Focus 3.2 manual

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 ta tes and other countries. All other product s, services or comp any nam es mentioned her ein are claimed as trademarks and tra de names by their respective companies. © Focus Enhancements (formerly V i sual Circuits) , 1999-2004. Al[...]

i Firefly Safety Requirement s IMPORT ANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS: The following safety instructions apply to the V isual Cir cuits Firefly: 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 h igh voltage points or othe r ris[...]

ii POWER AND GROUND REQUIREMENTS: Determine that the cumulative pow er requirements of the Firefly plus other equipment in th e rack do not overload the supply circuit s and/or wiring. CA UTION If using a power str ip or similar supply , make sure the power requiremen ts of the chassis, plus the cumulative po wer draw of any other equi pment in the[...]

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 an d found to comply with the limits for a Clas s A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 (EN6 1000-3- 2) of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable p rotection aga inst harmfu l interferen ce[...]

iv Operat ion is subje ct to the following two co nditions: 1. This device may not cause harmful interference. 2. This device must accept any interference that may cause undesired operation. Industry Canada This Clas s A digital apparatus me ets all requirem ents of the Canadian Interfer ence-Causing Equipment Reg ulations. Cet app areil numerique [...]

v Class A W arning (EN55024, EN55022) In a domestic environment this p roduct may cause radio interference in which case the user may be required to t ake adequate measu res. W ARNING Failure to prov ide adequate surg e protection may cause dama ge to the Firefly . Visual Circuits does not warranty damage caused by electrical surges to the syst em [...]

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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, Previewin g and Deleting Firefly Media . . . . . . . . . . 31 Reviewing Media and Storage Usage on the Firefl y . . . . . 31 Previewing Vi deos and Graphic Overl ays on the Firefly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Deleting Media from the Firefly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Using the [...]

ix Contents USB Devices Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 USB Network Sett ings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Multicast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Advanced Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Net[...]

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 elcome to Fir efly SC ™ 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 ident[...]

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. Befor e Y ou S tart, Y ou W ill Need Have the following items ready be fore installing the Firefl y MZ Media Player . • BNC V ideo cables • IP and FTP Information IP Addressing Mode (S tatic or[...]

Quick S tart Plug an d Play 4 Installation Sequence 1. Install Firefly on network. a. Connect you r video 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 ba ck of the Firefly and plug it in to your power source.[...]

Quick S tart Plug and Play 5 Inst all the Firefly 1. Attach the video cables to the Firefly . ❏ For Composite monitors: Connect a BNC-ended composite cable (not inc luded ) to the composite connector on the back of the Firefly . ❏ For S-V i deo monitors: Con nect a BNC-ended Y s-vi deo cable (not includ ed) to the corresponding chroma (C) and l[...]

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

Quick S tart Plug and Play 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 the media p layer . Contact the Network Administrator fo r the correct network configuration information, Attaching a Laptop or PC Before b eginning, verify [...]

Quick S tart Plug an d Play 8 Changing TCP/IP Settings Firefly default TCP/IP settings: S tatic IP Address: 10.0.1 .1 Login (case sensit ive): firefly Password: 123456 There are two methods for initially changi ng the Firefly TCP/IP settings: W ebV iew and serial commands. W ebV iew via Ethernet Port WebView is a browser-based, administration t ool[...]

Quick S tart Plug and Play 9 Restarting the Firefly is only necessary when updating the netwo rk settings in a D HCP environm ent, i. e. going from S tatic to DHCP mode, changing the Host Name, and so on. . External Contro l Commands External control commands require that the c omputer has an ASCII generating control progra m, su ch as Hyper Termin[...]

Quick S tart Plug an d Play 10 Inst all Media Messenger Install Visual Circuit’s Media Messenger software from the Media Messenger C D by follow ing the online screens an d prompts . Refer to the Media Messenger User Manual for details. Whenever the installation seque nce requests the Company Name or Registration Key , enter the name and key prec[...]

Quick S tart Plug and Play 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 lay[...]

Quick S tart Plug an d Play 12 Configuring the Fir efly 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 provid es the IP Address and Hostname of the FTP server . b. Directory Name of the directory where the files go. c. FTP U[...]

