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Visual Circuits Firefly User Manual

2 & 4 channel
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Firefly 2 & 4
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Version 3.2
User Manual

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Summary of Contents for Visual Circuits Firefly

  • Page 1 Firefly 2 & 4 Channel Media Player Version 3.2 User Manual...
  • Page 2 Trademarks The Visual Circuits and Firefly logos are registered trademarks in the United States and other countries. All other products, services or company names mentioned herein are claimed as trademarks and trade names by their respective companies. © Visual Circuits, 1999-2003. All rights reserved.
  • Page 3 1-inch (2.5-cm) clearance on the top and sides. 4. Installation of the Firefly in a rack without sufficient airflow can be unsafe. 5. If installed in a rack, the rack should safely support the combined weight of all equipment it supports.
  • Page 4 1. Always stack the rack from the bottom up to ensure a stable and safe rack. 2. The installation of the Firefly and other units within the rack should not reduce the airflow within the rack. The maximum recommended ambient temperature for the Firefly is 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38...
  • Page 5 4. When installing, consider the location of the Firefly(s) in relation to other devices located in an adjacent rack. Ensure that the Firefly air intake is not drawing directly upon heated air from another unit.
  • Page 6 The Firefly complies with Part 15 (EN61000-3-2) of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1.
  • Page 7 Cet appareil numerique de la classe A respecte toutes les exigences du Regulement sur le materiel brouilleur du Canada. EMC and Safety Directive Compliance The CE mark is affixed to this Visual Circuits Corporation product to confirm compliance with the following European Community Directives: Council Directive 89/336/EEC of 3 May 1989 on the approximation of the laws of Member States relating to electromagnetic compatibility.

  • Page 9: Table Of Contents

    VERVIEW Welcome to Firefly ......1 Quick Start Guide ......3 Encoding Requirements and Recommendations .
  • Page 10 Contents...
  • Page 11 ONTENTS Welcome to Firefly ......1 Quick Start Guide ......3 How to Plug &...
  • Page 12 Menu Options .......29 Firefly Main Menu ......29 Exiting the Firefly Main Menu .
  • Page 13 Contents Adding External A/V Events to a Playlist .......46 Removing External A/V Events from a Playlist.
  • Page 14 Contents Time Zone..... .75 IR Address .....75 IR Timeout .
  • Page 15 Contents Proxy Type .....87 Proxy Address....87 Enable NTP (Network Time Protocol) .
  • Page 16 Contents Username ..... .94 Password ..... . .95 Directory .
  • Page 17 Saving and Loading System Setting Configurations 106 Using Your Visual Circuits Smart Card ..106 Inserting The Smart Card ....107 Saving A Firefly Configuration To The Smart Card.
  • Page 18 Step 1: Connect to the Network ..113 Step 2: Determine the Address of the Firefly ......114 Step 3: Establishing Communication with the Firefly .
  • Page 19 Contents Removing Videos from a Playlist . . .128 Moving Videos Within a Playlist . . .128 Shuffling Video Playback on a Channel .......129 Adding Graphic Overlays to a Playlist .
  • Page 20 Contents Saving a Schedule ....150 Additional Saving and Loading Methods ......151 Assigning Dates for Video Playback 154 Exiting the Schedule Editor .
  • Page 21 Contents Control Settings ......174 Accept TCP/IP ....174 Baud Rate .
  • Page 22 Contents Log Default Playlist ... . .181 Max Log MBs ....182 Upload Logs ....182 WebView Settings.
  • Page 23 Using a Media Update Disc ..201 Firefly Storage Cleanup Routine . . .202 Drop & Go Disc Updating....202...
  • Page 24 ......203 Using a Drop & Go Playback Disc . .203 Firefly Storage Cleanup Routine . . .204 System Software Update Process . . .204 Content Update Processing .
  • Page 25 Using Serial Commands To Create Playlists . . .233 Firefly System Commands ....234 Callback Commands ..... .234 Audio and Video Setting Changes .
  • Page 26 Contents Networking Commands....244 LDV Control Commands .....247 Introduction .
  • Page 27 Contents No Power to Firefly (No LCD light or fan noise) ......... .269 No Video Playback .
  • Page 28 Transfer Error ......279 Returning Materials to Visual Circuits Corporation (VAR/Distributor) ......280 Appendix .

  • Page 29: Welcome To Firefly

    Firefly will continue to develop and evolve as a product, just as we know that the demands of A/V contractors will continue to evolve. Keep up with our latest product offerings by checking our all NEW...
  • Page 30 Welcome to Firefly...

  • Page 31: Quick Start Guide

    The fastest way to test Firefly is to simply plug it in, connect the cables and turn it on. 1. Connect the power cable to the back of the Firefly and plug it in to your power source.
  • Page 32 For S-Video monitors: Connect a BNC-ended Y s-video cable (not included) to the corresponding Channel 1 chroma (C) and luma (Y) connectors on the back of the Firefly. Connect additional video cables for Channels 2, 3 and 4 (if desired).
  • Page 33 Quick Start Guide Figure 1. Firefly Video Connections Guide. Firefly Media Player Video Connections Guide S-VIDEO S-VIDEO S-VIDEO S-VIDEO RED / Pr / C GREEN / Y RED / Pr / C GREEN / Y RED / Pr / C...
  • Page 34 Firefly at a time. Using more than one will cause video playback to be dim with weak color. 3. Connect your audio cables to the back of the Firefly following the Firefly Audio Connections Guide on page 7. To create an unbalanced audio connection on channel 1,...
  • Page 35 Quick Start Guide Figure 2. Firefly Audio Connections Guide Firefly Media Player Audio Connections Guide CH 1 CH 2 CH 3 CH 4 TIME CODE S/PDIF (Future Release) DIGITAL AUDIO For unbalanced audio, connect to terminals 1 & 4 for each channel.
  • Page 36 NTSC and line-level audio output on all channels. 5. Switch the power button on the back of Firefly to the ON position. Firefly will run through a short series of self- diagnostics upon startup before beginning automated playback.

  • Page 37: How To Use The Remote Control

    You may move the overlay from channel to channel by pressing the Channel + and Channel – keys or by pressing the channel number on the remote control while it remains pointed at the Firefly IR window. Figure 3. Firefly IR Remote Control...
  • Page 38 Quick Start Guide While in player control mode, point the remote control at the Firefly IR window on Firefly and use the following keys: 1 = channel 1 2 = channel 2 3 = channel 3 4 = channel 4...

  • Page 39: Menu Functions

    How To Put Media On Firefly From a CD or DVD 1. Point the remote control at the IR window on Firefly and press the MENU/SELECT key. This will force the Main Menu options to appear as a full screen overlay on Firefly video...
  • Page 40 Firefly. The right side of the display will be blank. 3. Next place the CD or DVD into the Firefly. After the system scans the disc (be patient, scanning can take 30 seconds or so), the right side of the graphic display will show the list of media available on the CD or DVD.

  • Page 41: How To Automatically Copy Media From A Cd Or Dvd For Playback- "Drop And Go

    (like in a Windows application). Instead, the media files will be directly available immediately after each directory name. 5. Copy (<<) media from the CD to the Firefly or delete media (X) from the Firefly by highlighting the appropriate on-screen selection, first the media and then the action button, and pressing the MENU/SELECT key on the remote control.

  • Page 42: How To Create A Basic Playlist

    How To Create a Basic Playlist Playing media on Firefly requires (a) that the MPEG videos actually reside on the Firefly and (b) that a valid playlist, also resides on the Firefly. The playlist can be created either directly on...
  • Page 43 Quick Start Guide CH 1 CH 2 CH 3 CH 4 Loaded Media video1.mpg New Playlist Name: video2.mpg loop5_ bikes.mp2 saturn.mpg BACK DONE Save Cancel Clear Figure 5. New Playlist Name Entry Screen Select a maximum of 14 characters as needed. If you wish to delete a character, move the highlight down to BACK and press the MENU/SELECT key.
  • Page 44 Quick Start Guide 5. The graphical interface will now display separate tabs for each of the four Firefly video output channels on the left side and the list of available media on the right side. Media Window Channel Tabs CH 1 CH 2 CH 3 CH 4...

  • Page 45: Software Updating

    Visual Circuits is continuously looking for ways to improve and expand its features and product performance. We have provided you with a variety of simple methods in which to keep your Firefly updated with the latest software for your application. Software updates can be obtained from our website at www.visualcircuits.com or contact a Visual Circuits representative...
  • Page 46 See Smart Card on page 105 5. Webview Firefly Update: Used to manually select the .upd file from your PC through the Webview interface. System automatically updates and restarts. See Webview Software...

  • Page 47: Encoding Requirements And Recommendations

    (MPEG, MPEG2 program stream, video only). 5. Firefly – Standard IDE Hard Drive): The total bit rate of a Firefly player must not exceed 40 mbps across four channels (i.e. averaging 10 mbps per channel). Channels may be...

  • Page 48: Encoding Recommendations

    4. Program stream files should have one end code (00 00 01 b9) at the very end of the file. The Firefly can handle files without end codes, but it is still a good idea to include one.
  • Page 49 Encoding Requirements and Recommendations 6. Although Firefly can transcode NTSC and PAL, it is recommended to encode to the video standard (NTSC or PAL) that you will be setting your Firefly to display. 7. When encoding files, annotate and store notes on the audio levels of both the source tape and input settings of the encoder.
  • Page 50 Encoding Requirements and Recommendations 11. To play back still images or computer-based graphics, we recommend software encoders such as DVMPEG (www.darvision.com). Yet, whenever possible, hardware-based encoding systems are preferred. NOTE Multiplexing a blank audio track on all video only MPEG files is highly recommended.

  • Page 51: Remote Control

    EMOTE ONTROL Remote Control Basics Much like a TV or DVD remote control, the Firefly comes with its own easy to use remote control. The remote control provides for a wide variety of options. Activating the Remote Control In some situations there may be more than one Firefly in a given...

  • Page 52: Player Controls

    Remote Control To command all Firefly’s within range of the IR remote to cease responding, enter the address 00 followed by the CHAN- key on the remote control. Player Controls You are able to access DVD-like controls for each channel of the Firefly, essentially operating the Firefly like four conventional DVD players.

  • Page 53: Player Operation

    Remote Control TC: 00:03:28.12 CH 1 Figure 7. Player Control Display Player Operation Once a channel(s) has been selected for manual player control, the keys on the lower portion of the remote control designated for player control will be active. The following section describes the function and operation of each player control key.

