KB182: Software supported by Omnivex Moxie

Summary

Omnivex Moxie supports many different file formats, including some file formats that require additional software in order for those files to be displayed properly. Depending on the content you intend to use in your design, the following is a list of necessary or useful applications that you should install and upgrade before you set up your Moxie Studio PC. Ensure you have downloaded the latest available versions.

Note: The specified software needs to be installed on your Moxie Studio PC as well as all Moxie Player PCs.

If you are not sure if Moxie can display a particular file type, make sure you have all the necessary third-party software installed on your PC then attempt to run the file inside of Moxie. Being able to open a file on your PC outside of Moxie is not a reliable indicator of whether the same file works inside Moxie. If you have questions, contact Omnivex Technical Services.

Text, clock (in text format) and data

For content types that only contain text, no additional software is required, however, you must ensure that the font you select for the content is installed on both the Moxie Studio PC and the Moxie Player PCs.

To show real-time data in Moxie Studio, you also require Omnivex DataPipe.

Flash™ and multimedia content running Flash

To display Adobe® Flash content, the ActiveX control version of Adobe Flash Player needs to be installed. You can find this software at Adobe's website.

Media and multimedia content

For media and multimedia content containing video files, several different programs can be required depending on the content. Image and most audio files do not require any additional software, but many video files do.

Video files can be broken into four basic types:

  • MPEG and AVI
  • Apple® QuickTime®
  • Windows Media®
  • Adobe Flash™

Each of these file types require different additional software.

MPEG and AVI

MPEG and AVI files require codec files in order to properly play. The specific codec necessary depends on the codec that was used when the file was created.

Apple QuickTime

To display QuickTime files, you need to use a DirectShow filter that supports QuickTime. For example, you can use the QuickTime Alternative.

Windows Media

To display Windows Media files, Microsoft® Windows Media Player and Microsoft DirectX® need to be installed and up-to-date. You can obtain the latest versions of Windows Media Player and DirectX at Microsoft's website or through Windows Update™.

Typically, to test if Moxie can play a particular Windows Media file, you can open the file and play it in Windows Media Player. In most cases, if the file plays back properly, Moxie should have no problem playing the file. If your Windows Media file is configured to work with DirectShow, test the file in Microsoft GraphEdit instead.

Web content

Typically web content does not require any additional software to display, however, if your web content requires additional software such as Java, Adobe Reader or Microsoft PowerPoint, that software needs to be installed.

Remote management software

When designing an Omnivex Moxie network, remote management software is an important consideration. There are many tools available allowing administrators to have remote access to their networked computers. While there are many advantages to having remote access to a PC, Omnivex software runs properly without it.

Maintaining the Windows operating system, whether using the Remote Desktop feature in Windows or a third-party applications such as those by Symantec®, pcAnywhere® or VNC is crucial to network security and virus protection. Applying operating system patches, upgrading software and troubleshooting problems are all made easier when they can be done across a network from a central location. In addition, physically accessing computers on the network is not always practical.

As a general rule, it is always best practice to have remote access to all computers on your Omnivex Moxie network.

Virus protection software

The majority of computer viruses in recent years have been e-mail related, arriving as attached e-mail worms or Trojan horses. Most of the computers on an Omnivex Display network do not run e-mail clients so they are not susceptible to these types of threats. However, there are viruses that can spread using other means once they have infected a computer on the network.

In order to ensure the highest level of security on your network, Omnivex recommends using a third-party virus protection package such as those by Trend Micro® OfficeScan® or Symantec's Norton AntiVirus®. Every computer on the network should run a real-time virus scanning application to prevent infection.

Taking extra precautions when first configuring your Omnivex Moxie network can save time and effort in the long term. If you have any software or hardware related questions, contact Omnivex Technical Support.

Third-party software checklist

Depending on the content that you intend to use, the following is a list of necessary or useful applications that you should install before you set up a Moxie Studio or Moxie Player PC. Ensure that you have downloaded the latest available versions:

  • Adobe Flash Player (ActiveX)
  • Video Codecs (for example, Elecard® MPEC-2, DivX, Xvid, QuickTime DirectShow)
  • Microsoft Windows Media Player
  • Web applications/plug-ins (for example, Sun Java Runtime Environment, Adobe Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint)
  • Remote management software (for example, pcAnywhere, VNC, DameWare)
  • Virus protection software (for example, Norton Antivirus, Trend Micro OfficeScan)

Omnivex software checklist

Depending on the content that you intend to use, the following is a list of necessary or useful applications available through Omnivex:

  • Omnivex DataPipe Server
  • Omnivex DataPipe linking products (DataPipe Client, CalendarLink, SQLLink, XMLLink, IOLink)

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