Hiding digital signage players out-of-sight

[DrBeaker]

Just seeking some ideas and pointers here - I have some small USFF PCs I want to use for digital signage (Xibo).

 

We have nothing working at the moment (long story as it's what I inherited) but these are ideal units.

 

The TVs are old, but support VGA at least and are already in place and mounted on the walls. But what's the best approach or tips to hide the computer/display player unit out-of-sight/away from prying eyes, out-of-reach of people/students etc so it can't be messed with?

 

I'd like it to look as neat as possible but struggling to find someone to bounce some ideas off.

 

Thanks

[3s-gtech]

My solutions have been:

Above suspended ceiling (on a piece of board, not on the tile!)

In an adjacent room with a long VGA/HDMI

Using a micro PC tucked behind (like, the size of a Mars bar)

In a locked network cab nearby.

[Guest Guest]

Ours are just "chucked" above the dropped ceiling, they're only raspberry pi's though Edited December 15, 2021 by Guest

[DrBeaker]

Ours are just "chucked" above the dropped ceiling, they're only raspberry pi's though

 

Out of the ones I've tried over the years, the Windows PCs are just far easier and more reliable for what I needed. Had some old full-fat PCs running as clients as they were fine for that, just not much else. When they failed I had loads spare. Others like side-loaded Firesticks just crashed out.

[Guest Guest]

Out of the ones I've tried over the years, the Windows PCs are just far easier and more reliable for what I needed. Had some old full-fat PCs running as clients as they were fine for that, just not much else. When they failed I had loads spare. Others like side-loaded Firesticks just crashed out.

I had nothing but issues when ours ran Windows, it now runs Screenly. Has been running flawlessly for the last 3 months

[Ditto]

I had nothing but issues when ours ran Windows, it now runs Screenly. Has been running flawlessly for the last 3 months

Are you paying the sort of fees suggested by Screenly's competitor Yodeck in this promotion https://www.yodeck.com/screenly-alternative/

[Guest Guest]

Are you paying the sort of fees suggested by Screenly's competitor Yodeck in this promotion https://www.yodeck.com/screenly-alternative/

We're using the open source version, it doesn't cost anything

[DrCheese]

Out of the ones I've tried over the years, the Windows PCs are just far easier and more reliable for what I needed. Had some old full-fat PCs running as clients as they were fine for that, just not much else. When they failed I had loads spare. Others like side-loaded Firesticks just crashed out.

 

I second this. We tried all sorts of smaller devices over the years, Intel computesticks, Pi's & built in TV OS (Xibo on webos) - Ended up giving up and just using a decent windows PC kept in the local coms cab with CAT6/HDMI senders down to where the TV was. Easy life.

[Rob_D]

If your PCs are USFF enough (we use the Asus mini PCs) then they can just be tucked behind the screen with maybe a bit of Velcro to keep them in place. Most of the time, they perch pretty well on the wall bracket.

[korifugi]

Behind each of my digital signage screens I've tucked a Raspberry Pi thin client (NComputing RX-300s), which all point to a central video playing in kiosk mode. (Admittedly this is easiest done with the Stratodesk console but I can update them all and restart them to update the video from my desk).

[paulkerton]

We don't currently use digital signage, but our plan if it was to be asked of us, if using older ChromeOS devices (the ones that have been given a true screen and keyboard battering by children) and Chrome Signage Builder.

[msi_school]

We do all of the above, my favorite method is intel nuc style pcs with a vesa mount which can them be velcroed or cable tied to the screen mount preferably on a ledge and a kensington key lock to act as secondary suspension if it falls.

[SamanthaD]

We use OneLAN NTB's. Screens have power and data installed inside the bracket perimeter, and the bracket is a TopTec security bracket (Jupiter 485). All the cabling and the NTB is secured inside the bracket, leaving the screen and a nice, clean box around it no-one can play with.

[Aprice]

I've used the HDMI over Ethernet style system before, worked really well and meant the PC could be kept in the server room / cupboard without needing ladders to get to it if needed.

[Ditto]

We're using the open source version, it doesn't cost anything

Just checked Screenly website - that's an interesting model and pricing structure. I know convenience can have a cost, but the per screen price seems to high IMHO, but with the right skillset, I can see why OSF works for those that can. I guess on a cost benefit analysis, if you costed your time, how does it compare against the paid for version. Yodeck's marketing is interesting. I guess they are not compelled to mention free OSF is available, but it shows you need to do your research!

[dmj]

velcro

[mdrabble]

Our Xibo runs from a Linux VM and then we have NUCs on VESA mounts behind the screens running Windows to display the info etc.

 

NUCs have impero on them so we can reboot them etc as required

[DrCheese]

I've used the HDMI over Ethernet style system before, worked really well and meant the PC could be kept in the server room / cupboard without needing ladders to get to it if needed.

