Set a Player's Time or Timezone

Owned by BrightSign TechDocs
Last updated: Jun 19, 2024
3 min read

 

If the player has Internet access, the clock is set automatically over the Internet by communicating with the BrightSign time server. To change the default time server, see this page. 

The time zone of a player is set during the setup process in BrightAuthor:connected (using the Time Zone dropdown menu).

Note: The LS424 doesn't have a super capacitor to maintain its time setting while it is not powered. Therefore, when the LS424 is not powered, its clock will immediately be lost and the player will need to have its clock set when powered on again.


Using Daylight Saving Time

To have the player automatically shift hours for summer/winter time, select a named time zone that uses Daylight Saving Time (DST). For example, since most of Europe uses DST, selecting one of the European timezones (WET/CET/EET) will instruct the player to observe summer/winter hours automatically.

If you want to ensure that a time zone does not use DST, select the GMT equivalent. For example, if you want the EET time zone without summer/winter hours, select GMT+2 instead.

The U.S. and Australia have some regions that do not observe DST, in which case the time zones have different versions: For example, you can select either MST (U.S. Mountain Time) or MST1 (U.S. Mountain Time without DST) because the majority of the state of Arizona does not observe DST.

Manually Setting the Date and Time

If the player does not have access to a network time server, you can manually set the date and time in BrightAuthor:connected or BrightAuthor.

BrightAuthor:connected

To do this, either create a new Setup with the correct Time Zone, or edit your existing Setup (which will cause your player to reboot). To edit an existing Setup:

  1. Go to the Admin tab and select Setup Library

  2. Select the Setup you are using and pick the edit pencil.

  3. Change the Time Zone to the correct zone.

  4. Select Update Setup in Library.

  5. Go to the Network tab and select the cog icon to enter the player’s remote DWS.

  6. In the Control tab, select Update under Reprovision Player. Your player will reboot and when it is complete you can check the Network tab to see that your player now has the correct timezone.

BrightAuthor

You generate setup files in BrightAuthor to set the player time server:

  1. In BrightAuthor, navigate to Tools > Setup a BrightSign Unit.

  2. In the Time server field (under Network Properties), enter the time server address you wish to use:

    • ntp://host - Uses NTP.  

    • http://host[:port] - Uses HTTP [with an optional port].

    • https://host[:port] - Uses HTTPS [with an optional port].

    • httpns://host[:port] - Uses HTTPS [with an optional port], but ignores cert failures.

If you have a BSN account, you can edit a player's time server settings in BrightAuthor by going to the Manage > Status tab, right-click the player, and select Edit.

Other Methods

Script

  1. Download this script.

  2. Open the SetDateAndTime.txt file in Notepad.

  3. Specify the time and time zone for the player on the first two lines of SetDateAndTime.txt (the example is set for EST and sets the clock to April 19, 2014 at 3:07 PM). Save the changes.

  4. If your screen does not support 1920x1080x60p, change the video mode in the autorun.brs script on line 6. 

  5. Copy the config files to a blank SD card. The files must be copied to the root directory of SD card, not in a folder.

  6. Insert the SD card in the unit and power up the unit. Leave the unit powered up for at least the next four hours so that the supercapacitor (i.e. the internal battery) that maintains the time can charge. 

BrightAuthor Plugin

Download this BrightAuthor 3.7 sample project (it also contains video instructions) and follow these instructions:

  1. Open the timesettings.bpf project.

  2. Change the image in Zone 1 to something on your local drive.

  3. Go to File > Presentation Properties > Variables. Set the appropriate time/date.

  4. Go to the Data Feeds tab in the Presentation Properties window. Set the location of setdatetime.brs and save the project under a new name (File > Save timesettings As).

  5. Select the Publish tab and Local Storage. The project will appear in schedule grid as active all day, every day.

  6. Publish the schedule to a blank SD card and insert it into your player.

  7. Power on the unit. This should set the time and date on screen.

  8. Once the time and date are set, publish a different set of content since the “timesettings” presentation will continually reset the time to the specified time. Leave the player powered up for at least the next 4 hours so that supercapacitor (i.e. the internal battery) that maintains the time can charge.