Network Connectivity Requirements

PV4 is a distributed system made up of multiple applications that communicate over a local and cloud-connected network. Reliable, low-latency, high-throughput networking is essential for setup, content distribution, real-time playback control, and ongoing support.

This page outlines the minimum and recommended connectivity requirements for PV4 to function properly in production environments.

General internet requirements

An internet connection is required for:

• Logging in to the PV4 Portal.

• Activating and licensing PLAY on-site applications.

• Synchronizing content using the Content Manager Application.

• Getting remote technical support.

Minimum and recommended speeds

PLAY required network endpoints

All PV4 on-site applications must be able to connect to the following services:

PLAY network architecture and equipment

PV4 on-site applications use a combination of:

• Broadcast protocols for device discovery and telemetry.

• Unicast and cloud calls for content delivery and show data.

We recommend the following setup for best performance and reliability:

• A dedicated router connected to the on-site internet source (DHCP-enabled).

• A dedicated network switch to connect local PV4 hardware (Renderer, Controller, Orchestrator).

• Optional connection to the broader venue network, if required, depending on routing, monitoring, or broadcast integration needs.

PLAY advanced network considerations

VPN use

PV4 does not currently support VPN-based deployment as a replacement for physical network connectivity between system components. All playback-critical components (Renderer, Controller, Orchestrator) must be on the same local network to ensure real-time performance.

VPNs may be used for remote access to connected devices (e.g. remote desktop to the Controller) — but this should be treated strictly as a maintenance or support method, not a live control path.

Isolated or air-gapped networks

PV4 components can operate in an offline or “air-gapped” state once content and licensing have been synced. However:

• Initial setup, licensing, and content download require internet access.

• Any updates or edits made via the Portal will not propagate until machines are reconnected.

In air-gapped configurations, we recommend scheduling sync windows before each event cycle and verifying system state ahead of operation.

Venue proxy and firewall policies

If operating in a venue with strict firewalls or network filtering:

• Ensure all required PV4 endpoints are allowlisted (see above).

• Disable packet inspection or SSL interception on relevant ports.

• Confirm that outbound HTTPS traffic is permitted on standard ports (443) without rewriting headers.

If proxy authentication is required, PV4 support can assist in testing connection health or identifying handshake failures prior to show time.

Windows network profile: Public vs. Private

Windows classifies every network connection as Public, Private, or Domain (on a domain-joined network), and applies a different default Windows Firewall rule set to each:

• Public is intended for untrusted networks — cafés, hotels, other people's networks. It applies the strictest defaults: network discovery is off, and Windows Firewall blocks more unsolicited inbound traffic, including broadcast and multicast discovery traffic.

• Private is intended for networks you control and trust — a home, office, or dedicated event network. It relaxes those defaults to allow discovery and local traffic between devices on the same subnet.

PV4 on-site applications rely on broadcast protocols for device discovery and telemetry. Windows Firewall's stricter Public-profile defaults are a plausible explanation for symptoms such as dropped or inconsistent UDP traffic on an otherwise healthy local network, since Public blocks more unsolicited inbound and discovery traffic by default than Private does.

Where possible, on a controlled network — such as the dedicated router and switch described above — set the Windows network profile to Private on every Windows machine running a PV4 on-site application (Renderer, Controller, Orchestrator). This removes Windows Firewall's Public-profile defaults as a possible source of dropped or blocked discovery and telemetry traffic.