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

Quick S tart Plug an d Play 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 Play 15 6. Select the Upload Option: a. a specific play er , b. a group of players, c. all players, 7. Click Begin Update b u tton. When the upload completes, clo se the Up date Control window . The Firefly MZ loads immediately and begins playin g back the playlist. If using a schedule, the pl ayback begins at the appropriate [...]

Quick S tart Plug an d Play 16 V ia CD/DVD Another method of transporting pl aylists, schedules, and media files is to create a media update disc.This process crea tes the content image of an autorun disc (CD/DVD). Media Messenge r does not burn a CD or DVD. It prepa r es the necessary files so that when they are burned on to a disc, an autorun app[...]

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

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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 Recommend ations , 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 480 or 704 X 480 in NTSC; 704 X 576 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 pl ay back test files using [...]

Encoding Requir em ents and Recomm endations 21 7. When enco ding files, anno tate 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 veri fy audio levels of later encoding sessions. It is desirable to maintain a bas eline audio level across all files of a presentation whethe[...]

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23 W EB V IEW The WebView interface allows you to access a Firefly over a network using only a conv entional web browser. No special software is required. WebView is compatible with Microsoft Internet Explorer ™ 5.5 and h igher. While WebView may work with other web browsers, Visual Circuits cannot guarantee full compatibility. Accessing the W eb[...]

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 brows er computer, you will need to know the IP address or DNS name (if your network has a DNS server) of the Firefly. Using DHCP , you should also be able to u se 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 d efault password “123 456”. If you h ave not yet changed tho se defaults, you shou ld enter them at this time. Otherwise, if yo u have already created a new user name and password, enter them now . Keep [...]

W EB V IEW 26 Using the W ebV iew Interface Once you h ave logged on to the WebVie w Interface, you r 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 buttons used to access different pages in the WebView interface. A t the top is a link to download the F[...]

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 Med ia 6 boxes. Figur e 2. Media T r ansfer Page If you close or select another we b page during a medi[...]

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 th e right of the box you wish to fill in . This will bring up a window that allows you to search your hard drive(s) and netwo rk for the desired file. Figur e 3. Browse for Files W indow After you have selected all the[...]

W EB V IEW 29 When WebView begins tra nsferring the se lected 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 t ake several minutes depend ing on the size [...]

W EB V IEW 30 W ebview Software Update To update yo ur Firefly using the Media Transfer-Firefly Update method, simply browse your PC for the .upd file you may ha ve 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 [...]

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 Fire fly, preview video and graphic overlay media on the Firefly an d delete media from t he Firefly. Figur e 6. Media Review Page (V ideo) Reviewing Media and S torage Usage on the Firefly [...]

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 por tion of the Media Review window. Previewing V ideos and Graphic Overlays on the Fir efly Within the Media Review page, you will be able to view basic previews (th[...]

W EB V IEW 33 Figur e 7. Media Review Page (Graphic Overlay) Deleting Media fr om the Fire fly 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 Figur e 8. Media Review Page (Deleting Multiple Files) WARNING Y ou may delete any or all media files from the Firefly in this fashi on. This includes files that may be in use by the current pl aylist. If you delete a file that is currently playing, it will be allowed to finish playing befo re the file is ac tually re moved. The next [...]

W EB V IEW 35 Using the Playlist Editor Within the Playlist Editor, you will be able to arrang e videos o n the Firefly into a playlist. A playlist is essentially a group of videos arranged in a particular playback sequen ce. A playlist can be use d for immediate playback or saved on the Firefly for fu ture playback. In addition, within the Playlis[...]

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

W EB V IEW 37 Moving V ideos Within a Playlist While you are creating or modifying a playlist, yo u may find yourself wantin g to modify the ord er of the videos. To move a video up (towards the beginnin g) 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 with[...]

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 the button to add the graph ic overlay . The graphic[...]

W EB V IEW 39 W orking W i th Graphic Overlays in a Playlist As previously not ed, graphic ov erlays exist in a playlist as attributes of sp ecific video entri es. The only image types that are compatible with Firefly are .b mp, .jpg, .gif, .tga or .png. Figur e 10. Graphic Overlay Properties Pa ge While copying .jpg, .gif, .tga, .png or non 256-co[...]

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 w ithin the Gr aphic Overlay Properti es page). 1. Select the video y ou would like the graphic overlay to be associated with and then click on the button to display the G[...]

