FAQs
Do you have Questions? We are happy to help!
Hardware Queries
Q. What constitutes a Userful server?
Userful sells and supports a range of hardware options for On-Premise deployments. Cloud Servers are virtual applications that can be created and used almost instantly. See an overview of the capabilities of each type here.
Q. What systems, GPUs, and capture cards are compatible with Userful on-premise deployments?
Refer to the topics Userful Server and Self-Sourcing a Userful Server for more details.
Q. What are the different ports used by Userful?
Refer to the topic Network Design Requirement for more details.
Q. Can you recommend or sell a compatible rackmount server?
Yes, Userful Professional+ and Enterprise servers are rack-mountable. Enterprise servers include a kit and both the servers are based on 4U chassis systems.
Q. Can Userful be run from a virtualized instance, or a cloud-hosted environment such as AWS or Azure?
This feature is a work in progress and is due to be released soon.
What is a Zero Client?
uClient is a software application that can be installed on multiple platforms, including Android and LG WebOS, with more platforms coming soon.
Q. Does Userful support Power over Ethernet (PoE) options?
Userful supports the Power over Ethernet (PoE) option. Contact the Userful support team to learn more.
Q. Can I install the Android uClient on any Android device?
At this time, only the Userful uClient Adapter is certified.
Q. How many clients can I pair to a Userful server?
Cloud servers can pair and manage an unlimited number of uClient devices. The on-premise servers have been tested as being able to support slightly more than 100 Zero Clients showing static-image content in other words, very un-demanding content that does not strain the network beyond reason. Scalability testing of uClients with on-premise servers is still ongoing, however the GPU limit of 8K, 60FPS content total must be kept in mind.
Q. Can I install the Android uClient on any Android device?
At this time, only the Userful uClient Adapter is certified.
Q. How many clients can I pair to a Userful server?
Cloud servers can pair and manage an unlimited number of uClient devices. The on-premise servers have been tested as being able to support slightly more than 100 Zero Clients showing static-image content in other words, very un-demanding content that does not strain the network beyond reason. Scalability testing of uClients with on-premise servers is still ongoing, however the GPU limit of 8K, 60FPS content total must be kept in mind.
Before planning deployments, it is important to consider factors like redundancy and compartmentalization of departments and functionality in case of failure. The number of displays and the amount of content displayed at once is also subject to system resources on the server.
Q. Where can I find a list of certified LG platforms?
Contact your Userful account manager or sales@userful.com.
Q. What displays should I pick for my Userful project?
Aside from direct integration advantages that come with some models of certified LG WebOS display, Userful can use and deliver content equally to displays of nearly any size, resolution, or aspect ratio. Choose displays that fit your needs and budget, and we will be there to work with you.
Q. Does Userful support Touch Screens?
Touch devices with HID-compatible touch controllers will work with Userful, but please consult with Userful before planning any deployments.
Q. Do Userful support projectors and edge-blending?
Yes, simply set 0 bezel when calibrating the video wall and allow the projectors to handle blending.
Q. Does Userful support LED walls?
Yes, and we can deliver content in many different ways that make delivery and scaling much easier! See our LED Commander solution for more.
Q. Does Userful support projection mapping?
Not at this time.
Q. How do you adjust or control Genlock?
Userful does not use Genlock for synchronization, but NTP timing signals for content delivered over network clients, both with on-premise and cloud deployments. All synchronization is handled automatically, and any issues with sync should be reported to Userful Support.
Deployments with our LED Media Commander solution synchronize with NVIDIA Mosaic.
Q. What displays should I use to create an Artistic or Mosaic video wall?
Userful supports using displays of different sizes, aspect ratios, and resolutions to create single canvases. Thus, you are free to choose the display that fits your requirements.
Q. Can I use AMD CPUs? Since the most crucial element is the chipset, make sure the system you are installing Userful on is certified and compatible with RHEL. Note that we have not tested video-out capabilities with AMD APUs, and using AMD APUs or GPUs as accelerator cards is not possible. However we do have a certified AMD system that works for scenarios that require 16-24 ports of capture.
Q. Can I virtualize Userful?
Please speak to a Userful account manager or Userful sales engineer for details.
