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Xibo for webOS on Transparent OLED!

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Xibo for webOS on Transparent OLED!

Unique digital signage solutions unlike any other!

LG’s System on a Chip (SoC) digital signage solutions have been constantly evolving. Their webOS devices push the limits of what you can achieve on a single hardware device, without the need for peripherals. It was because of this that Xibo designed and released a dedicated player in 2017 for this exciting platform. Since that first release, both LG’s webOS platform and hardware range have greatly expanded, with over 50 models compatible with the Xibo player. Combined with the Xibo for webOS player, you will always have the right solution for your digital signage.

Professional solutions for a new normal.

With such a large range of hardware solutions to choose from, LG’s webOS signage caters to all use cases. The only question is what would you like to achieve? Due to the coronavirus outbreak, digital signage has become an even more important tool for keeping customers and staff informed and safe. This has led many companies to increase their use of digital signage in a range of use cases.

Cutting-Edge technology: the power of oLED

Amongst the huge range of models are some truly groundbreaking solutions, unlike any other devices seen before. One of these technologies is oLED, a new breakthrough that has properties unseen in traditional digital displays and enables new features, such as:

  • Ultra thin and lightweight form factors.
  • Superior colour, contrast, brightness and viewing angles.
  • Convex and concave curvatures, beyond what is capable with traditional LCD panels.
  • Transparent units.

Recently LG's Frankfurt lab was able to test Xibo for webOS running on the 55EW5F, a 55 inch transparent oLED signage solution, less than a centimetre thick!

This model embodies the pioneering and unconventional traits of oLED: an ultra slim, lightweight display, that is transparent, eye catching and designed to push your digital signage to a new level. Such a unique hardware solution enables the user to create content on a "floating" display, which in itself will catch your audience's attention and create a memorable experience that leaves a lasting impression.

Xibo for webOS on Transparent OLED!

The images show a mix of opaque and transparent content, both still images and video, which look fantastic. Especially powerful was the dramatic video of the paint slowly filling the screen, which you can see in the bottom left image. Imagine how this could bring life to your window displays, overlay an existing display or bring a once empty space to life with vibrant and dramatic imagery! A special thanks to LG for making this possible.

What will you do with your Xibo for webOS signage?

The digital signage landscape is ever-changing. With new use cases, locations and specifications increasing, informing your customer base, integrating your signage and standing out from the competition has never been more important. How will you take advantage of the new generation of revolutionary and unique hardware?

Contact Us.

Are you working on an exciting new project for your Samsung Displays? Contact Sales@XiboSignage.com.


Transforming Digital Signage Advertising with Xibo Adspace

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Transforming Digital Signage Advertising with Xibo Adspace

Introducing Xibo Adspace, a simple, intelligent marketplace for Digital Out-Of-Home Advertising.

Xibo Signage is excited to announce the launch of our new Digital Out-of-Home Advertising solution - Xibo Adspace. This unique digital signage network brings together digital displays from across the world, in all shapes, sizes and locations. Creating a unique Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising marketplace.

What is Xibo Adspace?

Transforming Digital Signage Advertising with Xibo Adspace

Xibo Adspace is an advertising marketplace for digital signage. Bringing Advertisers closer to consumers.

Adspace is a fully-featured digital out-of-home advertising platform (DooH platform), which comprises of five key capabilities.

Private Marketplace

Create campaign proposals, send them to prospective advertisers you know, manage changes and automate ad placement. Private Marketplace helps display owners effectively manage their estate and remove the need for manual management.

Adspace Marketplace

A unique marketplace enabling advertisers to programmatically purchase and place advertisements across the available Adspace inventory. Adspace delivers workflow management and image recognigtion to provide display owners with complete control, while providing advertisers the inventory they need to reach customers and insights to continually improve engagement.

Are you an advertiser? Create a campaign today on Adspace Marketplace and elevate your marketing to the next level.

Xibo Connect

Xibo Adspace allows display owners to easily connect their Xibo Content Management System and all associated displays. From here owners can set profiles and preferences, enable advertising creatives to be delivered to their displays and manage their inventory in an easy and automated fashion.

Analytics

Xibo Adspace Analytics gives measured, demonstrable proof of play and performance. This enables users to view key data points on their activities.

And this is just the start! Xibo Adspace is a fully featured platform and we are continuously adding new capabilities and innovations.

What makes us different?

We are focused on enabling outcomes for our customers, not talking in rhymes, riddles, or acronyms. Xibo Adspace, has been built to make it easy for advertisers, digital marketers and display owners alike, to achieve their goals.

We offer simple and easy to use self-service tools with the automation of key processes like ad placement, running of campaigns and ad purchasing.

Xibo Adspace has also been built to seamlessly integrate with the Xibo Signage Content Management System which is perfect for digital display owners.

The benefits

Xibo Adspace has been built to simplify digital out-of-home advertising for digital display owners and bring advertisers closer to consumers.

Transforming Digital Signage Advertising with Xibo Adspace

Here are some of the key benefits that we think make Xibo Adspace great:

Join a growing community

We are better together than alone - at Xibo, we strongly believe that by enabling advertisers to access a greater selection of display inventory, we can take digital out-of-home advertising to a new dimension. By doing so we can increase the interest in your display advertising space, and maximise revenue potential for you.

