Digital signage is the use of electronic displays or screens (such as LCD, LED, plasma or projection) to deliver entertainment, information and/or advertisement in public or private spaces, outside of home.

Using Digital Signage is a great way to communicate and deliver your message dynamically in an easier and more effective manner. Eye grabbing content keeps views interested and ultimately increases ROI from advertisements or interactions with your customers.

Yes. Composer software allows a user to schedule page content to display between certain date and time ranges or at exact times. You can even schedule content to repeat at those scheduled times.

Yes. Using our Composer software and assigning a static IP address to the unit, you can control 1 or several players from one PC.

As of April 1st 2010, we have been in the digital signage industry and operating for 14 years.

MagicBox is located in the heart of the Willamette Valley which is Corvallis, Oregon. Also home of Oregon State University.

We use our own proprietary software to create, schedule, and manage the content. Once your project is created, you send it over to one of our hardware player units for playback. Visit our "New Users" page for a diagram.

• Aavelin Player Unit - dedicated player unit in a rackmount chassis
• Power Cable - from the Aavelin's power supply to a wall receptacle, surge protector, or battery backup (recommended)
• S-Video Cable - video out from the S-Video connection
• BNC Cable (RCA adapter on one end) - video out from the Composite connection
• Mini-Stereo to Dual RCA (x2) - audio connection between the Aavelin and audio devices
• Null-Modem Serial Cable - Used for direct serial publishing (optional)
• 18-Key USB Keypad - used for the initial configuration of the Aavelin player (network settings, date/time, etc)
• Aavelin User's Guide - Self-explanatory
• Aavelin Composer CD-Rom - Software installed on your PC, used to design/create content and communicate with the player unit
• Training DVD - Multi-title DVD that contains detailed information on all aspects of the Aavelin solution.
• Registration Card - Fill it out and mail it in, or register online!

 

• 427 (TCP) - Used to publish from Aavelin Composer and Aavelin E-Blast
• 123 (UDP) - Network Time Protocol (NTP) for sync to a time server
• 4455 (TCP) - Used for TxStream data service
• 80 (TCP/SOAP) - Used for PowerPoint.
• 23 (TCP) - Telnet (optional, for support use only)
• 21 (TCP) - FTP (optional, for support use only)

Network information is provided from your IT department or your ISP (Internet Service Provider).

Use the Aavelin's keypad to bring up the unit's on-screen display menu options. From here arrow down to the "Network Settings" selection and hit "Enter" on the keypad. This is where you input the static IP address, Subnet IP, Gateway IP (router), and Domain IP for your network.

Not at this time. The Aavelin requires a static IP address.

We document all MAC addresses on our systems. Contact support with the model and serial # of your unit and we will look that information up for you.

Restart the Aavelin player unit. If this resolves the issue, contact support for a long-term solution. If the problem persists, one of the following is likely the case:

1. The IP address you are attempting to publish to is in use by another device on the network.
2. TCP Port 427 is blocked between the PC and the Aavelin.

In both cases, contact your network administrator for assistance.

This indicates the Aavelin cannot be reached on the network at all (a ping test should also fail at this time). There are two possibilities:

1. The Aavelin is not properly configured on the network with appropriate addresses. The basic rules of networking apply to the Aavelin. The IP address must be unique. The subnet mask and gateway must be similar to the other devices on the network. The Domain (DNS) field may or may not be required, depending on your network configuration.
2. A piece of hardware (the PC, the Aavelin, or a network component such as a switch, router, or cable) is damaged and requires repair.

If your Composer version is less than 2.50, contact MagicBox directly for an update.

Post-2.50, this message is the result of packet-loss over the ethernet connection. Excessive packet loss overcomes the Aavelin's error correction capabilities, and results in this message, which is followed by publishing failure. Improving network conditions will likely eliminate the error, though this is an action outside the scope of this document. Contact your network administrator for details.

Ethernet publishing traffic to the Aavelin happens on port 427. This port must be open between the publishing PC and the Aavelin. This port is used by Aavelin Composer as well as the Aavelin E-Blast application.

Direct serial publishing requires the use of a Null Modem serial cable. A standard “straight-through” serial cable will not work. An appropriate serial cable ships with every Aavelin system. If you have lost this cable or requiree a new one, you can contact Support to order one.

If you have the correct cable, double check that the COM port being used is correct. Also, disable and re-enable the COM port. This can be done by right clicking on "My Computer" and selecting the "Prpoerties" option. On the Hardware tab, click the "Device Manager" button. From here find the Ports section and expand it by clicking on the + button. Right click on the COM port listed and choose "Disable". Then right click it again and choose "Enable". Try and publish.

• 1. Start
• 2. Control Panel
• 3. Programs And Features
• 4. Turn Windows features on or off
• 5. Check Telnet Client
• 6. Hit OK

After that you can start Telnet via Command Prompt.

Our software can be installed on Windows XP, Vista, 7

Our current applications are created for Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, 7. However we do have customers who use PC emulation software to run our software a MAC.

