Summary

Omnivex Moxie is powerful software and the following hardware specifications are the minimum recommended in order to provide a responsive and consistent experience.

Display systems tend to increase in complexity as users become more experienced with the software and the network matures. As a result, we recommend exceeding the minimum requirements so that content you develop in the future can still be accommodated by your hardware.

Moxie is developed using Microsoft's .NET Framework on the Windows platform and a wide range of hardware is capable of hosting Moxie components.

Minimum Recommended computer specifications

These computer configurations are intended to provide a starting point for a typical system, based on our experience with customer networks. The following specifications support the most commonly used features in Omnivex software. Some software features and/or multi-display configurations may require different hardware configurations.

Typically, we recommend pre-configured models from well-known computer manufacturers, but a well-built custom computer that meets the requirements can also be used. Computers used to host Moxie Studio or Moxie Player often benefit from discrete graphics adapters when video decoding performance and/or multi-display configurations are a priority.

Operating system

Moxie is compatible with all Microsoft Windows operating systems that support .NET Framework 4.6.1 or higher.

Moxie 7.03 and lower can be installed on both 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows. Moxie 7.04 and higher requires 64-bit editions of Windows. See KB308 for more details on supported operating systems.

Central processor

The amount of processing power required by Moxie Studio and Moxie Player is determined by the resolution of the screen and the amount of dynamic content that you include in your design. If your Moxie content is graphically intensive then your performance depends on the capability of your computer's graphics adapter. For example, driving two displays at a high resolution with scrolling data while decoding compressed video requires more processing capability than driving a single display at a lower resolution with static text and images.

Memory

The total amount of memory required to run Moxie must include the memory required for the operating system and all applications installed on the system. For example, Microsoft Windows 10 64-bit requires at least 2 GB of memory for basic operating system functions. Moxie Studio or Player, along with the .NET Framework, typically each require up to 2 GB of memory during operation. Therefore, a minimum of 4 GB total system memory is recommended for Moxie Studio or Player systems.  Many systems that host both Studio and Player, additional Omnivex processes, or third-party applications will benefit from 8 GB.

Display adapter

Omnivex software is hardware independent and will function with any display adapter. Many new processors from AMD and Intel combine the traditional CPU with an integrated GPU, however such combinations may compromise performance for low power consumption. If you are displaying graphically intensive content in Moxie Studio or Moxie Player, the use of a discrete graphics adapter with its own dedicated graphics memory is recommended.

Moxie was developed using Microsoft's .NET Framework in order to take advantage of the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) graphical subsystem. WPF makes better use of the graphics adapter than the Graphics Device Interface (GDI and GDI+) supported by earlier versions of Windows.

Video capture (live TV)

Note: Video capture is only supported in the 32-bit edition of Moxie.

If you plan to capture a live video signal from an internal video feed or set-top-box within your Moxie Player content then video capture hardware must be connected to your Moxie Player computer. Your choice of capture hardware depends on the type of video source, number of video sources per computer and other practical factors such as number of simultaneous capture instances required or computer expansion limitations.

Omnivex software is hardware independent, but not all capture hardware is suitable for digital signage applications. Capture hardware from Hauppauge is usually recommended for standard definition sources while the requirements for high definition sources vary.  The Omnivex Technical Services team will be glad to help you select the appropriate hardware for your video capture solution.

If you are streaming a live video signal from a remote capture source, no special video capture hardware is required. However, streaming live video is affected by other factors such as network bandwidth and should be discussed with your network administrator.

Databases

During the installation process, the Moxie Data Server configuration tool gives you the option to use:

• version 7.06 and lower, Microsoft SQL Server Compact Edition (included) or Microsoft SQL Server (Express edition available for free, commercial editions purchased from an authorized reseller)
• version 7.07 and higher, SQLite (included) or Microsoft SQL Server (Express edition available for free, commercial editions purchased from an authorized reseller)

You also have the option to install a Moxie Log Server to collect data from client agents installed on Moxie host computers. If you plan to use this Moxie component, a Microsoft SQL Server is required to host the Moxie Log Server's database. The same SQL Server may be used for the Moxie Data Server and Moxie Log Server's databases. Consult your authorized Microsoft provider for information and options for Microsoft SQL Server.

Note: As of July, 2021 Microsoft no longer supports SQL CE

Storage

The amount of storage space required to install and run Moxie components is less than 1 GB but content files may consume a far greater amount of drive space. In most cases, video files consume the majority of the storage space in each Moxie component's cache so determining how much video content you'll need and how you plan to encode it will tell you how much space you'll need.  It is also important to include the space required to install and update the Windows operating system in your calculation.

For best performance on Moxie Studio and Moxie Player computers, solid-state storage devices typically offer much better access times and transfer rates than traditional platter-based storage. Provided the solid-state options available from your hardware reseller are high-performance, within your budget, and offer enough storage for your content then it is worth paying the price premium over a hard disk. However, for some extreme environments where computers may lose power unexpectedly, it is important to consider the storage device's ability to protect data at rest and in-flight to avoid problems caused by data loss.