frequently asked questions
General Questions
What is a digital signage and content management platform?
A digital signage and content management platform is a software solution that allows you to create, manage, and display digital content on various screens, such as TVs, monitors, and digital billboards.
Who can benefit from using a digital signage platform?
Businesses, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, retail stores, restaurants, and any organization that wants to communicate information visually to its audience can benefit from digital signage.
How does aesend® digital signage work?
Aesend® works by using an on-line content management system (CMS) to upload and manage content, which is then sent to digital displays connected to media players or software applications.
Features and Capabilities
What types of content can I display?
You can display various types of content, including images, videos, websites, weather updates, stock prices and custom HTML content.
Is it possible to schedule content in advance?
Yes, our platform allows you to schedule content to play at specific times and dates, ensuring your audience sees the right message at the right time. Look for the calendar 🗓️icon on the specific screen’s row to manage that player’s schedule.
Can I manage multiple screens from a single platform?
Yes, you can manage multiple screens and locations from the Screens page, making it easy to update content across all your displays. Create a “Screen Group” using the plus (+) icon in the upper right. Select the screens you’d like to include under that screen group. Then set each default playlist to “defer to parent group.” The screens that are within that screen group, and set to “defer to parent group” will adhere to the screen group’s playback instructions.
Does the platform support interactive content?
Yes, our platform supports interactive content such as touch screens and kiosks, allowing users to engage with the content directly. Contact us to learn more about these capabilities.
Can I use aesend without an internet connection?
Initially, the platform requires an internet connection to receive instructions from the webapp UI. Once the player has established its playback instructions, however, the player will operate in offline mode. All videos and stills will play without issue in offline mode, as well as select applications. There are certain restrictions on functionality for apps that require internet connectivity for updates. Additionally, any time you want to update the playback instructions you will need to reacquire an internet connection.
Features and Capabilities
How secure is the platform?
Our platform is built on robust AWS cloud-based architecture and uses advanced encryption protocols and security measures to ensure your content and data are protected.
Does the platform offer remote management?
Yes, you can manage your digital signage remotely from any location with internet access. The basic remote functions of our software allow you to verify player status, manage playback and remotely restart the player software. More advanced functions, such as in-depth troubleshooting and remote restart of the player device are only available with our premium remote support package.
What hardware do I need to get started?
- You will need digital displays (like TVs or monitors), a small-format Windows-based PC, and a stable internet connection to connect with our platform. Depending on your installation, you may require some infrastructural improvements, such as monitor mounts, wall reinforcement, power and / or data connections. Please refer to the specifications below when selecting a player device. Please feel free to contact us for assistance or to purchase playback-ready devices.
Minimum Required Specifications for Digital Signage Players
To ensure optimal performance with our digital signage solutions, we recommend the following minimum specifications for those who prefer to use their own hardware:
- CPU: Intel Celeron N5105 (Quad-core, 2.00 GHz-2.90 GHz) with integrated Intel UHD Graphics (450 MHz-800 MHz)
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro, Windows 11 Pro, Windows Enterprise, Windows IoT, or Windows LTSC
- Memory: 8GB LPDDR4
- Storage: 128GB
- Wireless: Bluetooth 5.2, WiFi 6
- Ethernet: 1000Mbps LAN
- Video Output: HDMI (4K@60Hz)
- Additional Features:
- Wake on LAN
- Auto Power On
- 3.5mm Audio Jack
These specs will ensure reliable performance and compatibility with our signage solutions.
—
Recommended Specifications for Digital Signage Players
For optimal performance with our digital signage solutions, we recommend the following specifications for those who prefer to use their own hardware:
- CPU: Intel Core i5-1340P (12 cores, 16 threads, up to 4.6 GHz) with integrated Intel UHD Graphics
- Operating System: Windows 11 Pro, Windows 10 Pro, Windows Enterprise, Windows IoT, or Windows LTSC
- Memory: 16GB DDR4 RAM
- Storage: 256GB
- Wireless: Bluetooth 5.3, WiFi 6E
- Ethernet: 1000Mbps LAN
- Video Output: HDMI
- Additional Features:
- Wake on LAN
- Auto Power On
- 3.5mm Audio Jack
What are the minimum specs for an aesend player device?
Minimum Required Specifications for Digital Signage Players
To ensure optimal performance with our digital signage solutions, we recommend the following minimum specifications for those who prefer to use their own hardware:
- CPU: Intel Celeron N5105 (Quad-core, 2.00 GHz-2.90 GHz) with integrated Intel UHD Graphics (450 MHz-800 MHz)
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro, Windows 11 Pro, Windows Enterprise, Windows IoT, or Windows LTSC
- Memory: 8GB LPDDR4
- Storage: 128GB
- Wireless: Bluetooth 5.2, WiFi 6
- Ethernet: 1000Mbps LAN
- Video Output: HDMI (4K@60Hz)
- Additional Features:
- Wake on LAN
- Auto Power On
- 3.5mm Audio Jack
These specs will ensure reliable performance and compatibility with our signage solutions.