We are currently developing a browser based application which will be indifferent to Operating Systems. Keep an eye out for that!

A single license of our software allows the user to install on 1 PC.

Please contact MagicBox, Inc Support by filling out our Request Support form. Please include your product's serial # in the description section. A support rep will get back to you shortly with a download link.

This error message can be ignored, and the performance of the application will not be negatively impacted. A subsequent release of the Aavelin Composer application will provide a long-term solution.

Beginning with version 2.88, Aavelin Composer now incorporates a serial key registration format. If the serial key (located on the reverse side of the CD packaging insert) is entered incorrectly, a limited 'Demo' version of the software will be unlocked. To re-enter the key, click on the 'About' button within Composer, and then 'Enter New Key'. Enter the new key in this field exactly as it appears on the packaging (all caps, include dashes). If you continue to have issues, contact our Support department to obtain a new key.

Yes. There are three ways to use a PowerPoint file in Aavelin Composer.

1. 1. Save each page in the PowerPoint as a .jpg image and then use those images as backgrounds on each page of your Aavelin project.
   Open the presentation, click on 'File' and 'Save As'. Select 'JPEG File Interchange Format' in the 'Save as Type' field, and click 'Save'. Each slide in the presentation will be saved as a .JPG file that can be used in Aavelin Composer.

    

2. 2. Aavelin Composer Professional has a PowerPoint to flash converter. This is a great time saving feature. Learn more about Composer Professional.

    

3. 3. Alternatively, there are 3rd party programs that can convert a PowerPoint file to Adobe Flash. (Needs to be Flash 7) FlashPoint is a nice application to try out.

Aavelin Composer version 2.90 and later includes Project Preview as part of
the Professional edition of the software. Learn more about Composer Professional

Aavelin Composer will recognize images with the following extensions: .JPG, .JFIF, .PCD, .PCX, .PNG, .TGA, .TIF, .WMF, .WPG, .BMP, .JP2, and .GIF (static & animated).

Composer software doesn't have the capabilities as a full functioning word editor so unfortunately you can't create bullets using the text feature. There are two options that you can use to insert bullets onto a page though.

Option #1

You can insert an ellipse object and make its size 8px by 8px to create bullet points. Once you create one bullet point, simply right click and copy the object. Now you can hit paste as many times as needed. Then all you would have to do is line them up on the text you use.

Option #2

Use the Character Map feature in Windows to copy and paste into Composer.
1. Click on the Start button on your computer
2. Go to Programs/ Accessories/ System Tools/ Character Map
3. Make sure the Font is Arial
4. Go down to the • in the row that starts with the following † ‡ •
5. Select the bullet, Highlight & Copy
6. On the page Composer, click the text box or spell check area and paste the bullet.

120V service, 60Hz
Peak Draw: .75A (90W)
Normal Draw: .62A (74.4W)

Including rackmount ears: 19" (W) x 16.5" (D) x 3.5" (H)
Rackmount ears removed: 17" (W) x 16.5" (D) x 3.5" (H)

This is what the Aavelin displays when it has no valid content, meaning no pages currently scheduled to display. This can also occur in situations where the version of Aavelin Composer does not match the version of software on the Aavelin player unit (visible next to the on-screen menu after pressing the 'menu' key).

With the power off, attach a VGA monitor to the Aavelin's 15-pin connection. Power the unit on. If nothing appears on the VGA screen, contact MagicBox directly for further assistance. If boot screen appears, here are some possible symptoms and causes:

1. Stuck at 'mismatched date/time' message - system CMOS battery is likely failing.
2. "Graphics card is not supported...." message - operating system error.
3. Desktop displays with blue Aavelin graphic and icons, then goes black.

In all cases, locate a PS/2 or USB keyboard & mouse, connect them to the Aavelin system, and contact MagicBox Support for further assistance.

The most commonly chosen widescreen ratio is 16:9.

In PowerPoint 2003

1. In the Page Setup dialog box, under the heading Slides sized for: choose Custom
   • set the width as 10 inches
   • set the height as 5.63 inches
   
   
2. Click OK.

In PowerPoint 2007

Click Design Tab and go to the Page Setup group. Click the drop down list called Slides Sized For. Pick one from the two new options for widescreen: On-screen Show (16:9) or On-screen Show (16:10).

Yes.You can save your Excel data as an image and bring it into the Composer software.

Saving Images in Excel

Yes. Our Flash MagicWidgets allow a user to send RS-232 commands to power off and power on displays that support serial control.

* SUPPORTED DVD/VHS DECKS *

As of October 2011:

• Magnavox DV225MG9
• Toshiba SD-V296
• Sony RDR-VX560
• JVC HR-XVC11B
• JVC HR-XVC12S
• JVC DR-MV150B "Works with codeset JVC HR-XVC11B & JVC HR-XVC11B12S already in software"

*Existing Aavelin Users: Contact MagicBox to get the codeset update

 

Since Composer v2.90

• Toshiba D-VR650
• LG-DN788
• Denon V210/V310