W EB V IEW 41 5. If desired, adjust the rat e (in 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 Scr olling T ext 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 i s always linked to a particular video. Where adding a video creates a new line at the end of the playlist, adding scrol [...]

W EB V IEW 43 W orking W i th Scr olling T ext in a Playlist As previously noted, scrolling text exist in a playlist as attributes of specific video entries. Figur e 1 1. Scrolling T e xt Properties Page The process for altering the characteri stics of a specific text file is as follows. Select the video you would like t he scrolling text to be ass[...]

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 feature only works with 8 bit bitmap graphics less than or equal to 720x4 80 resolution. Saving a Playlist Once you have finished editing a playlist, you may save chan[...]

W EB V IEW 45 Playing a Playlist Quickly If you are browsing thro ugh your playlists and find on e you 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 th e “Play” button will over write the original playlist file using the same file name and[...]

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 Editor. 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 event is composed of a single playlist with adjustable p[...]

W EB V IEW 47 Cr eating 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 b y 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 [...]

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 m enu. b. S tart Time: Set the specific start time for the playlist using the number keys on you r keyb[...]

W EB V IEW 49 Figur e 14. Days of the W eek Dialog Box Click on which da ys of the 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, click the Reset button. When you are done making any de[...]

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 Figur e 15. Days of the W eek Dialog Box Click on which da ys of the 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, click the Reset button. When you done making any d esir[...]

W EB V IEW 52 2. Once you have finished editing the schedule, you may save your changes by following the Saving a Schedule instruct ions 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 t[...]

W EB V IEW 53 Additional Saving and Loading Methods Beyond the stan dard saving and loadin g 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 local comp uter or network (example s: hard drive, flopp[...]

W EB V IEW 54 Figur e 18. Save As Local Dialog Box 3. T ype in your desired name for the sch edule file and click the “Save” butto n. When saving a schedule locally , you must add the schedule file extension “.fsc” to the en d of all file names. Once saved, you will be returned to the Schedule Editor main screen. Load Loc al: The Load Local[...]

W EB V IEW 55 Figur e 19. Load Local Browse Dialog Box 2. Click the “Browse” button. The following Choose File dialog box will appear: Figur e 20. Load Local Save As Dialog Box 3. Locate your desired schedule file (.fsc). Once found, high light it and click the “Open” button. 4. The field will be p opulated with your desi red schedule fi le[...]

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 i deo 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 [...]

W EB V IEW 57 Depending on your ap plication, 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 Vide o Dates Editor. Ta b l e 2 . Vide o Date Rule 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. Th e V ideo Dates Edito r 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 ide[...]

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 Play, Pause and Stop the currently playing file (display ed 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[...]

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 you over the ph one in the event that you are experiencing problems. The Diagnostics p[...]

W EB V IEW 61 Figur e 23. Diagnostics - General Page Diagnostics - General Player version :Disp lays 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 curren[...]

W EB V IEW 62 Figur e 24. Diagnostics - V ideo Page Diagnostics - V i deo 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 :Defines the Video Bitrate or data rate of the currently playing MPEG [...]

W EB V IEW 63 Timeco de :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 - pro gram stream, mpg1v - mpeg1 video only, mpg2v - mpeg2 video only, mpg1a - audio only, [...]

W EB V IEW 64 Figur e 25. Diagnostics - Playback Page Diagnostics - Playback Interrupts :Displays the number of in terrupts that have bee n received from the MPEG decoder. AV Syncs :Displays the number of times the audio or video streams had to be adjusted t o maintain proper synchr onization. (It is not uncommon for this to be a high nu mber as th[...]

W EB V IEW 65 Audio Data :Displ ays the amount of da ta currently in the MP EG decoder’s audio data buffer. Raw Data : Bytes of MPEG data in RAM. Disk Underflow :Displays the nu mber of disk unde rflows that have occurred. A disk underflow occurs when the Firefly is unable to get the data off th e disk fast enough to keep the di sk buffers from b[...]

W EB V IEW 66 Figur e 26. Diagnostics - Loggin g Page (Run log) Once in the Run logfile viewer , th e video playback data will be listed with one v ideo per line and wil l be sorted by playback time (using Firefly’ s internal 24-hour clock). Y ou may move to the previous or next pages b y clicking on the respective <<Pr ev or Next>> l[...]