  • Page 54: Play

    Remote Control Play Pressing the PLAY key will cause all selected channels to begin playing from the current video file position. If one or more of the selected channels are already playing at the time this command is received, these channels will continue playing and will be unaffected by the command.

  • Page 55: Scan Reverse

    Remote Control not be displayed. To resume normal playback, press the PLAY key or the F.F. key again. To reverse or rewind the content, press the REW key. Moreover, note that the fast forward function cannot go past the start or end of the current file and that it only operates on one channel at a time.

  • Page 56: Skip Reverse

    Remote Control Skip Reverse The skip reverse command will be initiated by pressing the LEFT arrow on the menu navigation keys section of the remote control and is similar to the skip reverse function of a DVD player. When the skip reverse command is received, selected channels will be stepped back to the beginning of the video.

  • Page 57: Menu Options

    Remote Control Menu Options The Firefly Main Menu is accessed by pressing the MENU/ SELECT key on the remote control while in either regular playback, Drop & Go or Player Control mode. When the MENU command is received, the menu will be displayed.

  • Page 58: Exiting The Firefly Main Menu

    Remote Control Exiting the Firefly Main Menu You can exit the Firefly Main Menu and return to normal video playback by scrolling to the “Exit Menu” option then pressing MENU/SELECT. You can also exit by simply pressing the EXIT key on the menu navigation section of the remote. Note that if there is no content selected or scheduled to play, the screen will be black.
  • Page 59 Remote Control Select a Playlist and Press MENU to Edit [New Playlist] Now Playing : local1.fpl local1.fpl local2.fpl local3.fpl Press 0 local4.fpl To Delete local5.fpl Press EXIT To Return To Main Menu Figure 8. Playlist Editor Chooser Screen In this screen you will have the option to start creating a new playlist, start editing an existing playlist or to delete an existing playlist.
  • Page 60 DONE and press the MENU/SELECT key. The graphical interface will now display the main Playlist Editor screen comprised of separate tabs for each of the four Firefly video output channels on the left side and the list of available media on the right side.

  • Page 61: Adding Videos To A Playlist

    Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys on the remote control to highlight the playlist you would like to delete and then press the 0 key on the remote. The playlist will be deleted from the Firefly. Media Window Channel Tabs...

  • Page 62: Removing Videos From A Playlist

    Pressing the right arrow key while the highlight is on a video in the playlist channel for a channel tab (ex. “CH1”) will remove the highlighted video from the playlist (not from the Firefly entirely). Repeat this process to remove additional videos from the playlist.

  • Page 63: Viewing Media Information

    The Media Information feature is available to help you view basic information about media loaded on the Firefly. This window will show up to 60 characters for the name, file type description (if available), size of the media (in bytes) and the date and time the media was transferred to the Firefly.

  • Page 64: Shuffling Video Playback On A Channel

    Remote Control CH 1 CH 2 CH 3 CH 4 Loaded Media jackpots_first_birthday_celebrati video1.mpg video2.mpg on_test123.mpg bikes.mp2 MPEG system stream data saturn.mpg size: 10518424 bytes date/tim e: 06/20/02 13:52 Save Cancel Clear Figure 11. Playlist Editor Media Information Window Shuffling Video Playback on a Channel Occasionally, you may want to vary the playback order of your videos for a given playlist.

  • Page 65: Remote Control

    Remote Control 1. (From within the Playlist Editor main screen) Place the highlight on the desired Channel number header (for example, on “CH 1”). 2. Press the UP arrow on the remote control. You will notice that [Shuffle] will appear on the bottom of the playlist channel indicating that Shuffle playback has been activated for that particular channel.

  • Page 66: Adding Graphic Overlays To Videos Within A Playlist

    Remote Control Adding Graphic Overlays to Videos within a Playlist Using the graphic overlays feature in Firefly is a great way to add a company logo, sale sign or any other image (.bmp, .jpg, .gif, .tif, .tga or .png) on top of your video playback. Because the graphic...
  • Page 67 Remote Control 3. To copy a graphic overlay to your desired channel, highlight the desired graphic overlay file and press the MENU/SELECT key or LEFT arrow key on the remote. When adding a graphic overlay, it will always appear at the bottom of the Playlist Channel.

  • Page 68: Removing Graphic Overlays From A

    Working with Graphic Overlays in a Playlist As previously noted, graphic overlays exist in a playlist as attributes of specific video entries. The only image types that are compatible with Firefly are .bmp, .jpg, .gif, .tif, .tga or .png. Graphic Overlay Properties Overlay Name: VCCdemo.bmp...
  • Page 69 Remote Control NOTE While copying .jpg, .gif, .tif, .tga, .png or non 256- color .bmp image files, Firefly converts those files to a standard 8-bit, 256-color bitmap format and reduces the image sizes, if necessary, to the system maximum of 720 x 480 for NTSC. This is necessary...
  • Page 70 Remote Control 3. If desired, adjust the key color. The key color property deals with blocking out or cropping specified colors within the graphic overlays. For example, if the image you are using is your company logo (in color) and is placed on top of a white rectangular background, you may only want to display the company logo, instead of the logo on top of the white background.
  • Page 71 At that point, the newly adjusted properties will be applied to all subsequent graphic overlays. NOTE If your use of Firefly requires frequent changes to the graphic overlay properties, you may want to use the WebView interface (see Working With Graphic Overlays in a Playlist on page 131) to be able to more effectively manipulate these settings.

  • Page 72: Creating An External A/V Playlist

    See Genlock on page 79 for details on how set this parameter. If you do not genlock to the video input, the Firefly system will turn this parameter on temporarily for the duration of the playlist; however, note that this temporary setting switch may cause picture roll to occur at the beginning and/or end of the playlist.

  • Page 73: Playlist

    Remote Control If you plan on having external audio and/or video playing for an extended period of time, the easiest way to set this up is as follows: 1. Create a new playlist and name it something descriptive, such as “External AV 1”. 2.

  • Page 74: Adding External A/V Events To A Playlist

    Remote Control 5. Repeat steps 1 through 3 to add additional external A/V events to any of the other channels, if desired. 6. Save the playlist and exit the Playlist Editor. 7. Go into the Schedule Editor and schedule the “External AV 1” playlist for your desired time slot, such as from 12:00 to 17:00 (see Schedule Editor on page 52 for details on scheduling).

  • Page 75: Removing External A/V Events From A

    Remote Control 3. To insert an external A/V event to your desired channel, highlight the [External AV] listing and press the MENU/ SELECT key or LEFT arrow key on the remote. When adding an external A/V event, it will always appear at the bottom of the Playlist Channel.

  • Page 76: Moving External A/V Events Within A

    Remote Control Repeat this process to remove additional external A/V events from the playlist. Moving External A/V Events within a Playlist You may determine that you would like to change the location of an external A/V event within a given playlist. To move the location of an external A/V event within a playlist: 1.
  • Page 77 Remote Control You may obtain information or set the basic properties of any external A/V event listed under the Playlist Channel list by placing the highlight on the “[Ext 00:00:30]” listing and then pressing the MENU/SELECT key once on the remote control to select it and then a second time to enter the External A/V Event Properties screen.

  • Page 78: External Audio

    Remote Control Duration: Set the external A/V event duration by using the UP, DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys on the remote. Select the number of hours, minutes and seconds (HH:MM:SS) for the external A/V event to take place. External Audio: Turn this option on or off using the MENU/SELECT key on the remote.

  • Page 79: Exiting The Playlist Editor

    Remote Control Exiting the Playlist Editor At any point while working with the Playlist Editor you may exit and return to the main menu by pressing the EXIT key. If you are within the Playlist Selections list or Loaded Media list, you will need to press EXIT twice.

  • Page 80: Schedule Editor

    Remote Control Schedule Editor Within the Schedule Editor, you will be able to work with playback schedules. A schedule is a group of one or more playlist events. An event is composed of a single playlist with adjustable playback properties. Beyond simple start and stop times, events can be set to play on certain days of the week, interrupt other events, play just once or at certain repeating intervals.

  • Page 81: To Start Creating A New Schedule

    Remote Control In this screen you will have the option to start creating a new schedule, to start editing an existing schedule or to delete an existing schedule. To start creating a new schedule: Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys on the remote control to highlight “New Schedule”...

  • Page 82: To Start Editing An Existing Schedule

    To delete an existing schedule: Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys on the remote control to highlight the schedule you would like to delete and then press the 0 key on the remote. The schedule will be deleted from the Firefly.
  • Page 83 Remote Control Schedule Editor Intvl Playlist Start Stop SMTWTFS local3 --Default-- x x x x x x x - - - - : - - file4 08:00 12:00 x x x - - x - x x - - : - - file5 12:00 17:30 x x x - - x -...
  • Page 84 Remote Control Property Description Start Designates time to start playing playlist. Example: “I’d like to have my playlist start playing at 9:00”. Stop Designates time to stop playing playlist. Example: “I’d like to have my playlist stop playing at 18:00”. SMTWTFS Designates days of week to play playlist.

  • Page 85: Adding An Event To A Schedule

    Remote Control Adding an Event to a Schedule To add an event to a schedule: 1. Using the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys, position the highlight on the “Edit” option at the bottom of the screen and then press MENU/SELECT. 2.
  • Page 86 Remote Control b. Start: Use the number keys and RIGHT arrow key to set the specific start time (24-hour clock) for the playlist. When done, press the RIGHT arrow key to advance to the next field. c. Stop: Use the number keys and RIGHT arrow key to set the specific stop time (24-hour clock) for the playlist.

  • Page 87: Deleting An Event From A Schedule

    Remote Control 5. A dialog box will appear stating that the schedule is saved and will give you the option to “Select it to play” or to “Do not play it now”. Pressing the MENU/SELECT key on “Select it to play”...
  • Page 88 Remote Control 1. Using the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys, position the highlight on the “Edit” option at the bottom of the screen and then press the MENU/SELECT key. 2. Using the UP and DOWN arrow keys, locate the event to be edited.

  • Page 89: Assigning Dates For Video Playback

    Remote Control “Interrupt” is selected, interrupting the previous video and “-” indicates that “Interrupt” is not selected, allowing the video to finish playing before the new playlist begins playing. When done, press the RIGHT arrow key to advance to the next field. f.

