Frequently Asked Questions about DigitalSignage

General Questions

1. What is DigitalSignage?

DigitalSignage is a Joomla 5/6 extension for centrally creating, managing, and distributing digital screen content. Images, videos, RSS feeds, HTML displays, and other media can be combined into slides, playlists, and channels and then displayed on selected monitors.

2. What types of use cases is DigitalSignage suitable for?

The extension is suitable for, among others:

• companies and public administrations

• schools and educational institutions

• hotels and restaurants

• shops and shopping centers

• medical practices and clinics

• clubs and event venues

• production and logistics areas

• reception areas and waiting zones

• information displays and digital notice boards

3. Which Joomla versions are supported?

DigitalSignage is designed for Joomla 5 and Joomla 6. Before installation, you should verify that the PHP version and server configuration meet the requirements of the respective Joomla version.

4. Does DigitalSignage require its own cloud system?

No. Management takes place within your own Joomla installation. Content, configurations, and assignments generally remain on your own server. External sources are only used when, for example, external websites, videos, or RSS feeds are integrated.

5. Can DigitalSignage manage multiple screens?

Yes. Multiple monitors can be created and assigned to different channels. This allows each screen to display its own content or to use the same channel together with other monitors.

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Structure and Workflow

6. How is DigitalSignage structured?

The main areas are:

• Medium: image, video, HTML content, or another media file

• HTML Template: designed template for custom displays

• Slide: individual displayable content

• Playlist: ordered sequence of multiple slides

• Channel: provides the selected content for playback

• Monitor: specific display device with its own identifier

7. What is the recommended workflow?

A typical workflow is:

1. Upload media or create an HTML display.

2. Create a slide from the content.

3. Combine multiple slides into a playlist.

4. Assign the playlist to a channel.

5. Create a monitor and connect it to the channel.

6. Open the monitor link in the browser or kiosk system of the display device.

In short:

Medium or Template → Slide → Playlist → Channel → Monitor

8. What is the difference between a channel and a playlist?

A playlist defines which slides are played and in which order. A channel makes this playlist available to one or more monitors.

If the playlist is changed later, all monitors connected to the channel automatically receive the updated content arrangement.

9. Can a channel be used without a playlist?

Depending on the configuration used, a channel can also play content directly. However, for clear and maintainable long-term management, the use of playlists is recommended.

10. Can multiple monitors use the same channel?

Yes. A channel can be assigned to multiple monitors. This allows identical content to be displayed simultaneously on different screens.

11. Can a monitor be assigned to different channels?

The exact assignment depends on the intended playback logic. Usually, a monitor has one primary channel. Rotating or changing content can be organized using the associated playlists and slides.

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Media and Content

12. What content can be displayed?

Depending on the configuration, DigitalSignage supports, among other things:

• images

• videos

• HTML content

• designed HTML displays

• RSS and Atom feeds

• news and scrolling text

• time and date

• countdown displays

• notices and messages

• promotional offers and pricing campaigns

• menus and opening hours

• external or local website content

13. Which image formats can be used?

Common web formats such as JPEG, PNG, GIF, and WebP can be used if they are supported by the server, browser, and device in use.

For best playback results, images should already approximately match the aspect ratio of the target screen.

14. Can videos be integrated?

Yes. Videos can be integrated as media or through dedicated video templates. Depending on the browser and device, supported formats such as MP4 or WebM must be used.

For automatic playback, many browsers require videos to start without sound. This is a browser restriction and not a limitation of DigitalSignage.

15. Can external videos be used?

Direct video sources can be used if they are accessible to the browser and the external platform allows embedding. Access protection, CORS rules, or expiring URLs from the external provider may prevent playback.

16. Can a local HTML file be displayed?

Yes. Local HTML content can be used as a medium or designed display. However, included files, fonts, images, scripts, and stylesheets must also be accessible.

For security reasons, only trusted HTML content should be used.

17. Can external websites be embedded?

In principle, external websites can be displayed if the website operator permits embedding. Security headers such as X-Frame-Options or Content-Security-Policy may prevent display within an embedded area.

DigitalSignage cannot bypass such restrictions imposed by an external website.

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HTML Templates and Corporate Design

18. What is the HTML Template Studio?

The HTML Template Studio allows professionally designed displays to be created directly in the Joomla backend. Text, colors, content, time functions, and other design elements can be customized and saved as an HTML display.

19. Which templates are available?

The template catalog contains numerous designs for different use cases, for example:

• news

• events

• offers

• hospitality

• opening hours

• welcome messages

• notices

• countdowns

• clock displays

• RSS news

• video overlays

• creative information displays

The exact selection depends on the installed DigitalSignage version.

20. Can custom colors be used?

Yes. In addition to predefined color schemes, text and design elements can be configured with custom colors. These include headings, body text, price or value fields, overlines, and call-to-action lines.

21. Can templates be adapted to a corporate design?

Yes. Colors, text, logos, typography, backgrounds, and other elements can be adapted to match the visual identity of a company or organization.

This makes it possible to create consistent displays for multiple locations or screens.

