Digital Signage FAQ

Get answers to the most common questions about our solutions.

Digital Signage Basics

A digital sign can be any endpoint with a screen – displays, video walls, touchscreens, desktops, tablets and mobiles.

Retailers and transit systems using digital signage are very common, and every day more and more campuses, government institutions and corporations are finding their own ways to benefit from this increasingly affordable technology.

Our digital sign software can be used in any environment… lobbies and reception areas, student lounges, cafeterias, break rooms, call centers, elevator banks, factory floors, meeting rooms…virtually any space, campus, or in venues across the globe – all managed from a central source.

Companies use digital signage to welcome visitors, show meeting schedules, or tell employees about progress to goals. Maybe students are reminded that registration ends tomorrow or directed to interactive wayfinding on touchscreens to find their way around campus. As the day comes to a close, screens in your facility might show local weather and traffic so that people can plan their commutes. What you show is really only limited by what you can imagine and create.

>> Download our free guide to see what’s included in a digital signage system and get step-by-step advice on buying and launching a digital signage system.

To communicate with people, you have to get their attention. Watching TV and using computers has trained us to look at screens for information, so digital signage is a natural choice for reaching large audiences. It’s also better than email, printed posters, and bulletin boards because:

  • You can deliver breaking news in real-time
  • Screens are bright and show motion
  • You can have multiple things on a screen at once
  • You can change what’s on the screen throughout the day
  • It’s cheaper than print for big audiences
  • It’s better than print for green reasons

Each reason for communicating will have its own benefits:

  • To compel– student organizations and activities, benefits enrollment, charity drives
  • To inform– new policies at work, classes and training dates, wayfinding and directories, weather and news
  • To motivate– recognition and reward programs, stock prices and profit-sharing schemes, internal contests
  • To include– welcome messages, new hire and birthday announcements, community and social activities
  • To recognize– organization and individual achievements, safety benchmarks, sports teams stats
  • To warn– severe weather, fire and other emergencies, security threats

>> This white paper gives you step-by-step tips on how to plan, implement and maintain a great digital signage solution.

Digital signage not only informs and engages more people through creative presentation, but also reaches them instantly and reliably – and messages can be updated or retired in real-time. It’s a modern approach to organizational communications that draws in viewers with bright, animated graphics and interactivity.

These tools also improve your emergency preparedness by giving you a powerful and flexible tool to deliver security and weather alerts speedily. No matter how detailed or from what source, messages can be distributed in seconds.

>> Read our white paper about why audience engagement matters to your bottom line, and how digital signage can help.

Visix digital signage software allows you to create, import and manage messages, alerts and media; schedule your messages to appear on the screens that you select; and deliver them to your audience in just minutes.

  • Feature-rich software applications
  • Affordable, beautiful content options
  • CAP-compliant alert notifications
  • Dedicated consulting and creative services
  • Easy implementation and training
  • Superior technical support
  • Interactive and e-paper room signs
  • Enterprise scalability with licensing options
  • Cloud, on-premise and bundled solutions
  • Competitive pricing
  • Over 40 years of experience
  • Dedicated to 100% customer satisfaction

More than 4,000 clients and 1000 campuses already use Visix digital signage software to deliver content to tens of thousands of endpoints.

>> Learn more about what makes Visix unique.

We believe in making digital signage as easy as possible for our clients. One of the ways we do this is by providing browser-based software. This means that our content management software lives on one machine that’s on your network or the web, so that more people can access it for faster, easier communications.

Our software’s Organizations feature lets you organize users by departments and locations with just the right privileges and access, so you can mirror your own structures and hierarchy.

>> We go into more specifics about native vs. web applications in this blog post.

AxisTV Signage Suite lets you create beautiful content within the application or leverage existing media and skill sets by importing popular file formats:

  • Text and graphics
  • Video with audio
  • PowerPoint
  • Event schedules
  • Interactive content
  • Weather, news and stock updates
  • Alert notifications
  • Webpages
  • Social media
  • Excel, XML and JSON
  • RSS feeds…and more

You can also use interactive digital signage for wayfinding maps and directories, menu boards, queuing systems, donor boards and more. If you need assistance creating or supplementing your content to keep communications fresh, our digital signage content designers can help.

>> This handy infographic lists 100 of the most popular content ideas for digital signage.

