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IAdea Scala-enabled Media AppliancesSetup GuideDecember 21, 2009 Document Revision 2.0IAdea CorporationTable of Contents1.Introduction . 21.1.2.3.4.Latest Versions . 2System set up . 33.1.Create a new Bridge Server in Content Manager . 33.2.Create a player in Content Manager. 33.3.Set up Bridge Server. 63.4.Connect players. 7Operation . 93.1.Player health status . 93.2.Updating player firmware . 93.3.Stand-by Page (for SD player only) . 93.4.Remote Log-in Security . 10Advanced Configuration . 114.1.Multiple Bridge Servers. 114.2.Configuring Multiple Bridge Servers . 114.3.Performance Tuning for Bridge Server . 124.4.Support for multi-network servers . 135.Frequently Asked Questions about IAdea Scala-enabled Appliances. 146.Appendix: Configuring IAdea HD/Photo Frame Media Appliance . 167.Appendix: Configuring IAdea SD Media Appliance . 178.Appendix: To reset player in the case of forgotten passwords . 199.Appendix: Looking up the player’s IP address . 211

1. IntroductionThis Guide contains instructions to set up, operate, and customize set ups with IAdea media appliancesand Scala Content Manager 5 Release 5.1.1. Latest VersionsInformation in this guide is applicable to these firmware/software versions. Please update if necessary: From IAdea and Partners, one of the following media appliance hardware:TypeFirmware versionIAdea SD Playerv 1.5.7.7rIAdea HD Playerv 1.3.2IAdea Digital Signboard (Photo Frame-type Player)v 1.3.6Scala Certified Partners may download the latest firmware updates at http://SCP.IAdea.com From Scala:Software/LicenseMinimum versionScala Content Manager 5 Release 5Release 5IAdea Scala Bridge Server1.5One or more IAdea Player licenses (SD, HD, or Photoframe)-2

2. System set upThis guide assumes that you have the latest Scala Content Manager 5 Release 5 (or later) installed andrunning on your network. Use a web browser to log in to your administration account and perform thefollowing customized set up.3.1. Create a new Bridge Server in Content ManagerCREATE a new Bridge Server by selecting Network Distribution. Click on the New Bridge Server (IAdea)button as highlighted in yellow:3.2. Create a player in Content Manager1. CREATE a new player by selecting Network Players. Click on the New button as highlighted inyellow3

2. Select a Player Device Type and click Next:3. In Properties tab, NAME the player and SELECT a content channel.NOTE: You should create a channel per Scala Content Manager instructions. The contents must becompatible with the player type. See each player’s documentation for compatibility information.4

4. In Configuration tab SELECT a corresponding Bridge Server.NOTE: Take particular care when operating multiple Bridge Servers5. CLICK Save to complete setup and return to player list.6. In the player list, CLICK Synchronize Now on each player to finish Adding Player. IMPORTANT: DONOT skip this last step! Unless you assign and synchronize the channel, the Channels column willindicate Not assigned , and you won’t be able to connect the player.This completes the player set up in Content Manager. You will also need to set up the Bridge Serverand connect each player to the Bridge Server (in the following sections) before you see a playerheart beat in Content Manager5

3.3. Set up Bridge Server1. Download and INSTALL the IAdea Bridge Server. If you are installing the Bridge Server on adifferent machine as Scala Content Manager, you may need to download and install ApacheTomcat.If Installing Over an Existing Bridge ServerBefore reinstalling or updating a Bridge Server, first:1. REMOVE all completed Maintenance Jobs in theContent Manager queue. Any job left in the queuewill be re-run after a new Bridge Server isinstalled.2. SYNCHRONIZE all IAdea players using ContentManager. Any player not synchronized within 7days before Bridge Server installation will displaythe blank screen after installation.2. After Bridge Server installation, you will be redirected to the Bridge Server web page in your webbrowser automatically.3. If there is only one IAdea Bridge Server in your Content Manager, you may skip this step. If there is more than one Bridge Server registered, SELECT the ones you would like to associatewith this physical server in Bridge Server association (under Server Configuration).6

3.4. Connect players1. SET the Server URL to point to your Bridge Server location (http://server:port/BridgeServer) ineach IAdea player. for IAdea SD Appliances: Enter player’s IP in your browser and set “Central Server” URL in theweb-based UI for IAdea HD and Photo frame Appliances: Use the USB keyboard to set “Content Source”Server URL in the menu UI(for more details regarding these operations, refer to the Appendix or each player’s manuals)2. You should now see the four-digit codes on each player/screen.92653. In Bridge Server, PAIR each player its code: Go to Player Pairing under Player Configuration page.Select Bridge Server, Select player, type in the corresponding four-digit code you see on its screen,and click Pair. Reload player list if you cannot see your player in the list.7