Are there optimal specifications for an aesend player device?
Recommended Specifications for Digital Signage Players
For optimal performance with our digital signage solutions, we recommend the following specifications for those who prefer to use their own hardware:
- CPU: Intel Core i5-1340P (12 cores, 16 threads, up to 4.6 GHz) with integrated Intel UHD Graphics
- Operating System: Windows 11 Pro, Windows 10 Pro, Windows Enterprise, Windows IoT, or Windows LTSC
- Memory: 16GB DDR4 RAM
- Storage: 256GB
- Wireless: Bluetooth 5.3, WiFi 6E
- Ethernet: 1000Mbps LAN
- Video Output: HDMI
- Additional Features:
- Wake on LAN
- Auto Power On
- 3.5mm Audio Jack
Is the platform compatible with different operating systems?
Currently, we are supporting only Windows-based PCs. We are in development on several other platforms, including a Linux-based application, as well as Android and Apple apps.
Is the aesend platform integrated with any third-party applications?
Yes, our platform supports integration with various third-party applications such as Canva, Pexels, YouTube and Google.
Troubleshooting
Most common player issues can be resolved by simply rebooting the device.
What should I do if my content isn’t displaying correctly?
Check your internet connection, ensure your media player is connected and powered on, the television or display is powered on and set to the proper input, and verify that the correct content is scheduled. Reboot your player if all things appear to be powered and properly plugged in. If the issue persists, contact our support team for assistance.
How do I update the software?
Our platform automatically updates to the latest version to ensure you always have access to the latest features and security improvements.
My screen is showing “black.”
- Ensure that the television/display is powered on and is set to the proper input.
- Ensure the player device (usually located behind the display) is powered on and the HDMI cable is securely connected to the player.
- Ensure that the device is connected to the internet/wifi. This can be difficult to determine in some cases and may require remote support or connecting a physical keyboard/mouse to the device.
NOTE: It is possible for the player to be playing content in an offline situation. aesend® players will still provide playback in most cases even if the player is “offline.” However, the player will not be able to be updated without an internet connection.
My screen is showing “white.”
This is most likely an indication of a playback error. This problem can typically be resolved by clicking the “Reboot” in the aesend webapp UI.
If this does not resolve the issue, it is recommended that you reboot the player device connected to the display.
If the issue persists, there may be an issue with the playback instructions. Try publishing a different playlist.
Keep in mind that playback will not begin until all video files have been downloaded locally. If your files are larger and/or your internet connection is slow, this could take time to accomplish.
My screen is stuck on the aesend® pairing code screen
This is an indication that the player device is not properly paired to your account.
- Check that your player device has a proper internet connection.
- Ensure that a “screen” has been established with a matching pairing code in your aesend webapp UI (Screens page).
Keep in mind that players will wait for an internet connection to establish. If you are attempting to operate your player in offline mode, the device will sit on the pairing screen for some time before resuming playback. Be patient.
My screen is stuck on the aesend® loading screen
This is an indication that the playback window (Chromium) failed to initiate. This problem can be resolved by clicking the “Reboot” in the aesend webapp UI.
If this does not resolve the issue, it is recommended that you reboot the player device connected to the display.
If the issue persists, there may be an issue with the playback instructions. Try publishing a different playlist.
Keep in mind that playback will not begin until all video files have been downloaded locally. If your files are larger and/or your internet connection is slow, this could take time to accomplish.
My screen is not playing the right content or responding to my commands from the web UI.
- Ensure that your player has a proper internet connection.
- Check the player’s schedule to make sure there is not another playlist interfering with your commands.
- Make sure you have saved all changes to your playlists & schedules, as well as published your updated instructions for the player.
- If none of the above solves your issue, your best course of action will be to reboot the device. It is possible that either the device or the application has encountered an error from which it is unable to recover.
My screen is skipping an item in my playlist.
There are several possible reasons your content item is being skipped by the player:
- Your item is in an incompatible format. Generally speaking, all standard image formats and video formats are accepted by aesend, and our platform will automatically convert and transcode files to optimal formats upon uploading. However, the most common and recommended image formats are JPG & PNG. The most common and compatible video format is H.264 MP4 or WEBM.
- You added an item to the playlist before aesend finished transcoding the file for proper playback. New files that are uploaded may need a little bit of time to finish proper conversion for playback. Please remove the item from the playlist and try adding it again. Save your playlist and publish the screen.
- Your file is corrupt. Test the file in the aesend Library to validate that it is playing/viewing properly. If it is, remove the item from the playlist and re-add it. Save your playlist and publish the screen.
- Your player device has run out of storage space. Clicking the “clear cache” button for that player device will delete all files that have been downloaded to the device and re-download the necessary files for playback.
- Your player was not able to download that file. Check your internet connection, and click “reboot” or “clear cache” button on your player.