Our marketplace allows advertisers to access a greater selection of display inventory. This growing community means there is greater potential for interest in your advertising space, and more opportunities for you to maximise your revenue potential.

Automate and earn

Whether you have one display or thousands, by automating the selling, purchasing, and placement of ads, as well as revenue collection, Xibo Adspace significantly simplifies operations, and in many cases reduces the costs . So you can focus on your business.

The right place at the right time

The extensive range of digital signage real-estate available through Xibo Adspace, enables you to create campaigns that target your demographic, location, venue, type of display, and more. With such breadth of locations and venues, you can reach your audience in the right place at the right time.

Optimise performance

Maximise your revenue potential using the Xibo Adspace performance reporting suite, tweak pricing requirements, and profile settings to ensure you get the most from your display network.

Optimise your campaign performance and improve your return on ad spend, using the Xibo Adspace analytics suite.

Why now?

Digital out-of-home advertising transforms the traditional method of static advertising posters into digital format. DOOH provides consumers with dynamic, engaging and relevant ads at the right time and the right place!

Transforming Digital Signage Advertising with Xibo Adspace

The digital side of the out-of-home market is set to continue to grow at an exponential rate, predicted to reach 24% by 2021 (Source:Rapport). According the DPAA media planner survey, 61% of media planners included DOOH in their plans in the prior 12 months, and 94% plan to spend the same or more in the coming three years (Source: Rapport).

Further studies show that Digital Out-of-Home Advertising is driving engagement, enabling advertisers to target their audiences like never before and generate a return on investment.

Now is the time for DOOH Advertising!

Get started

We’d love to have a chat with you about how you can start your Digital Signage Advertising journey with Xibo Adspace. Visit the Xibo Adspace website to learn more about this new solution and reach out to the Xibo Adspace team at Sales@Xibo-Adspace.com to get started.

Are you an advertiser? Create a campaign today on Adspace Marketplace and elevate your marketing to the next level.

Xibo for webOS 1.8 R20 Available

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Xibo for webOS 1.8 R20 Available

Xibo Signage is pleased to announce Xibo for webOS 1.8 R20. This release works with Xibo CMS version 1.8.3 onward.

This release contains the following fixes and features:

  • Show/Hide CMS Key option on connect to CMS page.
  • Improvements to backlog protection for proof of play statistics.
  • Improvements to Status page entries.
  • Support for webOS 4.1 monitors.
  • Enhanced support for HTML widget that contains videos.
  • Fix: Inside Download Window message incorrectly displaying.
  • Fix: Transitions when default direction is set.
  • Fix: Scheduled events start from second in order.
  • Fix: Local Video Widget does not add texture attribute to webOS 4 models.
  • Fix: Time zone settings causing issues with scheduled events.

Download Xibo for webOS R20.

Instructions for upgrading from an earlier release can be found in the Upgrade Guide.

If you have a white label build of the application it is available in your account.

Xibo for webOS v2 R205 Available

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Xibo for webOS v2 R205 Available

Xibo Signage is pleased to announce Xibo for webOS v2 R205. This release works with Xibo CMS version 2.0.0 onward.

Fixes and Features:

  • Send screen resolution to the CMS.
  • License Check XMR command added.
  • Connecting the player to a CMS can now be completed using an authentication code.
  • Entering the CMS URL, Key and license pool can be automated using a JSON file.
  • Show/Hide CMS Key option on connect to CMS page.
  • Improvements to backlog protection for proof of play statistics.
  • Enhanced support for HTML widget that contains videos.
  • Improvements to Status page entries.
  • File download progress percentage and file ID on Status screen (webOS 4 and later supported models only).
  • Support for webOS 4.1 monitors.
  • Fix: Inside Download Window message incorrectly displaying.
  • Fix: Transitions issue when default direction is set.
  • Fix: Issue with Fly Transitions.
  • Fix: Scheduled events start from second in order.
  • Fix: Local Video Widget does not add texture attribute to webOS 4 models.
  • Fix: Time zone settings causing issues with scheduled events.
  • Fix: Status page unresponsive.
  • Fix: Player menus and Layout are misaligned after orientation change.

Download Xibo for webOS R205.

Instructions for upgrading from an earlier release can be found in the Upgrade Guide.

If you have a white label build of the application it is available in your account.

Improvements to player setup.

This release introduces two new methods for setting up your newly installed Xibo for webOS player:

Connect using an Authentication code.

After installing your player, you can now use the Use Code option on the connect to CMS page to generate an authentication key. You can then enter that key into your CMS to complete the setup of your player. Please see the installation guide for more details.

Automated credentials setup using a USB.

It is now possible to create a JSON file that will contain your CMS URL, Key and license pool email address. This method further simplifies setup, especially for USB installations. More information is available in this guide.

3.0.0-beta Released

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3.0.0-beta Released

We are pleased to announce the release of our beta for the 3.0 version of Xibo. The codename for this version is “Finlay”.

15P/Finlay is a periodic comet with an orbital period of 6.51a (Julian years). William Henry Finlay (Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa) discovered the comet on September 26, 1886. It's last closest approach to the sun was in December 2014 and is on it's way back in July 2021.