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 include: ❏ 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 Figur e 27. Diagnostics - Lo gging Page (Diagnos tic log) Once in the Diagnosti c logfi le 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 b y clicking on the respective <<Pr ev or Next[...]

W EB V IEW 69 System Settings Within the System Settings me nu, the following options are availab le: General Settings Figur e 28. Settings-General Site ID The Site ID uniquely identifies th e Firefly as it updates via FTP. It is also used for Media Messenger software to enable automated management of co ntent, playlists & schedu le updates. Da[...]

W EB V IEW 70 Ti me Zone Allows you to select the appropriate time zone (measured in hours and minutes plus or minus Green wich Mean Time) for where 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 i[...]

W EB V IEW 71 V i deo Settings Figur e 29. Settings-V ideo Channel 1 Video 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 typ e. ❏ 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 Video Out Selects the type of video ou tput: Composite/S-video or Component. Composite and S-Video signals can be used simultan eously.[...]

W EB V IEW 73 Audio Settings Figur e 30. Settings-Audio Vo l u m e This setting allows you to set th e volume level for audio pl ayed back on the Firefly. The default volume setting is 10 on the 0 -20 scale. Audio Output Firefly gives you sev eral audio output op tions depending o n the configuration you use (see Table 3 on page 74 ). Standard MPEG[...]

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). Confi g MPEG A udio T ype Fire fly A udio Settin g : Digi tal Out p ut Stereo A nalo g Out p ut? 1 MPEG Layer 2 Stereo Audio Do lby D igital S/P DIF Ye s 2 MPEG Layer 2 Ster[...]

W EB V IEW 75 Contro l Settings Figur e 31. Settings-Control Accept TCP/IP In conjunction with RS232 serial co mmunication, TCP/IP allows the user to remotely operate th e Firefly by sending operation commands through a network or locally using an ext ernal PC or show controller (see External Control Commands on page 119 ). Accept UDP Select to use[...]

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

W EB V IEW 77 Network Settings Figur e 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 Host Configuration Protoc ol) - A TCP/IP service protocol that offers dyn amic leased configuration of host IP addresses and distributes other configuration parameters to eligible network clients. DHCP provides safe, reliable, and simple TCP/IP network configuration, prevents address conflicts, and h elps conserve t[...]

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 a ddresses 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 Netmas k informati on for the system(s) that will be able to monitor and co ntrol the Firefly. So for the individual example above y ou would set, (Ex. 1- 255.255.255 .255) and for the range exampl e above (Ex. 2- 2 55.255.255 .0). Commun ity The SNMP Community name defin es the relationship between an SNMP[...]

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

W EB V IEW 83 ❏ Sto rage 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 a ll missing media referenced by an active playlis t or schedule, including date, time and file element. ❏ Error Summary data: Record s important user pl[...]

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 Figur e 34. Settings-Logging We bVi ew Enable This feature gives the user access to Firefly over a network using a conventional web browser (see WebView on page 23 ). File Acce ss Enable/Disable - Accesses the Firefl y directly with an FTP client. Username Enter at least 6 (but no more than 15) alphanumeric characte[...]

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 use r name and password from their original default values for system security .[...]

W EB V IEW 87 FTP Auto-Update Settings Figur e 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 conti nue to show a blank value, and FTP will use port 21. Once you enter a value for the port and save, you[...]

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 Figur e 36. Settings-HTTP Auto 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, th is field will continu e to show a blank value, and HTTP will use po rt 80. Once you enter a value for the po rt and save, yo[...]

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 fi xed time. Fixed Up date Ti me Allows you to set an actual fixed time (on an hourly basi s) 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 t[...]

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

W EB V IEW 92 USB Devices Settings Figur e 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 handles URL name [...]

W EB V IEW 93 Gateway A service that allows Firefly to connect to other se rvers. Creating a gateway also allows client comput ers running only Microsoft client software to access serve r resources through the gateway. See your Network Administrator fo r further information. Connect T ype ❏ Disabled ❏ On Dema nd ❏ Use Fixed T im e Connect T i[...]

W EB V IEW 94 USB Network Settings Figur e 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 internetwork 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 a ddresses 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 Figur e 40. Settings-Multicast Multicasting is an optio nal feature enabled by a software upgrade. If your Firefly does not have the optiona l Multicasting feature (menu items are “grayed out”) and your application requires it, contact a Visual Circuit s representative at 1-800-250-5533. Client Select the name of the con[...]

