Channels in Appspace help you organize and deliver content to the right destination. This article is for Communicators and IT Administrators who need to choose the right channel type for devices or people. After reading, you can select Signage Channels for digital signage, Playlist Channels for employee communications, or Live Channels for live streams.
For: Communicators and IT Administrators — Channels Overview
How It Works
A channel is a collection of content that can be published or shared with a target audience or destination. The channel type determines how the content is managed, where it can be published, and how viewers experience the content.
You create and manage channels from Channels in the Appspace menu. You can also organize related channels into channel groups so audiences can browse related content together.
Appspace supports these channel types:
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Signage Channels: Channels for digital signage experiences on devices, device groups, and locations.
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Playlist Channels: Channels for organizing and sharing content with users and audiences.
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Live Channels: Channels for showing live streams on devices, device groups, locations, users, user groups, and audiences.
Signage Channels
Use Signage Channels to create and publish digital signage content to workplace screens and other supported devices.
Signage Channels can be created as either a Fullscreen Signage Channel or a Multizone Signage Channel.
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Fullscreen Signage Channel: Displays one content area at a time across the full screen.
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Multizone Signage Channel: Displays multiple content areas in the same layout.
Signage Channels are designed for device-based communication. Use them when content should appear on screens assigned to devices, device groups, locations, or location hierarchies.
After you create a Signage Channel, you can add content, preview playback, configure settings, manage permissions and approvals, and publish the channel to supported digital signage destinations.
For more information about Signage Channels, see Signage Channels Overview.
Note: Use Signage Channels for digital signage. Use Playlist Channels when the content is intended for users and audiences.
Playlist Channels
Use Playlist Channels to organize content for people. Playlist Channels focus on users and audiences, making them useful when content should be available to selected employee groups instead of assigned digital signage screens.
Playlist Channels support Appspace cards and content playback properties such as transition, aspect ratio, duration, audio, frequency restrictions, scheduling, and dayparting.
For steps to create a Playlist Channel, see Create a Playlist Channel.
Note: Use Signage Channels for digital signage. Use Playlist Channels when the content is intended for users and audiences.
Live Channels
Use Live Channels to show live streams. Live Channels can be published to devices, device groups, locations, users, user groups, and audiences.
Configure the stream URL in a supported format such as HLS or multicast, then set Call Letters and Channel Number for the stream display. If Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) data is required, an administrator must configure the EPG provider before you can select it when creating the Live Channel.
For steps to add a Live Channel, see Add Live Stream Channel.
Choose a Channel Type
| Channel Type | Best For | Targets |
|---|---|---|
| Signage Channels | Digital signage experiences on screens and devices. | Devices, device groups, locations, and location hierarchies. |
| Playlist Channels | Curated content experiences for people. | Users and audiences. |
| Live Channels | Live stream playback. | Devices, device groups, locations, users, user groups, and audiences. |
Note: The publishing UI may show devices, device groups, locations, users, user groups, and audiences depending on the selected channel type.
Key Terms
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Channel: A collection of content used to publish or share content through Appspace.
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Signage Channel: A channel used to create and publish digital signage content to devices, device groups, and locations.
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Fullscreen Signage Channel: A Signage Channel workflow that displays content in one full-screen area.
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Multizone Signage Channel: A Signage Channel workflow that displays content in multiple areas within the same layout.
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Playlist Channel: A channel used to organize and share content with users and audiences.
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Live Channel: A channel used to show live streams.
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Channel Group: A collection of channels that you organize and publish together.