Overview 1 Chapter

Overview

Overview of the System

The Sony BZNP-D1 series Network Player Management Software is designed to manage systems that send audio and visual contents to Sony NSP-1 Network Players via a network and then play those contents, such as sales promotional videos at stores or commercial videos in public places.

The BZNP-D1 software supports a wide range of display sizes from VGA (640 x 480) through XGA (1024 x 768), and both landscape and portrait orientation of a display, which allows you to use the systems with the maximum layout flexibility.

The main tasks of the BZNP-D1 software, such as registering materials, and creating playlists and schedules, can be performed by simple drag & drop operations.

Materials that the BZNP-D1 Software can Handle

The BZNP-D1 software can handle the following materials:

•Video: MPEG2 program streams (MP@ML) and MPEG4 (ASP@L5)

•MPEG4 live streaming video (conforming to ISMA 1.0): MPEG4 live streaming video can be displayed on the NSP-1 by specifying the SDP (Session Description Protocol) file of a streaming server.

•Graphics: Bitmap and JPEG files

•Web pages: Web pages can be displayed on the NSP-1 by specifying the appropriate URLs.

•Flash files: Macromedia Flash files

•Audio: Wave and MP3 files

•Text: Captions that you create with the BZNP-D1 software by specifying the contents, color, font, and other attributes.

Text material will be converted to bitmap files before being sent to the NSP-1. It is also possible to import a bitmap file as a piece of text material.

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You can use ordinary files created with conventional application software.

For details, including limitations on each type of material, see the supplied SpecsE.htm file.

In addition to the materials listed above, you can use external video and audio signals that are input to the NSP- 1 via the VIDEO IN and AUDIO IN connectors, as video material, in combination with other materials.

Operations of the BZNP-D1 Software

The BZNP-D1 software provides the following operations:

Making settings required for contents distribution

•Registering the NSP-1 players that the BZNP-D1 manages and creating the required groups

The NSP-1 players are grouped and registered according to the contents they play, and the resolution and orientation (portrait or landscape) of a display connected to the respective NSP-1 players.

•Making screen layout and other settings for each NSP-1 group

Registering materials to be played on an NSP-1

•Registering materials such as video, graphics, Flash, and audio files

•Registering the SDP files for MPEG4 streaming video

•Registering the URLs of Web pages

•Creating and registering text material

•Registering control commands

The BZNP-D1 software provides control commands for a PDP (Plasma Display Panel) or other external devices connected to an NSP-1. You can also use the control commands to adjust the audio volume of an NSP-1.

6 Overview of the System / Overview of the System