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titleHow much do BSN.cloud and BrightAuthor:connected cost?

BrightAuthor:connected is free to use, just like BrightAuthor, and the Control Cloud tier is free on all connected players. The full feature set of Content Cloud is the same price as a BrightSign Network subscription, $99 per player per year.

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titleWhy did BrightSign create BSN.cloud and BrightAuthor:connected?

These were built to address many pain-points that BrightSign and our CMS partners faced in BrightAuthor and BrightSignNetwork, our legacy software. We simplified device deployment, network and player management, and delivered remote diagnostics, and made this functionality available to everyone. In addition, by using a more modern architecture, we’re able to provide a unified experience for BrightSign products on Mac and Windows, as well as through a Chrome web browser.

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titleHow do you secure my data in BSN.cloud and BrightAuthor:connected?

See our security documentation for BSN.cloud and BrightAuthor:connected.

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titleShould I use the desktop app (BrightAuthor:connected) or the web app (accessible at bsn.cloud)?

BrightAuthor:connected, available for Mac or PC, is recommended for the vast majority of users. While much of the same functionality is available through both apps, the web app has some important limitations. The web app requires an internet connection and is unable to access players through the user's local network (players must be connected to the internet to be accessible). In addition, files must first be uploaded to BSN.cloud before they can be used in presentations. BrightAuthor:connected does not have these limitations.

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titleCan I use Dynamic Playlists without BSN.cloud?

No. A BSN.cloud Content Cloud account is required to host Dynamic Playlists. However, you can get similar functionality with a self-hosted Media RSS (MRSS) feed, which can work with any player that has an internet connection. See this FAQ for more details.

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titleCan I get player usage statistics over BSN.cloud?

Yes, BSN.cloud provides free, real-time access to basic health information and system diagnostics of connected players. Also available are a visual representation of player status (via the thermometer icon on the Dashboard; more info here), various types of logging, and the ability to set the frequency of log uploads.

All of these capabilities are available for both tiers of BSN.cloud (the free Control Cloud tier as well as the subscription-based Content Cloud tier) and can be accessed with BrightAuthor:connected. Those in the Control Cloud tier can also use the web interface at control.bsn.cloud.

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titleIs BrightWall™ supported in BrightAuthor:connected?

No. BrightWall™ is not supported in the current version of BrightAuthor:connected. BrightWall™ is available for use in BrightAuthor versions 3.8.0.x or later. 

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titleCan I use a custom splash screen in BrightAuthor:connected?

Custom splash screens are not available in the current version of BrightAuthor:connected. To use a custom splash screen, use BrightAuthor. 

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titleIs Geo-fencing available in BrightAuthor:connected?

Geo-fencing is not available in the current version of BrightAuthor:connected. To use geo-fencing on a BrightSign player with BrightAuthor, see this FAQ. 

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titleCan you overlay text or images on video in BrightAuthor:connected?

Yes. All BrightSign players (except the HD600) support this.

Image files that are displayed in an Image (or Video or Image) zone will automatically display over video zones. To display text over video, use a Live Text state in an Image zone that is layered over a Video or Image zone.

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titleDo you need to use BrightAuthor:connected to create playlists?

Playlists can be created in the BrightAuthor:connected Presentation tab (see this page for a tutorial).

You can also create simple presentations without BrightAuthor:connected (or any other publishing software):

  1. Make sure that your video, image, or audio content is formatted correctly to be compatible with BrightSign players.

  2. Place the content on the root folder of your SD card (for example, "SD:/").

  3. Turn off the BrightSign player by unplugging the power adapter (or Ethernet cable if the unit is being powered by PoE).

  4. Insert the SD card into the player.

  5. Turn on the player by reconnecting the power. The content will begin playing after a few moments.

Note: Content files on an SD card will play alphabetically in a continuous loop.

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titleHow does shuffling work in BrightAuthor:connected Media Lists?

If you enable the Shuffle playback option in a Media List state, the playlist will shuffle upon entering the media list state when it’s at the beginning of the list. If you are manually advancing through a media list using interactive input, then the playlist shuffles the Media List when it reaches the end of the list. It is also possible to advance to the next file in the list.

The Media List state is only available for use in an Interactive presentation.