Overview

The Cast Hub scheduling feature allows you to automatically schedule presentations to be displayed on your digital signage TVs at specific times. This powerful feature enables you to create both one-time and recurring schedules, ensuring your content is displayed exactly when you need it.

Key Benefits

•Automated Content Management: Schedule presentations to play automatically without manual intervention

•Flexible Scheduling Options: Choose between simple one-time schedules or recurring weekly patterns

•Group-based Deployment: Assign schedules to device groups for efficient management of multiple displays

•Time Zone Support: Configure schedules according to your local time zone

•Multiple Presentations: Schedule different presentations for different times and days

Prerequisites

Before using the scheduling feature, ensure you have:

1.Active Cast Hub Account: Access to the Cast Hub dashboard

2.Created Presentations: At least one presentation uploaded and ready in your presentations library

3.Configured Device Groups: TVs or displays organized into groups for targeted scheduling

4.Proper Permissions: Administrative access to create and manage schedules

Accessing the Scheduling Feature

1.Login to Dashboard: Navigate to dashboard.cast-hub.com and log in with your credentials

2.Navigate to Schedules: Click on the schedule icon in the left navigation sidebar

3.Schedule Management: You’ll see the main schedules page with existing schedules and creation options

Schedule Types

Cast Hub offers two distinct scheduling options to meet different content management needs:

1. Simple Schedule

Perfect for one-time events, special announcements, or non-recurring content displays. Simple schedules allow you to specify exact dates and times for presentation playback.

Best Use Cases:

•Product launches or special events

•Holiday announcements

•One-time promotional content

•Emergency or urgent communications

2. Weekly Schedule

Ideal for recurring content that follows a weekly pattern. Weekly schedules automatically repeat every week, making them perfect for regular programming.

Best Use Cases:

School Class Schedules

•Weekly meeting room schedules

•Regular promotional rotations

•Business hours announcements

Creating a Simple Schedule

Step 1: Access Simple Schedule Creation

1.From the Schedules page, click the “New Simple Schedule” button

2.You’ll be directed to the Create Schedule page

Step 2: Configure Basic Settings

1.Schedule Name: Enter a descriptive name for your schedule in the “Enter here” field

•Use clear, descriptive names like “Holiday Promotion 2025” or “Emergency Alert Schedule”

•Names help you identify schedules quickly in your schedule list

2.Time Zone Selection: Choose your appropriate time zone from the dropdown menu

•The system supports multiple UTC time zones

•Ensure you select the time zone where your displays are located

•This ensures presentations play at the correct local time

Step 3: Add Schedule Items

1.Add First Item: Click the “+ Add New Schedule Item” button

2.Set Date and Time: Enter the exact date and time when you want the presentation to start

•Format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM (24-hour format)

•Example: 2025-12-25 09:00 for Christmas morning at 9 AM

3.Select Presentation: Choose the presentation from the dropdown menu

•The dropdown shows all available presentations from your presentations library

•Select the specific content you want to display at this scheduled time

4.Add Multiple Items (Optional): Click “+ Add New Schedule Item” again to schedule additional presentations

•Each item can have a different date, time, and presentation

•Use the Sort button to organize items chronologically

•Use the Remove button to delete unwanted schedule items

Step 4: Save Your Schedule

1.Review Settings: Double-check your schedule name, time zone, and all schedule items

2.Save Schedule: Click the “Save” button to create your schedule

3.Cancel Option: Use the “Cancel” button if you need to discard changes

Creating a Weekly Schedule

Step 1: Access Weekly Schedule Creation

1.From the Schedules page, click the “New Weekly Schedule” button

2.You’ll be directed to the Create Weekly Schedule page

Step 2: Configure Basic Settings

1.Schedule Name: Enter a descriptive name in the “Enter schedule name…” field

•Use names that indicate the recurring nature, like “Weekly Menu Display” or “Daily Meeting Schedule”

2.Time Zone Selection: Choose your appropriate time zone from the dropdown menu

•Same time zone considerations as Simple Schedules apply

•Ensure consistency across all your schedules

Step 3: Configure Daily Schedules

The weekly schedule interface provides separate sections for each day of the week (Sunday through Saturday). You can configure different presentations for different days and times.