Absolutely! You can override all screens manually using our Alert Management System’s web interface, or via CAP-compliant triggers. We support integration with Rave Mobile, Alertus, Singlewire, e2campus and other mass notification systems.

>> Read our white paper about crisis communications planning for a more detailed explanation of CAP alerts for digital signs.

The short answer is no, there is no limit. The number of displays you can support is only limited by the software application you purchase and the number of media players you use.

Our AxisTV Signage Suite digital signage software is available with a variety of licenses, depending on the number of users and players you will have. And because all of our architecture is scalable, it’s easy to expand – simply purchase what you need to start and upgrade as you grow.

The output of any media player can be distributed to practically any number of displays through signal distribution amplifiers, switchers, routers, transmitters and receivers, or cable systems. Because our software is browser-based, as many people as you want can create and manage content.

After just two hours of online training, you’ll be able to create, import and schedule content and manage your asset libraries and playlists. Another two hours shows you how to create beautiful templates and layouts, and another two hours teaches you how to use our extensive data mapping features. Take one more course to learn how to create user roles, configure system settings and perform other administrative tasks. That’s just one work day to learn our software!

Our Training Subscriptions give everyone in your organization unlimited access to our online Learning Management System and instructor-led courses for a whole year. We also offer on-site and custom training sessions to focus on your particular areas of interest.

Your price will depend on the number of licenses you need and whether or not you take advantage of our affordable services and support options. We’re happy to provide a quote for you and answer specific technical questions.

>> Download our Digital Signage Pricing guide for more details.

Visix products are deliverable as a software-only applications or as integrated solutions. It’s up to you! Visix can provide imaged hardware or you can configure our software on your own components.

We work with a select group of digital signage technology firms and AV/IT integrators to manage integrated projects that marry our technologies with other manufactured devices and provide superior integration services. If you need help with systems integration, we can recommend a partner in your area.

Updating your Visix digital signage applications to a more current version can improve system performance, expand functionality and provide you with new tools to reach your audience. We are committed to three to four enhancement and/or feature releases every twelve months, and updating is easy with downloadable files and help from our support team.

The most affordable way to ensure you always have the latest version of our digital signage software is to make a small investment in a Software Support & Maintenance Subscription. This provides priority support, free software updates and a host of other benefits at a fraction of the cost of competitor’s support agreements.


Digital Signage Hardware

The AxisTV Manage user interface is web-based and will work great on an Apple Mac. Chrome is the recommended browser, but Firefox and Safari are also compatible.

AxisTV Design must be installed on a Windows OS. However, many clients choose to run a Windows VM on their Mac to install and use AxisTV Design.

AxisTV Engage, the media player software, must be installed on a Windows OS.

See our online help for installation guides for AxisTV Signage Suite apps to see hardware and software requirements for your version.

Yes, if it meets the hardware and software requirements for AxisTV Signage Suite, then the AxisTV 9 channel player software can be removed and AxisTV Engage can be installed.

NOTE: Additional configuration steps are required to ensure the prerequisites are met for the AxisTV Engage player software.

You can read our hardware warranty, return policy and other terms and conditions on this page.

  • There is no warranty on software
  • Room Signs and Media Players: warranties vary, depending on the model
  • Content Managers: two years, one-year advance replacement

Contact support@visix.com and provide the serial number of your device to verify warranty status.

Simply email support@visix.com to create a ticket. Be sure to provide the serial number of the device, a description of the issue, and return shipping contact and address. Visix Support will reply with an RMA number and instructions for returning the defective unit.

NOTE: In some cases, Visix support may request further troubleshooting via remote support session prior to issuing the RMA.


Video Walls

Visix has 4-, 6-, 8- and 12-output media players for video wall applications. We also have our multi-output player that supports 2, 3 or 4-output playback. These products can be used to support anywhere from one to 12 displays.

While it is a best practice that all displays in a video wall have the same orientation, it isn’t a rule. We have clients running a combination of landscape and portrait displays in their video walls. There are caveats and the setup must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Visix supports 1920×1080 resolution on each media player output. 4K resolution may be supported on up to two outputs.

All Visix media players support the playback of one 1080p media stream.

Any video adapters must be active adapters.


Touch Room Signs

Touch10 room signs are 11.125w x 8.375h x 1.75d inches.

For more specifications, see our Touch webpage.

