Philips Signage SoC Monitors

Xibo Knowledge Base Xibo for Android
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Philips PPDS SoC

Updated: June 2024

Xibo for Android R403 or newer is required for use with the Philips SoC displays.

Install

  • Download the latest Xibo for Android player APK from the website downloads section and copy it to the root folder of a USB stick.
  • Power on your Philips display and connect your USB stick to it.
  • Press the Home button on the remote control, then press 1888 on the remote shortly after the menu appears.
  • When the new menu appears, go to the Storage option.
  • Select the USB stick you connected to your display.
  • Locate the APK for the Xibo for Android player, select it and choose Open to start the installation.
  • After the installation is complete, click the back button to return to the 1888 menu. Choose the Apps option and select the tile for the Xibo for Android player.
  • Continue to follow the steps listed in the Xibo for Android installation guide to connect to your CMS.

Features

Backlight ON/OFF/Restart

Xibo for Android on Philips SoC supports remotely switching the display backlight ON/OFF using commands listed here.

Xibo also supports reboot commands for the Philips displays. This guide explains how to create, schedule and send reboot commands to a Xibo for Android player.

Remote upgrade

Xibo supports remote upgrades on the Philips SoC displays. Please follow the steps in the Xibo for Android upgrade guide for more information on how to do that.

Setting the Xibo player to display on boot

Philips SoC displays support the ability to set the Xibo player on the Custom source channel. This ensures the player automatically boots when the custom source is set for the display. To set the Xibo player app to the custom source, please follow these steps:

  • Press the Home button on your remote, quickly followed by 1888.
  • When the new menu appears, choose the Settings option.
  • Go to the Signage Display option.
  • Choose the Source Settings option.
  • Select Custom App.
  • Choose Select App and set this to the Xibo player app.
  • Now exit the Settings menu and press the Source button on your remote control.
  • Set the source to Custom.

When the display boots, it will now start on the Custom source, which will boot the Xibo player automatically.

Video In

Xibo supports Video In on the Philips PPDS using our core Video In widget. If you are using HDMI make sure you choose the first port.

Known limitations

There are a number of limitations to consider before choosing to run Xibo with Philips SoC displays:

Portrait orientation

Android TV only supports landscape mode because it is designed primarily for consumer TVs. It is not possible to rotate Xibo to portrait on some Philips display models.

Requesting a screenshot

The Android 10 and 11 models do not support returning a screenshot remotely from the CMS.

Gapless video playback, multiple decoders and video engine playback

In order to play one video after another without a black frame between them it is necessary for the device to be able to decode more than one video at the same time. This is not possible on Philips SoC displays running Android 8 or older.

When using a Philips SoC display, you will need to set the Video Engine to Android Media Player. You can do this in the player settings by following these steps:

  • Go to the Displays page in your CMS.
  • Click the button at the end of the entry for your display and choose Edit from the menu.
  • When the Edit Display window opens, go to the Settings tab.
  • Scroll to the bottom and you will see an option named Video Engine. Use the Override box to change it to Android Media Player.
  • Save to Confirm the change.

Resolution

When using a 4k panel, the user interface elements, images and web content are displayed in 1080p and upscaled to 4k. Video content is run natively in 4k on some models.

Xibo will show the Display resolution as 1920x1080 in the display management page.

Supported models

Philips SoC displays run Android version 4 up to Android 11. We recommend any customers planning to use a Philips SoC display make sure that the Android version on the display meets the hardware requirements for the Xibo for Android version you plan to use with the display.

Any users planning to, or already using displays running Android versions earlier than 7.1.1 with CMS instances using Let’s Encrypt certificates should be aware of the changes to the Let’s Encrypt chain of trust changes, to ensure the displays can connect without issue.

When using a display model for the first time, we recommend thoroughly testing the display with your events prior to installation on site, to ensure the display meets your requirements.

If you would like to discuss a Philips SoC display model you are planning to use with Xibo for Android, or you have any questions about a model you are already using with Xibo for Android, please open a ticket for further support.