For Each Day:

1.Select the Day: Choose the day you want to configure (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc.)

2.Add Schedule Items: Click the “+ Add New Schedule Item” button for that specific day

3.Set Time: Enter the time when the presentation should start

•Format: HH:MM (24-hour format)

•Example: 08:30 for 8:30 AM, 14:15 for 2:15 PM

4.Select Presentation: Choose the presentation from the dropdown menu

•Each day can have different presentations

•The same presentation can be used on multiple days if needed

5.Multiple Items per Day: Add multiple schedule items to the same day for different times

•Example: Morning announcements at 09:00 and afternoon updates at 15:00

•Use the Sort button to organize items chronologically within each day

6.Remove Items: Use the Remove button to delete specific schedule items

Step 4: Repeat for All Desired Days

•Configure each day of the week according to your content schedule

•Days without schedule items will not display any scheduled content

•You can leave certain days empty if no scheduled content is needed

Step 5: Save Your Weekly Schedule

1.Review All Days: Check each day’s configuration for accuracy

2.Save Schedule: Click the “Save” button to create your weekly schedule

3.Cancel Option: Use the “Cancel” button to discard changes

Weekly Schedule Examples

Restaurant Menu Display

•Monday-Friday: Daily specials at 11:00 AM

•Saturday-Sunday: Weekend brunch menu at 10:00 AM

•Daily: Regular menu at 08:00 AM and 17:00 PM

Corporate Communications

•Monday: Weekly team updates at 09:00 AM

•Wednesday: Mid-week announcements at 14:00 PM

•Friday: Weekly achievements at 16:00 PM

Assigning Schedules to Device Groups

After creating your schedule, you must assign it to device groups to deploy it to your TVs and displays. This is done through the Devices section of the dashboard.

Step 1: Access Device Management

1.Click on the Devices icon in the left navigation sidebar

2.You’ll see the Devices page with all your device groups

Step 2: Understand Device Groups

Device groups organize your displays for efficient management:

•Group Structure: Each group contains multiple devices (TVs, displays, tablets, etc.)

•Group Settings: Each group has its own presentation and schedule assignments

•Device Information: View authorization status, cache status, and online status for each device

Step 3: Assign Schedule to Group

1.Locate Target Group: Find the device group where you want to apply the schedule

2.Current Settings: Each group displays:

•Presentation: Currently assigned presentation

•Schedule: Currently assigned schedule

•Alert Presentation: Emergency alert content

3.Modify Schedule Assignment: Click on the schedule field for the desired group

4.Select Your Schedule: Choose the schedule you created from the available options

5.Confirm Assignment: The schedule will be applied to all devices in that group

Device Group Examples

Default Group

•Presentation: “Video Playlist Demo 5”

•Schedule: “test”

•Devices: Multiple web-based displays and Android devices

Office 2 Group

•Presentation: “New Presentation8”

•Schedule: “none” (no schedule currently assigned)

•Devices: Office displays and meeting room screens

Video Group

•Presentation: “Test Video”

•Schedule: “none”

•Devices: Video-focused displays

Step 4: Monitor Device Status

After assigning schedules, monitor your devices:

•Authorized: Device has proper permissions

•Presentation Cached: Content is downloaded to the device

•Online: Device is currently connected

•Device Types: Visual indicators show device types (Web, Android, etc.)

