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Starting Videos by Scanning Beacons with Podcatcher Pro

Configuring automatic video playback triggered by beacon scans

When visitors scan a beacon with their Podcatcher Pro, you can trigger a video to play automatically on your BrightSign display. This guide walks you through configuring your BrightSign to respond to beacon scans.

Quick Reference

  1. Enable console video mode on your BrightSign
  2. Create a video code variable to store beacon inputs
  3. Configure serial input to receive video codes from Brainbox
  4. Set up conditional targets to match video codes with media files
  5. Enable serial debugging and test with a Podcatcher Pro

Prerequisites

Before setting up beacon-triggered video playback, ensure you have:

Step-by-Step Configuration Process

1. Enabling Video Console Mode

  1. Open your BrightAuthor presentation
  2. Double-click your start frame
  3. Select the Advanced tab
  4. Add a new command with these settings:
    • Command: Send
    • Command Parameters: Serial String (EOL)
    • Serial Port: 2 (or 0 for LS424 players)
    • String: "console video 1"

Note: Video console mode must be enabled for the BrightSign to properly recognize video code commands from the Brainbox.

2. Creating a Video Code Variable

  1. Go to File → Presentation Properties

  2. Select the Variables tab

  3. Click Add Variable

  4. Name it "video code"

  5. Set Access to "Shared"

     

     

  6. Click OK to save

  7. Return to your start frame properties

  8. In the Advanced tab, add a reset command:

    • Other: Reset Variable
    • Variable: video code

Tip: The video code variable allows the BrightSign to determine which video to play.

3. Configuring Serial Input for Beacon Data

  1. Go to Media Library → Events tab

  2. Find and drag the "Serial Input" icon to your start frame (it should already be present if you setup your presentation according to AV-Sync using the BrightSign-plugin)

  3. Double-click the serial port icon to configure it:

    • Set Serial port to 2 (or 0 for LS424 players)
    • Set Serial input to videocode <*>
    • Set State transition to "Remain on current state"

  4. In the Advanced tab of the serial input properties:

    • Check "Assign input to variable"
    • Select "video code" variable
    • Check "Assign wildcard to variable"

Important: When a visitor scans a beacon with their Podcatcher Pro, it sends a "videocode" command through the Brainbox to the BrightSign. The wildcard <*> captures the specific video identifier.

4. Adding a timeout event (optional)

For automatic media playback:

  • Go to Media Library → Events tab

  • Find the clock icon (Timeout)

  • Drag it onto your start frame

Note: A silent looping video can also be used as a starting state. The only additional requirement is that the following serial command be applied to any states exiting and moving back to the starting states (Failure to provide this will cause the brainbox to listen to BrigthSign plug-in output and prevent new videos from being started from the Podcatcher).

  • Command: Send
  • Command Parameters: Parameters: Serial String (EOL) 
  • Serial Port: 2 (or 0 for LS424)
  • Bytes: "brightsign code 0"

5. Setting Up Conditional Targets

  1. Still in the serial input properties dialog, click "Set Conditional Targets"

  2. For each video in your exhibition:

    • Click Add Conditional Target



    • Enter the video code that matches your beacon (e.g., A101)
    • Select the corresponding video file

    • Click OK

  3. Repeat for all videos in your exhibition, ensuring each video code matches exactly with what's configured in the Guide-ID platform. Also ensure that the interactive enable setting is set to on in the Guide-ID platform.

Caution: Video codes must be identical between your BrightSign configuration and Guide-ID platform. Use a consistent naming convention (e.g., A101, A102) and document all codes for reference.

6. Publishing and Finalizing Setup

  1. When publishing your presentation, check "Enable serial debugging" this needs to be enabled
  2. Deploy your presentation to the BrightSign player
  3. Connect the Brainbox to the BrightSign using a USB-C cable
  4. Power on both devices and wait for them to initialise

Testing Your Beacon-Triggered Setup

To verify your configuration is working correctly:

  1. Use a Podcatcher Pro to scan a beacon configured for AV-sync in your exhibition
  2. The Podcatcher Pro sends the video code to the Brainbox via Bluetooth
  3. The Brainbox relays this code to the BrightSign via serial
  4. The BrightSign should start the corresponding video

How the Beacon-to-Video Process Works

  1. Visitor scans beacon:
    • Visitor scans beacon with Podcatcher Pro
    • Podcatcher Pro identifies the beacon and its associated video code
  2. Signal transmission:
    • Podcatcher Pro sends video code via Bluetooth to Brainbox
    • Brainbox forwards video code via serial connection to BrightSign
  3. Video playback:
    • BrightSign receives "videocode" command with identifier (e.g., a101) 
    • BrightSign matches code against conditional targets
    • Corresponding video starts playing
  4. Synchronization:
    • Video playback triggers timecode generation
    • Timecode data flows back through Brainbox to Podcatcher Pro
    • Podcatcher Pro plays audio in perfect sync with video

Success Indicators: When working correctly, scanning a beacon results in immediate video playback on the BrightSign with perfectly synchronized audio on the Podcatcher Pro.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If videos don't start when scanning beacons, check these common issues:

  • Communication chain issues:

    • Verify the Brainbox is connected to the BrightSign via USB-C
    • Check that the Brainbox is within Bluetooth range of the Podcatcher Pro
    • Ensure the Podcatcher Pro has the correct tour loaded

  • Code mismatch problems:

    • Confirm video codes in BrightAuthor match exactly with Guide-ID platform
    • Verify beacons are properly assigned in your Guide-ID platform
    • Check serial debugging output for incorrect or missing video codes

  • System response issues:

    • If there's no response, restart both the BrightSign and Brainbox
    • If the wrong video plays, verify your conditional target settings
    • If videos play without synchronization, check your timecode plugin setup