Uniguest MediaStar and Hub AV media players — 4K IPTV and digital signage endpoints including PoE models, for the screen end of the system.

One endpoint, two jobs

These players handle IPTV channel viewing and digital signage playback from the same box. That matters commercially: a lobby screen showing wayfinding during the day and a channel feed in the evening does not need two devices or two management systems.

PoE changes the install

The SP2-EAC3 runs on Power over Ethernet — one cable carries data and power to the screen position. Behind a display or above a ceiling, that removes the need for an outlet at every endpoint, which in a retrofit is often the difference between a practical install and an electrician's quote.

Confirm the switch has PoE budget for the endpoint count before relying on it. A 48-port switch does not necessarily power 48 devices.

Choosing a player

• 800 MediaStar — 4K IPTV and signage player for MediaStar deployments.
• SP2-EAC3 — 4K PoE player with EAC3 audio support, for single-cable installs.
• P3 — 4K player for Hub AV interactive TV, where the guest or staff interface is part of the deployment.

Match the player to the platform. A Hub AV player and a MediaStar player are not interchangeable — the management layer differs, and that is settled at design stage.

Audio matters more than expected

EAC3 and similar formats carry through from the source, and whether the display or the AV system can decode them determines whether anyone hears anything. In rooms with a sound system rather than TV speakers, confirm the audio path end to end.

Endpoint count drives the whole design

Players are usually the largest line-item count in an IPTV project and they set the licensing, the network multicast load and the PoE budget. Count the screens first; the headend follows from there.

Creation Networks designs IPTV endpoints alongside the headend and the network — player selection, PoE and switch capacity, display integration and commissioning. Call 888-230-3661 or email sales@creationnetworks.net.