  • Page 90: Video Dates Editor

    Remote Control Video Dates Editor Start Date Stop Date Video Name proddemo2.mpg 02/01/03 -- / -- / -- market31.mpg -- / -- / -- 05/31/03 janpromo.mpg 01/01/03 01/31/03 jackpot7.mpg 01/01/03 01/07/03 [Add] [Delete] Figure 22. Video Dates Editor Screen Depending on your application, you may have a need for using any or all of the three previously mentioned date rules.
  • Page 91 Remote Control Start Stop Date Date Description - -/- -/- - 05/31/03 No start date with stop date. Example: “I want my new marketing campaign video available to playlists from now until the end of the spring months”. 01/01/03 01/31/03 Both start date and stop date.
  • Page 92 Remote Control To delete a date rule for a video, use the following steps: 1. (From the Schedule Editor main screen) Using the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys, position the highlight on the “Dates” option at the bottom of the screen and then press the MENU/ SELECT key.

  • Page 93: Exiting The Schedule Editor

    Figure 23. Exit Schedule Editor Dialog Box Playback Selector The Playback Selector allows you to select a different playlist or schedule to play back on the Firefly. After selecting the Playback Selector from the Firefly main menu, the following screen will be displayed:...

  • Page 94: Loading A Playlist Or Schedule

    Figure 24. Playback Selector Screen Loading a Playlist or Schedule A list of playlists and schedules located on the Firefly will be listed in the box located on the left. Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to highlight the desired playlist or schedule and then press the MENU/SELECT key.

  • Page 95: Media Maintenance

    Media Maintenance The “Media Maintenance” screen enables you to manually copy media from a CD or DVD to Firefly, and to delete unwanted media. Upon selecting the “Media Maintenance” option from the main menu, the following screen will be displayed:...
  • Page 96 The Media Information feature is available to help you view basic information about media loaded on the Firefly or on a CD/DVD in the Firefly. This window will show up to 60 characters for the name, in addition to the size of the media (in bytes) and the date and time the media was transferred to the Firefly.

  • Page 97: Selecting Files To Copy Or Delete

    Remote Control Loaded Media CD/DVD ROM bellatlantic.mpg jackpots.mpg sears.mpg hitachi.mpg Test123.mpg bikes.mp2 ebay.mp2 saturn.mpg MPEG system stream data radioshack.mpg newscipt1.glo chilis.mp2 size: 10518424 bytes starwars2.mpg mcdonalds.mp2 oldscript.glo date/time: 06/20/03 13:52 march2001.glo sony.mp2 sixflags.mpg supersteaks.mp2 Free: 21039M Size: 257M Exit Figure 26. Media Maintenance Media Information Window Selecting Files to Copy or Delete To select a group of media files to copy or delete: Scroll through the CD/DVD media list to put the highlight...

  • Page 98: Copying Selected Files

    Copying Selected Files Once a media file or group of media files have been selected from the “CD/DVD ROM” window for copying to Firefly, you can copy by moving the highlight to the COPY (<<) button and pressing the MENU/SELECT key on the remote control. A dialog box will...
  • Page 99 Remote Control IMPORTANT Firefly cannot read or copy consumer DVD movies. Only non-encrypted MPEG videos stored on data DVD's can be copied. If the “Yes Copy” option is selected, the confirmation dialog box is replaced with a copy progress dialog box as shown below:...

  • Page 100: Deleting Selected Files

    After all media have been copied, you will be returned to the “Media Maintenance” screen. Deleting Selected Files To delete media files from the Firefly, you will first need to select them. Follow Selecting Files to Copy or Delete on page 69 to select the files you wish to delete.

  • Page 101: System Settings

    Remote Control Loaded Media CD/DVD ROM bellatlantic.mpg You have chosen to remove levis.mpg sears.mpg hitachi.mpg 3 media files bikes.mp2 ebay.mp2 from the system saturn.mpg radioshack.mpg Is this correct? newscipt1.glo chilis.mp2 starwars2.mpg mcdonalds.mp2 Do Not Remove oldscript.glo march2001.glo sony.mp2 sixflags.mpg Yes Remove supersteaks.mp2 Free: 21039M Size: 257M...

  • Page 102: General Settings

    Remote Control To delete a character in a system setting value field using the remote control (for example to change the Network: IP Address or the WebView: Username), position the highlight on the character proceeding the character(s) you would like to delete and then press the MENU/SELECT key.

  • Page 103: Site Id

    Remote Control Site ID The Site ID uniquely identifies the Firefly as it updates via FTP or CD/DVD-ROM. It is also used for Media Messenger software to enable automated management of content, playlists & schedule updates. Date/Time Sets the Firefly internal clock for date and time.

  • Page 104: Uptime

    Remote Control Uptime Displays the total amount of time in days, hours and minutes a Firefly has been playing without a shutdown. Play Test File (Menu Only Available Via Front Panel Interface) Plays a test video until turned off. Resets any settings changed in advanced registry to default for test.

  • Page 105: Video Standard

    Stereo PCM, *Dolby Digital Figure 32. Audio Settings Screen Volume This setting allows you to set the volume level for audio played back on the Firefly (across all 4 channels). The default volume setting is 10 on the 0-20 scale.

  • Page 106: Channel 1, 2, 3, 4 Audio

    Remote Control Channel 1, 2, 3, 4 Audio On a channel by channel basis, Firefly gives you several audio output options depending on the configuration you use (see Table 5 below). Standard MPEG layer-2 files will output from both the digital and stereo analog outputs.

  • Page 107: External A/V Settings

    The External A/V option allows you to switch between playing MPEGs internally or external A/V on a channel-by-channel basis. When a channel is set to “External Only”, Firefly will only output the audio/video source connected to the Video In and Audio Input...
  • Page 108 Remote Control If your Firefly already has this feature enabled, you may select “External Only” for a given channel to only have a continuous external feed. (Example: You always want local television, such as news and weather, playing on the Channel 4 monitors). If you do not want to have a continuous external feed, you may leave the setting to “Internal”...

  • Page 109: Control Settings

    Accept TCP/IP In conjunction with RS232 serial communication, TCP/IP allows the user to remotely operate the Firefly by sending operation commands through a network or locally using an external PC or show controller (see External Control Commands on page 225).

  • Page 110: Baud Rate

    LCD Echo When LCD is selected to “On”, any of the External command sets sent to the Firefly via RS232 - TCP/IP are registered to the front panel LCD. The LCD will echo on the top row of the screen and the bottom row will show the last command received in single quotes.

  • Page 111: Network Settings

    W ebV iew A dv E xit F TP N etw ork S ettings H ost N am e: firefly M ode: *N one, D H C P , S tatic IP A ddress: N etm ask: G atew ay:...

  • Page 112: Host Name

    Windows 2000 and Windows 98), then you must manually configure all of your intranet hosts with an IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway. See your Network Administrator for further information. Host Name Choose a unique name that identifies each Firefly unit on the network.

  • Page 113: Mode

    This address is typically represented in dotted-decimal notation, with the decimal value of each octet separated by a period, for example, 192.168.7.27. NOTE Press the “STOP” button on the Firefly remote control to create a period ( . ) within the IP address.

  • Page 114: Netmask

    192.168.1.255. See your Network Administrator for further information. Gateway A service that allows Firefly to connect to other servers. Creating a gateway also allows client computers running only Microsoft client software to access server resources through the gateway. See your...

  • Page 115: Proxy Type

    Enable NTP (Network Time Protocol) Allows you to enable or disable the NTP time synchronization feature. NTP Server The IP address of the NTP server the Firefly will time-sync with on the network. Enable SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) Allows you to enable or disable the SNMP feature. SNMP can be used to monitor the Firefly on your network.

  • Page 116: Snmp Network

    Firefly, set to a specific IP address, (Ex. 1- 192.168.0.100). To allow a group of machines to control the Firefly, set the IP to a range, (Ex. 2 - 192.168.0.0). SNMP Netmask Designates the Netmask information for the system(s) that will be able to monitor and control the Firefly.

  • Page 117: Logging Settings

    Diagnostic Log Allows you turn “On” or “Off” the diagnostic log. The diagnostic log can be used to view a record of all media update transactions and any system errors on a Firefly. Information contained in the diagnostic log include:...

  • Page 118: Log Format

    Remote Control FTP/DVD Updating data: Tracks date, time of connection/ disconnection, errors- yes/no, files, sizes, percent transferred and FTP permission errors. Storage Cleanup data: Records what media have been deleted by the automatic storage cleanup routine, including file names, sizes and dates. Missing Elements Log: Records all missing media referenced by an active playlist or schedule, including date, time and file element.

  • Page 119: Upload Logs

    However, if you do not reserve enough space, Firefly will delete the oldest residing logs in order to make room for the new ones.

  • Page 120: Webview Settings

    *firefly Password: *123456 Figure 37. WebView Settings Screen WebView This feature gives the user access to Firefly over a network using a conventional web browser (see W on page 113). File Access Accesses the Firefly directly with an FTP client.

  • Page 121: Password

    Remote Control NOTE The user name and password are used for both WebView and the FTP server. Password Enter at least 6 (but no more than 15) alphanumeric characters here. WARNING It is strongly recommended to change the user name and password from their original default values for system security.

  • Page 122: Ftp Auto-Update Settings

    Remote Control FTP Auto-Update Settings * - Indicates Factory Default General Audio Ext Control Video Logs HTTP MCast SCard WebView Exit FTP Auto-Update Settings FTP IP Address: FTP Port: Username: Password: Directory: FTP Proxy Port: *Disabled,30min, 1, 2, 4, Update Interval: 12 hr,1day,use fixed time Fixed Upd Time: 00:00...

  • Page 123: Password

    It is advised that you leave this blank and use the home directory of your FTP account to place your media, playlists, schedules and/or updates folders. In the case where you are using multiple Firefly’s with different content for each unit, single and or multiple directories can come in handy.

  • Page 124: Http Auto-Update Settings

    Remote Control HTTP Auto-Update Settings * - Indicates Factory Default General Audio Ext Control Video Logs SCard HTTP MCast Exit WebView HTTP Auto-Update Settings HTTP IP Address: HTTP Port: HTTP Proxy Port: HTTP Directory: *Disabled,30min, 1, 2, 4, Update Interval: 12 hr,1day,use fixed time Fixed Upd Time: 00:00...

  • Page 125: Http Directory

    HTTP update (Example: 14:00). In order for this feature to be accessible, you must have the Update Interval set to “Use fixed time”. HTTP Update Now Button By pressing this button in Webview will initiate the Firefly to immediately download any new media, playlists, schedules and or updates.