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 Chann els 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 amou nt of Firefly’s int e rnal storage space for receiving a multicast updat e. To de termine this value, you will need to estimate the larg est multicast update you will ever receive (example: 1000 MBs). Th en, double that amo unt (example: 1000 MBs x 2 = 2000 MBs) to allow room for both[...]

W EB V IEW 99 Advanced Settings Figur e 41. Settings-Advanced Audio/V ideo Sync Turns audio/vi deo synchroniza tion on and off. Turning the audio to video sync hronization or “lip sy nc” off, some times eliminates stuttering video playb ack. This may however result in poor au dio to video synchroni zation. Consult with a Visual Circuits represe[...]

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 channels from the original playlist. Reset S t at s Allows you to reset the basic system statistics (number of Watchdog Restarts and Syste m Starts) as vi ewable[...]

101 N ETWORKING Overview Firefly players can be deployed as a network of media playback nodes. Because Firefly can be p laced on a network, standard network setup (i.e. establishing a Username, IP configuration, etc.) is fully supported. Fire fly comes 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 c reates a simple, yet powerful, end-to-end solution for the dist ribution and utilization of high- quality digital media. Pr oduct Featur es: ❏ W indows XP/2000 compatible ❏ Firefly Network Manager - fo[...]

103 U P DATING V IDEO P LAYBACK Firefly players can be up dated in a variety of wa ys using 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 FTP of any new media, playlists,[...]

Updating V ideo Pla yback 104 (LAN). Often LAN connections have access to the internet, but be sure to check with a ne tworking specialist for information on setting up an account if internet a ccess is required to reach the FTP server. Often internet acces s from a LAN requires the use of a proxy server and fire wall permissions. Although ther e a[...]

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 s erviced and maintained. What is crucial is th e quality assurance and review of the videos. This review of videos and scripts is critical prior to posting for update to make sure that the intended res[...]

Updating V ideo Pla yback 106 FTP Update Pr ocess When an FTP update is initiated on the Firefly , either by selecting Update Now or by a regular update 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 di[...]

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 Pla yback 108 System Update Check After Firefly has finished its update ro utine it will search the /updates directory under the ho me directory of the F TP 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 [...]

Updating V ideo Playback 109 Overview Each Firefly on yo ur network must have a uniqu e serial number. This serial number will be used to identify the individual Firefly during a multicast update to ensure that the proper media goes to the correct player. Within Firefly multicasting, two multicast modes are available: Package Mode and Script Last M[...]

Updating V ideo Pla yback 110 Script Last Mode: In Script Last Mode, individ ual 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 accessibl e via either the remote control, WebView or Front Panel interfaces. Client Enabl e: Allows option to enable or disable the multicast client . Note that if you make change s to other Multicast settings, you must also toggl[...]

Updating V ideo Pla yback 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 compu ter and/or n etwork to the Firef ly . See T ransferring Media on pa ge 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[...]

Updating V ideo Playback 113 Dir ect File Access Updating Direct File Access (enabled in “W eb” screen within Firefly System Settings) can be used to update t he Firefly directly with an FTP client. Programs such as FlashFXP (see desc ription below) may be used. Figur e 1. Example of Direct File Access Using FlashFXP Direct File Access is a pow[...]

Updating V ideo Pla yback 114 Some of the options av ailable to you include: ❏ V iewing the conten ts of your Firefly . ❏ Deleting files from your Firefly . ❏ Downloading files from y our Firefly to your PC or network . ❏ Uploading files from your PC or ne twork drive t o the Firefly . W ARNING While using an FTP client, keep in mind that y[...]

115 L OG F ILE R EPORTING Overview The logging of playb ack verification data, as well as d iagnostic data, provides for easier and more p owerful management of a Firefly Media Player network. There are two types of data logs ava ilable on the Firefly: run logs and diagnostic logs. Yo u can enable or disable these capturing of these logs in any com[...]

Log File Reporting 116 Run Logs The run log prov ides a record of which vid eos 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 play[...]

