Set Up a Media Server

As its name suggests, the Media Server service uses a media server to host screen content collected by users. Users can then download this content to their mobile device or personal computer.

This section introduces the Media Server service and summarizes the media server setup.

About the Media Server Service

The Media Server service is used for saving screen content from a user's personal space to a personal web page on your media server. This service is an alternative to the Email Sending service and has the advantage that it does not require a user's email address. Also, the user's personal web page can include screen items collected by the user from multiple video walls.

From the end-user's viewpoint, they can drag screen content into their personal space in MT Showcase. Their personal space displays a QR code linked to their personal web page on the media server. The user can then use a QR code reader on their mobile device to download screen content they have collected on any video wall.

The Media Server service is configured in the MT Showcase Editor. For setup instructions, see the MT Showcase Editor Manual. Registered users can download this manual from https://cornerstone.multitouch.fi/mt-showcase-manuals.

Prepare the Media Server

Before you add the Media Server service to your MT Showcase app, you will need to prepare the media server. The key setup tasks are listed below.

  • Set up a web server

    Set up a web server to run on your media server. This web server handles requests from MT Showcase. When setting up the web server, you will need to use the Showcase Web Server Upload API. This API contains the necessary commands for managing download items on users' personal web pages. This API is available on request from your MultiTaction representative.

  • Allow downloading from the web server to mobile devices

    Typically, users will browse to their personal web page on the media server using a mobile device. The web server UI must therefore allow end-users to easily download collected items from their web page to their device. MultiTaction can provide -- without endorsement -- a list of third party suppliers of web servers.

  • Copy media library assets to the media server

    Before rolling out this personal space feature to your end-users, you must copy any media library assets (images, videos or PDFs) that are collectable in your MT Showcase apps onto your media server. This is because the Media Server service does not in fact upload items to the media server; instead it sends details about items that a user has collected in their personal space. The media server then locates the local copies of these items and makes them available as downloads on the user's personal web page.

  • Ensure collectible media assets have unique file names

    The Media Server service uses asset file names as the key identifier when communicating with the web server. For this reason, any collectable assets that you copy onto the media server must have unique file names.

If you require assistance in setting up a media server for use with MT Showcase, please contact MultiTaction Support.