How to Set Start and End Dates for Digital Signage Content?

Learn how to use media lifetime in EasySignage so content starts and stops on its own without anyone editing the playlist.

How do I make content expire on its own?

Use media lifetime, which gives a playlist layer a start and end date plus a start and end time. The layer stops playing once the lifetime ends, so a promotion, an event notice, or a seasonal campaign comes off screen without anyone editing the playlist.

Media lifetime is set per layer, so each layer in a layout can have its own dates.

 

How do I set up media lifetime?

  • Click PLAYLISTS
  • Open an existing playlist or create a new one
  • Click one of the layers in the layout preview, at least one layer must exist
  • Click MEDIA LIFETIME
  • Tick Enable media lifetime
  • Enter a valid start date and end date
  • Enter a valid start time and end time
  • Click Save

 

Can I also set a weekly pattern?

Yes. Inside the same media lifetime dialog you can add a weekly schedule so the layer only plays at certain times on certain days.

  • Tick Enable Scheduling
  • Select the day you want to set, for example Wednesday
  • Click Schedule
  • Edit the start and end times
  • Click Apply to the entire week to copy the same timing to every day
  • Click ADD SCHEDULE to add another slot, up to 3 per day
  • Click Save, then publish to the screen

Make sure the screen is set to the correct timezone, otherwise the schedule fires at the wrong local time.

 

Media lifetime or a schedule: which one do I need?

Media lifetime controls a layer inside one playlist. A schedule controls which playlist plays on a screen at a given time. Use media lifetime to retire a single item, and a schedule when the whole playlist should change.

 

What happens when the lifetime ends?

The layer stops playing on the display. The rest of the playlist keeps running, so nothing goes blank as long as another layer or another item is still active.