Media 101

The Revel Digital platform supports a wide variety of media types:

Most common video formats are supported beyond those listed above; uploaded video is automatically re-encoded for consistent playback (see Video Transcoding below).

In order for media to play on your digital signage it's first necessary to add the media to your account. Media can be added in several ways: direct uploading from your PC, media RSS, Facebook import, web import, or by generating it with AI directly inside the CMS.

Uploading Media

To upload media to your account click the New Media button.

Then select Upload from PC.

You then have the option of either dragging the media into the outlined box or using a file selection dialog to pick files from your PC.

Upload time will depend on the size of the media file(s). When complete each file box will turn green.

At this point, you have the option of setting other media attributes including adding tags, setting availability dates, and choosing a group.

Finally, click the Save button to complete the process.

Generating Media with AI

[Draft note — please verify before publishing] I drafted this section from the most likely workflow plus the media-approval model we've documented elsewhere. Confirm/correct: (1) the exact menu label in the New Media dialog, (2) whether generation produces images only or also video, (3) what input/options are presented (text prompt only? aspect ratio / orientation to match screen resolution? style presets?), (4) the underlying model/provider if you want it named, and (5) the precise approval behavior. Remove this note once verified.

Revel Digital includes built-in generative AI for creating media directly within the CMS — no external design tools required. Instead of uploading an existing file, you can describe the content you want and have it generated on demand.

To create media with AI:

1. Click the New Media button.
2. Select Generate with AI.
3. Enter a text prompt describing the content you want to create. Be specific about subject, style, and any text that should appear in the image.
4. Choose the output dimensions or orientation to match your target screens (e.g. landscape or portrait).
5. Click Generate. Review the result, and refine your prompt or regenerate until you're satisfied.
6. Set the media attributes — tags, availability dates, and group — then click Save to add the generated media to your library.

Media approval and AI-generated content

If media approval is enabled on your account, AI-generated media is held for review and must be approved before it becomes eligible to schedule. This safeguard ensures that no AI-generated content can play on your network without prior consent. Media approval works hand in hand with the AgenticAI role, which lets you control exactly what AI agents and generative features are permitted to do within your account. See the AI Analytics & Agents article for details on configuring these permissions.

Availability Dates

Availability dates define the window during which a media item is eligible to play on your network. Each media item can be given a start date (available from) and an end date (available until).

The availability range is inclusive — the media will play on both the start date and the end date. For example, a media item with an availability range of July 1 through July 31 is eligible to play every day from the start of July 1 through the end of July 31, including both of those dates. The item stops playing on August 1.

A few things to keep in mind:

• If no availability dates are set, the media item is always available and never expires.
• Availability dates are a property of the media item itself, applied independently of any playlist or schedule the item belongs to. This makes them ideal for time-sensitive content such as promotions, seasonal campaigns, or event-specific media that should automatically activate and expire on set dates.
• Because availability is enforced at the media level, an item that has passed its end date will simply stop playing wherever it appears, without requiring you to edit the playlists or schedules that reference it.

Video Transcoding

Uploaded video will automatically undergo a re-encoding process to ensure smooth playback on all supported devices. This process can take a while depending on the duration of the video. During this process, the media will not be able to be downloaded to your players. Media currently being processed will have an Encoding status as shown here.