We'd love for you to test our new beta release! If you do, please keep in mind that it is a development preview only and should not be used in production. You can upgrade to this release from 2.x series.

Alpha Improvements

This release builds on the improvements already made in 3.0.0-alpha, see notes, 3.0.0-alpha2, see notes and in 3.0.0-alpha3, see notes.

Key features

There are three key features in this release:

  • Page permissions have been replaced with a new concept called "Features". Features let you more easily enable/disable parts of the platform for specific users.
  • We've bought folders to Xibo! For a long time we've used Tags to organise content, but with some of our users having 100s of Users and 1000s of Layouts it was time to improve our organisational capabilities. Folders also greatly simplify permissions, which we've rebranded "Sharing".
  • A JavaScript library has been developed called "Xibo Interactive Control" which allows Widgets some two way communication with the Player. This feature has already been used to enhance the PDF module with "duration per page" option, and for current/no event triggers on the Calendar module.

Installation

We're making this alpha available for people to try using our recommended installation method, Docker. We will be providing release files for the stable 3.0.0 release for those of you running without Docker in due course.

Changelog

21 issues have been addressed in this release!

Future development

The next few months will see the team here at Xibo running two projects:

  • A series of release candiates responding to the feedback and testing of 3.0.0-beta
  • Xibo for Windows v3 R300 release with support for interactive signage

v3.0 is shaping up to be an exciting release and we're pleased that it will arrive before Finlay makes its closest approach to the sun in 7 years!

Xibo for Android v2 R208 Available

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Xibo for Android v2 R208 Available

Xibo Signage are pleased to announce Xibo for Android v2 R208. This release works with Xibo CMS version 2.x and has legacy mode for versions 1.4, 1.6, 1.7 and 1.8.

Please note: this release contains significant changes to the way content is played. We strongly advise testing this release on a small subset of devices prior to rolling this out to your entire network. If you experience issues with this release please rollback to v2 R206 and contact us.

We have addressed 6 issues in this release:

  • Widgets remaining on screen after a Layout Change
  • Layout Change Actions which have a longer duration than the Layout, freeze on screen.
  • Unable to turn off SurfaceView
  • Download and Update window times not working when the end is before the start (i.e. 22:00 to 02:00)
  • Add GeoLocation information to the /info call if available
  • Automatically allow sites using the new LetsEncrypt root certificate on devices running Android 7 or later.

Gapless Playback

Xibo has always done its best to switch between Layouts and Widgets as seamlessly as possible. In the past, device side limitations have prevented a truely seemless switch and often a "black flash" of one or two frames was visible between content.

This release builds on v2 R207 and takes further steps to solve this issue to bring around a truely seamless switch between content.

As a result we are also able to connect together some types of transition - for example two images with "fly in" and "fly out" East will both be on the screen at the same time as one moves in and the other out.

Note: some content, such as embedded web pages, are likely to still show some background as they load. We will continue to improve this in future versions.

Gapless playback with videos requires the device to have multiple video decoders. CMS 2.3.6 has a setting in the Display Profile to turn on/off the use of multiple video decoders.

Download

Download Xibo for Android v2 R208.

Download Xibo for Android v2 R208 for DSDevices J18 and J19.

Install / Upgrade

Installation instructions can be found here.

Instructions for upgrading from an earlier release can be found here.

If you have a white label build of the application, the upgrade is available in your account.

Xibo for Android v2 R209 Available

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Xibo for Android v2 R209 Available

Xibo Signage are pleased to announce Xibo for Android v2 R209. This release works with Xibo CMS version 2.x and has legacy mode for versions 1.4, 1.6, 1.7 and 1.8.

Please note: this release contains significant changes to the way content is played. We strongly advise testing this release on a small subset of devices prior to rolling this out to your entire network. If you experience issues with this release please rollback to v2 R206 and contact us.

We have addressed 7 issues in this release:

  • Fix an issue with HTTP connections introduced in v2 R208
  • Fix screenshot without an XMR connection
  • Improvements to gapless playback
  • Gapless only available by default from Android 7
  • Fix gapless playback causing overlapping proof of play records
  • Use a monospaced font in the CMS connect "use code" method of registering the device
  • Improve interrupt layout scheduling so that interrupts are more evenly spread

Gapless Playback

Xibo has always done its best to switch between Layouts and Widgets as seamlessly as possible. In the past, device side limitations have prevented a truly seemless switch and often a "black flash" of one or two frames was visible between content.

This release builds on v2 R207 and takes further steps to solve this issue to bring around a truly seamless switch between content.

As a result we are also able to connect together some types of transition - for example two images with "fly in" and "fly out" East will both be on the screen at the same time as one moves in and the other out.

Note: some content, such as embedded web pages, are likely to still show some background as they load. We will continue to improve this in future versions.

Gapless playback with videos requires the device to have multiple video decoders. CMS 2.3.6 has a setting in the Display Profile to turn on/off the use of multiple video decoders.

Download

Download Xibo for Android v2 R209.

Download Xibo for Android v2 R209 for DSDevices J18 and J19.

Install / Upgrade

Installation instructions can be found here.

Instructions for upgrading from an earlier release can be found here.

If you have a white label build of the application, the upgrade is available in your account.