4.WAIT while players are being connected. Back in Scala Content Manager, you should now seeplayer heart beat for each paired player. File transfer and playback commences shortly after.8

3. OperationIAdea Appliances supports a subset of essential features found in Scala PC players, including support forSmart Playlists, maintenance, and reporting features. There is limited/no support for Scala script, Flash,and certain video compression formats (depending on the appliance type).3.1. Player health statusIAdea players can report the following troubleshooting messages: Failed to download media fileFailed to play media fileLicense violationInsufficient storage3.2. Updating player firmwareIn Maintenance Jobs, you can administer new firmware releases for IAdea media player.3.3. Stand-by Page (for SD player only)To define a stand-by page, you need to schedule an event trigger for the associated channel named“Channel.IAdea.PreparingContent” of type On/Off (Boolean) with a playlist. The first item in that playlistshould be a JPEG which will be played as the stand-by page during file transfer on the SD player. Note: thestand-by page will take effect after it has been synchronized and transferred to the player at least once.9

3.4. Remote Log-in SecurityWhen you log-in to Bridge Server from a remote site (other than initial configuration), you will be asked toenter the password for the configured Content Manager through a web page similar to the following:10

4. Advanced Configuration4.1. Multiple Bridge ServersThe Bridge Server is responsible for translating schedule commands and player status reports back andforth between the IAdea Players and Content Manager. When the number of players increases (100players or more), you should install multiple Bridge Servers on different physical machines to share thecommunications load.Multiple Bridge Servers is useful for managing hundreds of players across multiple locations. In such ascenario, a Bridge Server can be installed in each store location. All players in the store are configured tolink to its local Bridge Server, which in turn connect to one central Content Manager.4.2. Configuring Multiple Bridge Servers1. In the Content Manager window, under Network Distribution, click New Bridge Server (IAdea)to register an IAdea Bridge Server for each location where a Bridge Server is to be installed.2. Install Bridge Server on a server computer at each physical location. You need to first installApache Tomcat 5.5 or later on each server computer. Configure each Tomcat installation with“maximum memory pool” setting to at least 768MB3. On each server computer with Tomcat installed, run the IAdea Bridge Server installer includedwith Scala Content Manager 5.4. After Bridge Server installation, you will be redirected to the Bridge Server web page in your webbrowser automatically.11

5. SELECT all Bridge Servers names managed by the registered Content Manager to associate withthis physical server in Bridge Server association (under Server Configuration).6. When you add IAdea Players to Content Manager, make sure the player is associated with thecorrect Bridge Server installed at the player’s physical location.4.3. Performance Tuning for Bridge ServerA number of parameters are available for global performance tuning for Bridge Servers.Bridge Server OptionPlan Refresh IntervalLog LevelMinimum ScheduleExpansionSchedule ExpansionTimeDescriptionControls how often Bridge Server polls for plan changes. Set this to a largenumber to reduce network load, and a small number if you want accuratestatus indication.Controls how detailed Bridge Server records its activities.Sets the minimum number of days a plan is expanded into raw format toconserve memory for the IAdea SD Player. Players must be allowed to refreshits plan within this period after the last schedule expansion. For other IAdeaPlayers, this value is ignoredSets time of day at which schedule expansion is performed to lengthen thevalid period of the translated plan.12

Bridge Server OptionPlan Retry IntervalPlayer HeartbeatIntervalHeartbeat RetryIntervalPlan Status ReportRetry IntervalDescriptionSets the time interval to retry downloading a plan file after a previous attemptfails. Set this larger than Plan Refresh Interval to avoid network congestiondue to heavy network load.Sets the time interval between successive heartbeat signals from players. Setthis to a large number to reduce network load.Sets the time interval to retry sending a heartbeat signal after one fails. Setthis larger than Player Heartbeat Rate to avoid failures due to heavy networkload.Sets the time interval to retry sending a plan status update after one fails. Setthis to a large value to avoid failures due to heavy network load.4.4. Support for multi-network serversSupport for multi-network servers: you can now host multiple instances of IAdea Bridge Server on a singleWindows PC/server to support multi-network configurations13

