Digital signage is a content display platform that uses technologies such as LCD, LED, and projection to display content such as digital images, video, streaming media, and other information. IT Services utilizes Appspace as its digital signage platform.
Select a topic below for answers to your most common digital signage questions:
How does it work?
The campus digital signage service relies on a client/server architecture. The Appspace digital signage platform resides on a cloud server. Digital signage players are connected to the Appspace cloud server via their campus internet connection. By managing content on the Appspace cloud server, you control what is displayed through your digital signage player.
What hardware components and infrastructure are needed?
For digital signage to be successfully installed, these components are needed:
- 1 LCD display monitor
- 1 Appspace compatible digital signage player
- 1 data jack
- 2 power outlets
- 1 HDMI cable
What is provided by the University, and what does my unit need to purchase?
The University pays for the enterprise license for the Appspace software and provides support for the service. Your unit must purchase the related hardware and infrastructure costs for the digital sign displays (monitor/display, digital signage player, any data jack install costs, any installation costs for the monitor/display).
Why would I want this service?
You may want to use Digital Signage because:
- It adds to your marketing endeavors when using it to promote events.
- It can make the campus community aware of what is important to them within a given period of time.
- It helps with establishing a campus presence within the physical confines of their campus building location.
- The digital signage platform is designed to make planning, scheduling, distributing, and monitoring media a simple and repeatable process.
- It allows you to manage and control your content from a multitude of connected devices including desktops and mobile devices.
How do I get digital signage for my campus group/department?
Contact IT Services to create a request.
How do I administer digital signage from off-campus?
You can manage your digital signage content while on or off campus via the Appspace login page. Your CNetID and password are needed for login, and you may be prompted to complete two-factor authentication.
How do I modify access privileges (add/remove rights) for the digital signage devices that my group has ownership of?
Contact IT Services to create a request to make access changes. Make sure to specify the individual's CNetID whose will be added or removed.
My digital signage player isn't working properly. Whom do I contact?
Digital signage players have been deployed in many public areas around campus. Digital signage players are essentially small form-factor computers running the Appspace application and configured to display digital content. Similar to other computers, when the device malfunctions restarting may resolve the issue. If restarting doesn't resolve the concern, there are several options for assistance.
If you don't see anything on the display screen, and assuming that the network connection for the digital signage hardware player is still active, these are three common issues:
- There is no power going to the display monitor
- The display monitor is powered off
- If turned on and powered, the display monitor is not operational (in this case, call the vendor who installed the display for additional help)
For the fastest resolution of problems with currently deployed digital signage players, please contact IT Services to submit a service request for escalation.
Where is digital signage available?
Appspace digital signage is available anywhere that you can place a University-licensed digital signage player and power connection that can be physically connected to either the campus data network or to the internet at an off-campus location.
Where does the digital content for the digital signage players come from?
The content is created by each campus group/department for their individual digital signage displays. The content can be existing videos, still images, slides, or animations created using content creation software. Additionally, there are customizable templates (called Cards), and University-created templates (cards) that are available for the University community within the Appspace admin interface.
What guidelines are available for what can be displayed, both for style and content?
Please refer to University Communications for official University fonts, branding, and logos. In regard to what defines appropriate content, please contact your departmental communications person for confirmation and appropriate guidelines.
What are a few digital signage best practices for content display?
- Content is best displayed when its built-in resolution matches the display screen's built-in resolution.
- When creating graphics or video, specify a size that matches or exceeds the output resolution of your display monitor. The Appspace app will scale down higher-resolution media for a lower-resolution screen (though perfectly matched media looks best), but low-resolution media will not look great on a high-resolution digital sign (e.g. will look pixelated or blurry).
- Use standard aspect ratios such as 4:3 or 16:9, as much as possible for your media, since you may want to re-purpose that media for other uses. Your layouts are much easier to create if you have consistently sized pieces to work with.
- When developing a screen with multiple content zones, remember that fewer zones are often more effective, as too much information will overload and disinterest many viewers.
- It is highly recommended that you refer to the University's Brand Identity Guidelines. Remember that your audience is going to be viewing your signage from a distance, usually 5–10 feet away. Because of this, you'll want to consider the type and size of font used for your messages. Your text should stand out, and not strain the eyes of the viewers. An easy-to-read sans-serif typeface will translate well in any setting. Use sans-serif fonts and large font sizes so that viewers can read your message at a glance. Don't use too many fonts in a single piece of content, and don't go overboard with different colored text. Avoid writing long sentences in all caps.
- Remember to include captions for any video you display. This helps both in noisy environments and for those viewers who may have difficulty hearing the video sound.
- Adequate contrast between foreground and background helps with readability. A minor change such as increasing the contrast by 10% can make the content easier to read, and accessible to a much larger audience. Contrast, not color, is far more important when it comes to getting your content noticed, watched, and remembered. Because all digital signs emit light, their ability to show contrasting colors actually changes with a person's viewing angle. Use the WebAIM Contrast Checker to see how your type contrast meets digital accessibility standards.
- Remember that digital signs have more in common with posters than with TV. Match up your text and visuals, and treat each slide like it's a stand-alone poster. Use visual transitions to link related slides within a larger piece of content.
- Although there can be a temptation to present lots of different types of information on a single screen, this can distract people from absorbing what is most important. When planning your images/slides, identify one or two of the most important pieces of information you need to get across then focus on those in your layout and design.
What digital video codecs does Appspace support?
By default, Appspace provides support for MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 (H.264/AAC) and WMV digital video files for Windows and BrightSign hardware player platforms. See Appspace's supported video formats list for more information.
What image formats does Appspace support?
By default, Appspace provides support for JPG/JPEG, PNG, and GIF image formats for Windows and BrightSign hardware player platforms.
What audio formats does Appspace support?
By default, Appspace provides support for AAC, AC3, MP3, PCM, WAV, and MP4 image formats for Windows and BrightSign hardware player platforms.
I scheduled content to play on a channel and assigned it to a region. So why is the content not playing?
Confirm your content's format (landscape or portrait), and also confirm if the channel that the content is playing on is set for the identical format.
How do I request training and access to Appspace?
Contact IT Services to request training, including the digital signage location/device you'll need access to manage. Prior to your training commencing, you will be given access to the Appspace cloud server.
Is there a limit to how many Appspace displays can be deployed for my group?
No. There is no limit to how many Appspace displays you can deploy across campus for your particular department, though we have an overall licensing threshold for our account. If you need a large number of digital signage displays deployed, please send email directly to the IT Services Media staff for further consultation.
Can a digital signage display be set to display a TV channel or other streaming source, either for a special event or just as a default?
No. Appspace can't display traditional broadcast television programming. However, browser-based streamed content can be displayed within a lineup on a digital signage display through Appspace. Please see the User guide for creating live stream channels for more information.
Is there a user manual?
Yes. Visit Appspace User Guides to see all user guides. Please see the links below to view user guides for the most commonly requested user information: