Skip to main content

Active time improvements – Sleep on Empty Schedule

Active time improvements – Sleep on Empty Schedule

Normally, a screen's on and off times are controlled by Active Time settings. This is the preferred way to manage screen activity because it's an easy way to save energy and ensures that content mistakenly scheduled outside of intended display hours is not shown, and when screens are used in locations with different operating hours, users do not need to create specific bookings to control when screens turn on or off. Instead, they can create all-day bookings, and the screen will automatically turn on and off according to the configured Active Time.

However, in some cases a location may have irregular or frequently changing hours, and users may prefer the screen to turn on only when content is scheduled.

The Sleep on Empty Schedule setting allows the screen to turn off when no content is scheduled to play on any of the channels assigned to the screen.

  • Sleep on Empty Schedule - Turns off the screen if nothing is scheduled to play on any channel available on the screen during active hours.
  • To allow scheduled bookings to fully control the screen's active time, Active Time can be set to 00:00-00:00.

With this setup, the screen will turn on only when there is scheduled content and will automatically turn off when the schedule is empty.

Easier management of multi-page files in Media Details

Easier management of multi-page files in Media Details

We've improved how files with multiple pages or slides are displayed in Media Details by adding a dedicated Slides tab. This update makes it easier for users to find the management for individual slides within files that contain more than one.

The update includes:

  • A new Slides tab in Media Details for multi-page files such as PowerPoint (PPT), PDF, and Word (DOC).
  • When clicking a thumbnail, you'll now be taken directly to the Slides tab instead of opening the side panel.

This creates a clearer and more straightforward way to work with multi-page files, helping you quickly review and manage individual slides.

The update is automatically available for supported file types and does not require any setup.

Google Drive Sync

Google Drive Sync

We've updated the Google Drive functions to give you control over whether a file stays linked to Google Drive or is stored as an independent copy in Smartsign, so the user can update content directly in google drive. The update includes:

  • A prompt when adding a file from Google Drive to choose between enabling sync or adding a copy.
  • A "Sync" entry in the file's properties when sync is enabled, showing the sync type (currently Google Drive).
  • Disabled name editing (and other non-editable synced attributes) in media details while sync is active.
  • An optional "Sync" column in the media library list view, showing the sync type for quick visibility.
  • A visible unlink icon in the sync info section that removes synchronization and converts the file to regular media.
  • The files are synced with a one hour interval.

This improves transparency and control over how imported files are managed, helping you decide whether updates in Google Drive should automatically carry over to Smartsign or remain independent. The feature is available when adding files from Google Drive to the media library; the "Sync" list column is optional and can be enabled in the list view column settings. If a file is unlinked it will no longer update from Google Drive-re-enabling sync requires re-adding the file from Google Drive.

Clickable data links and fetched data preview in data source details

Clickable data links and fetched data preview in data source details

We've enhanced the data source details view to make it easier to access and verify source data directly from the interface. With this update, you can now:

  • See a clickable link to the JSON, XML, or CSV file displayed below the "Edited" row.
  • View the full URL, which opens in a new tab when clicked.
  • Hide the link automatically when no valid data source URL is available.
  • Click the Status "Data fetched" text to view the actual data that has been retrieved.

These improvements make it easier to validate data sources, troubleshoot issues, and confirm that the correct data is being used. The update is available for all users with access to data source details and requires no additional configuration.

Duplicate user profiles

We've added the ability to duplicate user profiles, making it easier to create customized versions of for example Publisher or Admin user profiles without starting from scratch. The feature is available to all users with permission to manage user profiles and requires no additional configuration to use.

General product improvements and bug fixes

We're continually improving the product and addressing bugs. Here are a few of the updates we've released recently:

  • Corrected date displays to use localized formats instead of a fixed MM/DD/YYYY format for all English languages.
  • Multiple bugfixes touching almost every parts of Publisher, for example: Screen and channel behavior, Media library issues, Booking calendar display and handling, Templates and group access, UI layout and migration-related behavior, backend and infrastructure stability
  • Support for v10 widgets - widget api and source code editing is now available in v11.
  • Template creator "Fit" mode for the workarea now respect width and height
  • Layers panel visible as default in TC
  • "Do not show this message again" for various confirmation panels

Improved media picker

The media picker, the part of Smartsign 11 that you use to select files from your media library, has undergone some improvements with the main purpose of making it easier to fix bugs and add improvements. Some Improvements included in the recent release are:

  • Multiple bugfixes related to uploads, statuses and updates of files
  • It is now possible to open media details from within the media picker
  • When selecting a screen layout, the screen layout folder is automatically opened.
  • It is now possible to add folder directly in the media picker

Minor bugfixes and more improvements for the media picker are planned for future releases.

Scrolling text in Template Creator (Beta)

We've added scrolling text capabilities to Template Creator , allowing longer messages to be displayed in a compact and continuous format. This allowing for example RSS-feeds too be displayed in a news-ticker style in Templates and layouts, long texts from social media datasources to be scrolled verticaly, and much more. This Is a beta feature and is intended for early use and validation. Core functionality is expected to work as designed, but some cases and hardware may result in unexpected behavior.

One of four behaviours can be selected when adding a text are in a template :

  • Hidden - Existing option
  • Resize text to fit - Existing option
  • Vertical scroll - New option
  • Horizontal scroll- New option
  • The vertical scrolling option loops text smoothly from top to bottom
  • The horizontal scrolling option scrolls text continuously from right to left, similar to a news ticker.
  • Support for dynamic text sources, scrolling each item in sequence before restarting the loop.
  • Automatic normalization of horizontal scrolling text, removing line breaks and displaying content as a single continuous line.
  • Five predefined speed settings for both modes: Very Slow, Slow, Medium (default), Fast, and Very Fast.

The feature is available now in Template Creator, requires no additional configuration beyond selecting the desired overflow behavior, and works across all hardware supported by Smartsign 11.

Player update (firmware)

Player update (firmware)

Users can update the player of a selected screen directly through a menu option in the screen list. The update option is only visible when a new firmware version is available and when the user has permission to upgrade players. Before starting an update, a confirmation dialog shows the firmware name and version. Once the update is initiated, a snackbar notification confirms that the request has been sent. The actual player updates are identical too Publisher 10, there are no difference in firmware versions et.c.

A optional column, "Firmware version," is available in the screen list. If an update is available, an ( i ) appears next to the version number with a tooltip indicating "update available." If the player already has the latest version, the tooltip shows "latest version."

Release Notes 11.25.11

Release date:
2025-11-24 (cloud)

note

These release notes are valid for both version 10 and 11 on the cloud service. Unless specifically noted as a v11 change, you can assume it applies to v10 as well.

Smartsign 11 delivers a completely new User Experience, representing the next generation in digital signage solutions. It's now even easier to design, schedule and publish your content.

Smartsign 11 is a flexible platform for digital signage that fits regardless of industry, number of screens and where they’re located in the world. And as you grow, Smartsign grows with you.

Features, improvements and notable bug fixes

Publisher v11

Activate or deactivate directly from booking overview Screen picker now remembers where you left off Improved active time settings for screens Improved information in User profiles overview “Changed By” column in booking list view Player firmware updates (list view)

Players

BrightSign [NEW!]

Add support for BrightSign devices (Series 5)

LG

Add support for webOS Signage 8.0-9.0

Browser engine upgrade now available for LG webOS6.0

Samsung

Add support for Samsung UWE (Upgradable Web Engine)

Browser engine upgrade now available for Samsung SSSP10 and SSSP11

Known limitations

The following features are currently not available on version 11

  • File synchronization
  • Schedule by Email
  • Wayfinder
  • Triggers
  • Shared screen
  • Show templates as snapshot