In this guide, you will learn the basics on how

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title	Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction

This guide walks through the various available methods of using BrightAuthor:connected to set up a BrightSign player. After the player is set up, see BrightAuthor:connected Publishing Quickstart to create a simple presentation

,

and publish

your creation.

Device Setup

BrightAuthor:connected offers multiple techniques for device setup and provisioning. This guide will cover two primary methods: physical and over the internet (network setup). For more detailed information and other options, consult this page.

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Physical Setup

This setup method is recommended for players that do not need to be updated frequently. This method also requires an SD card and SD card adapter for your computer.

To set up your players using physical setup:

Open BrightAuthor:connected and select New Device Setup from the Dashboard
Enter a Package Name and select Standalone under Device Type
Select Save Setup Files to save the files onto a SD card.

The SD card is now ready to be put in the player. Since the player was not configured with any networking option, the SD card will need to be removed and updated with new software releases manually. Should internet connectivity become available, you can update the player to use networking options by following the steps below.

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Network Setup

To use the network setup option, the player must have a connection to the local area network and then the device must be provisioned on the network. The player must also have a blank SD card inserted.

Connect to the Network

To connect to the local area network:

Navigate from the Dashboard to New Device Setup .
Enter a Package Name.
Select Local File Networking.
Select Add Setup File to Library.

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Add the Device to the Network

Navigate through the Admin tab to Device Provisioning.
Select Add Device and enter the player serial number (this is visible on the back of the box).
Select the device by checking the box on the left.
Select Apply Setup to apply the selected setup package to the player.

For information about how you can manage players in your network, see Network.

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Creating A Presentation

Make a New Presentation

Now that the player has been set up, you can create a presentation. To do this:

Navigate to the Presentation tab and select New Presentation.
Select Single Zone > Playlist as the presentation type.
Enter the presentation name under Name
Select a Destination folder
Enter your BrightSign player model under Target Device
Select a Connector type
Select Start

Add Content to the Presentation

To add content to the presentation:

Open the folder with the desired images or videos from the Library column. This will populate the Assets section of the Content tab.
Drag assets to the Content plane
Save the presentation to your SD card when you are done.

See Presentation and/or Content to get more information about what else you can do with your presentation and content in BrightAuthor:connected.

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Further Learning

Now that the very basics are familiar, you can learn more about BrightAuthor:connected and its features on these pages or by viewing our tutorial video series. BrightAuthor:connected can also integrate with the BSN.cloud network, allowing authorized users to view the status of networked players through Control Cloud and to create and publish presentations directly over the internet with Content Cloud. You can learn more about BSN.cloud from our user guide.

that presentation to a player for display.

Player Preparation

Requirements

A BrightSign player
A microSD or other storage device (a microSD card will be assumed for this guide). See Player Storage for more information.
A Mac or PC (additional requirement details can be found here)
A Display
An HDMI® cable
(optional) A microSD card adapter, if you are planning to transfer content from your computer to your player using a microSD card.

Connecting your Player

Prepare the microSD card by erasing its contents. Cards must be formatted as exFAT or FAT32.
Connect your BrightSign player to a power supply.
Connect the player to a display with the HDMI cable.
Put the blank microSD card in the player.
Make sure the player is connected to your local network with an ethernet cable. Ideally, you should also have internet access.

Publishing Mode

Players can be configured in a variety of “Publishing Modes” which reflect how content is delivered to the player. The Publishing Mode is covered in more detail here, but the main points are summarized in the table below for easier reference.

BrightAuthor:connected Publishing Modes
Standalone	Content is manually published to a storage device (usually a microSD card) Network connection not required. The storage device is manually connected/inserted into each player Free
Local Network	Content is published to the player over the local network Local network connection required Free
Web Folder	Content resides on a web server that is accessible by the player Network connection between player and web server required. Players periodically check the web server for content updates, then new content is automatically published to the player Free (web server hosting charges may be required)
Content Cloud	Content is stored, published, and managed via BSN.cloud Internet connection required Subscription-based with free trial Note: the Content Cloud can be accessed using either BrightAuthor:connected or a web browser via bsn.cloud.

Partner CMS Publishing Modes
Partner App	Content is published through the selected partner CMS Internet access is required Pricing depends on the partner CMS
App URL	Content is packaged and placed at a URL that is accessible by the player Internet access is required Free (web hosting charges may apply)

Player Setup

Info
Configurations involving the legacy BrightSignNetwork.com are not covered in this guide.

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Download, install, and launch the BrightAuthor:connected app on your Mac or PC.
The BrightAuthor:connected Dashboard screen should appear, as shown above, indicating that you are not connected to BSN.cloud. While you do not need to connect to BSN.cloud to setup for Standalone, Local Network, or Web Folder, it is better to do so to get the full functionality of BrightAuthor:connected. You must create an account to use BSN.cloud setup. For information about how to create an account, see this page.
From the Admin tab, select Setup. Go to the page below for your preferred Setup type:

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Key

Introduction