  • Page 126: Multicast

    Remote Control Multicast * - Indicates Factory Default General Audio Ext Control Video Logs HTTP MCast SCard WebView Exit Multicast Settings Client Enable: *Disabled, Enabled Preset: Listen Address: Listen Port: *Script Last, Package Transfer Order: Reserve MBs: *Remove Delete Preset: Figure 40.

  • Page 127: Listen Address

    NOTE Multicasting is an optional feature enabled by a pre- programmed Smart Card. If your Firefly does not have the optional Multicasting feature (menu items are “grayed out”) and your application requires it, contact a Visual Circuits representative at 1-800-250-5533.

  • Page 128: Reserves Mbs

    Remote Control Reserves MBs Allows you to allocate a fixed amount of Firefly’s internal storage space for receiving a multicast update. To determine this value, you will need to estimate the largest multicast update you will ever receive (example: 1000 MBs). Then, double that amount (example: 1000 MBs x 2 = 2000 MBs) to allow room for both the compressed archive and the extraction process.

  • Page 129: Load Config

    Allows you to eject an inserted Smart Card from the Firefly’s internal Smart Card reader. (You may also eject the Smart Card using the front panel display on the Firefly. See Ejecting the Smart Card on page 110 for details).

  • Page 130: Advanced Settings

    Turns audio/video synchronization on and off. Turning the audio to video synchronization or “lip sync” off, sometimes eliminates stuttering video playback. This may however result in poor audio to video synchronization. Consult with a Visual Circuits representative if the problem continues. Merge Playlists The behavior of the “Merge Playlists”...

  • Page 131: Front Panel Interface)

    Storage Settings (Menu Only Available Via Front Panel Interface) Gives information on media stored on Firefly such as how much storage space a file uses, how much total storage space is available, and how to delete both files and playlists/schedules.

  • Page 132: List Media

    Remote Control List Media Displays media on Firefly. These media may be included in a playlist/schedule. Select media Displays media size. Example: Scale.mpg Size: 8.0MB Delete Media Displays media on Firefly. Select media for deletion. Confirm delete. Example: Scale.mpg Delete Playlists/Schedules Displays playlists/schedules on Firefly.

  • Page 133: Smart Card

    The Visual Circuits’ application for using Smart Card technology is used in two ways: to license optional features for the Firefly Media Player and to save and load Firefly system setting configurations.

  • Page 134: Saving And Loading System Setting Configurations

    Smart Card. Then, all you have to do is insert the Smart Card into another Firefly, load the data and the Firefly will detect the new system settings and change any of its internal system settings according to the configuration stored on the Smart Card.

  • Page 135: Inserting The Smart Card

    To insert the Visual Circuits Smart Card: 1. Orient the Smart Card so that the label is facing up and the insert arrow is in the direction of the Firefly Smart Card reader slot. 2. Slowly insert the Smart Card into the reader until the card is all the way inside.

  • Page 136: Using Webview

    As a result, the system settings configuration will be saved from the Firefly to the Smart Card. Loading A Firefly Configuration From The Smart Card There are three different interfaces you may use to load a Firefly configuration from the Smart Card: the remote control, WebView and the front panel.

  • Page 137: Using The Remote Control

    RIGHT keys to position the highlight on “Load” and then press the MENU/SELECT key. As a result, the system settings configuration on the Smart Card (if present) will be loaded from the Smart Card to the Firefly. Using WebView To load the Firefly system settings configuration from the Smart Card using WebView: 1.

  • Page 138: Ejecting The Smart Card

    Firefly front panel for 10 seconds to eject it. Using the Remote Control To eject the Smart Card from the Firefly using the remote control: 1. From the Firefly Main Menu, position the highlight on “System Settings” and press the MENU/SELECT key.

  • Page 139: Using Webview

    DOWN arrow keys to move to “Eject Smart Card”, use the LEFT and RIGHT keys to position the highlight on “Eject” and then press the MENU/SELECT key. As a result, the Smart Card will be ejected from the Firefly Media Player. Using WebView To eject the Smart Card from the Firefly using WebView: 1.
  • Page 140 Smart Card...

  • Page 141: Web View

    Setup Procedures: Step 1: Connect to the Network To begin, both the Firefly and the computer you will be using to access the Firefly must be on a common network. If you need help setting up these connections you should contact your IS department.

  • Page 142: Firefly

    Step 2: Determine the Address of the Firefly Once proper network connections are confirmed on both the Firefly and the web browser computer, you will need to know the IP address or DNS name (if your network has a DNS server) of the Firefly.

  • Page 143: With The Firefly

    Figure 44. WebView Login Page Step 4: Enter Your User Name and Password All Firefly’s ship from the factory with a default user name of “firefly” and default password “123456”. If you have not yet changed those defaults, you should enter them at this time.

  • Page 144: Using The Webview Interface

    (page 117). Along the left side of the page are the navigation buttons used to access different pages in the WebView interface. At the top is a link to download the Firefly User Manual in PDF format. There is a link to the Visual Circuits website in the lower left corner of the page.

  • Page 145: Transferring Media

    Transferring Media From this page you can transfer media from your computer or network to the Firefly. Up to six media files can be transferred at once by simply specifying the files to be transferred in each of the Media 1 through Media 6 boxes.
  • Page 146 Do not use the Internet Explorer “History” function within WebView. Because the WebView interface needs to query the Firefly player to refresh, pulling the history out of the Internet Explorer cache file will cause inconsistent results. For the same reason, do not use the Internet Explorer backward or forward navigation buttons.
  • Page 147 After you have selected all the media files you wish to transfer to the Firefly, clicking the Transfer Media button will initiate the transfer. If you wish to change your selections before the transfer begins, you can click the Reset button to clear all selections.
  • Page 148 After WebView has successfully transferred all of the selected files to the Firefly, a summary page will be displayed showing what was uploaded. If you wish to transfer more files to the Firefly, you may return to the Media Transfer page by clicking the Media Transfer...

  • Page 149: Webview Software Update

    PC for the .upd file you may have obtained from the Visual Circuits website or CD ROM. Now select “Firefly Update”. After the file has been transfered, the system will immediately begin to process the update for approx. 60 seconds and then restart the player.

  • Page 150: The Firefly

    Reviewing, Previewing and Deleting Firefly Media Within the WebView Media Review page, you will be able to review media and storage usage on the Firefly, preview video and graphic overlay media on the Firefly and delete media from the Firefly.

  • Page 151: Overlays On The Firefly

    After you have previewed a particular video on the Firefly once, the thumbnail images will be stored on the Firefly allowing the preview to load automatically in successive review attempts.

  • Page 152: Deleting Media From The Firefly

    In some cases, certain graphic overlay files will be unavailable for preview. Figure 50. WebView Media Review Page (Graphic Overlay) Deleting Media from the Firefly 1. Select the proper file type tab (video, overlay, playlist or schedule) at the top.
  • Page 153 Figure 51. WebView Media Review Page (Deleting Multiple Files) CAUTION You may delete any or all media files from the Firefly in this fashion. This includes files that may be in use by the current playlist. If you delete a file that is currently playing, it will be allowed to finish playing before the file is actually removed.

  • Page 154: Using The Playlist Editor

    Using the Playlist Editor Within the Playlist Editor, you will be able to arrange videos on the Firefly into a playlist. A playlist is essentially a group of videos arranged in a particular playback sequence. A playlist can be used for immediate playback or saved on the Firefly for future playback.

  • Page 155: Creating A New Playlist

    To add a video to a playlist: 1. Select the channel tab you wish to work with. 2. Browse the Firefly Media list to locate the video you wish to add. 3. Once you have found the video you wish to add, select it and...

  • Page 156: Removing Videos From A Playlist

    2. Click on the button located on the center buttons panel. This will remove the video from that specific playlist (not from the Firefly entirely). Additional videos you wish to be deleted must be selected and deleted one at a time.

  • Page 157: Shuffling Video Playback On A Channel

    1. Click on the video within the playlist that you would like the overlay to associate with. 2. Locate and then click on your desired graphic overlay from the Firefly Media list. 3. Click on the button to add the graphic overlay.

  • Page 158: Working With Graphic Overlays In A

    3. Click on the Overlay Filename drop down menu to locate and select your desired graphic overlay from the Firefly Media list. 4. Review and/or adjust the overlay properties (see Working With Graphic Overlays in a Playlist on page 131 for details on this).

  • Page 159: Playlist

    Working With Graphic Overlays in a Playlist As previously noted, graphic overlays exist in a playlist as attributes of specific video entries. The only image types that are compatible with Firefly are .bmp, .jpg, .gif, .tif, .tga or .png. Figure 53. Graphic Overlay Properties Page NOTE While copying .jpg, .gif, .tif, .tga, .png or non 256-...
  • Page 160 Graphic Overlay Properties page. 2. Click on the Overlay Filename drop down menu to locate and select your desired graphic overlay from the Firefly Media list. 3. If desired, select a level of transparency between 0 and 100%. This value will adjust to what extent the graphic overlay covers the video below.
  • Page 161 NOTE Use a solid background (one color) in your graphic overlays for the Auto key feature to work properly. NOTE Entering your own RGB values for the key color feature only works with 8 bit bitmap graphics less than or equal to 720x480 resolution.

  • Page 162: Adding Scrolling Text To A Playlist

    Adding Scrolling Text to a Playlist The process for adding scrolling text to a playlist is basically the same as the process of adding video files. The one significant difference, however, is that scrolling text is always linked to a particular video.

  • Page 163: Playlist

    NOTE Characters & symbols, other than what is currently displayed on most keyboard key caps, are not supported. Be aware of Word Processing programs that have the “AutoCorrect” feature enabled. Working With Scrolling Text in a Playlist As previously noted, scrolling text exist in a playlist as attributes of specific video entries.

  • Page 164: Transparency Level

    Transparency Level 1. All - If desired, select a level of transparency between 0 and 100%. This value will adjust to what extent both background and text will “overlay” the video. If you want the background & text to blend in with the video, you may select a higher transparency level.

  • Page 165: Creating An External A/V Playlist

    See Genlock on page 79 for details on how set this parameter. If you do not genlock to the video input, the Firefly system will turn this parameter on temporarily for the duration of the playlist; however, note that this temporary setting switch may cause picture roll to occur at the beginning and/or end of the playlist.
  • Page 166 2. (In the Playlist Editor main screen) Select the channel tab you wish to work with. 3. .Locate the [External Audio/Video] listing at the top of the Firefly Media list. 4. Select the [External Audio/Video] listing and then click on the button located on the center buttons panel. An entry titled “[Ext 00:00:30]”...