Schedule Management

Viewing Existing Schedules

1.Navigate to the Schedules page

2.View all schedules in a table format showing:

•Title: Schedule name

•Type: Simple or Weekly

•Actions: Edit and delete options

Editing Schedules

1.Click the edit icon next to any schedule

2.Modify schedule items, times, or presentations as needed

3.Save changes to update the schedule

Deleting Schedules

1.Click the delete icon next to the schedule

2.Confirm deletion when prompted

3.Note: Deleting a schedule will remove it from all assigned device groups

Schedule Conflicts

•Multiple Schedules: A device group can only have one active schedule at a time

•Overlapping Times: If schedule items overlap, the system will handle transitions automatically

•Priority: More recent schedule assignments take precedence

Best Practices

Schedule Planning

•Test First: Create test schedules with short durations to verify functionality

•Time Buffer: Allow buffer time between different presentations for smooth transitions

•Content Preparation: Ensure all presentations are fully uploaded and tested before scheduling

•Naming Convention: Use consistent, descriptive names for easy schedule identification

Time Zone Management

•Consistency: Use the same time zone across all schedules for a location

•Daylight Saving: Be aware of daylight saving time changes and adjust schedules accordingly

•Multi-Location: For multiple locations, create separate schedules with appropriate time zones

Device Group Organization

•Logical Grouping: Group devices by location, purpose, or content type

•Regular Monitoring: Check device status regularly to ensure proper connectivity

•Content Caching: Allow time for content to cache on devices before scheduled playback

Content Management

•Presentation Quality: Ensure presentations are optimized for your display resolution

•File Sizes: Keep file sizes reasonable for faster caching and loading

•Backup Content: Have fallback presentations ready in case of scheduling issues

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

Schedule Not Playing

Possible Causes:

•Device is offline or not authorized

•Presentation not cached on device

•Incorrect time zone settings

•Schedule not assigned to device group

Solutions:

1.Check device status in the Devices section

2.Verify schedule assignment to correct device group

3.Confirm time zone settings match device location

4.Ensure presentation is fully uploaded and accessible

Wrong Time Playback

Possible Causes:

•Incorrect time zone configuration

•Device clock synchronization issues

•Daylight saving time confusion

Solutions:

1.Verify time zone settings in schedule configuration

2.Check device system time and synchronization

3.Update schedule with correct time zone if needed

Content Not Displaying

Possible Causes:

•Presentation file corruption or incompatibility

•Network connectivity issues

•Device authorization problems

Solutions:

1.Test presentation playback manually

2.Check network connectivity for all devices

3.Re-authorize devices if necessary

4.Re-upload presentation if file issues suspected

Multiple Schedules Conflict

Possible Causes:

•Multiple schedules assigned to same device group

•Overlapping schedule times

Solutions:

1.Review device group assignments

2.Ensure only one schedule per device group

3.Adjust schedule times to avoid conflicts

Getting Support

•Startup Guide: Click “Click here to see our startup guide” link in the dashboard

•Documentation: Refer to this guide for step-by-step instructions

•Support Team: Contact Cast Hub support for technical assistance

Advanced Features

Alert System

•Emergency Alerts: Use the “Start Alert” feature for urgent communications

•Alert Presentations: Assign specific presentations for emergency use

•Override Capability: Alerts can override scheduled content when activated

Sorting and Organization

•Schedule Items: Use Sort buttons to organize schedule items chronologically

•Multiple Items: Add multiple presentations to single schedules for complex programming

•Flexible Timing: Combine different presentation types within the same schedule

Conclusion

The Cast Hub scheduling feature provides powerful automation capabilities for your digital signage network. By following this documentation, you can:

•Create both simple one-time and recurring weekly schedules

•Assign schedules to device groups for targeted content delivery

•Manage multiple presentations across different times and days

•Monitor and troubleshoot your scheduled content deployment

The scheduling system ensures your content displays exactly when needed, reducing manual intervention and improving the efficiency of your digital signage operations. Regular monitoring and following best practices will help you maintain a reliable and effective scheduled content system.

For additional support or advanced configuration options, consult the Cast Hub support team or refer to the startup guide available in your dashboard.