22. Are all input fields shown for every template?

No. The form adapts to the selected template. Fields that are not used in a particular design are hidden.

For example, a news template does not display irrelevant price or promotional fields.

23. Can created HTML displays be edited later?

Yes. Existing HTML displays can be reopened, modified, and saved. The area containing created displays can be accessed via the dashboard and the Template Studio.

24. Are assigned channels shown for HTML displays?

Yes. Stored HTML displays can show the channels in which they are used. Both direct slide assignments and usage within playlists can be taken into account.

25. Can HTML displays be filtered and searched?

Yes. Depending on the version, filters are available for channel, assignment status, category, format, or display type. You can also search by title, template, category, or channel.

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RSS and News

26. Can RSS feeds be displayed?

Yes. RSS and Atom feeds can be used as dynamic data sources. New entries are retrieved from the feed and displayed using the selected design.

27. Can RSS news be displayed in a custom design?

Yes. RSS content can be displayed in your corporate design using dedicated templates. Colors, logo, typography, headings, and other design elements can be customized.

28. Are RSS contents updated automatically?

RSS content is reloaded regularly depending on the playback and cache configuration. This allows new articles to appear without creating a new slide for every entry.

29. Why is an RSS feed not displayed?

Possible causes include:

• the feed URL is unavailable

• the feed contains invalid XML

• the server blocks external connections

• the source has invalid HTTPS certificates

• the source responds too slowly

• the feed uses an unknown format

• security rules prevent retrieval

• the feed currently contains no entries

The feed URL should first be tested directly in a browser or using a feed validation tool.

30. Is retrieving external RSS feeds secure?

External requests should be restricted and validated on the server side. Internal addresses, local network targets, and unauthorized protocols must not be freely accessible. Administrators should only configure trusted feed sources.

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Slides, Playlists, and Playback

31. What is a slide?

A slide is an individual piece of displayable content. It can contain, for example, an image, video, HTML display, RSS feed, or website.

32. Can the display duration of a slide be defined?

Yes. A display duration can be set for time-based content. For videos, the playback duration can be determined by the video length or slide configuration.

33. Can the order of a playlist be changed?

Yes. Slides can be sorted within a playlist. Depending on the interface, sorting is performed using position fields or drag-and-drop.

34. Can content be checked before publication?

Yes. Content should be reviewed using the preview or a test monitor before it appears on public screens.

Particular attention should be paid to:

• text size

• contrast

• aspect ratio

• image quality

• video playback

• RSS presentation

• display duration

• transitions

35. What happens if content cannot be loaded?

The behavior depends on the content type and player. Faulty content should not permanently block the entire playback. If problems occur repeatedly, the source, file format, network connection, and player log should be checked.

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Channels, Monitors, and Links

36. What is a monitor in DigitalSignage?

A monitor represents the actual display device. This may be, for example, a PC, Raspberry Pi, mini PC, smart display, or another browser-capable player.

37. What is the monitor key?

The monitor key is a unique identifier through which a device receives its assigned display. The complete monitor link contains this key and should only be used on the intended devices.

38. What is the difference between a channel link and a monitor link?

The channel link displays the content of a channel directly. It is suitable, for example, for previews and functional tests.

The monitor link additionally identifies the specific display device. This allows assignments, status information, and potentially monitor-specific analytics to be handled more precisely.

For production use, the monitor link should preferably be used.

39. Should the monitor link be shared publicly?

The monitor link should be treated like a device identifier and should not be published unnecessarily. Anyone who knows the complete link may potentially access the content provided for that monitor.

If unauthorized disclosure is suspected, the monitor key should be renewed.

40. Can a monitor be tested in advance?

Yes. The monitor link can first be opened in a normal browser. Only after playback works correctly there should it be configured in the kiosk browser of the actual display device.

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Players and End Devices

41. What hardware can be used?

In principle, any sufficiently powerful device with a modern browser can be used, for example:

• Windows PC or mini PC

• Raspberry Pi

• Linux system

• Android-based player

• Smart TV with a suitable browser

• professional digital signage player

Actual suitability depends on video formats, resolution, browser performance, and the content being used.

42. What is a kiosk browser?

A kiosk browser displays a website in full-screen mode without a visible address bar or controls. It is suitable for permanently operated information screens.

The monitor link is configured as the start page and opened automatically after a restart.

43. Does DigitalSignage work without an internet connection?

Local content can be played within a local network as long as Joomla and the end device remain reachable. External RSS feeds, websites, fonts, or videos still require an internet connection.

44. What happens during a network interruption?

Without a connection to the Joomla server, new content cannot be loaded. Whether previously loaded content continues to play depends on the browser, player, and cache behavior.

For critical use cases, network monitoring, local caching, and automatic reconnection should be provided.

45. Which screen resolution is recommended?

Content should be adapted to the actual display resolution. Common resolutions include:

• Full HD: 1920 × 1080 pixels

• Portrait Full HD: 1080 × 1920 pixels

• 4K UHD: 3840 × 2160 pixels

4K output requires more powerful hardware and larger media files.