Touch10 room signs support data from:

  • Microsoft Exchange
  • Office 365
  • EMS & EMS Platform Services
  • Google Calendar
  • 25Live by CollegeNET
  • AgilQuest
  • Mazevo
  • Delphi I-Server or Delphi FDC (Amadeus)
  • Astra Schedule by Ad Astra

These Power over Ethernet plus (PoE+) room signs allow you to run one Ethernet cable that supplies both power and data, so you don’t have to worry about concealing power bricks.

Touch room signs also support AC power.

Touch room signs can easily be recessed or surface mounted on walls, and are ready to be mounted right out of the box without any additional hardware. We also offer an optional glass mount kit for surface mounting to glass.

When you unpack your Touch room sign, you’ll get:

  • Touch room sign
  • Metal mounting bracket with screws and anchors
  • Power supply
  • Setup instructions
  • We also have an optional PoE injector and glass mounting kit available

Touch10 units require 22 watts of continuous power.

Yes! Touch10 room signs support two-way booking with Exchange and Exchange Online. Because Touch10 room signs are powered by our AxisTV Signage Suite software, you can customize both schedule playback and booking features. Please see our online help for more information.

You can browse detailed help and instructions in our online help for Touch room signs.


Connect Room Signs

Connect room signs are 10.62w x 6.72h x 1.12d inches

For more specifications, see our Connect webpage.

Connect room signs support data from:

  • Microsoft Exchange
  • Office 365
  • EMS & EMS Platform Services
  • Google Calendars
  • 25Live by CollegeNET

These Power over Ethernet plus (PoE+) room signs allow you to run one Ethernet cable that supplies both power and data, so you don’t have to worry about concealing power bricks.

Connect room signs also support AC power.

Connect room signs can be surface mounted on a wall using the included mount, or on glass with our optional glass mounting kit.

When you unpack your Connect room sign, you’ll get:

  • Connect room sign
  • Plastic mounting bracket
  • Setup instructions

There are three options for powering your Connect room sign:

  • Standard Power Cord – included
  • Power-Over-Ethernet (PoE) – optional accessory
  • PoE Switch – client-provided

We also offer an optional glass mounting kit.

You can browse detailed help and instructions in our online help for Connect room signs:


EPS Room Signs

Overall dimensions:

  • EPS 42 dimensions: 3.9w x 3.3h x 0.5d inches
  • EPS 74 dimensions: 7.15w x 4.8h x 0.75d inches
  • EPS 125 dimensions: 8.7w x 10.9h x .47d inches

Display size:

  • EPS 42 display dimensions: 3.3 x 2.5 inches
  • EPS 74 display dimensions: 6.4 x 3.85 inches
  • EPS 125 display dimensions: 9.78 x 7.8 inches

For more detailed specifications, see our EPS webpage.

EPS room signs support calendar data from:

  • Microsoft Exchange
  • Office 365
  • EMS & EMS Platform Services
  • Google Calendar
  • 25Live by CollegeNET
  • AgilQuest
  • Mazevo
  • Delphi I-Server or Delphi FDC (Amadeus)
  • Astra Schedule by Ad Astra

Our electronic paper room signs are battery powered. Our EPS 42 uses four CR2450 batteries, our EPS 74 uses six CR2450 batteries, and our EPS 125 uses one 4800 mAh lithium polymer (or LiPo) battery.

A sign’s batteries are only activated when information changes, which allows batteries to last up to three years or 10,000 updates.

EPS room signs easily be surface mounted with our detachable mounting adapter with screw holes. Since they only weigh a few ounces, they’re also easily attached to cubicles and other shared spaces.

Our EPS 42 signs can be easily mounted anywhere using 3M Command Strips.

When you unpack your EPS room sign, you’ll get:

  • EPS room sign with standard frame or faceplate
  • Batteries (already inserted in sign)
  • Power supply
  • Plastic mounting bracket with screws and Allen wrench
  • RF communicator
  • Installation guide and set up instructions

We also offer an optional glass mounting kit for some models.

Yes! EPS signs come with a stylish frame, but custom designs are also available with raised room numbers, braille, different material finishes and your logo. We can provide popular templates for you to choose from, or you can design a completely unique faceplate.

You can browse detailed help and instructions in our online help for EPS room signs.

Training, Online Help & Support

Every new Visix digital signage system includes priority software support and free updates for 30 days at no additional cost. Clients can extend priority support, get free software updates and more with a Support Subscription.