  • Page 167: Adding External A/V Events To A Playlist

    1. (In the Playlist Editor main screen) Select the channel tab you wish to work with. 2. Locate the [External Audio/Video] listing at the top of the Firefly Media list.Select the [External Audio/Video] listing and then click on the button located on the center buttons panel.

  • Page 168: Playlist

    Figure 56. Playlist Editor Page With External A/V Event See Moving External A/V Events within a Playlist on page 141 for details on moving the external A/V event(s) to a different location within the playlist. See Editing External Events within a Playlist on page 141 for details on editing the audio, video and duration properties of the external A/V event(s).

  • Page 169: Playlist

    Repeat this process to remove additional external A/V events from the playlist (if desired). Moving External A/V Events within a Playlist You may determine that you would like to change the location of an external A/V event within a given playlist. To move an external A/V event up (towards the beginning) of a playlist: 1.
  • Page 170 After pressing the key sequence above, the following screen will be displayed: Figure 57. External A/V Event Properties Page Duration: Set the external A/V event duration by entering numerical values with your keyboard. Select the number of hours, minutes and seconds (HH:MM:SS) based on a 24-hour clock for the external A/ V event to take place.

  • Page 171: Saving A Playlist

    If you check the “Load this playlist now” check box (found below the Firefly Media list), the modified playlist will begin playing on the Firefly as soon as you save it. If you do not check this box, the playlist will be saved, but playback will not be started until the playlist is later selected for playback.

  • Page 172: Playing A Playlist Quickly

    Playlist Editor screen. Clicking the “Play” button will overwrite the original playlist file using the same file name and will begin designated playback on the Firefly immediately. Using the Schedule Editor Within the Schedule Editor, there are two separate pages: the Playlist Events Editor and the Video Dates Editor.

  • Page 173: Creating A New Schedule

    Figure 59. WebView Schedule Editor - Playlist Events Editor Page Creating a New Schedule The process for creating a new schedule may be started in one of two ways; by choosing “New Schedule” from the Schedule drop down menu or by clicking on the “New” button in the lower right corner.
  • Page 174 Property Description Playlist Designates which playlist to play. Name Example: “I’d like to have my product demonstration playlist selected to play”. Start Time Designates time to start playing playlist. Example: “I’d like to have my playlist start playing at 9:00”. Stop Time Designates time to stop playing playlist.

  • Page 175: Adding An Event To A Schedule

    Adding an Event to a Schedule To add an event to a schedule: 1. Edit the event properties as described below. a. Playlist Name: Choose a playlist from the “Select a Playlist” drop down menu. b. Start Time: Set the specific start time for the playlist using the number keys on your keyboard.

  • Page 176: Deleting An Event From A Schedule

    e. Interrupt: Click on the Interrupt check box to have the first video in a scheduled playlist start playing precisely at its schedule time (interrupting or “cutting off” the video playing in the previously scheduled playlist). This is useful if you have a time sensitive playlist. A “checked” box indicates that Interrupt is selected, interrupting the previous video and an “unchecked”...

  • Page 177: Editing An Event Within A Schedule

    Editing an Event within a Schedule To edit an event within a schedule, use the following steps: 1. Edit the event properties as described below. a. Playlist Name: Choose a playlist from the “Select a Playlist” drop down menu. b. Start Time: Set the specific start time for the playlist using the number keys on your keyboard.

  • Page 178: Saving A Schedule

    Saving a Schedule Once you have finished editing a schedule, you may save changes on the Firefly by clicking either the “Save” or “Save As” buttons at the bottom of the screen. Clicking the “Save” button will overwrite the original schedule file using the same file name.

  • Page 179: Additional Saving And Loading Methods

    If you check the “Load this schedule now” check box (found above the New button), the modified schedule will begin playing on the Firefly as soon as you save it (if the active schedule coincides with the current day and time). If...
  • Page 180 Figure 62. WebView Save Local File Download Dialog Box 2. Select “Save this file to disk” and click the “OK” button. The following Save As dialog box will appear: Figure 63. WebView Save As Local Dialog Box...
  • Page 181 The Load Local button allows you to load a schedule file from your local computer or network as opposed to directly from the Firefly. This is a useful feature because your schedule file(s) may only be available on another computer or removable media.

  • Page 182: Assigning Dates For Video Playback

    The following Choose File dialog box will appear: Figure 65. WebView Load Local Save As Dialog Box 3. Locate your desired schedule file (.fsc). Once found, highlight it and click the “Open” button. 4. The field will be populated with your desired schedule file name.
  • Page 183 Figure 66. WebView Schedule Editor - Video Dates Editor Page Depending on your application, you may have a need for using any or all of the three previously mentioned date rules. The table below provides some “real world” examples for using the Video Dates Editor: Start Stop...
  • Page 184 Start Stop Date Date Description - -/- -/- - 05/31/03 No start date with stop date. Example: “I want my new marketing campaign video available to playlists from now until the end of the spring months”. 01/01/03 01/31/03 Both start date and stop date. Example: “I’...
  • Page 185 To delete a date rule for a video, use the following steps: 1. (From the Schedule Editor main screen) Select the Video Dates Editor from the drop down menu. The Video Dates Editor screen will be displayed. 2. Locate the video (under Video Name) you would like to delete the date rule for.

  • Page 186: Exiting The Schedule Editor

    Using the Player Control Panel The Player Control panel mirrors the basic functionality of the Firefly remote control. You will be able to Play, Pause and Stop the currently playing file (displayed on the output window) on a channel-by-channel basis. In addition, you will be able to skip to the Previous and Next video in a playlist using the respective Previous and Next buttons.

  • Page 187: Diagnostics

    Diagnostics The Diagnostics pages display a number of statistics about what the Firefly is doing at a fairly technical level. The information found within these pages can serve as a tool to help the Visual Circuits technical support team work with you over the phone in the event that you are experiencing problems.

  • Page 188: Diagnostics - General

    Figure 68. WebView Diagnostics - General Page Diagnostics - General Player version:Displays the version of the Firefly (incorporating both hardware and software). Currently loaded schedule:Displays the file name of the currently loaded schedule (if applicable) on the system. Currently loaded playlist:Displays the file name of the currently loaded playlist on the system.
  • Page 189 Last FTP Update:Displays the date and time of the last FTP update. Last FTP Connect:Displays the date and time of the last FTP connect. Watchdog Restarts:Displays the number of times the Watchdog system has restarted the Firefly. System Starts:Displays the number of times the Firefly has been started.

  • Page 190: Diagnostics - Video

    Figure 69. WebView Diagnostics - Video Page Diagnostics - Video Channel:Defines the output channel number for that column. Horizontal Size:Defines the horizontal resolution of the currently playing MPEG file in pixels. Vertical Size:Defines the vertical resolution of the currently playing MPEG file in pixels.

  • Page 191: Diagnostics - Playback

    Figure 70. WebView Diagnostics - Playback Page Diagnostics - Playback Channel:Defines the output channel number for that row. Interrupts:Displays the number of interrupts that have been received from the MPEG decoder. AV Syncs:Displays the number of times the audio or video streams had to be adjusted to maintain proper synchronization.

  • Page 192: Diagnostics - Logging

    Raw Data: Bytes of MPEG data in RAM. Disk Underflow:Displays the number of disk underflows that have occurred. A disk underflow occurs when the Firefly is unable to get the data off the disk fast enough to keep the disk buffers from becoming empty.
  • Page 193 Once in the Run logfile viewer, the video playback data will be listed with one video per line and will be sorted by playback time (using Firefly’s internal 24-hour clock). You may move to the previous or next pages by clicking on the respective <<Prev or Next>>...

  • Page 194: Diagnostic Logs

    %:Displays the percentage played of the video. Diagnostic Logs Diagnostic logs can be used to view a record of all media update transactions and any system errors on a Firefly. Information contained in the diagnostic log include: FTP/DVD Updating data: Tracks date, time of connection/ disconnection, errors- yes/no, files, sizes, percent transferred and FTP permission errors.
  • Page 195 Once in the Diagnostic logfile viewer, the data will be listed with one diagnostic event per line and will be sorted by playback time (using Firefly’s internal 24-hour clock). You may move to the previous or next pages by clicking on the respective <<Prev or Next>>...

  • Page 196: System Settings

    System Settings The System Settings available in the WebView interface are basically the same as those found in the On-Screen Display menu. Within the System Settings menu, the following options are available: General Settings Figure 73. Settings-General NOTE When a field is edited in any one of the following Settings Categories, the text for that category will turn red until you update the settings.

  • Page 197: Date/Time

    Site ID The Site ID uniquely identifies the Firefly as it updates via FTP or CD/DVD-ROM. It is also used for Media Messenger software to enable automated management of content, playlists & schedule updates. Date/Time Sets the Firefly internal clock for date and time.

  • Page 198: Video Settings

    Video Settings Figure 74. Settings-Video Video Standard Selects the standard of video output: NTSC (USA) or PAL (European). Channel 1, 2, 3, 4 Video Output Selects the type of video output: Composite/S-video or RGB (sync on green) or Component. Composite and S-Video signals can be used simultaneously.

  • Page 199: Audio Settings

    Figure 75. Settings-Audio Volume This setting allows you to set the volume level for audio played back on the Firefly. The default volume setting is 10 on the 0-20 scale. Channel 1, 2, 3, 4 Audio The Dolby Digital option selects between stereo S/PDIF and analog stereo output on a channel-by-channel basis.

  • Page 200: External A/V Settings

    Smart Card. If your Firefly already has this feature enabled, select “Stereo PCM” for each desired channel’s audio. If your Firefly does not have this optional audio feature (menu items are “grayed out”) and your application requires it, contact a Visual Circuits representative at 1-800-250-5533.

  • Page 201: Channel 1, 2, 3, 4 Audio/Video

    The External A/V option allows you to switch between playing MPEGs internally or external A/V on a channel-by-channel basis. When a channel is set to “External Only”, Firefly will only output the audio/video source connected to the Video In and Audio Input connectors, regardless of what is in the playlist/schedule.

  • Page 202: Control Settings

    Accept TCP/IP In conjunction with RS232 serial communication, TCP/IP allows the user to remotely operate the Firefly by sending operation commands through a network or locally using an external PC or show controller (see External Control Commands on page 225).

  • Page 203: Baud Rate

    Auto Play Upon initial start up, Firefly will begin playing the latest loaded playlist/schedule automatically. Following start up, if you choose to begin playback manually via External commands, you can default this option to “Off” to deactivate automatic playback. Baud Rate Select an identical value to your external controller.

