BrightSign Series 4

Install and configure PADS4 Viewer on BrightSign Series 4 players (LS4, HD4, XD4, and XT4), including the player files, microSD card, and server connection.

BrightSign Series 4 players run PADS4 Viewer from a microSD card. You generate the player files on your PADS4 Server, and then copy them to the card. This page explains how to generate the files, set up the player, and connect it to your PADS4 Server.

Before you begin

Supported devices

• BrightSign LS4
• BrightSign HD4
• BrightSign XD4
• BrightSign XT4

HDMI-in on the XT1144 is not supported.

Minimum requirements

Requirement	Minimum
PADS4 Server	PADS4 Foundation 2022.2 or later
Player firmware or OS	BrightSign OS 8.5.47 or later
Storage	microSD card (industrial class recommended for endurance)

The player supports only a microSD card. It does not support USB storage.

Other prerequisites

• A PADS4 Server that is installed and running. Finish the server installation before you set up the player.
• A computer with a microSD card reader and a web browser.
• Network access from the player to the PADS4 Server.

Update the BrightSign OS

If the player runs an older version of BrightSign OS, update it with one of these tools:

• BNS.cloud, a cloud platform for remote firmware updates.
• BrightAuthor:connected, which updates the firmware from your PC.

Prepare the player files

You generate the PADS4 Viewer files with the PADS4 BrightSign Player Wizard on your PADS4 Server.

1. On your computer, open a web browser.
2. Go to https://<your-server>/<domain>/Apps/Brightsign. Replace <your-server> with the DNS name or IP address of your PADS4 Server. Replace <domain> with your PADS4 domain name.
3. Press Enter to start the wizard.
4. In step 1, Configure PADS4 Server, check the server URL. The wizard fills it in from the address in your browser. Select Next.
5. In step 2, Download BrightSign player files, select Download. You get a ZIP file with the BrightSign player application.
6. When the download is complete, select Next.

For example: https://example.pads365.com/pads4/Apps/Brightsign

Write the files to the player

The microSD card must be empty before you copy the files to it.

1. Extract the downloaded ZIP file.
2. Insert an empty microSD card into the card reader of your computer.
3. Copy the extracted files to the microSD card.
4. Remove the microSD card from your computer.
5. Insert the microSD card into the microSD slot of the player.

Set up the player

1. If the player is already on, wait until it detects the card. PADS4 Viewer starts automatically.
2. If the player is off, turn it on. PADS4 Viewer starts automatically.
3. If PADS4 Viewer does not start, press the Reset button on the player. PADS4 Viewer starts after the restart.

Connect the Viewer to the PADS4 Server

The player files already contain the server location that you checked in the wizard. The Viewer connects when it starts.

The Viewer shows a default name, for example BrightSign0002.

To change the name of the Viewer:

1. In PADS4 CTRL Center, go to Viewers.
2. Change the Viewer Name.

Update PADS4 Viewer

The Viewer updates itself.

Supported features and limitations

General

Feature	Support	Notes
Automatic Viewer updates	Yes	The Viewer updates itself.
Offline mode	Yes	The player keeps playing scheduled presentations for 7 days while it is offline.
HTTP and HTTPS	Yes
Portrait mode	Yes
Cluster Viewer	Yes
USB storage	No	The player supports only a microSD card.
Content integrity check	Yes	The PADS4 Content Library checks each file with an MD5 checksum during synchronization.

Video and images

Feature	Support	Notes
Videos on one page	Yes	Video is supported in presentations.
Video streaming	Yes
4K video	Yes
Seamless video playback	Yes
Image formats	Yes

Content and data

Feature	Support	Notes
Text, scrolling text, tables, shapes, and interactive buttons	Yes
Web element	Yes
PowerPoint and PDF	Yes
Data providers, Viewer Variables, and rules	Yes

Device management

Feature	Support	Notes
Remote management in PADS4 CTRL Center	Yes	Includes editing the Viewer settings.
Connection monitoring and alerts	Yes
Restart Viewer	Yes
Reboot device	No
Shut down device	No
Wake-on-LAN	No
Turn off display	n/a
Block remote control	n/a
Retrieve screenshots	Yes
Retrieve logs	Yes
Proof of play	Yes	The player stores up to 50,000 records. When the player reaches the limit, it deletes the oldest records.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
PADS4 Viewer does not start after you insert the microSD card.	Press the Reset button on the player to restart it.