Holiday Opening Times and Dispatch Deadlines 2020/21

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Holiday Opening Times

Please note that Xibo Signage will close on Thursday 24th December at 12:00 noon for the UK Christmas holidays and will re-open at 8am on Tuesday 29th December. We will then be open as usual until Thursday 31st December. We are then closed all day on Friday 1st January 2021 and return to normal hours from Monday 4th January 2021.

If you require support during these closures, please contact our service desk and we will be in touch as soon as we are available.

Date Hours UK Timezone (GMT)
Wednesday 23rd December 2020 08:00-16:30
Thursday 24th December 2020 08:00-12:00
Friday 25th December 2020 Closed
Saturday 26th December 2020 Closed
Sunday 27th December 2020 Closed
Monday 28th December 2020 Closed
Tuesday 29th December 2020 08:00-16:30
Wednesday 30th December 2020 08:00-16:30
Thursday 31st December 2020 08:00-16:30
Friday 1st January 2021 Closed
Saturday 2nd Jan 2021 Closed
Sunday 3rd Jan 2021 Closed
Monday 4th Jan 2021 08:00-16:30

The team at Xibo Signage would like to wish you and your families a Happy Holidays and all the best for 2021.

DSDevices Hardware Dispatch Deadline

Orders for DSDevices DSCS9 hardware must be paid for in full prior to 12:00 noon UK time (GMT) on Thursday 24th December 2020 in order to dispatch in 2020.

Orders placed or funded after that time will not dispatch until 4th January 2021.

Customers located inside the EU Customs Union with quotations or invoices outstanding for hardware after the 12:00 noon cutoff on 24th December 2020 will need to place a new order after the 1st January 2021, as different shipping arrangements will need to be made after the UK leaves the customs union. This may affect pricing and delivery timescales.

We strongly advise EU customers with requirements for hardware in early January 2021 to place orders in December to avoid any potential disruption.


Xibo for Android v2 R210 Available

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Xibo for Android v2 R210 Available

Xibo Signage are pleased to announce Xibo for Android v2 R210. This release works with Xibo CMS version 2.x and has legacy mode for versions 1.4, 1.6, 1.7 and 1.8.

Please note: this release contains significant changes to the way content is played. We strongly advise testing this release on a small subset of devices prior to rolling this out to your entire network. If you experience issues with this release please rollback to v2 R206 and contact us.

We have addressed 7 issues in this release:

  • Layouts: Fix disappearing Region when region loop is used
  • Interrupt Layout: correctly set the Layering of Regions when resuming a Layout
  • Interrupt Layout: correctly apply the Layout background colour when resuming a Layout
  • Interrupt Layout: handle videos with "set duration" when resuming a Layout
  • Widgets: Improved Package HTML so that the nominated file can have query parameters (requires CMS 2.3.8)
  • Troubleshooting: Improved logging for "Xibo isn't responding" messages
  • Troubleshooting: Player side option to use the last activity date to set the device date/time on start, if the current date time is earlier than a known date (useful if the player cannot get a time of its own)

Gapless Playback

Xibo has always done its best to switch between Layouts and Widgets as seamlessly as possible. In the past, device side limitations have prevented a truly seemless switch and often a "black flash" of one or two frames was visible between content.

This release builds on v2 R207 and takes further steps to solve this issue to bring around a truly seamless switch between content.

As a result we are also able to connect together some types of transition - for example two images with "fly in" and "fly out" East will both be on the screen at the same time as one moves in and the other out.

Note: some content, such as embedded web pages, are likely to still show some background as they load. We will continue to improve this in future versions.

Gapless playback with videos requires the device to have multiple video decoders. CMS 2.3.6 has a setting in the Display Profile to turn on/off the use of multiple video decoders.

Download

Download Xibo for Android v2 R210.

Download Xibo for Android v2 R210 for DSDevices J18 and J19.

Install / Upgrade

Installation instructions can be found here.

Instructions for upgrading from an earlier release can be found here.

If you have a white label build of the application, the upgrade is available in your account.

2.3.8 Released

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2.3.8 Released

We are pleased to announce our 8th patch for the 2.3 version of Xibo. The codename for this version is “Wolf”.

14P/Wolf is a periodic comet with an orbital period of 8.74a (Julian years). Max Wolf (Heidelberg, Germany) discovered the comet on September 17, 1884. It is particularly interesting as its perihelion and orbital period change due to the influcence of Jupiter.

This release fixes 31 issues.

Download

Please use the links below to download this release:

You may use any v2 compatible Player with this release. At the time of writing these are the latest:

1.8 series Players will function but please be aware that new v2 features will not be supported.

Changelog

Future development

We are working to bring you CMS 3.0.0-rc1 and Xibo for Windows v3 R300 early next year.

We've started work on CMS 3.1.0-alpha, which will continue our "behind the scenes" upgrades, this time with Bootstrap. These upgrades bring stability and security improvements to the platform.

Xibo for Windows v2 R256

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Xibo for Windows v2 R256

We are pleased to announce the release of Xibo for Windows v2 R256, which is a bug fix release solving 9 issues.

This release works with Xibo CMS version 2 and has legacy mode for version 1.8.

Download Xibo for Windows v2 R256.

See the change log below for a full list.

Upgrading

Please Note: Players starting from v2 R252 use a new architecture and their capabilities may not be identical to earlier v2 Players. We recommend testing the Player with your content on one device before commiting to v2 R252 or later.