  • Page 204: Network Settings

    Network Settings Figure 77. Settings-Network Host Name Choose a unique name that identifies each Firefly unit on the network. Mode DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) - A TCP/IP service protocol that offers dynamic leased configuration of host IP addresses and distributes other configuration parameters to eligible network clients.

  • Page 205: Ip Address

    a client/server model where the DHCP server maintains centralized management of IP addresses that are used on the network. DHCP- supporting clients can then request and obtain lease of an IP address from a DHCP server as part of their network start up process.

  • Page 206: Gateway

    192.168.1.255. See your Network Administrator for further information. Gateway A service that allows Firefly to connect to other servers. Creating a gateway also allows client computers running only Microsoft client software to access server resources through the gateway. See your Network Administrator for further information.

  • Page 207: Snmp Network

    Firefly, set to a specific IP address, (Ex. 1- 192.168.0.100). To allow a group of machines to control the Firefly, set the IP to a range, (Ex. 2 - 192.168.0.0). SNMP Netmask Designates the Netmask information for the system(s) that will be able to monitor and control the Firefly.

  • Page 208: Priv Passphrase

    Diagnostic Log Allows you to turn “On” or “Off” the diagnostic log. The diagnostic log can be used to view a record of all media update transactions and any system errors on a Firefly. Information contained in the diagnostic log include:...

  • Page 209: Log Format

    FTP/DVD Updating data: Tracks date, time of connection/ disconnection, errors- yes/no, files, sizes, percent transferred and FTP permission errors. Storage Cleanup data: Records what media have been deleted by the automatic storage cleanup routine, including file names, sizes and dates. Missing Elements Log: Records all missing media referenced by an active playlist or schedule, including date, time and file element.

  • Page 210: Upload Logs

    However, if you do not reserve enough space, Firefly will delete the oldest residing logs in order to make room for the new ones.

  • Page 211: Webview Settings

    WebView Settings Figure 79. Settings-Logging WebView Enable This feature gives the user access to Firefly over a network using a conventional web browser (see W on page 113). File Access Enable/Disable - Accesses the Firefly directly with an FTP client.

  • Page 212: Password

    NOTE The user name and password are used for both WebView and the FTP server. Password Enter at least 6 (but no more than 15) alphanumeric characters. This field is case sensitive. WARNING It is strongly recommended to change the user name and password from their original default values for system security.

  • Page 213: Ftp Auto-Update Settings

    FTP Auto-Update Settings Figure 80. FTP Auto-Update Settings Screen FTP IP Address Enter the FTP server IP Address here. FTP Port Allows you to enter the port for the FTP server. If left blank during an update, this field will continue to show a blank value, and FTP will use port 21.

  • Page 214: Password

    It is advised that you leave this blank and use the home directory of your FTP account to place your media, playlists, schedules and/or updates folders. In the case where you are using multiple Firefly’s with different content for each unit, single and or multiple directories can come in handy.

  • Page 215: Http Auto-Update Settings

    HTTP Auto-Update Settings Figure 81. Settings-HTTP Auto Update HTTP Address Enter the HTTP server IP Address here. HTTP Port Allows you to enter the port for the HTTP server. If left blank during an update, this field will continue to show a blank value, and HTTP will use port 80.

  • Page 216: Http Directory

    HTTP update (Example: 14:00). In order for this feature to be accessible, you must have the Update Interval set to “Use fixed time”. HTTP Update Now Button By pressing this button in Webview will initiate the Firefly to immediately download any new media, playlists, schedules and or updates.

  • Page 217: Multicast Settings

    Multicast Settings Figure 82. Settings-Multicast Client Enable Allows option to enable or disable the multicast client. Note that if you make changes to other Multicast settings, you must also toggle the Client Enable setting from “Disabled” to “Enabled” for the changes to apply. For more information on multicasting, see M ULTICAST PDATING...

  • Page 218: Listen Address

    (see page 214 details). NOTE Multicasting is an optional feature enabled by a software upgrade. If your Firefly does not have the Multicasting feature (menu items are “grayed out”) and your application requires it, contact a Visual Circuits representative at 1-800-250-5533.

  • Page 219: Reserves Mbs

    Reserves MBs Allows you to allocate a fixed amount of Firefly’s internal storage space for receiving a multicast update. To determine this value, you will need to estimate the largest multicast update you will ever receive (example: 1000 MBs). Then, double that amount (example: 1000 MBs x 2 = 2000 MBs) to allow room for both the compressed archive and the extraction process.

  • Page 220: Smart Card Settings

    Allows you to eject an inserted Smart Card from the Firefly’s internal Smart Card reader. (You may also eject the Smart Card using the front panel display on the Firefly. See Ejecting the Smart Card on page 110 for details).

  • Page 221: Advanced Settings

    Turns audio/video synchronization on and off. Turning the audio to video synchronization or “lip sync” off, sometimes eliminates stuttering video playback. This may however result in poor audio to video synchronization. Consult with a Visual Circuits representative if the problem continues. Merge Playlists The behavior of the “Merge Playlists”...

  • Page 222: Reset Stats

    If you are in “Schedule Mode”, if a new playlist has the same filename as a playlist already on the system, then any empty channels on the new playlist will utilize the channels from the original playlist. Reset Stats Allows you to reset the basic system statistics (number of Watchdog Restarts and System Starts) as viewable in the WebView Diagnostics/General page may be reset to zero.

  • Page 223: Networking

    ETWORKING Overview Firefly players can be deployed as a network of media playback nodes. Because Firefly can be placed on a network, standard network setup (i.e. establishing a Username, IP configuration, etc.) is fully supported. Firefly comes standard with fully integrated FTP functionality.

  • Page 224: Product Features

    Software ™ ™ Visual Circuits Media Messenger software (sold separately) combined with Firefly Media Player creates a simple, yet powerful, end-to-end solution for the distribution and utilization of high- quality digital media. Product Features: Windows XP/2000 compatible Firefly Network Manager - for grouping and organizing...
  • Page 225 Networking To learn more about Media Messenger, contact a Visual Circuits representative at 1-800-250-5533 or visit our website at www.visualcircuits.com.
  • Page 226 Networking...

  • Page 227: Updating Video Playback

    PDATING IDEO LAYBACK Firefly players can be updated in a variety of ways using several different interfaces. These updating processes include both automatic (minimal interaction) and manual methods. Automatic Updating: Media Update discs - standard CD/DVD discs created with Visual Circuits Media Messenger software that can be sent out for local updating.

  • Page 228: Updating Video Playback

    CD/DVD. There should be no directories on a Media Update disc. (When writing CD’s/DVD’s over a network, test the network speed). 3. Be sure to test the disc in a Firefly prior to making duplicates and distributing to sites.

  • Page 229: Using A Media Update Disc

    Updating Video Playback NOTE While copying .jpg, .gif, .tif, .tga, .png or non 256- color .bmp image files, Firefly converts those files to a standard 8-bit, 256-color bitmap format and reduces the image sizes, if necessary, to the system maximum of 720 x 480 for NTSC. This is necessary...

  • Page 230: Firefly Storage Cleanup Routine

    Drop & Go Disc Updating Drop & Go Basics When a Drop & Go disc is placed in the Firefly CD/DVD drive, the videos are copied to the Firefly and playback begins automatically. Depending on the number of videos to be copied and the length of each video, the copying process could take several minutes.

  • Page 231: Using A Drop & Go Playback Disc

    To use the Drop & Go disc, follow the steps below. 1. Insert the Drop & Go disc into the Firefly CD/DVD drawer. 2. The Firefly will then detect that it is a Drop & Go disc that has been inserted.

  • Page 232: Firefly Storage Cleanup Routine

    If a CD/DVD disc fails to qualify as a Media Update or a Drop & Go update, Firefly will next check to see if it is a system software update. To qualify as a system software update, the disc must con- tain a file with the extension “.upd”.

  • Page 233: Content Update Processing

    Firefly. This is done by checking for an update packet with a name that matches the site ID of this Firefly. If, for example, the site ID of the Firefly is set to “location1”, Firefly would look for a file by the name of “location1.tar”.

  • Page 234: Updating Routine Order

    8. *.fpl This logic is intended to allow users to create a single CD or DVD that will work on several Firefly’s. All of the media required for all of the Firefly’s can be placed on this CD/DVD along with separate update packets targeted for each Firefly (using the site ID as the target mechanism).

  • Page 235: Ftp U Pdating

    This is a much more reliable indicator than creation date or other conventional means. Once all of the required video files are copied from the CD or DVD, the Firefly will begin playing the new playlist or schedule. FTP Updating FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a standardized convention to deliver digital data via TCP/IP.

  • Page 236: Ftp Server

    FTP servers are programs that reside on a PC and may be Windows, Unix, or Linux-based. FTP servers monitor users that log in to it and regulate what folders and videos a user may access. When a Firefly performs an update, the FTP server sees it as a user. NOTE Each Firefly should be setup with its own site ID established prior to installation.

  • Page 237: Scripts

    Updating Video Playback Creating a Firefly FTP Update Account After Firefly logs in, it will be looking for the following directories for updating: All media files are posted in the login directory, unless the Directory setting in FTP Auto-Update Settings is used (see Directory on page 186), in which case the Firefly will change that directory after logging in.

  • Page 238: Ftp Update Process

    .tar file with a name that matches the site ID of this Firefly. If for example, the site ID of the Firefly is set to “location1”, Firefly will look for a file by the name of “location1.tar”...

  • Page 239: Ftp Updating Order

    Once the new playlist(s) has been copied to the Firefly, it is analyzed to determine which MPEG video files are required to play it. Firefly then checks its own storage to determine if any of these videos are already present. Any files that are not present are copied from the FTP site.

  • Page 240: System Update Check

    (optional feature). The KenCast multicast client handles the task of receiving and writing media files to Firefly’s internal storage. Note that for this section of the Firefly user manual, it is assumed that you have basic knowledge of multicasting, the KenCast client and networking.

  • Page 241: Overview

    Package Mode: In Package Mode, a Fazzt package must be created and sent to the Firefly system. It must contain a script (playlist .fpl / update packet .tar) and the inclusion of videos and graphic overlays is optional. Any videos or graphic overlays not referenced by the script will be...

  • Page 242: Script Last Mode

    Fireflys in your network. Script Last Mode: In Script Last Mode, individual files can be sent to the Firefly. Any content will be stored on the system (unless none of its files are on the system).

  • Page 243: Software Update Check

    Firefly’s internal storage and executed. A .upd file is a file designated for making a software update to Firefly(s). For more on the behavior of each .upd file refer to the software release notes that came with the update file.

