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Frequently Asked Questions

Who oversees maintaining content on these screens?

This is to be decided among the administrators at the local level. For a larger organization the marketing/creative team often creates and updates BrightSign content. For smaller organizations these tasks can be assigned to office administrators, interns, or assistants.

Also, Creating Margin provides oversight and quality assurance (QA) of all content and presentations scheduled for ContiVision. We will help you maintain high quality content through training, direction and insights wherever we can.

What types of files are supported on these BrightSign players?

Supported files include imagesvideo, and audio. Other file types, such as PowerPoint/Keynote, Word/Pages, and PDF, are not supported as the players do not have Windows or Mac software capable of reading these files. PDFs and PPT presentations can be exported/converted as images or videos.

How do I get the content the right size to fit the zone?

Each image or video zone is sized for the parameters of the presentation. If you upload content that is a different size and aspect ratio it will not fit appropriately, which will affect the look of the presentation. If you do not know what the zone sizes are, contact managedservices@creatingmargin.com for those dimensions.

There are various software applications you can use to resize an image, such as image viewer apps for Mac or PC, Photoshop, or PowerPoint. Creating Margin has a standard PPT template used to size images. Contact Managed Services to receive a copy of the appropriate template.

Will I be able to upload my own content?

Yes. Users are encouraged to upload relevant content to their corporate location, such as announcements, events, birthdays, holidays, ads, HR notifications, welcome screens, and photos. We try to give you tools to make these steps as easy as possible, and from experience we know that BrightSign Network is as easy to use as any solution you’ll find out there.

Do we have to share “screen time” with corporate announcements?

Yes. Creating Margin has partnered with ContiTech to create ContiVision, the platform for company communications, updates, and announcements. If you feel like content is not relevant to your location, please contact us and we will forward your concerns to the appropriate team member.

How easy will it be for me to update the content on BrightSign Network?

BrightSign Network was developed as a user-friendly way to upload, store, and schedule content for BrightSign players. Users only require a basic training to learn how to log in and where to update content. If you have trouble Creating Margin is happy to provide additional training and support.

What does a BrightSign player look like and where will it be located?

The BrightSign XT1144 is the standard BrightSign player for Continental worldwide. It is a powerful digital signage player capable of displaying 4K video, multiple HD images and videos at one time, and running reliably day after day once configured properly.

It is common to locate BrightSign devices – which maintain a remarkably small form factor despite the powerful capabilities – behind the large format display that you will use for your digital signage. This can be done using zip ties or Velcro, by attaching the unit to the display mount.

We have also seen customers locate the player in an IDF/Data closet and use a long run – either a long HDMI, or HDMI extenders/receivers, to carry the image to the display.

It is our experience that locating the device behind the display is the better option, as long as it is pretty easy to reach to ensure data and power connectivity and allow for a physical restart if necessary.

Can we use existing equipment (like TVs) for these?

Yes, you can use existing displays with the BrightSign equipment. BrightSign devices work just like a Roku (in fact, Roku is BrightSign’s parent company) or DVD player in your home to create an input to the TV. For the XT1144 this is via an HDMI cord, so you’ll simply change the source for the screen to the HDMI port that the BrightSign is plugged into.

We suggest that you have an HD resolution display at a minimum. Using a 4K display will work as well and perhaps allow for greater functionality over time.

Creating Margin can provide turnkey solutions to Continental locations including BrightSign players, displays, mounts and any cords/cabling necessary.

How should I configure the player for my network?

This is a very important step for Continental locations and in our experience the most challenging part of implementing ContiVision. If BrightSign players are unable to connect to the internet they will not be able to receive updates and your experience will not be a positive one.

Please follow the steps located here to set up the BrightSign player. You can use the naming conventions below to set up the unit according to Continental best practices. We have chosen to remove sensitive information such as suggested passwords and proxy settings.

You can request this information from our team or your IT counterparts at Continental as you configure the units.

Are there any security vulnerabilities I should beware of?

A BrightSign player is a far more secure system than a PC running Windows. BrightSign is based on a Linux kernel and has a lot of proprietary code written that one would have to understand in detail in order to find a vulnerability.

You can find more documentation about BrightSign player security here, and BrightSign Network security here. BrightSign software and firmware is regularly tested to ensure it is stable and secure and updates can be found at the links provided above.

What will maintenance look like for these devices?

Technical maintenance is very simple for BrightSign devices. You will only need to update the firmware on the device if you choose to update BrightAuthor in order to take advantage of some new piece of functionality that you’ve heard about.

