Glossary A–ZLetter S
SMIL
SMIL is an open W3C format (version 3.0 since 2008) that describes in a text file what a player shows when and where.
The abbreviation stands for “Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language”.
The file contains no media, only references and rules: one after another, at the same time or either-or. It defines into which areas the screen is divided, which content runs in which order and for how long, and under which conditions an item is skipped. Many digital signage players can read SMIL; the management system generates the file, and the player fetches it and loads the media it names.
The standard governs the sequence; how a player fetches the file or receives updates is left to each manufacturer. Not every SMIL file therefore plays the same way on every player, especially as some manufacturers use their own extensions. For operators, the benefit is that schedules exist in an open, readable format and are not tied to a single piece of software.