  • Page 244: Manual Updating

    (see page 214 details) . Reserves MBs: Allows you to allocate a fixed amount of Firefly’s internal storage space for receiving a multicast update. To determine this value, you will need to estimate the largest multicast update you will ever receive (example: 1000 MBs).

  • Page 245: Standard Cd/Dvd Updating

    See Media Maintenance on page 67 within the Remote Control section for instructions on how to copy media from a standard CD/ DVD to the Firefly using the IR Remote Control or see Copy From CD/DVD on page 103 for instructions on how to copy media from a standard CD/DVD using the Front Panel six-button interface.

  • Page 246: Direct File Access Updating

    Updating Video Playback Direct File Access Updating Direct File Access (enabled in “Web” screen within Firefly System Settings) can be used to update the Firefly directly with an FTP client. Programs such as FlashFXP (see description below) may be used.
  • Page 247 The File Access feature is disabled by default because of an inherent security risk. By enabling File Access, you are opening the FTP port, which opens your Firefly up to potential unauthorized access via a network, such as the internet. Understand that all security provisions must be provided by your network.
  • Page 248 Updating Video Playback...

  • Page 249: Log File Reporting

    Firefly Media Player network. There are two types of data logs available on the Firefly: run logs and diagnostic logs. You can enable or disable these capturing of these logs in any combination.

  • Page 250: Run Logs

    Diagnostic Logs The diagnostic log can be used to view a record of all media update transactions and any system errors on a Firefly. Information contained in the diagnostic log include: FTP/DVD Updating data: Tracks date, time of connection/ disconnection, errors- yes/no, files, sizes and percent transferred.

  • Page 251: Log Format

    Log File Reporting Log Format Run Logs The available output formats for a Firefly run log file are either .CSV or .XML Sample from a .CSV format run log: 12-07-02 20:30:07,1,05saturn.mpg,3_ser220.BMP,1,00:01:01,100 Sample from a .XML format run log: <mpeg datetime=”12-07-02 20:32:57” chan=”1”...

  • Page 252: Maximum Log File Sizes

    “logfiles” directory on your FTP server. If you choose “Yes” to have the log files uploaded, you may download the log files to your choice of storage options, such as a database you have designated for Firefly media playback data, from your FTP server.

  • Page 253: External Control Commands

    Firefly if they know its network address. The TCP/IP (ethernet) connector is located on the back of the Firefly under the Video In connector, to the right of the RS232 connector. Configure the network settings (see the section on Network Settings on page 83 for details on how to do this).

  • Page 254: Basic Hyper Terminal Setup

    Hyper Terminal Help file or see your Network Administrator for further assistance. NOTE Upon initial start up, Firefly will begin playing the latest loaded playlist/schedule automatically. Following start up, if you choose to begin playback manually via External commands,...

  • Page 255: Vcc Control Commands

    External Control Commands VCC Control Commands: Playlist Playback Commands Playlistload This command allows you to preload a playlist preparing it for playback. Playlistload loads up a playlist preparing it for playback. This command allows you to initiate playback when precision timing is desired. An mpgPlay channel or mpgPlayAll command is required to start playback.

  • Page 256: Playing Individual Files

    This command loads an MPEG file for playback on the specified channel. This command does not play the file. Videoname should include the storage path. If files are stored locally on Firefly, no storage path designation is required. Syntax channel videoname...
  • Page 257 This command loads an MPEG file for playback on the specified channel. This command does not play the file. Videoname should include the storage path. If files are stored locally on Firefly no storage path designation is required. This command will loop the file indefinitely.
  • Page 258 0 Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly (0-3) Return Values This command returns ACK if the file load was started successfully, or NAK if the file could not be loaded (e.g., the file was not found). mpgPlay This command plays a previously loaded MPEG file on the specified channel.
  • Page 259 Syntax channel mpgStop 0 Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly (0-3) Return Values This command returns ACK if playback was stopped successfully, or NAK if playback could not be stopped (e.g., no file currently playing). mpgPlayAll This command starts playback on all channels simultaneously. The files for each channel to play must have been previously loaded using the mpgLoad command.
  • Page 260 To cover the video again, use the mpgUnblack command. Syntax channel mpgBlack 0 Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly (0-3) Return Values This command returns ACK if mpgBlack was started successfully, or NAK if mpgBlack could not be started.

  • Page 261: Using Serial Commands To Create Playlists

    Syntax channel mpgUnblack 0 Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly (0-3) Return Values This command returns ACK if mpgUnblack was started successfully, or NAK if mpgUnblack could not be started. Remarks See mpgBlack on page 232 for more information on “blacking out” video.

  • Page 262: Firefly System Commands

    FTP server (see FTP U on page 207 for more PDATING information). fireflyRestart This command restarts the entire Firefly system. This process normally takes about 1 minute to complete. Callback Commands mpgCallback Turns on/off callback (play complete).

  • Page 263: Audio And Video Setting Changes

    Each time a file ends on a channel and another file is started, a string is sent back to the controller over the serial port. This string has the following format: CB 0 channel 2 “0” is the Firefly channel and “2” equals the end of the file. Audio and Video Setting Changes mpgSetVolumeLeftRight The mpgSetVolumeLeftRight command sets the left and right audio volumes independently.

  • Page 264: On-Screen Display

    External Control Commands mpgMute The mpgMute command turns off the audio. channel mpgMute 0 Parameters channel 0 based index of the channel on the Firefly (0-3). mpgUnMute The mpgUnMute command turns on the audio. channel mpgUnMute 0 Parameters channel 0 based index of the channel on the Firefly (0-3).
  • Page 265 The osdShow command will display a previously loaded on-screen BMP. channel osdShow 0 Parameters channel 0 based index of the channel on the Firefly (0-3). Remarks The channel must first have an image loaded using one of the osdLoad commands. osdHide The osdHide command will hide a BMP image which is currently being shown on the specified channel.

  • Page 266: External A/V Switching

    External Control Commands Parameters channel 0 based index of the channel on the Firefly (0-3). Remarks The channel must first have an image loaded using one of the osdLoad commands., and it must be shown using osdShow. osdSetXYMix The osdSetXYMix command will load a 16 color GIF for overlay on the specified channel.
  • Page 267 External Control Commands The goLive commands switch the audio and video together from the Firefly to the connected external audio/video source. If you would like more specific control over the audio/video switching (example: only switching the video or only switching the audio), use the respective genSetVideo (page 240) and genSetAudio (page 241) commands.
  • Page 268 Description There is a single audio/video input on the Firefly so each channel selected for external input can show this feed. Firefly source switching is channel independent, that is you can select any combination of channels can be selected as external.
  • Page 269 To hear the audio on the external input, you must call getSetAudio (see below). Example: To Genlock the Firefly to the external feed, without displaying the external feed: gensetvideo 0 0 1 0 gensetvideo 0 1 1 0 gensetvideo 0 2 1 0...

  • Page 270: Media Calls

    External Control Commands Media Calls mpgDir This command returns the names of all files on the Firefly. Syntax mpgDir mpgDelete This command permanently removes a media file from the Firefly. Syntax name mpgDelete Parameters name The full name of the media file (video or graphic overlay) to remove. The list of all media can be obtained with the mpgDir command.
  • Page 271 External Control Commands Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly (0-3) infoGetSchedule Syntax channel infoGetSchedule 0 Returns the current schedule (or None). Parameters channel The channel on the Firefly (0-3) infoGetState Syntax channel infoGetState 0 Returns the current playback state on the specified channel of the player.

  • Page 272: Networking Commands

    This command sets the networking back to it’s factory state: IP Address - 10.0.1.1 Gateway - 255.255.255.0 Netmask - Network Type - Static (2) Web Enable - On (0) Web User Name - firefly Web Password - 123456 Syntax fireflysetdefault Parameters None Remarks This command is useful for situations where you simply would like to “clean...
  • Page 273 External Control Commands Parameters Gateway A service that allows Firefly to connect to other NetWare servers. Creating a gateway also allows client computers running only Microsoft client software to access NetWare resources through the gateway. FireflySetNetmask The FireflySetNetmask command will allow you to change the players Netmask parameter.
  • Page 274 External Control Commands FireflyGetIpAddr The FireflyGetIpAddr command retrieves current setting. Syntax fireflygetIpAddr FireflyGetGateway The FireflyGetGateway command retrieves current setting. Syntax fireflysetgateway FireflyGetNetmask The FireflyGetNetmask command retrieves current setting. Syntax fireflygetnetmask FireflyGetNetworkType The FireflyGetNetworkType command retrieves current setting. Syntax fireflygetnetworktype FireflyGetWeb_Enable The FireflyGetWeb_Enable command retrieves current setting.

  • Page 275: Ldv Control Commands

    Firefly. These commands are ASCII characters either upper and/or lower case. Other ASCII arguments such as <CR> (carriage return) are used. The Firefly’s COM port is set up with the following factory default settings: Field Setting...

  • Page 276: Error Codes

    Firefly will receive and respond to the LDV command structure with the following addition: Channel Number. Because a single Firefly actually replaces 4 DVD or 4 Laserdisc players, the commands sent to Firefly need to be addressed to the corresponding output. This channel number leader is designated as: x @ where x equals the desired channel or output.

  • Page 277: Command Syntax

    External Control Commands The following table describes the system error codes: Code Message Meaning Communication Command or address argument Error cannot be parsed - invalid syntax. Missing Argument Necessary parameter is not specified. Playlist not loaded This error will occur any time a player control command is received while no playlist is loaded.

