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For any support related issues, please feel free to contact us at:

Phone: 772-221-0538 8:00AM to 5:00PM EST M-F
Email: mitch@popadvisions.com

Please include name, phone number and e-mail address with all correspondence.

Click here for our warranty policy.

Below you will find answers to common issues when using the POP AdVisions Digital Signage products for the first time:

I am getting an error message "--too many components--" when I try to play JPEG files that I created on the Digital Sign, why? This is a very common issue that is easily resolved. In the printing world, JPEG files are created in a "CMYK" format which is the required file format for many plotter style printers. In the digital world, the JPEG file format must be created in a "RGB" format. Most files that are created in the "CMYK" format can be easily converted to "RGB" with a couple clicks of the mouse (depending on the software being used). Email our support team on how to change the file from "CMYK" to "RGB" for the software you are using.

Here is a tutorial on how to create your own Digital Signage Content. (If you would like to save this file to your computer, right click on the link above and choose "Save Target As") This tutorial will explain how to create JPEG files using Windows Paint as well as MicroSoft PowerPoint. You cannot play a PowerPoint (ppt) file directly onto the Brightboard. PowerPoint is merely used to create a static image file without any animations or transitions. It also describes the common file sizes that should be used along with how you should name your files. Lastly, this tutorial describes how to move content from your PC to the Digital Signage System memory card using the included USB reader/writer.

I am new to using Microsoft PowerPoint, how do I create a presentation? Creating presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint is very easy and uses some of the same functions that you may have used in Microsoft Word or Excel as far as formatting text and adding pictures. Microsoft has an online tutorial for creating a basic presentation and it can be found here. Please keep in mind that you only use Microsoft PowerPoint to create JPEG static slides. You do not need to add any transitions, animations or background music files to your presentations as these will not be saved out when the PowerPoint presentation is exported to JPEG images. It is also important to note that the JPEG export of Microsoft PowerPoint is fixed and is not as high a quality as if you use a program like Adobe Photoshop. The Digital Signage system handles the transitions.

How do I export the slides from a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation to JPEG images? First, save your presentation to the location of your choice on your hard drive (i.e.: my documents\myslideshow.ppt). Then, in PowerPoint, select "File" and then "Save As". When the dialogue pops up, you need to change the "Save As type:" to "JPEG File Interchange Format". You will then be asked if you want to save every slide or just the slide visible on the screen. PowerPoint will automatically create the file and place it into a folder in the directory that you stored the original presentation file. Click here to download a detailed tutorial with images.

How can I create MPEG Videos? The Digital Signage Systems are capable of playing MPEG1 and MPEG2 videos with sound. For best performance, it is strongly recommended that hi-speed Compact Flash cards be used (12X or greater) when playing MPEG videos. Use of other cards will give undesired operation. You can create your MPEG video using any video editing software that is capable of outputting the project to an MPEG file. Some of the more common easy to use utilities include Ulead Video Studio and Pinnacle Studio. You just need to make sure that you output the project to either an MPEG1 or MPEG2 file.

How much video (MPEG files) can I place on the Digital Sign?Following are estimates of how much video you can hold on a specific size compact flash card. This is if no other files are on the compact flash card:

    MPEG-1 Est. Avg. Playback CBR @ 1.35Mbit/sec
    (MPEG-1 bit rate vary from 1.15Mbit/sec to 3Mbit/sec)

      256MB CF holds 25 minutes
      512MB CF holds 50 minutes
      1GB CF holds 98 minutes/ 1.63 hrs.
      2.2GB CF holds 217 minutes/ 3.62 hrs


    MPEG-2 Est. Avg. Playback CBR @ 4Mbit/sec
    (MPEG-2 bit rate vary from 3Mbit/sec to 15Mbit/sec.)

    256MB CF holds 8.5 minutes
      512MB CF holds 17 minutes
      1GB CF holds 33 minutes
      2.2GB CF holds 73 minutes

Why do my images look stretched on your P27 and larger Digital Signage Systems and how can I correct it?
The P27 and larger digital signage systems have a default aspect ratio of 16:9 (also known as widescreen format) which is different from the standard 4:3 aspect ratio. The output of our digital signage player is 640 x 480 with a 4:3 aspect ratio which causes some objects to appear stretched when displayed on our widescreen displays. You can correct this by adjusting the width of the image in the PowerPoint presentation (or whichever software you are using) to 75% of the height. Please note that the overall size of the file (640 x 480) does not change, only the objects or layers in the file. Click here for a detailed tutorial on how to accomplish this.

I just purchased neoSLIDESHOW to create video tributes to be used on the Digital Sign. How do I export the project in the proper format for the Digital Sign?This software package allows you to create a video using still images and audio. Once your project is completed, you can save your project to your local hard drive. Then you can export the project out as an MPEG for use with the Digital Sign. You can also create a custom DVD as well. Click here for a detailed user's manual on how to accomplish this (This is a 2MB pdf file. You may also right click and choose "Save target as" to save it to own your local hard drive).

I am trying to create an MPEG video for use on the digital sign but it doesn't play the audio. What can be wrong? The MPEG video must be created using MPEG1 or MPEG2. Some software packages export MPEG2 as "DVD" format and these will not play the audio. You might try going into the advanced settings to ensure that the export is MPEG2 and not "DVD". We use "Pro Show Producer" internally and this setting must be changed using this software. Here is a screen shot of typical settings:

I just purchased the "Network Enabled" Digital Signage System. How do I set it up on my network? The "Network Enabled" systems comes with a CD that contains a small executable file that can be placed on any PC on your existing LAN (It can also be run from a USB thumb drive). This program will help find your device and allow you to program it with a "Static IP Address" (Highly Recommended) as well as name the device. Click here to download a compressed "ZIP" file that contains the small executable program file along with our detailed user's manual on how to accomplish this.