Next Version of Studio

[IPNDDS]

It's been a long time since we got a Studio update.  I sure hope that when you release the next version it will blow our Enterprise socks off.

[admin]

We are working on a new version including many new server side enhancements which you will not directly see but benefit you greatly with performance and reliability.
One of which is a new migration into the amazing Amazon AWS cloud, which allow faster downloads and uploads of content for customers in the US as well as worldwide.

[IPNDDS]

That's great news, Admin!  Will this new version incorporate a new content scheduling module that we have been begging for over the past few years?  How about ease of use items like better management of resources and a simple undo function?

Thanks!

[KingPro]

Will this new version incorporate a new content scheduling module that we have been begging for over the past few years? 

Of course not, why would they? But prepare for 10 new awesome features that we dont need.

I am starting to get pessimistic about the priorities of the developer team. Do they not understand that it will be the business that drives this forward, not 10 000 features, that does not work or are unstable?

I am begging you, just put back the last version of the Ad Player. It was not great, but it was at least 100 times better than what we have now. Why did you break it? I am begging you. Please help us who are willing to pay for enterprise and players. Dont you guys understand that if we make money, you make money? Its realy simle. Please stop adding idiotic features before we have a better ad player system.

[KingPro]

We are working on a new version including many new server side enhancements which you will not directly see but benefit you greatly with performance and reliability.
One of which is a new migration into the amazing Amazon AWS cloud, which allow faster downloads and uploads of content for customers in the US as well as worldwide.

Great. But how about a better way to manage ads? Thats what we need. Let me know when you are done adding "features", and are working on a better way to manage ads. Thats what we need.

[admin]

We are working on new features which will include but not limited to:

- new YouTube player
- enhanced scheduling
- improved Ad management will come later on this year

We hear you and are working to fulfill all your requests.

[Mock]

I do wish they would focus more on bugs and stability rather than new features all the time. Maybe moving to the Amazon cloud on top of their new "enhancements" we will get something more reliable and easier to work with.

I never really realized how bad it was until the other day when I was teaching someone how to use it. Half the time I was telling them things to watch out for or what to check on so that a bug or glitch doesn't bite them.

[admin]

Don't worry Mock, we have a brand new Studio coming for beginners called, StudioLite, Super easy... it will come out this year but I dont have an ETA yet.
As for "bug or glitch",  can you explain in details each issue so I can have dev resolve it for you, as we are unaware of any open issues.

[Mock]

It is just a list of a lot of little annoying things easily worked around but still something you have to watch out for. Here are some of those things:

-When working in the scene editor using HTML 5 sometimes the websites will preview without being scaled. I guess technicly they are being scaled to the resolution I specified but not to the preview window size.  So this leads to the website taking over my screen and making it impossible to edit any other properties on that screen after putting the URL in. Even if you can get back to the campaign screen to try to sync/save the dialogue box that pops up is then blocked by the website even though I am not even on the scene editor screen.  Now that website will come up every time until I delete the URL from the scene editor. This seems to mostly happen with the website visibletweets.com  . It really works well and looks great when you get it to save though.  I have seen it happen with some other sites too. Maybe it is a characteristic consistent across these sites.

-The scheduling priority does not always work as intended. I have always had bad luck with my signs not showing what they should  then as soon as I take the lower priority timeline off it will work as intended.  The last time this happened which was about 3 weeks ago I made sure everything was up to date and we were even using 18 brand new mediaBOX-300's.  The odd thing is I have other signs that seem to never have that issue.

-When you duplicate a timeline and the name will change will change in the properties to that duplicated timeline like it should. Then when you go to change that name it will change the name of the original timeline you duplicated off of. You have to select a different timeline then go back to the timeline you want changed in order to change it. It isn't really a big issue it just leads to scheduling the wrong timelines if you don't know about it as the names are wrong. ( Nitpicky I know but you asked)

-I believe this is very much related to the last issue but if you use the scheduler and move the timelines around with the mouse it doesn't always take. You have to type in all of the values to get it to really stick. Even after I type in the numbers I still have to sometimes use the little arrows to change the value to really get the settings to take.