This Player requires Windows 10.

Instructions for upgrading from an earlier release can be found in the Administrator Documentation.

If you have a white label build of the application, the upgrade is available in your Xibo customer portal account.

Change Log

Introducing Xibo Signage Netherlands BV

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Summary

  • Xibo Signage has incorporated a new wholly-owned subsidiary based in The Netherlands
  • Existing Xibo Signage Ltd customers who are EU-based consumers (ie not VAT registered businesses) will be served by Xibo Signage Netherlands BV with immediate effect
  • New customers who are businesses based in the EU will be serviced by Xibo Signage Netherlands BV when they create an account with us
  • Existing business customers will continue to be served by Xibo Signage Ltd (unless they would like to transfer to Xibo Signage Netherlands BV)

Rationale

Introducing Xibo Signage Netherlands BV

On 1st January 2021, the transition period between the United Kingdom and the European Union comes to an end. We want to ensure that our EU customers are not affected by these changes, and want to reassure you that we are still here to deliver the same great service you have come to expect.

To ensure that our EU customers continue to enjoy easy access to our services, we have incorporated a new subsidary in The Netherlands which will serve EU customers.

All services will still be provided by Xibo Signage Ltd, and are offered under the same terms and agreements that were in force prior to the end of the transition period.

Changes for existing EU-based Consumers

Existing customers who are EU-based consumers (ie not VAT registered businesses) will be automatically transitioned to Xibo Signage Netherlands BV when you next place an order with us. The only change you will see will be the name of the company on your invoice. All your licenses and CMS instances are still administered from the existing Customer Portal website.

Existing EU-based Businesses

Existing customers who are EU-based VAT registered businesses will continue to be serviced by Xibo Signage Ltd from the United Kingdom.

If you would prefer to deal with Xibo Signage Netherlands BV, then please contact our support team who can arrange to transfer your account.

New EU-based customers

New customers based in the EU, whether VAT registered businesses or consumers will be served by Xibo Signage Netherlands BV when they create a new Customer Portal account.

Questions or Concerns?

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our support team who will be able to assist you: support@xibosignage.com

Xibo for Android v2 R211 Available

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Xibo for Android v2 R211 Available

Xibo Signage are pleased to announce Xibo for Android v2 R211. This release works with Xibo CMS version 2.x and has legacy mode for versions 1.4, 1.6, 1.7 and 1.8.

Please note: this release contains significant changes to the way content is played. We strongly advise testing this release on a small subset of devices prior to rolling this out to your entire network. If you experience issues with this release please rollback to v2 R206 and contact us.

We have addressed 2 issues in this release:

  • No delay on start (Xibo shows immediately)
  • Xibo crashes on device boot

Both of these issues were caused by remembering USB device permissions over reboot, which has been rolled back.

Gapless Playback

Xibo has always done its best to switch between Layouts and Widgets as seamlessly as possible. In the past, device side limitations have prevented a truly seemless switch and often a "black flash" of one or two frames was visible between content.

This release builds on v2 R207 and takes further steps to solve this issue to bring around a truly seamless switch between content.

As a result we are also able to connect together some types of transition - for example two images with "fly in" and "fly out" East will both be on the screen at the same time as one moves in and the other out.

Note: some content, such as embedded web pages, are likely to still show some background as they load. We will continue to improve this in future versions.

Gapless playback with videos requires the device to have multiple video decoders. CMS 2.3.6 has a setting in the Display Profile to turn on/off the use of multiple video decoders.

Download

Download Xibo for Android v2 R211.

Download Xibo for Android v2 R211 for DSDevices J18 and J19.

Install / Upgrade

Installation instructions can be found here.

Instructions for upgrading from an earlier release can be found here.

If you have a white label build of the application, the upgrade is available in your account.

Xibo for Linux - 1.8 R6 Released

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Xibo for Linux - 1.8 R6 Released

The team at Xibo Signage are pleased to announce that our sixth release of Xibo for Linux is now available. This release works with Xibo CMS version 1.8.13 and later.

Currently there is no support for the v2 Player exclusive features, but we will be working hard over the coming months to bring this Player up to a full feature set.

To see what is currently supported view our road map available in GitHub.

8 issues have been addressed in this release with the main focus being on stability improvements.

Install/Upgrade the Xibo Player

Please follow our installation guide for a walkthrough on how to install/upgrade or uninstall the Xibo for Linux Player.

Known issues and bugs

There are some known issues with this player which are recorded in our issue tracker. We ask that any questions related to the Player are directed into our community forum.

Changelog

All changes in this release:

AppImage

We have experimental support for AppImage in this release. You can download the AppImage file here.

Contribution

We'd love to accept contributions to this players development, whether that be by fixing a bug or implementing one of the missing features. The repository is available on GitHub, as is the Contributors Licence Agreement.

The player is under active development, so we ask that before starting any issue you liaise with the team in the issue comments to make sure we aren't duplicating our work.

Future Ready your Digital Signage

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Future Ready your Digital Signage

The last year has been a crazy mixture of upheaval and uncertainty across the globe and in all industries. As we start 2021 with continued Covid-19 restrictions, store, school and workplace closures, you may feel anxious about planning Digital Signage projects when changes can happen so rapidly.

