Hardware, software and expert advice for digital signage and kiosks

FireCast OS

We've organized the features in question-and-answer form. If this is more information than you need, check out the tour and screenshots.

What is it?

- Reliable and secure Linux-based environment for digital signage and kiosks
- Runs on standard PC hardware or the FireCast Media Appliance
- Point-and-click setup and configuration
- Linux-based platform is immune to 99.999% of computer viruses and spyware
- No Windows licenses or additional kiosk/signage software required

What kind of content can you show?

- MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, AVI, Quicktime, Windows Media (WMV), Flash 7, JPEG, GIF, and PNG
- HD video formats including 480p, 720p, and 1080i/p
- Live TV, cable and video feeds
- Website URLs
- Dynamic tickers/crawls using RSS or text feeds
- Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files
- Acrobat PDF files

Can you split or rotate the screen?

- Run content full screen or split the screen into zones (up to 20+)
- Each zone can show any type of content, including multiple videos, Flash files, and tickers at once
- Zones can be layered on top of each other, and added or removed on-the-fly
- Display standard or widescreen layouts
- Rotate the screen for vertical/portrait mounting
- Content can be rotated or resized on-the-fly, with various options for the aspect ratio

How many screens can you connect to each player?

- Use a video splitter or distribution system to connect as many screens as you like
- With our multi-channel version, you can drive up to 4 separate screens from a single player
- Whether you're using the standard or the multi-channel version, each screen can show a multi-zone layout

How do you create the content?

- Use programs like Photoshop, Flash, and Dreamweaver to create content
- Display existing content, websites, web applications, and Java programs
- Use the SmartPages feature to combine content and information on-the-fly
- Use Perl and PHP scripting with the built-in Apache web server

Are there any special features for touchscreen usage?

- Show kiosk applications full-screen
- Hide all the buttons and menus, or display a custom theme with only the buttons you want
- Create attractor loops and choose the amount of time before they appear
- Use virtual keyboards for on-screen data entry
- Show multimedia files on-demand
- Hide the cursor if desired
- Our touchscreen software even works when the screen is rotated

What peripherals does it work with?

- Supports many popular touchscreen models
- Compatible with hundreds of thermal, laser and inkjet printers
- Built-in printer sharing allows any supported printer to be shared among multiple devices
- Integrates with card readers and barcode scanners
- Control display hardware remotely (e.g. turn screens on and off at specific times)
- Change audio volume according to a schedule
- Automatically copy content from CD-ROMs and USB storage keys
- Learn more about the hardware we support

Is it reliable and secure?

- Self-healing architecture for smooth operation
- Tamper-resistant design prevents unauthorized access to the operating system
- Robust protection against viruses and spyware via Linux OS platform and Mozilla-based browser
- No need to leave ports open or assign public IP addresses
- Corporate VPN support

What's the browser like?

- Mozilla/Firefox-based browser with Gecko rendering engine
- Entire look-and-feel can be customized using HTML
- Place ads or branding within the browser interface
- Tabbed window design for smooth handling or blocking of pop-up web pages
- Limit the number of browser windows that can appear on the screen
- Restrict users to pre-approved sites (whitelist/blacklist URL restrictions)
- HTML 4.0, XML and CSS1 compliant; supports JavaScript, Java, and CGI

What type of networks will it work with?

- Works with Ethernet, DSL, Cable, or dial-up modems
- Supports WiFi wireless networking (802.11b, 802.11g, etc.) and Ethernet-based cellular modems
- Use static or dynamic IP addresses

How do you change settings?

- Password-protected, graphical control panel provides access to operating system settings
- Configure peripherals, manage files, and perform other local tasks

Can you manage it over the Internet?

- Use FireCast ClientCenter to manage FireCast devices from any web browser
- Create playlists, change settings, etc.
- Generate detailed reports and monitor device status

Can it be upgraded remotely?

- Software upgrades can be installed remotely
- Modular architecture lets you install and update custom applications, databases, and other files

Want more details? Continue to the supported hardware or get an instant price quote.

Note: Some FireCast OS features may also require use of FireCast ClientCenter

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Just add hardware

FireCast is the only piece of software you need to create interactive kiosks and digital signs. Just install FireCast on your kiosk or media player computer and it does the rest.

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