Q. Can I install Userful on a RHEL-certified laptop for use as a mobile server?
Userful does not include some packages that make it suitable for use as a mobile workstation by default - you will find some elements missing such as wireless network management, and we do not extensively test power management functions. This configuration is not supported by Userful.
If the system you have selected does not advertise support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, we provide no guarantees of functionality or support for your configuration.
Q. Do I need a dual-CPU system? When should I upgrade CPU or RAM?
Userful has been certified on dual-CPU systems. If you are installing Userful on a system capable of running dual CPUs, keep in mind that both CPU sockets must be occupied to access all of the RAM and PCIe slots.
Enhanced CPU or RAM is useful if Userful is going to be tasked to create many (50+) interactive sources, such as web browsers or remote desktop clients. However, CPU and RAM will not affect the total number of displays or video sources that can be run at a time.
Q. Can I use a less-expensive GPU such as a GTX 1650 or RTX 3080?
Non-Quadro GPUs are not supported for uClient endpoints.
Q. Can I use a different GPU such as a TITAN RTX?
These are not typically certified by Userful. However it is very rare to encounter a use case where the extra expense of this card will be beneficial over a Quadro RTX 6000.
Q. Can I use more than one GPU?
Systems that support the installation of dual GPUs are supported by Userful. However at time of this writing (Q3 2020), only one GPU at a time can be utilized by Userful.
Q. Can I use NVIDIA Tesla or other specialty GPUs?
These are not supported at this time, though testing is underway.
Content Queries
Q. Does Userful use multicast?
Userful distributes content to endpoints individually, with dedicated streams. Multicast functionality is offered in the form of Mirror Groups.
Q. What sort of content can Userful manage and display?
Userful supports the content originating from the following sources:
A video port
A photo or video creation/editing system
A web page
A desktop PC
A remote server
Q. Can Userful show PowerPoint presentations?
Q. How does Userful handle HDMI Capture? Are you HDCP compliant?
Userful On-Premise servers include Blackmagic DeckLink capture cards with multiple discrete input ports. With the correct server configuration, up to 24 feeds of 1080p 60 video can be managed at once, from a single rack-mounted server.
Blackmagic capture cards and Userful are not HDCP-compliant. However, our partner network has reported success with certain solutions for dealing with HDCP and live broadcast content.
HDMI inputs on LG WebOS displays are HDCP compliant.
Q. What is the total latency of your HDMI capture solution?
On a video wall or Zone, it is 250 milliseconds.
On a single display, it is 150 milliseconds.
Q. What are the playback/content restrictions for Userful? Also state the number of sources, resolution supported, etc?
The Userful platform is tremendously capable and flexible, and we are constantly improving efficiency through both new hardware offerings and software magic.
You will get your best possible answer by Contacting Userful.
For the moment, be assured that content up to 8K/60FPS is well supported, and depending on the use case, can go quite a bit higher!
Q. Do I need to customize, or pre-chop my content for a particular design of the wall I want to create?
Not at all. As long as your content roughly matches the aspect ratio of the final canvas, Userful will handle the rest, on the fly. You don't even need to worry about fine-tuning for bezel variations.
Q. How does Userful handle Audio?
Audio can be disabled completely, routed from the server, or play from one or several of the displays themselves, depending on settings.
Q. How can I play the same content on all the screens?
Userful provides the mirror feature using which you can synchronize the same content across multiple displays. Refer to this video for configuring this functionality.
Q. Can you split/subdivide individual displays into smaller zones?
Yes
Q. Can I directly control multiple content applications from within Userful?
Yes
Q. Can I schedule timed events, content changes, and daily routines?
Yes
Q. Can I schedule timed events, content changes, and daily routines?
Yes
Q. Does Userful support content proof of play?
Userful does not support Proof of Play for the purpose of advertising.
Q. Can you split/subdivide video walls into smaller zones of displays?
Yes
Additional Key Points
Refer to userful.com/pricing for more details on how the software is priced.
Userful is Software as a Service (SaaS) and is available through subscription. Contact Userful to find out more.
Userful software's come with extended APIs.
For accessing a Userful Trial Kit contact our Sales team at info@userful.com
Additional Resources
Userful YouTube Support Centre Find various configurations, setup, and explanatory videos.
For more queries contact the Userful support team here.
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