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 forma t run log: 12-07-02 20:30: 07,1,05saturn.mpg,3_ser220.BM P,1,00:01: 01,100 Sample from a .XML forma t run log: <mpeg datetime=”12-07-02 2 0:32:57” 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 FTP 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 Comm ands 120 Basic Hyper T erminal Setup You will need a PC with Hyper Terminal (all Windows machines contain this unde r “Start/Progr ams/Accessorie s/Commuications”) and a null mo dem cable (female 9 pin ‘D” to female 9 pin D - RS- 232 cable). Connect cable and start Hyper Terminal. Select Serial Port 1 & 9600BPS. H[...]

External Contr ol Commands 121 VCC Control Commands: Filenames and External Commands When using external commands to handle fil es, it is necessary for those files to have names without, i.e . sales_video.mpg not sales vi deo.mpg. One convention is to use underscores in place of spaces. Playlist Playback Comman ds Playlistload This command allows y[...]

External Contr ol Comm ands 122 Playlistplay This command initiates playback as soon as the files are fully queued up and loaded. There may be a slight delay between this command and playback. The Playlistplay and Playlistload co mmands behave the same except Playlistplay starts playback automatically, where as Playlistload only loads up the playli[...]

External Contr ol Commands 123 Playing Individual Files To accurately contro l the playback of individ ual videos, th e following commands are us ed: The channel parameter is required for certain commands. These same External Control Command parameters are also used i n Visual Circuits multi-channel products. The default channel fo r the Firefly-SC[...]

External Contr ol Comm ands 124 mpgLoadNext This command queues an MPEG file to play when the current video file finishes. This file will play once. Synt ax mpgLoadNex t 0 channel videon ame Parameter s channel The channel on the Firefly (0) videoname The full path and video name of th e MPEG file to load. (See description for mpgLoad.) Return V al[...]

External Contr ol Commands 125 mpgLoadNextDef This command queues an MPEG file to play when the current video file finishes . This comma nd adds file to a looping playlist. Synt ax mpgLoadNex tdef 0 channel videon ame Parameter s channel The channel on the Firefly (0) videoname The full path and video name of th e MPEG file to load. (See descriptio[...]

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

External Contr ol 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 Parameter s None Return V alues This command returns ACK to indicate that playback was started successfully, or NAK to indicate that[...]

External Contr ol Comm ands 128 mpgBlack This command covers MPEG vide o on a channel, causing the corresponding v ideo displays to go “black .” Note: This black may not be recognized by all d i splays as a true video si gnal. To cover the video again, use the mpgUnblack command. Synt ax mpgBlack 0 channel Parameter s channel The channel on the[...]

External Contr ol 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 Parameter s channel The channel on the Firefly (0) Return V alues This command returns ACK if mpgUnblack was started successfully, or NAK if mpgU[...]

External Contr ol Comm ands 130 Using Serial Commands T o Cr eate Playlists You can creat e a playlist “on the fly” with the mpgLoadDef and mpgLoadN extDef comm ands. These two c ommands a re 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. ❏ ca[...]

External Contr ol 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 comp[...]

External Contr ol Comm ands 132 Callback Commands mpgCallback Turns on/off callback (play complete). Synt ax mpgCallbac k on Parameter s 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 c ontroller ov er the serial port. This string has the following format[...]

External Contr ol Commands 133 Audio and V ideo Setting Changes mpgSetV olumeLef tRight 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. mpgSetVolu meLeftRig ht 0 channel leftVol[...]

External Contr ol Comm ands 134 Networking Commands FireflySetDefault This command sets the ne tworking back 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 fireflyset default Parameter s None Remarks This command is [...]

External Contr ol Commands 135 FireflySetGateway The FireflySetGateway command will allow you to change the players network Gateway. Syntax fireflyset gateway gateway Parameter s 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 se rv[...]

External Contr ol Comm ands 136 FireflySetW e b_Enable The FireflySetWeb_Enable command gives the user the option to turn on & off network co mmunication to Webview. Syntax fireflyset web_enabl e 0 (enable) or 1 (dis able) FireflyGetIpAdd r The FireflyGetIpAddr command retrieves current setting. Syntax fireflyget IpAddr FireflyGetGateway The Fi[...]

External Contr ol Commands 137 FireflyGetW e b_Enable The FireflyGetWeb_Enable command retrieves current setting. Syntax fireflyget web_enabl e Remarks 0 = Enabled 1 = Disabled[...]