  • Page 278: Command Summary

    External Control Commands It is also possible to define an address within a video itself. FRx indicates a frame number within a video where “FR” denotes frame and “x” refers to the frame number. FR3000, for example, would refer to the frame 3000 of the current video.
  • Page 279 External Control Commands Explanation: This command is used to begin playback on the selected channel(s) from the current file position. If an address value is included in the command, this will define the point at which playback is to automatically pause. If a PL command with an address is received while playback is already in progress, playback will continue uninterrupted and the pause address will be set as specified.
  • Page 280 Pause mode will also unmute the video on the specified channel(s) Examples: PA<CR> Pauses all channels on the Firefly and blacks out the video outputs. 1@PA<CR> Pauses channel 1 on the Firefly and blacks out the channel 1 video output.
  • Page 281 ST<CR> Pauses all channels on the Firefly and freezes the current frame on each video output. 1@ST<CR> Pauses channel 1 on the Firefly and freezes the current frame on the channel 1 video output. Search (SE) Command: Jumps to the specified position within the current MPEG file or playlist.
  • Page 282 External Control Commands Explanation: The Search command can jump to any I-frame within the current file or the head of any other file within the playlist. After executing the search command the specified channel(s) will transition to Still mode until another command is received.
  • Page 283 E12 is returned and no change is made to the state of channel 2. Key Lock (KL) Command: Enables and disables IR control of the Firefly. Format: xKL<CR> Response:...
  • Page 284 NAK without changing the state of the graphic overlay. Note that it is not necessary for the Firefly to maintain the state of this overlay when IR player control inputs are received after a serial command to display the overlay.
  • Page 285 External Control Commands Examples: Turns on the graphic overlay for all channels of the Firefly. If the graphic overlay was already enabled on a channel at the time this command was received, no change is made to that channel. 1@0DS Turns off the graphic overlay for channel 1.
  • Page 286 This command can be global or channel specific. If received as a global command, the Firefly will respond with the file position for all 4 channels in order (1, 2, 3 and 4). If a channel is specified, only that channel’s time code position is...
  • Page 287 As with the other status request commands, this command can be global or channel specific. If received as a global command, the Firefly will respond with the mode for all 4 channels in order (1, 2, 3 and 4). If a channel is specified, only...
  • Page 288 This command is always global and therefore should never include a target channel. While at the time of release of this document only a 4 channel version of the Firefly is in process, it is intended that 2 and 1 channel product will eventually be released.
  • Page 289 This command is used to load a new playlist/schedule. When this command is received a check is done to be sure the specified filename actually exists on the Firefly hard drive. If it does not exist, then the error code E12 is returned and playback continues uninterrupted with the previous playlist/schedule.

  • Page 290: Guide

    Display Control (DS) fireflySetWeb_Enable Frame Number Request (?F) fireflyGetIPAddr Time Code Request (?T) fireflyGetGateway Chapter Number Request (?C) fireflyGetNetmask Player Active Mode Request (?P) fireflyGetNetworkType Firefly Model Request (?X) fireflyGetWeb_Enable Load Playlist/Schedule (LD) mpgCallback Play Complete Callback mpgSetVolumeLeftRight osdLoadBMP...

  • Page 291: Front Panel Display

    ANEL ISPLAY Introduction Firefly is designed to operate in a remote environment with fully unattended playback. However, if local setting changes are required, the Front Panel Display interface is available. In most instances local access to Firefly will be for initial setup and installation.
  • Page 292 Front Panel Display Button Description UP arrow button Moves up through menu and value options DOWN arrow button Moves down through menu and value options MENU/SELECT button Accesses menu system, selects current option or entry LEFT arrow button Moves left through menu options and cursor to left RIGHT arrow button...

  • Page 293: Changing System Settings

    (examples: date/time, host name, WebView user name, etc.). Changing a Menu Option Choice If you wanted to change the channel 1 video output choice from Composite/SVideo to RGB (sync on green) for the Firefly, for example, you would complete the following steps:...
  • Page 294 Front Panel Display 1. Press the MENU/SELECT button to get into the menu system. The display will now read: 2. Press the RIGHT arrow button until you get to Video. The display will now read: 3. Press the DOWN arrow button to get into the Video menu. The display will now read: 4.

  • Page 295: Changing A Menu Option Value

    The display will now read: Changing a Menu Option Value If you wanted to change the date/time value for the Firefly, for example, you would complete the following steps: 1. Press the MENU/SELECT button to get into the menu system.

  • Page 296: Front Panel Display Menu Descriptions

    Descriptions See System Settings on page 73 for detailed descriptions of the Firefly System Settings. Using the Front Panel Display, you will be able to access all of the same Firefly System Setting options available via the remote control, with the addition of the “Play Test File”...

  • Page 297: Troubleshooting

    2. Verify that electrical plug is fully seated in power supply of player. 3. Double check small power switch near power cord in back left corner of the Firefly player. The small circle symbol on the switch should be in the “up” position.

  • Page 298: No Video Playback

    Videos play off of the internal storage of the player. No CD or DVD is required. If there is power to the Firefly, but no video playback: 1. Run “Play Test File”. You can access the test file within the “General Settings”...
  • Page 299 4. Uneven audio to video track lengths: Confirm the length of the audio track to the length of the video track. The Visual Circuits driver aggressively synchronizes the audio and video data of the MPEG file to maintain Audio/Video (AV) Sync. If the...

  • Page 300: Picture Rolls Or Other Video Problems Occur When Using External Audio/Video Switching

    See Genlock on page 79 for details on how set this parameter. If you do not genlock to the video input, the Firefly system will turn this parameter on temporarily for the duration of the playlist;...

  • Page 301: Some Files In The Playlist Do Not Play

    Test File Does Not Play Properly On All Channels 1. Inspect the video and audio cables. Firefly has 4 independent channels each with audio and video. Refer to the Quick Start Guide in the front of this user manual on how to attach the cables properly.

  • Page 302: Test File Does Not Display On One Channel

    CD/DVD Update Disc Fails Simply drop in the update disc(s) into the Firefly CD/DVD drive. The update will occur automatically. The LCD will display the update activity. When the update is complete, the Firefly will...

  • Page 303: Update Fails

    23. If the remote control stops working after a few minutes (and the Firefly switches to “IR Off” by itself), change the IR Timeout option to a longer time, or set it to No Timeout.

  • Page 304: Preventing Cabling And Connection Problems

    Troubleshooting The card in the slot is not a Visual Circuits Smart Card or possibly not a Smart Card at all. For either of the two scenarios described above, to force an eject of the contents of the Firefly Smart Card reader, simply press and hold the EXIT button on the front panel interface for 10 seconds.

  • Page 305: Lcd Error Messages

    Troubleshooting Check that impedance of the cable really matches your application. Firefly is terminated at 75 ohm. Check the connectors on the cables. Poor quality connectors may have worse effects than the cables themselves. Use appropriate amplifiers if needed. Keep cables away from sources of interference - electric motors, main cables, transmitters, light dimmers, etc.

  • Page 306: Cant List Media

    Troubleshooting Cant List Media The FTP server permissions are not set correctly. On the FTP server, enable List permissions on the media directory. Cant List Scripts The FTP server permissions are not set correctly. On the FTP server, enable List permissions on the scripts directory. Download Fail An error occurred from downloading media from the FTP server.

  • Page 307: No Directory

    Troubleshooting No Directory The scripts sub-directory was not found on the FTP server. Verify with the network administrator the existence of the scripts folder. No IP Address The FTP IP address was not specified. To correct, insert an IP address in the appropriate menu. No Local FPL/FSC The format of the currently selected playlist/schedule is invalid.
  • Page 308 Returning Materials to Visual Circuits Corporation (VAR/Distributor) If the Firefly system has problems that cannot be corrected over the telephone by Visual Circuits technical support, you may need to return the Firefly to Visual Circuits Corporation. All materials shipped back to Visual Circuits Corporation must be accompanied by a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number.

  • Page 309: Appendix

    Audio Output Stereo Analog and S/PDIF (x4) Remote Access Network (LAN/WAN) connection/RS232/ IR remote control Number of Upgradeable media storage capacity, 1, Channels 2, or 4 channel capacity 10/100 LAN (RJ-45 adapter) Serial Port Standard DB-9 Table 9. Firefly Hardware Specifications...
  • Page 310 Appendix...
  • Page 311 NDEX bit rates 19, 20, 162, 271 accept TCP/IP 81 Advanced Settings 102, 193 cabling 276 audio/video sync 102, 193 impedance 277 merge playlists 102, 193 CD/DVD updating 161, 201 statistics 103 failures 274 audio Channel 98, 189 Audio Connections Guide 7 cleanup routine 202, 204, 212 balanced 6 client enable 98, 189, 215...
  • Page 312 diagnostic logs 89, 166, 180, media copying 274 Diagnostics 159 events 52, 144 general 160 adding 147 logging 164 days of week 56, 60, 146 playback 163 deleting 148 video 162 editing 149 digital audio 6 external A/V 44 dimensions 281 interrupt 56, 60, 146 direct file access updating 218 interval 56, 61, 146...
  • Page 313 IR address 75 Firefly IR timeout 75 options 29 time zone 75, 169 overview 1 uptime 76 Firefly Audio Configurations version 75 genlock 44, 79, 137 fixed update interval 95, 97, GOP 20 186, 188 graphic overlays 126 frame rate 162...
  • Page 314 HTTP Update Now Button 97, run logs 89, 180, 222 settings 89 upload logs 91, 182 uploading 224 insufficient free space 274 WebView 164 interrupt 56 log format 90, 181, 223 interval 56 logging 221 IP address 83, 85, 94, 114, 177 diagnostic logs 89, 166, IR.
  • Page 315 updating 200 Multicast Settings 95 Media Maintenance 12, 67 client enable 98, 189, 215 copying selected files 70 listen address 99, 190, 215 deleting selected files 72 port address 99, 190, 215 selecting files to copy 69 reserve MBs 100, 191, 216 selecting files to delete 69 transfer order 99, 190, 216 Media Messenger 196, 200...
  • Page 316 Player Control Panel 158 MPEG2 19 player controls 9, 24 proxy address 87, 178 player management 208 proxy type 87, 178 playing a file 230, 231 PTS 19 playlist channel 34, 35, 48 Playlist Editor 14, 30 Quick Start Guide 3 Chooser Screen 31 exiting 51 WebView 126...
  • Page 317 saving locally 151 loading 108 scan forward 26 loading configurations 106 scan reverse 27 save config 101, 192 Schedule Editor 52, 144 saving 107 Chooser Screen 52 saving configurations 106 exiting 65, 158 settings 100 schedules 52, 144 Smartcard Settings 100 adding events 57, 147 eject smartcard 101, 192 creating 145...
  • Page 318 Control Settings 81, 174 direct file access 218 External A/V Settings 79 Drop & Go 202 FTP Auto-Update Settings FTP 207 94, 98, 185, 189 manual 216 General Settings 74, 168, media 200 multicast 212 Logging Settings 89, 95, routine order 206 100, 180 standard CD/DVD 217 Multicast Settings 95...
  • Page 319 Video Settings 76, 170 video output 77, 170 video standard 77, 170 video standard 77, 170 videos adding 33 moving 34 removing 34 shuffling 35, 48, 129, 141 volume 77, 171 Watchdog 103, 161, 194 web browser 113 WebView 92, 113, 183 deleting media 122 Diagnostics 159 log files 164...

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