46. Are portrait displays supported?

Yes. Content and templates should be designed in the appropriate portrait format, for example 9:16. Landscape content on a portrait monitor may result in large empty areas or unfavorable cropping.

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Multilingual Support

47. Is DigitalSignage multilingual?

Yes. The extension is designed for consistent multilingual operation. The following languages are supported:

• German

• English

• French

• Spanish

• Portuguese

• Italian

Depending on the area, this includes the backend, frontend, modules, menus, forms, help texts, and error messages.

48. Can content be created in different languages?

Content can be created separately by language and assigned to suitable channels or monitors. This makes it possible, for example, to provide different displays for German-, English-, or French-speaking audiences.

49. Why is text displayed in the wrong language?

Check the following:

• active Joomla language

• language assignment of the menu item

• language of the logged-in administrator

• Joomla language filter

• content assignment

• installed language files

• Joomla and browser cache

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Security and Privacy

50. Which security measures are important?

For secure operation, at least the following rules should be observed:

• keep Joomla and DigitalSignage up to date

• use strong administrator passwords

• restrict permissions using Joomla ACL

• upload only trusted files

• verify external HTML, RSS, and video sources

• do not share monitor keys publicly

• use HTTPS

• perform regular backups

• review server and PHP logs

51. Can arbitrary HTML and JavaScript content be uploaded?

HTML content may represent a security risk. It should only be created or uploaded by trusted administrators.

Users with restricted permissions must not be able to inject unverified scripts.

52. Does DigitalSignage process personal data?

Displaying general content does not normally require personal data. However, depending on enabled statistics, logging, external sources, and embedded services, technical data such as IP addresses, timestamps, or device information may be processed.

The exact privacy assessment depends on the configuration and the third-party services being used.

53. Can external services create privacy issues?

Yes. External videos, fonts, websites, or feeds may establish connections to third-party providers. This may transfer technical player data to those providers.

For privacy-friendly operation, media should be hosted locally whenever possible, and external services should be carefully evaluated.

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Administration and Maintenance

54. Can existing content be changed later?

Yes. Media, slides, playlists, channels, monitors, and HTML displays can be edited in the backend. Changes should then be checked using the preview or a test monitor.

55. Are changes displayed immediately?

Changes are applied the next time the player loads or refreshes the content. Browser, Joomla, or proxy caches may delay the update.

If old content remains visible, the player and browser should be reloaded and the relevant caches cleared.

56. Can content that is no longer required be deleted?

Yes. Before deleting content, you should check whether the medium or slide is still being used in a playlist, channel, or display.

Controlled deactivation or archiving is often safer than immediate permanent deletion.

57. Is there an update server?

DigitalSignage can be updated using a Joomla update server defined in the package manifest. Joomla's update management checks whether an update is available.

A complete backup of files and the database should be created before every update.

58. Is content retained during an update?

A regular Joomla update should preserve existing data and configurations. Nevertheless, a backup is required before every update. Major version upgrades should first be tested on a test system.

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Troubleshooting

59. Why does a screen remain black?

Possible causes include:

• the monitor link is incomplete or incorrect

• the monitor key is invalid

• no channel has been assigned to the monitor

• the channel has no active playlist

• the playlist contains no published slides

• a video format is not supported

• the browser blocks autoplay

• JavaScript is blocked

• the network or server is unavailable

• the browser or Joomla cache contains outdated data

60. Why does a video not play automatically?

Modern browsers often block autoplay for videos with sound. The video should start muted or the kiosk environment should be configured accordingly.

In addition, the file format, MIME type, and video codec must be supported by the device.

61. Why is an external website not displayed?

The external website may prohibit embedding through security headers. Typical causes include X-Frame-Options or a restrictive Content-Security-Policy.

In this case, either the external website must be adjusted or a different display method must be chosen.

62. Why are changes not being applied?

The following steps often help:

1. Save the display.

2. Check the assignment to the slide, playlist, and channel.

3. Clear the Joomla cache.

4. Clear the browser cache on the player.

5. Reload the player completely.

6. Check the reverse proxy or CDN cache.

7. Test the monitor link again.

63. Why are menu items or buttons missing in the backend?

Possible causes include:

• missing Joomla permissions

• incomplete installation

• damaged or outdated language files

• database update not executed

• outdated Joomla cache

• conflict with an administrator template or extension

The Joomla database check and user group permissions should be reviewed.

64. What information is helpful for a support request?

A support request should ideally include:

• DigitalSignage version

• Joomla version

• PHP version

• browser and player used

• operating system of the display device

• affected area

• exact error message

• screenshot

• steps to reproduce the issue

• relevant Joomla and server logs

Passwords, session cookies, complete monitor keys, and other credentials must not be transmitted publicly.

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Final Question

65. What is the biggest advantage of DigitalSignage?

DigitalSignage combines familiar Joomla administration with centralized control of digital screens. Content does not need to be maintained separately on every device. Changes are made centrally and can be distributed precisely using slides, playlists, channels, and monitors.

This makes DigitalSignage suitable both for individual information screens and for larger installations with multiple locations and different content programs.