Instead of feeling anxious about the future and possibility of rapid change, plan for it. Prioritise your Xibo Digital Signage projects around a new-normal future which focuses on safeguarding communications, alternative display types, alert systems integration and reduced contact.

Xibo Signage has been business as usual through lockdown, our development teams tirelessly working on product updates and releasing our beta for the 3.0 version of Xibo.  3.0 will lay the foundations for interactivity in Xibo as well as enable greater organisation and application of permissions.

We’ve been working with customers throughout the Covid-19 pandemic to create solutions that are informative, secure and future ready. Each week we’ll share a top tip to help you plan your next project.

Tip 1: Reconnect with wider teams

Future Ready your Digital Signage

We may have become accustomed to working on a more solo basis, from home in our slippers, but planning for future projects will involve reaching out to your wider teams, even if only virtually at the moment.

Talk to marketing, communications, merchandising and technical teams to understand their plans for physical store, cafe or workplace reopenings and the inclusion and direction of Digital Signage within your business.

Discuss with these teams the importance of Digital Signage within your industry. Consider Elvia Group PCB, who increased efficiency of internal communications across three of their facilities in France using the Xibo for webOS Player.

Next Week: Safety integration planning

Every business, regardless of industry, now has to take into account the safeguarding of employees and customers. Next week we’ll cover how this can be achieved with Xibo Digital Signage.



6 Ways To Stay Safe Using Digital Signage

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Last week we started the first of our future ready series of blogs. Weekly tips on how you can use Xibo to plan for a “new-normal” future after Covid-19.

As we look toward a time when workplaces, hospitality, retail and education settings will fully open again, safeguarding must be a top priority. Employees, customers, students and colleagues need to feel secure during these uncertain times.

Tip Of The Week:

Make Safety Integration Planning A Priority

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels
  • Digital Signage communications with Xibo can offer reassurance, guidance and emergency alerts quickly and across multiple locations at the same time. Over the last year we have seen guidance around the world change dramatically, sometimes within a matter of minutes. It is essential to have a system in place where messaging can be shared with a wide audience within minutes, without the need to manually print posters and change floor stickers.

school-closures-covid

  • Consider education. Schools across the world are currently closed due to the pandemic. When they re-open, children may need more guidance than usual. Reminders about keeping their distance from their peers, whom they’ll have missed and instinctively want to hug and fist bump!

    • Digital signage in high traffic areas such as the school entrance, corridors and halls can help to remind children about the safety rules but also welcome them back. Bright and welcoming layouts with positive but essential messaging can be delivered to large groups of children. This allows for minimal direct contact saving time and money on printing posters which risk being touched or damaged.
    • Digital Signage in Universities and higher education settings will also be highly effective in areas such as lecture halls, accommodation areas and libraries reminding students to stay safe in and outside of campus.
  • Emergency Alerts integration can also be highly effective for communicating across teams with limited email or internet access. To reduce sharing of devices and cross contamination, digital displays can show urgent, timely alerts to teams indicating team isolation requirements or government restriction changes.

    • Xibo can automatically show specific Layouts in the event of an emergency Covid alert by leveraging the CMS’s API and our XMR technology.
  • Digital Signage in the Hospitality industry will be essential. This sector has been severely impacted by Covid-19 restrictions, so as pubs, restaurants, cafes and hotels prepare to welcome customers again, it will be essential to remind them to follow the rules such as wearing masks and washing their hands, but consider how to make their experience enjoyable and safe, while protecting staff too.

    • Digital menus can be designed quickly and easily within the Xibo CMS layout designer and not only reduce contact for all, but reduce waste! This makes for a safer, cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative. Check out our step by step guide on how to create a menu in the Xibo CMS.
  • Consider digital self service screens at tables. These can be easily cleaned after each customer and allow for less direct verbal contact with staff. Xibo already has excellent interactivity functionality, and the release of Xibo version 3 will significantly extend the ability to develop highly interactive experiences

Next week: Alternative display solutions

Over the last year, there have been great advances in display types which are Covid safe. Next week we’ll cover alternative display solutions which can be integrated with Xibo signage and deployed as part of your future ready digital signage projects.

4 Safe Alternative Digital Displays

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Last week we examined ways to stay safe using digital signage and the importance of safeguarding your employees, customers and students when businesses and schools re-open.

Over the last year, we’ve seen business requirements change to focus on displays which are safer during covid-19 times. Let’s take a look at some alternative displays which can be configured with Xibo signage.

Covid Safe Alternative Digital Displays

Tabletop Displays

As restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars reopen, reducing contact and keeping customers and staff safe will be vital. Tabletop or small integrated digital touchscreen displays are perfect for displaying menus, showcasing daily promotions, such as meal deals or drinks specials, and allowing for self service ordering.

Digital displays remove the need for printed, high touch, physical menu formats and allow for reduced verbal interaction with staff, keeping both staff and customers safe. Android rooted displays can be integrated directly with the Xibo for Android player, and with the Xibo CMS you can remotely and automatically change your content by day, hour or location.

Kiosks

Information kiosks in shops, healthcare centers, business and hotel receptions can reduce the amount of face-to-face contact between staff and visitors by allowing for basic information such as directions or check-in to be completed on screen.

