Recommendation for XIBO client hardware

[fiza]

Can anyone recommend hardware to be used as an xibo client? I want something which is around £100 and small. I was looking at the Intel Compute stick but I can only find it with Windows 10 home. Not sure if this will suffice?

[pantscat]

It should work ok - all it needs is a network connection to the Xibo server.

From a management point of view you might not be happy with having Windows 10 home though...

 

A

[fiza]

It should work ok - all it needs is a network connection to the Xibo server.

From a management point of view you might not be happy with having Windows 10 home though...

 

A

 

Don't want to open up any security holes for students to exploit. Any other options?

[pantscat]

No reason why it should, really.

Stick your Xibo clients on a separate VLAN that student PCs can't get to.

[caffrey]

Look at cenevo, or meegopad - there are a lot of clones out there. I can't vouch for them but it's something I've considered

[pete]

Just as a FYI, the Intel Compute Sticks (Windows versions) have problems with Windows updates. See: https://communities.intel.com/thread/97522?start=0&tstart=0

 

You might want to hold off until Intel & Microsoft gets that sorted.

[Norphy]

Something like this plus the Xibo Android client? Yes, that costs but the combined cost is still less than £100

[GRitchie]

Doesn't need to be of a high spec at all tbh. It's only a CMS, I use a Linux based box.

It is an i3/4GB RAM mind, but we had it laying around...

 

The clients don't need much either. I've got a pentium 2GB RAM for one of them, and I'm sure it could run with even lower spec!

[fiza]

No reason why it should, really.

Stick your Xibo clients on a separate VLAN that student PCs can't get to.

 

We don't utilise VLANs here.

[fiza]

Something like this plus the Xibo Android client? Yes, that costs but the combined cost is still less than £100

@Norphy - Have you used one of those sumvision devices?

do you uninstall everything except the OS and then load the xibo Android client?

 

doesn't look like it has wireless. I was hoping to avoid having to pull up an Ethernet connection for xibo.

Edited February 29, 2016 by fiza

[Norphy]

I've not used the Sumvision boxes, no but I have used something similar who's name escapes me right now. It was in a previous workplace, @Roberto will probably remember it. I'm pretty sure the widget had wifi.

 

We didn't uninstall everything, we just put the Xibo app on it.

 

/edit

 

Think it must have been a Minix one. This one is on Xibo's recommended hardware list and it has WiFi.

Edited February 29, 2016 by Norphy

[zag]

The new Raspberry pi 3 might work well? It has wireless too.

[caffrey]

Is it working on RPi now ? Last time I looked it was still iffy, but that was back in the RPi 1 days

[Roberto]

I've not used the Sumvision boxes, no but I have used something similar who's name escapes me right now. It was in a previous workplace, @Roberto will probably remember it. I'm pretty sure the widget had wifi.

 

We didn't uninstall everything, we just put the Xibo app on it.

 

/edit

 

Think it must have been a Minix one. This one is on Xibo's recommended hardware list and it has WiFi.

 

It was minix but we've subsequently had concerns about the long term quality of the boxen :-(

Watch this space, as they say.

[VeryPC_Anthony_L]

Been looking at the Intel Compu Sticks in the last week and although they look good I have heard varying comments myself on what they are like. I have personally not tested them so cannot fully comment.

 

For a digital signage system I generally advise people to get something like an Intel NUC type machine and to have a hard wired connection. Although these are more expensive it is much easier to install an operating system on. Specs wise most players do not need to be anything special so a Pentium or Celeron machine would suffice with something like 2gb - 4gb of ram with 60gb hard drive.

 

The reason I recommend having a wired connection is more for speed. Many signage systems use a streaming approach which would work much more effectively over a wired connection. If you are using wireless and the AP is having to handle lots of connections this can become judddery/ take longer to load content.

 

Just my thoughts.

[Ant]

Budget and space was my limiting factor so use Minix Neo X5 Minis.

 

Seem to be working fine for us. I have also experimented with an Amazon Fire TV Stick we had lying around, but found it a bit sluggish.