Zone ™ (MZ) 173 4. Save the layout. Cr eating the Playlist 1. Return to the Media Messenger main workspace. 2. Open the Playlist Editor . 3. V erify that the correct playlis t is shown in the Playlist Menu field. Navigation Pane Scheduling Pane Schedule Menu P laylist Menu Playlist Pane[...]

Fir efly Multi-Zone ™ (MZ) 174 4. V erify that the Navigation Pane lists the layout content zones. 5. Right-click on the Default V ideo Zone and insert a video file. .T o locate files to insert into the content zone, use th e file browser or , if the file is already resident on the Firefly MZ Medi a Player , enter the filename with its ex tension[...]

Fir efly Multi-Zone ™ (MZ) 175 7. Insert additional video files in to the video zone to create the rest of the playlist. 8. Insert he graphic or scrolling te xt objects belonging to each video. 9. Save the playlist by clicking on the Close button in the Playlist Editor workspace. Refer to the Media Messenger He lp for more information about playl[...]

Fir efly Multi-Zone ™ (MZ) 176 This procedure links the playlist to the player. Linking a schedule to the player is similar but in itiates through the Schedules Pane. 1. Return to main Media Messenger workspace.. 2. V erify that the correct playlis t is displayed in the Playlists Pane. 3. Select the player by clicking on its icon in the Network P[...]

Fir efly Multi-Zone ™ (MZ) 177 Firefly MZ T ip s 1. A layout has only o ne V ideo an d one Scrolling T ext zo ne. 2. A layout can ha ve unlimited graphics zon es although large numbers do impact performance. 3. The V ideo Zone can have multiple video files inserted into it, n which case, they play in the or der they appear in the playlist. 4. Eac[...]

Fir efly Multi-Zone ™ (MZ) 178 9. Graphics Quality Most often, the automatic sizing and color -depth conversion performed by the Fire fly meets the needs of the presentation. Occasionally however , it may be necessary to adjust a graphic so that it displays precisely as required. For the highest quality rendition of a graphic it is impo rtant to [...]

Fir efly Multi-Zone ™ (MZ) 179 1 1. Smooh V ideo T ransitions MPEG files used in a layout should be of the same resolution and size (height x width).[...]

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181 T ECHNICAL S PECIFICATIONS Option Description Basic Configuration 40GB HDD storage NTSC, P AL Decodes all 18 A TSC formats up to 1920x1080p 4:3, or 16.9 aspect ratios Composite, Component (PbP rY), S-video 32-bit OSD; 256-level transparency 32-bit high-resolution accelerated graphics Video Outpu t Composite, S-video , Component Audio Output Ste[...]

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183 I NDEX A Advanced Settings 99 audio/video sy nc 99 merge playlists 99 animated GIF files 178 audio cabling 166 Dolby Digital 19, 162 line-level 4 multiplexing 21 output 181 S/PDIF 6 stream 21 test tones 21 unbalanced 6 Audio Outp ut 73 Audio Settings 73 volume 73 audio/video sy nc 64, 99, 163 Auth Passphrase 81 auto play 75 B basic configuratio[...]

184 Index diagnostic logs 67, 82, 116 Diagnostics 60 general 61 logging 65 playback 64 video 62 dimensions 181 direct file access updating 113 directories 88 disk underflow 64 display parameters, sett ing 170 DNS name 24 Dolby Digital 19, 162 DTDs 117 DVMPEG 21 E elementary stream 19 encoding 19, 162 bit rates 19, 20, 62, 163 Dolby Digital 19 MPEG [...]

185 Index updating order 107 FTP Auto-Update Settings 87, 96 directory 88 fixed update interv al 88 FTP update now 88 password 87 site ID 69 update interv al 88 username 87 G gateway 79 General Settings 69 time zone 70 GIF, animated 178 GOP 20 graphic overlays 35 adding 37 fade in rate 41 fade out rate 41 key color 40 positioning 41 previewing 32 p[...]

186 Index WebView 65 log format 83, 117 logging 115 diagnostic logs 67, 82, 116 log default playlist 83 log format 83 max log MBs 84 run logs 65, 82, 116 upload logs 84 WebView 65 Logging Settings 82 diagnostic log 82 log default playlist 83, 1 17 log format 83, 117 max log MBs 84, 117 run log 82 upload logs 84 Login 23 M manual u pdating 112 max l[...]

187 Index gateway 79 host name 77 IP address 78 mode 78 netmask 79 proxy address 80 proxy type 79, 80 Networking 101, 134 Networking Commands 13 4 NTSC 20, 71, 166 null modem cable 7 O output audio 181 video 181 P package mode 109 PAL 20, 71, 166 parameters display 170 parity 76 parsing routine 107 Password 23, 25 pause 59 play 59 play button 45 Pl[...]

188 Index S S/PDIF 6 saving locally 53 Schedule Editor 46 exiting 58 schedules 46 adding events 48 creating 47 deleting events 50 editing events 50 new 47 saving 52 script last mode 110 Scrolling Text 42 scrolling text MZ 177 scrolling text zones 174 Security Name 81 serial port configuring Firefly 7 shuffle 37 Simple Network Management Protocol 80[...]

189 Index networkin g 181 temperature range 181 test files 16 1 time codes 63, 162 time zone 70 tips Firefly MZ 177 transfer order 97, 111 transparency animated GIF 178 transparency level 40, 43 Troubleshooting 161 U unbalanced audio 6 Update 30 update software 17 update interval 88 updating direct file access 113 FTP 103 manual 112 multicast 108 s[...]

190 Index uploading 29 username 25 Video Dates Edito r 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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