-Sometimes I have signs that will loose their internet connection but then when they get it back it will take hours for them to come back online.  I know that they have a connection because I use teamviewer as a back-end into all of my signs and I will remote into them to restart them and then they are fine.  This does not happen very often and seems to happen only with WiFi so it is already in non ideal situations. 

-I have also had videos play fine on signs but then just stop playing long after they have been already cached. I have seen videos play all day then just stop playing out of nowhere with a blank screen. I will have to restart the player and sometimes even have to re-cache the video to get it to play again. I am using .FLV files with an MP4 codec. I say in the videos that you prefer the h.264 codec but when talking to my editor he says that there is no h264 codec for .FLV files but the extension .f4v is used to for this. The problem there is mediasignage does not recognize .f4v files. So I use .flv files with a MP4 codec because I seem to have the most success with that.

- The snapshot function in the stations view will only show the primary monitor if you are using multiple displays.  Maybe this is more of a feature request than a bug.  Still I have to remote in to make sure the sign is working properly which kind of sucks.

There is a few things I can think of off the top of my head.



There are a few things I would love to see added just for convenience and time saving, along with a couple added features too. Still like I said initially smoothing things out before adding new features is always first in my book.  I will throw a few up in a post in the proper forum sometime.  You guys have a great product and I looks forward to seeing what you have planned for the future. 

[admin]

new studio released with folder management.

[ANOOP]

@Mock : HTML is an issue because it wraps over thats the same issue with the 3 party swf's .. Since we have got used to work with these difficulties we tend to think it as technical feature . Even the duplicate timeline i have made the changes 'n' times on the original timeline lol.

[IPNDDS]

It's almost December.  How's that "Enhanced Scheduling" coming along?

[gsmedia]

Mock

create your f4v's with the h264 codec and then rename the extension to .flv. works a treat.

[IPNDDS]

Yes, it appears that you have quite a large customer base that is indeed in need of enhanced scheduling.  Please do not ignore the need for this.  It has been very overlooked and it is imperative that scheduling be improved drastically.

An idea that I have seems pretty straight forward and is based on my experience with other digital signage software providers.

1. Add a resource to the timeline.
2. Double click it to bring up the properties.
3. Allow properties to be set for a.) begin on date/end on date  b.) start/stop time  c.) choose to play resource on M T W TH F SA SU
4. Make the scheduled resource identifiable on the timeline with perhaps a visual identifier (a red outline or hatch mark).

Then, allow for a list view of all scheduled resources and their status (Scheduled or Expired).  When a resource is expired, have it automatically remove itself from the timeline and snap everything together and change status from scheduled to expired.

All of this would allow for the proper scheduling of individual content items rather than timelines and thus drastically improving the usability of the software.

[scannercop]

Yes, it appears that you have quite a large customer base that is indeed in need of enhanced scheduling.  Please do not ignore the need for this.  It has been very overlooked and it is imperative that scheduling be improved drastically.

An idea that I have seems pretty straight forward and is based on my experience with other digital signage software providers.

1. Add a resource to the timeline.
2. Double click it to bring up the properties.
3. Allow properties to be set for a.) begin on date/end on date  b.) start/stop time  c.) choose to play resource on M T W TH F SA SU
4. Make the scheduled resource identifiable on the timeline with perhaps a visual identifier (a red outline or hatch mark).

Then, allow for a list view of all scheduled resources and their status (Scheduled or Expired).  When a resource is expired, have it automatically remove itself from the timeline and snap everything together and change status from scheduled to expired.

All of this would allow for the proper scheduling of individual content items rather than timelines and thus drastically improving the usability of the software.

Oh, the snap feature would be awesome. Great product development!