Versions and compatibility
What happens when content uses an element that a screen's Player version cannot show, and how to update the Player.
Pixlova regularly adds new elements to compositions. A Player installed a long time ago may not know how to show them yet. Pixlova takes this into account: each screen receives everything its Player can show, and the rest of the content is always played.
What an older Player receives
When a composition contains an element that the Player version cannot show:
- the element does not appear on that screen; the other elements of the composition are shown as usual;
- an unsupported animation is skipped: the element is shown, without motion;
- other screens, whose Player is up to date, show the full composition.
Nothing is blocked: the screen keeps receiving its new programs.
The warning before publishing
When you publish a program, a composition, a playlist or an immediate broadcast, Pixlova checks the Player of each screen concerned. If one of them cannot show an element, the Some elements will not be shown window opens. It lists:
- the elements concerned (for example Weather);
- for each one, the screens and their Player version;
- how to update these Players.
Choose Publish anyway to publish: the screens concerned receive the content without these elements. Cancel publishes nothing, so you can update the Players first.
After publishing, the screen page reminds you of the elements not shown on it, and the Player page lists those its version cannot show. As soon as the Player is updated, the screen receives the full content, with nothing to publish again.
Elements and versions
| Element | Windows, Linux, Raspberry Pi | Android TV | Web Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text, image, video, basic shape, QR code, clock, zones | All versions | All versions | Always |
| Icons, emoji and shapes | 1.0.1 and later | All versions | Always |
| Weather | 1.0.1 and later | All versions | Always |
| News feeds | 1.0.1 and later | All versions | Always |
| Animations | All versions | All versions | Always |
A Player's version is shown on its page in Pixlova, in the Player version card.
Updating a Player
- Windows, Linux, Raspberry Pi: the Player updates itself within an hour of a new version being published. You can also start the update from the Player version card on its page (see Windows).
- Android TV: download the latest version of the app from the website’s Download page and install it (see Android TV). Pairing and content are kept.
- Web Player: it is always up to date. Reload the page in the screen's browser if it has been open for a long time.