To get support for our products, you can search this FAQs knowledge base or check our online Learning Management System for common questions and user advice. If you still need help, you can schedule a support session using our self-service calendar or submit a support ticket from the Client Support page of our website.

If your organization has purchased a Training Subscription, then you have unlimited access to our online Learning Management System where you can register for instructor-led training, watch training videos and more. Learn more about our training options here.

Training and product tutorial videos can be found on our Learning Management System.

Our Learning Management System can be accessed here.

You will need a username and password to log in to the system. If you don’t have login credentials, please email support@visix.com, and we’ll provide a log in for you.

We’ll always post the latest releases of our software for digital signs and room signs in the Client Support section of our website.

We also announce all updates in our monthly newsletter. Sign up today to get software notices, expert articles, special offers and more.

Our Resources section has a huge array of digital signage videos, podcasts, blog articles, white papers, guides and infographics to help with planning, designing and measuring the success for your visual communications.


Ordering & Shipping

We accept the following forms of payment: VISA, MC, AMEX, ACH WIRE, Check

PAYMENT BY EMAIL — send an email to orders@visix.com with the following information:

  • Company name
  • Invoice number or quote information
  • Credit card number
  • Security code
  • Name on card

PAYMENT BY PHONE — send an email to orders@visix.com with the following information:

  • Phone number
  • Invoice number or quote information
  • Best time reach you
  • Someone will call you back to get the necessary information

Yes. You can find our credit card form here.

We’re happy to provide that information. Simply email orders@visix.com with the order details and your question, and we’ll email you an answer within 24 hours.

If you need to make changes to your order, simply email us at orders@visix.com. Please include the purchase order number and a list of the changes you’d like us to make. We’ll get in touch with you to confirm the updates.

Tracking information appears on your Visix invoice, and your purchasing department is copied for your convenience.

Yes! We’re happy to ship to addresses outside the US, but we ask that you get a shipping quote from us in advance.


Warranty & Returns

RETURNS — You can read our return policy, hardware warranty, and other terms and conditions on this page.

REFUNDS — credit will be made to the account and is valid for up to one year from the issue date. You can return hardware like room signs, media players and content managers for 14 days with no restocking fees.

You can read our return policy, hardware warranty, and other terms and conditions on this page.

  • There is no warranty on software
  • Room Signs and Media Players: warranties vary, depending on the model
  • Content Managers: two years, one-year advance replacement

Contact support@visix.com and provide the serial number of your device to verify warranty status.

Please email support@visix.com with your warranty claim.

Once you contact us at support@visix.com, here is how the process works:

  • A Visix Support Specialist will start the RMA process by filling out a support ticket with the unit’s serial number and details about the issue.
  • Visix will then contact the hardware vendor to process the RMA request on behalf of the client.
  • Once we receive the detailed RMA information from the vendor, Visix will send it along the client or reseller with return instructions.
  • As soon as we receive tracking information for a repair or advance replacement from the vendor, we’ll forward the details along to the client.
  • All of this is tracked in our Freshdesk application, and can be easily referenced with your ticket number.

AxisTV Signage Suite

In most cases, AxisTV Signage Suite is managed by your own IT department, and the URL is set up by someone in your organization. Please check with your internal administrator for access to the URL.

If Visix hosts your Content Manager, you can email support@visix.com, and they’ll provide your URL.

Your login is set up by your system administrator or IT department. Please contact your internal IT contact to find out your login credentials.

In AxisTV Design, select “Check for Upgrade”. This will show you the version of AxisTV Design that you are currently using and will allow you to check for upgrades to the software. 

  • Log in to the CMS
  • Click on the word Manage in the upper left.
  • A window will open with your version number and other licensing information.

AxisTV Signage Suite allows users to import a wide variety of files for playback. When importing files, the system will make assumptions about which media application should be used to display the data based on the file name extension.

Please visit our online help to see the supported file types and how to schedule them in the CMS.

Yes! Visix offers affordable, customizable Social Media Subscriptions to display your social posts. Click here for more information about our content subscriptions.

  • Click the Windows Key, then Search for “Stop Engage Player” and click that option, or
  • Go to the Configure Engage Option and click on the Stop icon

AxisTV 9

We’re standing by to help you transition to the most exciting digital signage platform on the market! Simply contact us to let us know you’re ready, and we’ll work with you to outline a timeline and pricing options that meet your budget and schedule.

