Timers allow you to manage power consumption and prolong the device's lifetime. You can set which days in a week and at what time the device should be on and showing content.
Timers types
There are 2 types of timers - Native and Proprietary. Each option comes with pros and cons to evaluate.
Native Timers
This type of timer uses hardware implementation of timers available on the device. That means if the device is set to an "Off" state, it goes to power standby mode.
Pros
- Saves the most energy
- Makes an automated power cycle
- As it works on the hardware level, it helps prevent freezes
Cons
- While in "Off" state, the device is unavailable from the cloud or Applet
- You have to make sure to set Timers properly, otherwise, the device will not turn on
- Limited to 7 timer slots
Proprietary Timers
This type of timer is implemented on the software level by signageOS. It performs several operations while the device is switching from "On" to an "Off" state:
- Switches of the display/panel and video output
- Optionally disabling Applet
Pros
- On SOC displays it saves the same amount of energy as the Native timer
- It keeps the device connected to the cloud and manageable via Applet
- You can turn the device on on demand
- Unlimited timer slots available for complex scheduling options
Cons
- It does not do any power cycle, it's recommended to perform daily reboots separately
- It's software implementation and under unlikely scenarios might not get triggered
When the Proprietary Timer is set and active on your device, content in screenshots is replaced by "Content is muted because the display is in POWER OFF state by timer settings" text.
Scheduling specifics
Timers are framed and processed on a per-day basis. They are evaluated based on the day in the week and time in that day from 00:00 till 23:59. For any day you do NOT schedule a Proprietary Timer, the display will remain in the last state set by the Proprietary Timers until the next Proprietary Timer is triggered.
E.g.: setting a single Proprietary timer on Sunday 8:00 till 20:00 will result in having the display Off from Sunday 20:00 over the whole week till Sunday 8:00.