During the covid-19 pandemic, concerns were raised over the safety of touchscreens with regards to how transmittable germs are on heavily trafficked screens. But with the correct signage encouraging users to use hand sanitiser before and after touching the screen, and regular cleaning with specialised screen disinfecting wipes, touchscreens remain a highly valuable display type.

Touchless Displays

With the concerns around touchscreens, touchless technologies activated through gestures, voice or even mobile activations, are becoming increasingly popular.

Interactivity advancements coming in Xibo version 3, will introduce a new concept called Actions which can be attached to a Layout, Region or Widget, and can be used to effect changes to the Layout. These can be triggered by Touch certainly, but also programmatically by webhook, allowing for use with touchless devices.


Hand Sanitiser Digital Signage

Recently we’ve received many queries about hand sanitiser displays. Xibo can be seamlessly connected to these displays allowing for powerful safety and informative product information to reach your audience while keeping them safe at the same time.

As businesses, hospitality and schools re-open, hand sanitizers will remain a vital part of the safeguarding process. By offering a touchless option, which also displays reassuring and positive messaging, you’ll help reduce potential anxiety felt by those returning.

Next week: Wellbeing Signage
The Covid-19 pandemic has not only had a major physical impact on the world, but, according to WHO, “the bereavement, isolation, loss of income and fear caused by the virus are triggering mental health conditions or exacerbating existing ones”. Next week we’ll take a look at how digital signage can be used to help improve mental wellbeing during these tough times.

3.0.0-rc1 Released

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3.0.0-rc1 Released

We are pleased to announce the release of our first release candidate for the 3.0 version of Xibo. The codename for this version is “Finlay”.

15P/Finlay is a periodic comet with an orbital period of 6.51a (Julian years). William Henry Finlay (Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa) discovered the comet on September 26, 1886. It's last closest approach to the sun was in December 2014 and is on it's way back in July 2021.

We'd love for you to test our new release candidate! If you do, please keep in mind that it is a release candidate only and should not be used in production. You can upgrade to this release from 2.x series.

Whats new in Xibo version 3?

We're excited that this release candidate means we're finished adding features to 3.0! In our Whats new in Xibo version 3 article you can find a summary of all the things we've added and changed.

If you'd rather read the announcements we've made at each stage, you can do so in the following release blogs:

Download

Please use the links below to download this release:

To try out the interactive features of v3 you will need to use the Windows Player v3 R300.1 Alpha.

You may use any v2 compatible Player with this release, unless you want to test the new interactive features. At the time of writing these are the latest players:

1.8 series Players will also function but please be aware that v2/v3 features will not be supported. We recommend using player software of the same version.

Changelog

Future development

We're going to be hard at work testing this new release candidate and the new windows player to ensure its up to our standards. We might put out a second release candidate to fix issues, or go straight to a stable 3.0.0.

We will also be working to bring this release candidate to our Cloud platform.

v3.0 is shaping up to be an exciting release and we're pleased that it will arrive before Finlay makes its closest approach to the sun in 7 years!

What's new in Xibo version 3

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What's new in Xibo version 3

Welcome to a summary of some of the key features we've put into Xibo Version 3!

Xibo v3.0.0 is in release candidate 1 at present. See the release notes for more information.

Interactivity

One of our missions at Xibo is to provide an extensible, flexible set of tools with which our users can build amazing experiences. We have been well aware that Xibo is lacking when it comes to interactivity and we've started to address that in version 3. When we think about interactivity it is often "touch" control that comes to mind - we certainly agree with this, but also that you can interact without touching. Therefore we have two elements to our interactive component: touch and web hooks.

We have introduced a new concept called "Actions" which can be attached to a Layout, Region or Widget and defines "things that happen" and how they are triggered.

What's new in Xibo version 3
Adding/Editing an Action for a Widget

We support triggering by "Touch/Click" or "Web Hook", and Previous, Next, Navigate to Layout and Navigate to Widget action types. When navigating to a Widget, that Widget is added to the "interactive Drawer", accessible underneath the Region timeline. Widgets added here do not have to exist in the current Region timeline.

What's new in Xibo version 3
Interactive Drawer expanded to show Widgets

Web Hooks require a trigger code and can be triggered by calling the Players API via a Widget or on the embedded web server URL. We've also written a JavaScript library called "Xibo Interactive Control" which wraps up common interactive functions, an introduction to this can be found in our refreshed developer docs Player Control section.

Version 3 compatible player software will be released in due course. Currently we have an alpha release of Xibo for Windows to test interactivity with.

Folders

Xibo is fortunate enough to have some users with truly large content management systems and we're the first to admit that organising and sharing content can be a challenge. One of our hardest decisions for v3 was how we improve this part of the product. After many months deliberating and experimenting we've decided to add the tried and tested "Folders" concept into Xibo!

Folders are common across all of the core Xibo items, Layouts, Playlists, Library, Displays, etc. Each item can be in a named folder, or be in the / root folder, and folders can be shared with other Users and Groups.

What's new in Xibo version 3
Folder tree on the Display Page

Once you've selected a folder from the tree view, that becomes your "working folder" and any new items you create will be automatically placed in that folder. If you can't find an item, or don't know which folder its in, you can tick "global search" and run the filter criteria across the whole system.