We discovered a defect in our AxisTV software v.9.9.2 that prevented clients from scheduling content to play past December 31, 2020.

You will need to apply the AxisTV v.9.9.3 software update in order to schedule content to play in future years. 

Our AxisTV Signage Suite platform also addresses this issue, and allows users to schedule messages and layouts years into the future. Contact us to learn more about switching to AxisTV Signage Suite, and we’ll work with you to put together the best package for your timeline and budget. To make things really easy, you can run AxisTV 9 and AxisTV Signage Suite concurrently while making the switch to ensure no interruption in service.

Microsoft is ending support for Basic Authentication for Exchange Web Services (EWS). In response, AxisTV v.9.9.2 was enhanced to support Office 365 Modern Authentication (OAuth) in both the Exchange Adapter and the Interactive Service for room sign booking. 

If you’ve updated from a previous release, Event Messages made with the Exchange Adapter, as well as the Interactive Service, should continue to work until one of the following occurs:

  • You enable Modern Authentication (OAuth) in their Office 365 instance
  • You move from an on-premise Exchange instance to an Office 365 instance
  • Microsoft enables Modern Authentication (OAuth)

When any of the above occur, you will need to be running AxisTV Content Services 9.9.2, and will need to reconfigure the Exchange Adapter.

Clients who’ve upgraded to AxisTV 9.9.2 or above and were using Flash for animated weather, date and time, and any imported content will see black squares on screen where those Flash elements used to play.

In response to Adobe’s announcement in July 2017 that it no longer plans to support Flash Player after December 31, 2020, support for Flash Player has been removed from all applications in AxisTV v.9.9.2 and above. The reason for this is that Flash Player, along with all technologies using the application in the future, will experience:

  • No bugs being fixed
  • No updates for operating systems and browsers
  • No new security patches
  • No more support
  • No new features or capabilities

We recommend that you remove all Flash modules from your layouts. If you wish to continue to display date, time and weather on your layouts, please contact your regional sales manager to discuss switching to AxisTV Signage Suite, which includes native date, time and weather. 

Adobe announced in July 2017 that it no longer plans to support Flash Player after December 31, 2020. This means that Flash itself, along with all technologies using the application in the future, will experience:

  • No bugs being fixed
  • No updates for operating systems and browsers
  • No new security patches
  • No more support
  • No new features or capabilities

As a result, support for Flash Player has been removed from all applications in AxisTV v.9.9.2 and above. Clients who’ve upgraded their software and were using Flash interactive content will see black squares on the screen where those Flash elements used to play. All custom interactive projects dependent on Flash Player may also experience technical issue or stop working altogether.

We recommend that you let us convert your Flash project to HTML5. Please contact your regional sales manager to discuss options. 

In most cases, AxisTV is managed by your own IT department, and the URL is set up by someone in your organization. Please check with your internal administrator for access to the URL.

If Visix hosts your Content Manager, you can email support@visix.com, and they’ll provide your URL.

Your login is set up by your system administrator or IT department. Please contact your internal IT contact to find out your login credentials.

Connect to the player with Windows RDP:

  • On your PC, click Start|Programs|Accessories|Remote Desktop Connection
  • Put in the IP Address for the player
  • Click on the Connect button
  • Click the Different User button
  • For user id, type in player IP Address\AxisTVUser
  • Type in the default password

To access the Windows OS on a player:

  • If the player is playing back content, click the mouse to take focus of the running display and press the escape key. This will take you to the player console
  • Enter the credentials to log into the console
    Click the Go to Windows Explorer option
    • Note: in older AxisTV Versions, there is no Go to Windows Explorer option, in this case:
      – Click the command prompt option (or press ‘c’)
      – Type maintenancemode (Note: all one word, no spaces) then click Enter
  • On some players, it may be necessary to take this additional step to access the WindowsDesktop:
  • Press CTRL-ALT-DEL on the keyboard to bring up the task manager. In the Task Manager, select File, then New from the menu then Type “Explorer”

This will cleanly close all AxisTV processes and launch Explorer (the normal shell to the Windows operating system). When you have finished your work:

  • Launch the Channel Player application
  • Enter the credentials to log in to the console
  • Click the reboot option (or press ‘r’)
  • Answer ‘Yes” to automatically playback content when the players boots
  • The player will reboot to playback mode