 

Aye, makes any repairs much easier.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shuone-Extender-Loseeless-Latency-Theater-ShuOne560/dp/B07CTJFHTD/ref=pd_yo_rr_rp_1/260-9634534-7292767?pd_rd_w=HZqUV&pf_rd_p=896e2639-2357-495b-8372-07023ffeeb5c&pf_rd_r=G7CB939HYAS60C8KFK1R&pd_rd_r=c092544f-3db3-4442-8f43-9ef763d971ad&pd_rd_wg=QpP7B&pd_rd_i=B07CTJFHTD&psc=1

 

These are the senders we've used in the past - Pricy yes but they're full 1080/60. Some of the cheaper onces aren't & I'm a stickler for image quality

[Rob_D]

Aye, makes any repairs much easier.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shuone-Extender-Loseeless-Latency-Theater-ShuOne560/dp/B07CTJFHTD/ref=pd_yo_rr_rp_1/260-9634534-7292767?pd_rd_w=HZqUV&pf_rd_p=896e2639-2357-495b-8372-07023ffeeb5c&pf_rd_r=G7CB939HYAS60C8KFK1R&pd_rd_r=c092544f-3db3-4442-8f43-9ef763d971ad&pd_rd_wg=QpP7B&pd_rd_i=B07CTJFHTD&psc=1

These are the senders we've used in the past - Pricy yes but they're full 1080/60. Some of the cheaper onces aren't & I'm a stickler for image quality

 

Do they work over network or is it just a straight cable run with converters on each end? (We've used the HDMI to Cat5/6 converters in the past, but they get flakey if you use terminated cables with patch leads)

[DrCheese]

Straight CAT5/6 cable run with convertors at each end. So we just unpatch a nearby socket and use that.

[DrBeaker]

I had nothing but issues when ours ran Windows, it now runs Screenly. Has been running flawlessly for the last 3 months

Been fairy stable in recent years. Had one PC at another place running with it as a client for over a solid year of uptime. Admittedly that practice of max uptime has changed with Windows 10 now and the constant stream of ruddy updates.

 

I second this. We tried all sorts of smaller devices over the years, Intel computesticks, Pi's & built in TV OS (Xibo on webos) - Ended up giving up and just using a decent windows PC kept in the local coms cab with CAT6/HDMI senders down to where the TV was. Easy life.

 

Easier to fix, no real proprietary equipment like Brightsign units etc. Fairly powerful for older hardware. Can be easily managed from AD, using GPOs etc. One PC in an old place was an old core 2 Duo with HDD (no SDD at that time) upgraded to 4GB RAM. Purely as otherwise it would have been eWaste and did the job at the time.

We do all of the above, my favorite method is intel nuc style pcs with a vesa mount which can them be velcroed or cable tied to the screen mount preferably on a ledge and a kensington key lock to act as secondary suspension if it falls.

I looked at NUCs and could get the USFF cheaper than the NUCs though. They would be ideal though.

 

I've used the HDMI over Ethernet style system before, worked really well and meant the PC could be kept in the server room / cupboard without needing ladders to get to it if needed.

Straight CAT5/6 cable run with convertors at each end. So we just unpatch a nearby socket and use that.

Do they need power at one end like the Kramer units, or both ends?

 

I do like this idea as the cab would normally have power/PDU and network anyway and could always (reluctantly) sit on top of the cab with a converted running to the display and easier to hide.

[DrCheese]

Just power at the sending end.

[slugshead]

We've got a bunch of the signage PCs from @VeryPC

 

They're good, small and can easily be hidden out of the way (Above ceiling tiles, cabled tied to TV brackets, in adjacent rooms with longer HDMI cables)

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

We've got a bunch of the signage PCs from @VeryPC

 

They're good, small and can easily be hidden out of the way (Above ceiling tiles, cabled tied to TV brackets, in adjacent rooms with longer HDMI cables)

[SamanthaD]

Do they work over network or is it just a straight cable run with converters on each end? (We've used the HDMI to Cat5/6 converters in the past, but they get flakey if you use terminated cables with patch leads)

 

With any CatX converter it's going to have to be a direct connection. If you want it on the network you're looking at AV over IP (AVoIP) which, for a digital signage application, is massively overkill!

[ITGuyNW]

I second this. We tried all sorts of smaller devices over the years, Intel computesticks, Pi's & built in TV OS (Xibo on webos) - Ended up giving up and just using a decent windows PC kept in the local coms cab with CAT6/HDMI senders down to where the TV was. Easy life.

 

This.

 

The amount of time troubleshooting, implementing, fixing etc. I now just have a USFF Windows pc with XIBO that sits there and runs without any issue.