Digital Signage Forum - Noventri

Many times I will switch to the MANAGE tab to verify the correct page is displayed on our monitors and instead of seeing the page, it displays "Waiting For Preview" and it never updates.

The preview time is set to 30. The data are indicates a status of "Playing". Switching tabs doesn't appear to refresh the display.

Additionally, I don't know if this is possible but is there a possibility that the Manage tab could indicate whether or not a display is turned on? We use NEC displays and I wasn't sure if the remote codes could return a status (on/off, input/channel, etc.).

Hello icevault,

Thank you for your input. This is a known limitation in our current version of Noventri Suite.

The "Waiting for Preview" status is letting you know that Suite is waiting for the thumbnail images to display in the Manage tab. The player is still connected to the network, playing content, and displaying the content on the actual screen as it should.

Occasionally, the player’s status message does not change over to the thumbnail images on some projects. We have our development team looking into this.

In the meantime, please use the following simple work-around to refresh the thumbnails images.

- Disconnect from your current server. (File Menu > Server > Disconnect)
- Click the Manage tab again to bring up the login window.
- Reconnect to the same server by clicking the OK button. (Type login credentials if necessary)

Once the Manage tab loads, you should see all the thumbnails displayed.

In regards to your other question, at this time there is not a status indicator of whether the actual screen is turned on. However, we are always looking for ways to increase usability and functionality. Keep the suggestions coming!

Martin,

The reason I ask is due to the fact we're having serious issues with the serial control of our E553 displays. I have confirmed that the displays can be controlled via RS-232 and a laptop using the NEC PD Comms Tool. While the E553 does support only a small subset of the full command set, it does return a code to indicate that the power is on ("Current Power State" on the Power Tab). I would imagine if the your software could "listen" for this return code, it could also alert the user if there is a communication issue. (Without knowing your hardware capabilities, it may not even need to listen for this code. The NEC software was also able to let me know if general comm issues when issuing a command.)

This is also the same reasoning behind requesting the ability to issue "live" remote commands (either through the Suite software, the web interface for each player or telnet).

I have verified that the schedule for all our displays should turn them all on at the same time.

Jason

Jason,

Could you provide us with further clarification on the serial control issues you are having?

Kind Regards,
Martin

Martin, Sorry for the delay in responding.

The main problem is that several players aren't able to control the NEC displays. They do not turn on/off on schedule. All of our players are set to turn on/off at the same time (On at 2 PM M-F and 7 AM Sa-Su, Off at 11 PM)

Additionally, every month on the last Monday, we open early. As your scheduling software doesn't easily allow for individual exceptions, live remote control would allow someone to use the software to turn the displays on without having to grab the remote and carefully point it at each display.

Lastly, as we had a few snow days, it would be great to be able to manually turn off the displays early (or use your emergency feature, which is still not available).

At this time, I will need to attempt to reseat the USB plug in the SF-200 units and see if that corrects the issue. We will also reseat the USB thumb drive as well as disconnect the power and reboot it. (Unfortunately this will have to wait until I can climb a ladder or have someone else access the SF-200. I broke my leg and can't climb for a few more weeks.)

As previously stated, I have verified that the NEC displays are responding to serial commands by connecting the display to a laptop running the NEC PD Comms Tool. This confirms the display is functioning normally.

Hello icevault,

Sorry to hear about your leg. I hope you are making progress in your recovery.

There can be several reason the player may not send commands, but if the commands are sent, they may not make it to the monitor due to settings/cable (ex. incorrect rs232 commands, baud rate / parity settings). If you would like to have us take a look at your setting and configuration of the SF200, please contact support@noventri.com or call (301) 790-0103, we will be happy to investigate the matter further.

Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.

Kind Regards,
Sergey

Is there a solution to the issue of Waiting For Preview on the Manage tab not updating as expected?
Also, are there plans or methods to incorporate a feature that indicates the status of the display, such as whether it's turned on or off, through NEC remote codes or other means?