As part of the Folders change, Permissions has be re-branded "Sharing" throughout the application.

Features

We've done away with the complicated page permissions model and streamlined into common sets of Features. These can be enabled/disabled on a User or a User Group and control exactly what users can see and do within Xibo.

What's new in Xibo version 3
Turn features on/off for User and Groups

The new Features system has been designed so that you do not need to know which Features to group together to get something done. Each feature is independent from the other.

New installations will come with a set of User Groups pre-configured for common functions. These can be modified as needed!

What's new in Xibo version 3
Pre-configured user groups for new installs

Finally a step by step onboarding wizard has been included for adding new Users.

What's new in Xibo version 3
Add new User step by step

Widgets

We have extended our suite of core widgets with two new ones; a World Clock and Weather Tiles. Supported Players have also been embedded with a new smoother scrolling marquee for Text/Ticker widgets.

There are many other small adjustments to existing widgets to make them easier to use and more intuitive. We know we can still do more and this will be a focus for our upcoming 3.1 release.

Commands

We've overhauled commands to make them easier to configure. Each command can be created with a general command string, and then customised by Display Profile if required. A command builder is available to make creating commands as straightforward as selecting a few options.

What's new in Xibo version 3
The command builder showing a RS232 command

Reports

A new report centre has been developed to pull all reports into one place so that they are easy to find and run. There is also a new report called "Time Connected" which shows a visual summary of how much Displays are connected.

What's new in Xibo version 3
Time Connected Report filtered to 3 Displays for Today

Web Portal

The CMS web portal has been updated with the latest libraries and frameworks such as Alpine 3.12, Slim 4 and Bootstrap 4. These changes keep Xibo at the cutting edge of modern security best practices and design trends.

Also included in this set of improvements are common controls such as date pickers, tag selectors and charting, as well as JWT tokens for the API.

Finally a new welcome page brings this all together for new and existing users alike! This page has access to 3 new tours and a wealth of information to help users on their way.

What's new in Xibo version 3
New User Welcome

Closing thoughts

We are already getting started on 3.1, which will add other minor new features to those listed above. If you have an idea for a great new feature, or improvement to the things added in version 3, please join our community and let us know!

Oerlikon Goes Digital with Xibo

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Oerlikon Goes Digital with Xibo

As leading global technology and engineering Group, Oerlikon operates its business in two Divisions – Surface Solutions and Manmade Fibers. Oerlikon has a global footprint of around 11,000 employees across 182 locations and in 37 countries.

With its Oerlikon Barmag, Oerlikon Neumag and Oerlikon Nonwoven brands, the Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Division is one of the leading providers of manmade fiber filament spinning systems, texturing machines, BCF systems, staple fiber systems and solutions for the production of nonwovens. As a service provider, the division offers engineering solutions for the entire textile value added chain.

The Challenge

Before the introduction of Xibo, Oerlikon’s internal communications on KPIs, shift schedules, health and safety announcements, as well as other company information was printed on paper and displayed on notice boards on the shopfloor.

The paper based system had limited visibility and was often outdated before it had even reached employees. As a modern, forward thinking company focussing on digitalisation and industry 4.0, it was becoming clear that the paper-based system needed to be replaced.

The Solution

On discovering Xibo, Oerlikon quickly moved high-priority internal communications digital. Starting with KPI dashboards and shift schedules, Oerlikon soon began to see the benefits of great visibility throughout the business.

Impressed with the changes, Oerlikon used Xibo to start exploring how all their internal communications could benefit from what Xibo digital signage has to offer.

Oerlikon are now automating the generation of some digital information and their screens are updating KPI dashboards and charts hourly.

As well as internal communications Oerlikon have also started to use Xibo to communicate with external audiences. Oerlikon use Xibo to manage a video wall which displays KPIs and greets customers.

From success with the video wall came the use of Xibo on small Android displays for the meeting rooms. By connecting Xibo to the meeting room’s Microsoft Exchange calendar, displays now show the status of the room, upcoming appointments and the room’s technical equipment specifications.

In addition, Oerlikon recognised an opportunity to use Xibo for a ‘digital building information display’ and are currently testing a display in the entrance of their headquarters. The display will show the floor guide, which integrates all the details from the meeting room displays as well as company information and news ticker.

“We are inspired by the features of Xibo, and have found new applications across the business.”

The Benefits

The current Xibo configuration operated by Oerlikon consists of a self-hosted CMS with 43 displays, 35 of which using Android and 8 using Windows Players.

Oerlikon have discovered that by using Xibo, employee engagement via buy-in and involvement has improved significantly, and by sharing KPIs effectively, employees can see how their contribution influences company results.

By being easily accessible with no long lead times, specific hardware requirements or expensive licenses, plus extensive applications, Xibo have become an integral part of Oerlikon’s communication strategy.

Oerlikon are looking forward to introducing Xibo’s touch functionality, part of version 3, so they can implement interactive notice boards.

Why Xibo?

Oerlikon chose Xibo as their Digital Signage provider for the following reasons.

  • Open Source
  • Cost effective
  • Comprehensive permissions
  • A thriving support community

Oerlikon Goes Digital with Xibo
Download the Oerlikon case study here
Oerlikon Goes Digital with Xibo

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