Digital Signage

[dloudon96]

Hello,

 

How do you manage your digital signage for TV Screens with minimal computers.

 

At the moment all of our TV Screens are running via USB sticks which are updated frequently, this has been the case for the last couple of years, i'm looking for an easier solution as this isn't really practical in the long run.

 

Any help at all would be great. I'm looking at having around 6 TV Screens running with minimal PC's.

 

Thanks,

 

Dan

[Joanne]

Could you have 1 computer and run VGA over ethernet to each of the screens? There are boxes that can send video over ethernet. I don't know what they are called though. There was one at a school I once worked at.

[CyberDrac]

We had a system name Adder? that did something like this

[Mr_Jiminy]

I highly recommend SignageLive, great system with excellent on tap support.

[Shadow_Walker]

Could you have 1 computer and run VGA over ethernet to each of the screens? There are boxes that can send video over ethernet. I don't know what they are called though. There was one at a school I once worked at.

 

Thats what i do with our 5 tvs. All the feeds come back into our office via ethernet then converted into vga and plugged into a windows computer running rise digital signage.

[dry]

Could you have 1 computer and run VGA over ethernet to each of the screens? There are boxes that can send video over ethernet. I don't know what they are called though. There was one at a school I once worked at.

I've also seen VGA over Cat5 in other schools I've been to. My experience is although it's handy to have all screens receiving video from 1 PC, the VGA to Cat5 adapters are approaching as much as buying a NUC or similar for each screen. Once you've added the numerous video cards needed to output to x number of screens, the costs certainly add up.

 

We went for a client-server setup using Xibo. One repurposed desktop as the server and 4 Windows based fanless micro PCs to run the Xibo client. They sit behind the screens and have WiFi built in, so in theory all you need is a power and HDMI/VGA cable going to the PC. In some cases we have ethernet cable runs to the PCs to improve reliability.

[Joanne]

The setup was computer VGA - box VGA - box ethernet - patch panel - network socket - ethernet/vga adaptor - tv vga

 

Not sure what cards you are on about?

[dry]

The setup was computer VGA - box VGA - box ethernet - patch panel - network socket - ethernet/vga adaptor - tv vga

 

Not sure what cards you are on about?

The school I saw them in had these: StarTech.com VGA over Cat 5 UTP Video Extender Receiver (ST121RGB) - www.misco.co.uk

 

Would convert VGA output from PC to Cat5 (via converter box). Cat5 all the way along the run. Cat5 into other converter box by TV screen. VGA output from converter box into TV screen.

 

ETA: sorry, just realised what you meant. The school had about 6 or 7 screens around the site, so needed numerous VGA outputs. I think they found just using a splitter unreliable or something? Not too sure as this was a few years ago. Meant the PC had to have numerous graphics cards to provide sufficient VGA outputs.

Edited January 12, 2016 by dry

[Joanne]

Ooohhh OK. Yeah there will be a splitter involved. Sometimes the signal can degrade over certain distances....

[asc]

We are currently looking into using the 'Chromebit' as a Digital signage solution. Currently we have some Mini PCs hooked up to our screens, pointed to a web page on a local web server which is updated with tweet information etc.... But Chromebit it both easier and cheaper!

The Chromebit is in the same class as the Intel Compute Stick, I guess. It runs Chrome OS though ovbviously.

[CyberNerd]

Chromebit or chromebox with one of these:

 

https://www.google.co.uk/work/chrome/devices/for-signage/#cms

[VeryPC_Anthony_L]

Hi @dloudon96

 

I have worked on with various Digital signage systems. Alot of the early systems people used cat5 -vga convertors to send the signal out from one pc. More and more people are tending to now go for a pc behind each screen which personally I prefer as you can then make the content more suitable for the area the screen is based in.

 

There are some great systems out there that are worth looking at.

[twin--turbo]

2nd For the Free Xibo Project.

 

TT

[dloudon96]

Hello all,

 

Thanks for the replies, I didn't expect them to be so fast! We've managed to find a solution which, touch wood, is working and hopefully will continue to work effectively, by using Air Parrot 2, and Apple TV's, this allows us to use a one licence software and stream it to 6 Apple TV's with one rolling power point, yes, all the content has to be on the TV screens in that department, but it still works great.

 

I'll come back to you if i need anymore help.

 

Thanks,

 

Dan