Digital Signage Screens {Hardware}

[karan_jhr]

Hi

We have a small setup of 10-12 Digital Signage Plasma Screens. They are with Celeron Processors and only 512mb of RAM.

I am using Windows ThinPC and Powerpoint Player to load Slideshow shared at a remote location. Once the file changes on the remote share, its updated on all screens after restart.

 

Its been a long time they are too slow and have some issues. We are planning to change the screens with a better solution, HD Display, HDMI, USB3, 16:9 or better

I want to know what would you suggest, what kind of screens in terms of Hardware are good for that purpose

Shall i go for the same screens with processor and HD+Ram etc?

or there are better solutions with android enabled Digital Signage Screens?

 

Your help would help me in reaching a solution and specs

 

thanks

Edited May 17, 2017 by karan_jhr

[CAWJames]

We use generic but known brand 50" LCD TV's(currently Toshiba non-smart) with a raspberry pi "glued" to the rear. Costs around £500 for the lot(probably much cheaper now, as prices come down for the TV's, and a LOT cheaper if you don't need 50"). I would think LibreOffice can show PP presentations with a boot into kiosk mode on Raspbian. We just have ours boot to a Chromium kiosk and then show html based slide shows served from Planet eStream, our chosen media platform.

 

Our first one of these has been up on the wall for nearly 6 years, and originally had a Dell Optiplex in the ceiling running it and then we moved to pi's a few years ago(and yes the Dell is still entombed in the ceiling, was a bother to get it down, so I made the decision to leave it up there!). This one is a LG Plasma(consumer grade) and apart from some burn in(which can't be seen as I switched to a black theme!) It is still working like a champ, showing our students and staff the room allocations in reception, all hands off using RSS from our MIS to update a dynamic eStream signage player. Turn it on and the pi boots up as it is onboard USB powered, turn the TV off, pi goes off too

 

A damn site cheaper than "dedicated" signage, we could go through a skip full of these before paying for one of the dedicated ones!

 

Worth looking at unless you are dead set on dedicated and/or supported signage systems.

 

James

[newpersn]

Intel PC on a stick hdmi'ed to a standard tv.

[markwilfan]

Trilby tv is worth a look if you're looking for a signage software. Just deals with video files for compatability but is great for showcasing work

[pslater]

Intel PC on a stick hdmi'ed to a standard tv.

 

Same here + Xibo (1.7.9 still at the moment).

 

If you're interested in how I do it: http://www.edugeek.net/forums/av-multimedia-related/175672-xibo-how-we-do-signage.html

[karan_jhr]

Great

thanks everyone

what would you suggest

intel PC on HDMI or Android based HDMI solution

[dapaulio]

Xibo here installed on a Linux server and windows client stuck in a cupboard.

Wanting to for ages to tidy it up Have thought about finding a tiny device linux or windows based, With WiFi/nic and hdmi and fitting it to the back of the TV. Running the xibo client off that

[CAWJames]

Our original entombed dell optiplex in the ceiling was running Xibo, and had no problems with it. We only use the Planet eStream system now as it comes with a signage platform built in, and ties it in nicely with everything else(being able to just embed photo sets or videos, tweets, RSS feeds etc straight in)

[ITGURU]

We use normal PC screens as well as TVs for our digital signage. We use ATEN kit which send the video signals over Cat5e cable and can be daisy chained.