FTP introduction
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is used to upload and download files to website servers on the Internet. If your company has a website, then some of your hosting space could be used as a worldwide central point to collect updated files for your presentation if running on multiple computers in multiple locations. You can think of an FTP server as a computer hard disk on the Internet that you can put files on. This space needs a site name, username and password to allow access to your files. Because it's on the Internet, then any of your staff that have the site name, username and password can upload and download files from anywhere in the world, as long as they have Internet access.
When you copy files on your computer, you will use Windows Explorer. To access FTP sites, you need a piece of software known as an FTP client. This just allows you to connect to the FTP server, and see files on your local hard disk, for example your c: drive, and files on the Internet FTP site. You can then upload, download, rename and delete files. When you are selecting audio, video, picture files, etc, you can specify to collect them from an FTP site. These files are then downloaded when a computer or computers playing your presentation need them. The advantage is that you can change what is shown on remote computers and screens from anywhere in the world. For example, your business may have 5 sweetie shops around the country and a head office. Each shop may have a computer connected to a plasma screen which displays your presentation. The computer, via any Internet connection, can periodically check for a new picture file that has an advert for that day's special offer. Someone at head office could design a new special offer in a graphics package and save it as an image file. That file can then be uploaded via the Repeat Signage FTP Client to the company website. The 5 computers will then download the new image file and play that on screen.
YouTube videos
Using FTP sites in Repeat Signage
FTP folder support
In many Repeat Signage playlists, such as a play list on the Picture control within a presentation, you can specify to use an FTP folder and collect all the files.
How do we get an FTP site?
Do a Google search on 'hosting companies' and 'free hosting companies' to find companies that will host a website. Hosting services are used to host websites, but you don't need to display anything just use the FTP site space for your presentations. One of the free hosting companies would do, especially for testing FTP to see if it is something you may want to use.
NOTE - If you are UK based, then use a UK based hosting company. You will find that accessing a UK FTP site is a lot faster for upload and download that using a US one. Having said that, the support provided by US hosting companies is generally better than UK ones.
Uploading files to FTP sites using FTP client software
When you need to transfer files to your website, you will need to use a FTP client software. We recommend the free Filezilla program. The is also the Repeat FTP Manager which can be accessed from the main Repeat Signage screen (in Repeat Signage 2013 V2.4.9 and above), by clicking on 'Utilities' then 'FTP manager'.
RepeatServer.com
We have set up a free service for Repeat Signage customers at RepeatServer.com. This allows you to upload files, such as pictures, text files, presentations, play lists, etc, to our FTP site. This means that these files will be available to use in your Repeat Signage presentations and play lists anywhere in the world. This service also allows the creation, maintenance and hosting of RSS feeds for use in Repeat Signage.