SignageNode config for ReachTV

This article describes how to configure SignageNode for ReachTV and additional notes on new features.

Installation and setup

1. In the admin interface, click the Screens tab.
2. Click the Options button () beside a screen item and select Edit from the pop-up menu to display the Screen dialog.
3. On the Software tab, select the most recent SignageNode software.
4. On the Data tab, enter the following:

   settings=http://reachtv.b-cdn.net/2022-03-30/settings-slow-lan.json
   layer0=stacks
   layer1=http://reachtv.b-cdn.net/2022-03-30/layer1-standard.json

   For fast cable networks, where you need more storage, apply:

    settings=http://reachtv.b-cdn.net/2022-03-30/settings-fast.json

   For very poor connections use short, infrequently updated sequences and apply:

   settings=http://reachtv.b-cdn.net/2022-03-30/settings-slow-internet.json

5. Click Save and wait for 5 minutes for software update to apply.
6. Click the screen item's Options button () and click Connect to open the SignageNode Admin page. (This may take a few seconds to open a tunnel to the device)
   
7. Click the Status tab and verify that playback looks good and there are no error messages.

Multiple screens can be setup using the multiple selection options. However, be sure to verify screens individually - especially when initially switching from standard to SignageNode.

Instant video playback and HLS

Unlike the standard player, which must download videos fully before starting playback, SignageNode starts playing videos instantly. Live HLS video feeds can also be displayed.

To display a live video stream (HLS):

1. On the Display tab of the Stack item dialog, select Link to streaming media.
   
2. Provide the address to the .m3u8 file.
   
3. Provide a Label and a Duration.
   The duration is important for live streams, because the stream duration is not known when it starts. If undefined, the stream will typically use the default duration of 10 seconds.
   

VAST support

VAST is configured the same way as for the standard player but it operates differently. The VAST is processed and video is primed 10 seconds before it is due to play (previously was downloaded fully 5 minutes in advance).

More notes

Only features essential to ReachTV have been implemented.

SignageNode is not a complete replacement for the standard player. The following functionality is not available:

• No Interactivity - No events, triggers or actions.
• No zipped web pages - Use hosted web pages instead.
• No remote data source.
• No multi-screen playback synchronisation.

(this list is not complete)