As part of Creating Margin’s Managed Services, we will coordinate any updates to software and hardware with Continental at a high level in order to make sure that each location is able to roll out updates in a smooth and coordinated manner.

What does a BrightSign player look like and where will it be located?

The BrightSign XT1144 is the standard BrightSign player for Continental worldwide. It is a powerful digital signage player capable of displaying 4K video, multiple HD images and videos at one time, and running reliably day after day once configured properly.

It is common to locate BrightSign devices – which maintain a remarkably small form factor despite the powerful capabilities – behind the large format display that you will use for your digital signage. This can be done using zip ties or Velcro, by attaching the unit to the display mount.

We have also seen customers locate the player in an IDF/Data closet and use a long run – either a long HDMI, or HDMI extenders/receivers, to carry the image to the display.

It is our experience that locating the device behind the display is the better option, as long as it is pretty easy to reach to ensure data and power connectivity and allow for a physical restart if necessary.

Can we use existing equipment (like TVs) for these?

Yes, you can use existing displays with the BrightSign equipment. BrightSign devices work just like a Roku (in fact, Roku is BrightSign’s parent company) or DVD player in your home to create an input to the TV. For the XT1144 this is via an HDMI cord, so you’ll simply change the source for the screen to the HDMI port that the BrightSign is plugged into.

We suggest that you have an HD resolution display at a minimum. Using a 4K display will work as well and perhaps allow for greater functionality over time.

Creating Margin can provide turnkey solutions to Continental locations including BrightSign players, displays, mounts and any cords/cabling necessary.

How should I configure the player for my network?

This is a very important step for Continental locations and in our experience the most challenging part of implementing ContiVision. If BrightSign players are unable to connect to the internet they will not be able to receive updates and your experience will not be a positive one.

Please follow the steps located here to set up the BrightSign player. You can use the naming conventions below to set up the unit according to Continental best practices. We have chosen to remove sensitive information such as suggested passwords and proxy settings.

You can request this information from our team or your IT counterparts at Continental as you configure the units.

Are there any security vulnerabilities I should beware of?

A BrightSign player is a far more secure system than a PC running Windows. BrightSign is based on a Linux kernel and has a lot of proprietary code written that one would have to understand in detail in order to find a vulnerability.

You can find more documentation about BrightSign player security here, and BrightSign Network security here. BrightSign software and firmware is regularly tested to ensure it is stable and secure and updates can be found at the links provided above.

What will maintenance look like for these devices?

Technical maintenance is very simple for BrightSign devices. You will only need to update the firmware on the device if you choose to update BrightAuthor in order to take advantage of some new piece of functionality that you’ve heard about.

As part of Creating Margin’s Managed Services, we will coordinate any updates to software and hardware with Continental at a high level in order to make sure that each location is able to roll out updates in a smooth and coordinated manner.

Who oversees maintaining content on these screens?

This is to be decided among the administrators at the local level. Also, Creating Margin provides oversight and quality assurance (QA) of all content and presentation.

We will help you maintain high-quality content through training, direction and insights wherever we can.

What types of files are supported on these BrightSign players?

Supported files include imagesvideo, and audio. Other file types, such as PowerPoint/Keynote, Word/Pages, and PDF, are not supported as the players do not have Windows or Mac software capable of reading these files. PDFs and PPT presentations can be exported/converted as images or videos.

How do I get the content the right size to fit the zone?

Each image or video zone is sized for the parameters of the presentation. If you upload content that is a different size and aspect ratio it will not fit appropriately, which will affect the look of the presentation. If you do not know what the zone sizes are, contact managedservices@creatingmargin.com for those dimensions.

There are various software applications you can use to resize an image, such as image viewer apps for Mac or PC, Photoshop, or PowerPoint. Creating Margin has a standard PPT template used to size images. Contact Managed Services to receive a copy of the appropriate template.

Will I be able to upload my own content?

Yes. Users are encouraged to upload relevant content to their corporate location, such as announcements, events, birthdays, holidays, ads, HR notifications, welcome screens, and photos.

We try to give you tools to make these steps as easy as possible, and from experience we know that BrightSign Network is as easy to use as any solution you’ll find out there.

Do we have to share “screen time” with corporate announcements?

Yes. Creating Margin has partnered with ContiTech to create ContiVision, the platform for company communications, updates, and announcements. If you feel like content is not relevant to your location, please contact us and we will forward your concerns to the appropriate team member.

How easy will it be for me to update the content on BrightSign Network?

BrightSign Network was developed as a user-friendly way to upload, store, and schedule content for BrightSign players. Users only require a basic training to learn how to log in and where to update content. If you have trouble Creating Margin is happy to provide additional training and support.