5. Frequently Asked Questions about IAdea Scala-enabled AppliancesQ1. What can I do if I forget the player’s password?Each player comes with no password protection by default, and users are encouraged to set a passwordfor content security. If you have forgotten the password, you should reset the player to factory defaults(no password state). See the Appendix or per appliance manuals for reset instructions.Q2. What features are lacking in IAdea Media Appliances compared to PC Players?The following table compares features found in the IAdea Players against those in PC-based Scala Players.Legend: Yes NoPlays full-screen video up to 1080pCompact form factor100% solid-state mechanical constructionFan-lessLong MTBF (400,000 power-on-hours)Low power consumption (5 watts typical)Plays Scala Designer output/Scala ScriptTemplates/dynamic messagePlays Adobe Flash animationMultiple frames (screen partitioning)Picture transition effectsMedia preview/search/classificationMedia file metadataMedia player monitoringMedia player metadataRule-based “Smart Playlists”, including random picksMedia item begin/end datesShuffle play with non-adjacency rulesEvent triggers and time triggersBandwidth throttlingHTTP proxy support for large-scale content distributionSchedulable plan update timeMaintenance jobsMedia approval flow managementMulti-user access controlMulti-lingual user interfaceHTTPS supportServer load monitoringIAdea Player PC Player In addition, the IAdea SD player has the following limitations:- Video playback stops during file transfer (screen goes blank)- Player must connect to Bridge Server once every 7 days (configurable via Bridge Server, see FAQbelow)14

Q3. How do I configure the IAdea SD player to extend the time between required connections toBridge Server?The IAdea SD player has limited program memory, and can only hold a limited number of time slots(playlist instances scheduled) at a time. In Bridge Server configuration, the option “Minimum ScheduleExpansion” (defaults to 7 days) gives the number of days of schedule the Bridge Server sends to the SDplayer at each time, after which the player must synchronize with Bridge Server to obtain new schedules.The option can be configured to extend the requirement as the following table illustrates:Number of playlists instances scheduledper dayRecommended “Minimum Schedule Expansion”for SD player1, 2, 34, 5, 6, 7, 89 to 18Up to 40More than 4030 days14 days7 days3 days1 (daily)For Further AssistanceShould you encounter issues not addressed in this document, please visit http://SCP.IAdea.com or [email protected] for further assistance.15

6. Appendix: Configuring IAdea HD/Photo Frame Media Appliance1. Power up your IAdea HD/Photo frame Player and wait about 90 seconds for boot up2. Connect a USB keyboard and after 30 seconds, the on-screen configuration menu is shown.3. Use the keyboard to navigate and find the setting page for Content Source.4. In the Server URL field, enter the following:http://server:port/BridgeServerreplacing server:port with actual values of your Bridge Server’s.Select Done to exit this dialogue box.5. In the main menus, under Time Settings, change player’s time zone to match the location wherethe player is installed. Save settings and the player will reboot.16

7. Appendix: Configuring IAdea SD Media Appliance1. Connect your IAdea SD Player to a network or directly to your PC using the supplied Ethernet cable.2. Power up your IAdea SD Player and monitor display. On boot up, note the IP address displayedcrawling on the bottom of the screen.3. Point your web browser to http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/ to connect to the player’s menu system. Youshould see a configuration page. Log in with the user name “admin” and blank password.4. In the configuration page, make sure the WAN: For connection to web-based services radio buttonis selected for networking mode. Your player may reboot if you modify the networking mode.5. Then in Service Management Server Configuration, type in the Central server field with“http://server:port/BridgeServer/”, replacing server:port with actual alpha-numerical values ofyour Bridge Server’s.17

6. In Device Information Date/time setting, select the time, date, and time zone that matches thelocation where the player is installed.7. Apply/save settings and the player will reboot.18

8. Appendix: To reset player in the case of forgotten passwordsWarning: all contents and menu settings will be erased from HD and Photo frame appliances post reset.IAdea SD appliance type1. Press & hold reset button2. Power on (or reboot) player3. Wait until “Reset” is shown on screenR E S E TIAdea HD appliance type1. Press & hold reset button2. Power on (or reboot) player19

3. Wait till you see the red status light is blinking, then release reset buttonIAdea Photo Frame appliance type1.2.Connect USB keyboardReboot the player and look for the reset instructions on the top left (circled area in red). When itappears, press the Delete key on your keyboard If you missed the reset window, unplug power and try again3.4.You should see a menu with a reset confirmation dialogue box. SELECT Yes to confirmWAIT while system reboots to complete reset20

9. Appendix: Looking up the player’s IP addressThe player IP is displayed on the corner of your screen each time you power up an IAdea media player.IAdea SD appliance type (IP address required for inputting the Bridge Server URL)IAdea HD appliance typeIAdea Photo frame appliance type21

This guide assumes that you have the latest Scala Content Manager 5 Release 5 (or later) installed and running on your network. Use a web browser to log in to your administration account and perform the following customized set up. 3.1. Create a new Bridge Server in Content Manager CREA