Cilutions Digital Media Bridge, Digital Signage - FAQs

General

Does Cilutions sell software?

Yes. Cilutions' software products are Windows and Linux applications. They are compatible with a wide variety of platform types and installation can be performed by a customer on compatible hardware platforms. Installation wizards ease the process of installing and configuring in a customer's environment. They also come as pre-installed software images on customer-selected hardware platforms. Such "factory installed" software is typically performed by a third party system integrator or an equipment reseller (e.g., a set-top box (STB) reseller) using a compatible image built according to customer specifications and provided to the third party by Cilutions. Cilutions products are also available as middleware to be bundled with a software vendor's application and combined into a complete image suitable for installation in a STB for ultimate deployment with an end user.

Does Cilutions sell hardware?

No. Cilutions' software products are the most portable in the digital signage industry and run on almost all platform types. In addition to our products, Cilutions provides engineering services to install and optimize its software on customer-specified hardware. Cilutions does not manufacture or re-sell hardware.

Does Cilutions sell engineering services?

Yes. Cilutions provides customization of its digital signage products to satisfy specific customer requirements.

Does Cilutions sell digital assets (videos, images, etc.) for use in digital signage networks?

No. While Cilutions does not create (or sell) original video content, we can format a customer's content to work with the selected hardware platform. Please visit our Content Preparation page for more information.

What are Cilutions products?

Cilutions offers four products for use in digital signage networks. The DMB Screen Builder is used to design the screens within your network by positioning the digital assets where you would like to show them. The DMB Content Distribution product is used to send and receive all of the digital assets needed to play the screens in your network. The DMB Media Player is used to play the screens at each of the locations in your network. And the DMB Management Applications are used to remotely control and monitor the players and screens in your network.

Does Cilutions operate a digital signage network?

No. Cilutions provides mission critical software and engineering services to digital signage network operators, but Cilutions does not operate a network.

Does Cilutions sell products and services to network operators?

Yes. Network operators use Cilutions' products as critical pieces in the overall network architecture. They further rely on our expertise to monitor and maintain their digital signage network.

Does Cilutions sell support services to network operators?

Yes. Cilutions provides "Tier 3" Engineering Services to network operators in the day-to-day support of a digital signage network. This includes trouble-shooting, problem analysis, and resolution of customer issues not resolved by a network operator's help desk and "Tier 2" service.

Does Cilutions offer software products as "middleware" to be combined with other applications on a target platform?

Yes. Cilutions' middleware applications can be combined with middleware from other software vendors and installed on a set-top box (STB) creating a complete solution, satisfying customer requirements. Cilutions works with other software vendors and provides engineering support services as needed.

How do I contact Cilutions to find out more about their products?

phone : 301-515-4004 . email : sales@cilutions.com

What are the basic software components of a digital signage network using Cilutions' DMB products?

Digital signage networks with Cilutions' DMB products consist of:
1. Image creation/editing applications (e.g., Adobe Illustrator) to create static image files
2. Video creation/editing applications (e.g., Adobe Premiere) to create video files
3. The DMB Screen Builder to combine the videos and static images into screens, preview the results and
    publish for distribution
4. The DMB Content Distribution Sender and Receiver products, or equivalent, for distributing files to remote media
    players on a private network (e.g., satellite-based, or local campus, or within a hotel) or on a public network (over the
    Internet)
5. The DMB Media Player to play screens on locally connected TVs

What are the basic components of an Internet-based IPTV network using Cilutions' DMB products?

Internet-based IPTV networks with Cilutions' DMB products consist of:
1. An encoder (e.g., Envivio) which encodes analog video into an IP stream with a payload of compressed video in
    a standard format (e.g., h.264) suitable for playback on destination media players (e.g., set-top boxes)
2. The DMB Darwin Streaming Server application which accepts the IP stream from the encoder and reflects the stream to
    one or more remote players (e.g., set-top boxes) connected over the Internet
3. The DMB Streaming Transport Receiver Agent in each remote player to repair packet loss and video jitter experienced over
    the unpredictable Internet connection
4. A media player application in the set-top box (typically provided by the manufacturer and included with the box) which
    decodes and plays the video stream on a locally attached TV

Which of Cilutions' DMB management products are suitable for use on an Internet-based IPTV and digital signage network?

The DMB Management applications are highly recommended but optional in an Internet-based network and consist of:
1. A DMB SNMP Agent in each remote player to provide SNMP management of the agent over an Internet connection
2. A DMB SNMP Proxy Server to provide connectivity between SNMP Manager applications and individual remote players
3. SNMP Manager applications (e.g., HP Openview) to enhance health and status monitoring of IPTV and/or digital signage
    hardware/software components in the network
4. A DMB Telnet Agent in each remote player to provide telnet management of a player platform (e.g., a set-top box)
    over an Internet connection
5. A DMB Telnet Proxy Server to provide connectivity between the data center and individual players (e.g., set-top boxes)
    on the Internet

What are the minimum products that I need to operate a small digital signage network (e.g., less than 10 screens)?

To operate a small digital signage network with no live TV and no multicast file distribution requirements, the following
applications are needed:
1. Third party video and static image editing applications to create assets compatible with the media player platform
    (e.g., h.264 transport stream video files for set-top box playback)
2. The DMB Screen Builder with publishing points into each of the 10 media players controlling the screens
3. The DMB Media Player on each of the 10 media player platforms (e.g., set-top boxes)

What do I need to operate a satellite-based digital signage network?

To operate digital signage over a satellite-based network the following applications are needed:
1. Third party video and static image editing applications to create assets compatible with the media player platform
    (e.g., h.264 transport stream video files for set-top box playback)
2. The DMB Screen Builder with publishing points into a content distribution system (e.g., DMB Content Distribution)
3. The DMB Content Distribution Sender, or equivalent, providing multicast file distribution service to widely
    distributed media players each running the DMB Content Distribution Receiver, or equivalent
4. The DMB Media Player on each of the media player platforms (e.g., set-top boxes)

What do I need to operate an Internet-based digital signage network?

To operate digital signage over an Internet-based network the following applications are needed:
1. Third party video and static image editing applications to create assets compatible with the media player platform
    (e.g., h.264 transport stream video files for set-top box playback)
2. The DMB Screen Builder with publishing points into a content distribution system (e.g., DMB Content Distribution)
3. The DMB Content Distribution Sender, or equivalent, providing Internet-based file distribution service to widely
    distributed media players each running the DMB Content Distribution Receiver, or equivalent
4. The DMB Media Player on each of the media player platforms (e.g., set-top boxes)
5. Optional: Cilutions' management products useful for tracking the health and status of media players

What do I need to do to include live TV within my digital signage screens on the Amino set-top boxes?

If you want to show real-time video on set-top boxes (that is, not files downloaded onto the media player hard drive but live TV or another real-time video source) then you will need a separate product which receives the live, local, analog TV signal and multicasts it to the local network where a media player resides. There are third party boxes which do this; Cilutions does not make them. You can then use the DMB Screen Builder to create "zones" on the screen where live video should be played. In this case, the DMB Media Player will "catch" the configured real-time video stream and play it in a zone on the TV as instructed.

What features have you added to the Amino suite of set-top boxes?

Cilutions has added its own software components to Amino's (www.aminocom.com) set-top boxes (STBs) to offer functionality not natively available in the platforms (e.g., digital signage on Amino's AmiNet530). Please click here to see a list of Cilutions value added features to the Amino STBs on which they are supported.