External Contr ol Comm ands 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 Parameter s name The full name of the media file (vid eo or graphic overlay) to remove. The list of all media can be obtai ned[...]

External Contr ol Commands 139 Information Calls infoGetFile Synt ax infoGetFil e 0 channel Returns the file playing the channel. Parameter s channel The channel on the Firefly (0) infoGetPlaylist Synt ax infoGetPla ylist 0 channel Returns the current playlist. Parameter s channel The channel on the Firefly (0) infoGetSchedule Synt ax infoGetSch ed[...]

External Contr ol Comm ands 140 infoGetS t ate Synt ax infoGetSta te 0 channel Returns the current playback state of t he player. Parameter s channel The channel on the Firefly (0) Return V alues “STATE_PLAY”, “STATE_STOP”, “STATE_PAUS E”, “STATE_REW ”, “STATE_FF” ,[...]

External Contr ol Commands 141 LDV Control Commands Intr oduction 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 Comm ands 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 communicati ons, “LDV” must be selected in the Command Mode under System Settings.”VC C” is set for factory default. Err or Codes If Firefly acknowledges a command, the[...]

External Contr ol Commands 143 Command Syntax All commands shown in this section will be upper case. The re are no spaces in the command argument itself. However, between commands there will be spaces. A sequenc e such as <command 1>(space)< command 2>(space)< command 3>(space) <command 4><CR> would ind icate four sepa[...]

External Contr ol Comm ands 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 Extern[...]

External Contr ol 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 Comm ands 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 pla yer). Format: RJ<CR> Response: R<CR> Examples: RJ<CR> Stops playback and resets playback pointers to head of playlist.[...]

External Contr ol Commands 147 Pause (P A) Command: Pauses the current file po sition and b lacks 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[...]

External Contr ol Comm ands 148 S till (ST) Command: Pauses the current file po sition and f reezes 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 b lack, the current video frame is held on screen. If an ST comma nd is received afte r a PA the e[...]

External Contr ol 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 [...]

External Contr ol Comm ands 150 Multi-T rack Jump Forward (JF) Command: Jumps forward in the current MPEG file or playlist by the amo unt specified in the <address> argument. Format: <address>JF<C R> Response: R<CR> Explanation: The Jump Forward command is similar to the search c ommand accept that the address argument is in[...]

External Contr ol 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 inte[...]

External Contr ol Comm ands 152 Display Control (DS) Command: Turns the on screen sta tus display 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 except the bord er box around the edge of the picture are included. A value of 0 for x will turn on the[...]

External Contr ol Commands 153 Frame Numb er Request (?F) Command: Requests the file position in the current MP EG file in frame number format. Format: ?F<CR> Response: <framenumber><CR> Examples: Command Response 0@?F <CR> 02045 <CR>[...]

External Contr ol Comm ands 154 T ime Code Request (?T) Command: Requests the file position in the current MP EG 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 Re[...]

External Contr ol 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 Comm ands 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 image fr[...]

External Contr ol 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 <C[...]

External Contr ol Comm ands 158 Load Playlist/Schedule (LD) Command: Loads a playlist/schedule. Format: “<filename>”L D<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 Contr ol 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 ire flySetDefault f ireflySetIP Addr f ir eflySetGateway f iref lySetNetmask f ir eflySetNetworkT [...]

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 pl ugging 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 o ubleshoot ing 162 "Latent Images" or "Fla shing" During Playback 1. Incorr ect timecodes or impr operly closed encoding ses sion . 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" fra[...]

T r oubleshooting 163 3. The bit rate of the MPEG files being played exceed the system capabilities: The V isual Circuit MPEG decoder boards and digital servers all have a maximum sus tained bit rate that can be delivered. Refer to the syst em capabilities above for basic information. Consult yo ur V isual Circuits representati ve prior to encoding[...]

T r o ubleshoot ing 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 tim e codes ar e not recognized pr operly Some SMPTE tracks loose inform ation during compression and may not "trigger" events as required . It is recommended to [...]

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

T r o ubleshoot ing 166 Preventing Cabling and Connection Problems The suggestions listed below prov ide basic tips for preventing or minimizing proble ms related 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 us[...]

