Requirements
This digital system allows the display of advertising or information from the internet of a PC that connected to a display screen. This will be done by allowing one central "server" to include contents and the "client" will display what the "server" feeds.
We will need a software to drive the content and a remote "server" that will dictate what contents to show. **A hardware (LCD/Plasma/PC) with Linux OS running a browser --> browser calls a designated server --> server relays information (ads) --> the hardware displays contents**
The system is divided into separate logical parts
The Player
· Usually a PC located in a remote location and connected to a plasma or projection screen
· Some network connection (ISDN, Modem or Ethernet) to/from the management server is needed
· Able to play most video formats, HTML pages and Flash 6
The Control Server
· Centrally holds all the media to be used by the players
· Holds a database of play lists to control which ads get played on which players
· Retrieves and processes data feeds for news, announcements, etc
· Holds a mirror of each player's content, ready to be synchronised with the remote player machines
· Transmits content to player machines via TCP/IP
The Network
· Using IP (Internetworking Protocol) for flexibility and compatibility
· Using a router with ISDN, Modem and Ethernet connections to each player machine
· Automatically routing data to players and hiding complexities of each connection from the server
· Running a name service on the router
· Providing internet access for the collection of feeds and office web browsing
· Each client's network uses a unique and very long encryption key
The Management Console
· A Java application able to run on any platform with a Java virtual machine and an IP connection to the database on the server
· Allows the loading of content into the system
· Allows editing of the database
· Edit data about each player machine
· Edit records for each advert and resources they require
· Edit and assemble play lists of adverts
· Create a queue of updates to be sent to the players
Features to run the system
¨ “Content Scheduler” software to create, schedule, distribute and monitor playlist
¨ All contents upload and display with only a few clicks to manage from the web interface with 2-3 different levels of users' rights.
¨ Create 3 different level of users' rights ie. Admin, operation, technical etc.
¨ Content runs from 15-30 seconds of intervals
¨ The remote server will update the contents and instruct the display to either randomly or sequentially rotate the content.
¨ Can be all kind of video codec, sound, swf,ppt,scolling text, RSS and internet
¨ Upload images or graphics to a specific folder and write a HTML, one page code, that would start to rotate accordingly
¨ Need to split page on the display screen or it might require html/css to achieve this result
¨ Display must show accurate clock, scroll bar for text message input either on top or bottom of the display.
¨ Operate in 24x7 mode
¨ Live news + events can be easily updated when it is necessary
¨ Networked all display screen to one location-based server
¨ Information display from various sites can be updated via wired / wireless network
I have some real world examples that I would show the right person for this job and I am also open to receiving ideas on how this is laid out and works. Please only apply if you are serious about making this happen. This will definitely be a long term relationship as the software will need to be enhanced as time goes on.