MagicInfo basics: content, playlists and schedules

The path from a file to a screen has four steps: content, playlist, schedule, publish. This guide assumes your display is already connected and shows as approved.

You do this in the MagicInfo web interface, not in the MiCloud console. Your MagicInfo login is described in login and password reset.

1. Upload content

Content is your images, videos, documents and web pages.

1. Open the Content area and choose to add content.
2. Select your files from your computer.
3. Wait for each file to finish processing. A file is not ready until the upload and any processing complete.

Tips:

• Use common formats: JPG or PNG for images, MP4 (H.264) for video.
• Match the screen's resolution. A 1920x1080 file fits a Full HD display; a portrait display needs portrait files.
• Keep file sizes sensible. Very large files take long to upload and to download to the display. For very large files, contact support.
• A web page or dashboard can be shown as URL content. The display needs internet access to the page.

2. Build a playlist

A playlist plays content in order, each item for a set time.

1. Create a new playlist.
2. Add content and set how long each item shows (video plays for its own length).
3. Save the playlist.

3. Create a schedule

A schedule says which playlist plays on which screens, and when.

1. Create a new schedule and choose a name.
2. Select the layout (one full-screen area, or several frames) and assign a playlist to each frame.
3. Set the days and times it runs. A schedule can run all day or only in a time window.
4. Save.

Premium includes advanced scheduling; Lite includes simple scheduling. Check the plans.

4. Publish to a screen

Publishing sends the schedule to the selected displays.

1. Choose the schedule and select the target screens or group.
2. Publish.
3. Check the status. The display downloads the content and then starts playing.

If you change a playlist or file later, publish again.

The time zone rule

Schedules run on the screen's own clock, in the screen's own time zone. Publishing does not send a time zone, and the server's time zone does not change what a screen plays. Each display gets universal time (UTC) from the server and adds its own time zone setting.

So if a schedule starts at the wrong hour:

• Check the display's time zone and daylight saving setting (in the display's own menu, or the device's Time settings in MagicInfo).
• Do not expect a change on the server side to fix it.
• If a screen's clock jumps forward past midnight, it can immediately start the next day's schedule.

Common gotchas

• "Failed to save the data." Try a hard refresh of the page (Ctrl+F5) and save again. If it persists, contact support with the schedule name.
• Content shows a blank thumbnail but plays: usually a display-only issue with the preview, not the file. Contact support if you imported content from another server.
• Display shows the default logo. Nothing is scheduled for the current time, or the publish has not finished. Check the schedule's days and times and the display's clock.
• Screen plays old content. Publish again, then wait for the display to download.
• Screen is offline. The publish waits and applies when it reconnects. See the troubleshooting checklist.

Next

Connect another screen, group your displays into folders, and publish per group.