167 F IREFLY M ULTI -Z ONE ™ (MZ) Inst alling the MZ V ideo Output For best qualit y video out put and for out put 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-Vide O[...]

Fir efly Multi-Zo ne ™ (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 dynamic video and scrolling text in a simultaneous display. The Layout Editor does this by dividi ng the screen in[...]

Fir efly Multi-Zo ne ™ (MZ) 169 Sof tware Up date The MZ handles software updat es in the same ma nner 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 Firefl y SC or MZ during an update.[...]

Fir efly Multi-Zo ne ™ (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-Zo ne ™ (MZ) 171 3. Select the New Layout , give 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 ideo R esolution and choose the appropriate video standard. 6. Save. Cr eating a MZ (multi-zone) Layout Go to the Layout Editor workspace: Aut[...]

Fir efly Multi-Zo ne ™ (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 Zon es Video Zone The Layout must have a video zone with a video file to functio n. There is only one video zone in a layout. Scrolling T ext Zone There is only one scrolling text zone per l[...]

Fir efly Multi-Zo ne ™ (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 Pan e Scheduling Pane Schedule Menu Playlist Me nu Playlist Pane[...]

Fir efly Multi-Zo ne ™ (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 zo ne, use the file browser or , if the file is already resident on the Fire fly MZ Media Player , enter the filename with its ex tensio[...]

Fir efly Multi-Zo ne ™ (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 t he Playlist Editor workspace. Refer to the Media Messenge r He lp for more information about pl[...]

Fir efly Multi-Zo ne ™ (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 [...]

Fir efly Multi-Zo ne ™ (MZ) 177 Firefly MZ T ip s 1. A layout ha s only one V ideo and on e Scrolling T ext zone. 2. A layout ca n have unlimited grap hics zones 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-Zo ne ™ (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-Zo ne ™ (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).[...]

180[...]

181 T ECHNICAL S PECIFICATIONS Option Description Basic Configuration 40GB HDD storage NTSC, P AL Decodes all 18 A TSC form ats up to 1920x1080p 4:3, or 16.9 aspect ratios Composite, Component (P bPrY), S-video 32-bit OSD; 256-level tr ansparency 32-bit high-resolution accelerated gra phics Video Ou tput Composite, S-video , Component Audio Output [...]

182[...]

183 I NDEX A Advanced Settings 99 audio/vide o sync 99 merge playlists 99 animated GIF files 178 audio cabling 166 Dolby Digi tal 19, 162 line-level 4 multiplexin g 21 output 181 S/PDIF 6 stream 21 test t ones 21 unbalanced 6 Audio Ou tput 73 Audio Setting s 73 volume 73 audio/vide o sync 64, 99, 163 Auth Passphrase 81 auto play 75 B basic confi gu[...]

184 Index diagnosti c logs 67, 82, 116 Diagnostics 60 general 61 logging 65 playback 64 video 62 dimensi ons 181 direct file access updating 113 directories 88 disk underflow 64 display param eters, setting 170 DNS name 24 Dolby Digi tal 19, 162 DTDs 117 DVMPEG 21 E elementary stream 19 encoding 19, 162 bit rates 19, 20, 62, 163 Dolby Digi tal 19 M[...]

185 Index updating order 107 FTP Auto-Update Settings 87, 96 directory 88 fixed update in terval 88 FTP update now 88 passwor d 87 site ID 69 update in terval 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 [...]

186 Index WebView 65 log format 83, 117 logging 115 diagnosti c logs 67, 82, 1 16 log default playlist 83 log format 83 max log MBs 84 run logs 65, 82, 116 upload logs 84 WebView 65 Logging Setting s 82 diagnostic log 82 log default playlist 83 , 117 log format 83, 117 max log MBs 84, 117 run log 82 upload logs 84 Login 23 M manual updating 112 max[...]

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 Comman ds 134 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 Protoc ol 8[...]

189 Index network ing 18 1 temperature range 181 test file s 161 time codes 63, 162 time zone 70 tips Firefly MZ 17 7 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[...]

190 Index uploading 29 username 25 Video Dates Editor 56 WebView Sett ings 85 file access 85 passwor d 86 username 85 WebView 85 weight 181 Z zone video, default 174 zones graphic 17 4 scrolling text 174[...]

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813-0049c © 2004 Fo cus Enhancements[...]