I’m new to Xibo and did some research but can’t find a solution. I’m hosting the CMS on my server and setup a display which is running on my laptop. Now my question is, how do I set up or add an additional display which will run on a windows player for a customer?
In other words, can I run several displays in several locations with each display shows their own layout and content or can I have only one display running with the CMS I had installed?
TIA
TIA,
This appears to be quite the broad question.
Xibo is very flexible and can do all that you have questions (assuming I read it correctly).
You can go about what you have described from a few directions. I prefer to look at the layout side of things before considering the displays (clients).
In your case you might consider the following. I have 3 customers with the following needs and possible solutions:
Customer one: Needs a display in the receptionist area and one in the cafeteria each displaying different content.
Solution: I would design two different layouts. I would title the layouts accordingly (customer_purpose). I would add the desired content to the layouts and test them to make sure they work. I would then take two computers, install Xibo and add them to the CMS. Lastly, I would either set the layouts as the default layouts for these computers or simply schedule them. In this case you will have two different layouts on two different clients at the same time.
Customer two: Needs one display to display a menu.
Solution: Create a layout. Title it accordingly. Add content to the layout. Test it. Again, configure the client computer with the Xibo client and add it to the CMS. Schedule the content on the desired display or set as default.
Customer 3: Needs 4 displays all displaying the same content but in different physical sites.
Solution: Create one layout and add content to it. Setup 4 computers with the Xibo client and add them the CMS. The, simply add the same layout as the default layout for each of the 4 computers or schedule it for the 4 computers.
Now, assuming you already knew how to do this on your LAN but needed to distribute it over the Internet. That requires more technology explanation than you will find here.
Thank you for the response. Do you need separate licenses for these clients? I assume you’re running these displays at different locations. If so, how do you get more licenses? I couldn’t find a way to add more displays to my CMS.
Since you are hosting CMS on your own server, you should be able to add more displays just by installing clients on other devices and connecting them to the CMS.
As for the licence pricing:
Windows clients are free, Android clients have 14days free trial then 15GBP+VAT per device
Bonus Information:
Display Slots is a concept reserved for service providers where they can limit the allowable number of licensed displays. If you have a self-hosted CMS installation and haven’t heard of that setting then you need not worry.
As a point to note, if you were a service provider and had set a display slot limit (hidden in the settings table) then you’d still be able to add new displays beyond that limit, but you wouldn’t be able to then edit and licence them.
Thank you, Peter! I installed the client on a Windows signage player I have. I went to ‘start’ > Xibo Options’ which opens the ‘Options’ box. I enter the CMS address and chose a Library folder but I have no ‘key’. Where do I find the key or do I miss something?
If I enter the key from the client on my laptop, it shows, obviously, the same content on the player as I have on the laptop client.
Any ideas how I can get an exclusive key for the player to present it’s own content?
the CMS (secret) Key can be found in CMS->settings page and that is the key that you want to put in Player options.
In CMS devices are identified by their unique hardware key, when go to display page in your CMS you should see 2 displays there and you should need to give the second display a display licence.
If not, then please have a look here
Thank you, Peter! I added the same license key to the player as the one I found in the Settings. I follow the instructions and changed the last 2 letters in the display ID and can now see two displays in my CMS. I did a test and the laptop and the player are showing different content. I will do a few more tests!
Thanks for your help!