Choosing the Right Digital Signage Player: A Guide

What is a Digital Signage Player?

Essentially, a digital signage player is a computer that displays content on screens and communicates with digital signage software. Digital signage players come in various operating systems, with Windows and Android being the most common standards. They vary in power and can be integrated into a screen called a System on Chip (SoC) or external devices connected to screens via HDMI or DisplayPort cables.

What are Digital Signage Players Used For?

Digital signage players, or digital signage boxes, are essential for implementing dynamic and professional digital signage projects. They bridge the gap with digital signage software, enabling the automatic, instant, or scheduled remote distribution and updating content on one or multiple screens.

How Does a Digital Signage Player Work?

A digital signage player is connected to the internet or an intranet via cable or wireless connection. It is supplied with electricity in the conventional way. If it's an external player, it's connected to the screen(s) via HDMI or DisplayPort. An embedded player (SoC) is directly integrated into the screen's electronic board, eliminating the need for an external device.

External players can distribute one or multiple contents across multiple screens simultaneously, whether they are different or not.

Through its connections, the player communicates continuously with digital signage software, receiving instructions on what content and information to display, when, and for how long. This enables instant, scheduled, remote, and automatic content updates, often linked directly to external data sources or business applications/tools.

How to Choose Digital Signage Players?

When planning a digital signage project, several parameters must be considered when choosing the player(s). There is a wide variety of options, prices, manufacturers, parameters, and pre-established criteria.

1. What Content Do You Want to Display?

The first question to ask may seem obvious, but it will truly guide your choice of signage players: the content you plan to display.

The more complex the content, the more attention you'll need to pay to player selection. Here are some factors that will influence player selection:

• Displaying multiple content zones simultaneously (e.g., indicators at the top, a video in the bottom right, content from an RSS feed in the bottom left, and a scrolling ticker at the bottom)
• Accessing multiple data sources for up-to-date information
• Accessing data from business tools via APIs
• Accessing data from third-party applications or web services

All these factors will affect the characteristics of the players to choose from: embedded or external players, Windows or Android, basic or advanced specifications (CPU, GPU, RAM, OS), etc. We'll detail how to choose regarding these characteristics in the following points.

2. Consider Existing Infrastructure

Considering existing infrastructure can facilitate the choices mentioned above.

When we talk about infrastructure, we first mean the IT infrastructure. For example, if you only have Windows devices with security measures and standards in place for a Windows environment, it makes more sense to opt for Windows players.

Similarly, it can also be the hardware and material environment at your disposal. For example, if you cannot run many cables, you should prioritize a screen with an integrated player.

3. Android or Windows Operating System?

When discussing digital signage players, we're essentially talking about computers. One of the critical decisions to make when selecting players is the operating system (OS) they run on. Several factors need to be considered:

• Content to be displayed: Android may suffice for many basic uses, but Windows is better suited for more advanced applications.
• Use of APIs: If you plan to display data from business applications extracted through APIs, Windows players are preferable as many APIs are only supported on this OS.
• Internal technical skills: Implementation is easier with Windows due to its standardization and user-friendliness, whereas Android requires more technical knowledge.
• Existing infrastructure: As mentioned earlier, if all company devices are already running Windows, it will be easier and more comfortable for your IT teams to deploy Windows players.
• Future project developments: If your project is currently basic but you anticipate frequent updates to internal tools or the possibility of future integrations with other hardware/software, opting for Windows would be advisable to prepare for any eventualities.

It's worth noting that while Android was less commonly used in the past, it's now widely accepted and regarded as a standard, stable, and secure OS that has proven itself.

Finally, it's essential to remember that your player fleet doesn't have to be exclusively on the same operating system; it's entirely possible to have both Windows and Android players.

4. Embedded (SoC) or External Player?

Two main solutions exist for players: they can be external or directly embedded into the screen, known as System on Chip (SoC). Each solution has its advantages and disadvantages that should be considered before choosing one over the other.

An embedded player offers several significant advantages:

• It eliminates the need for cumbersome cables, making setup significantly easier and requiring only one acquisition.
• An embedded device doesn't take up space and can solve situations where an external player physically cannot be positioned behind or next to the screen.

On the other hand, an external player provides the following benefits:

• In case of a problem, an external player can be replaced very easily, which is not the case for an embedded player, where the entire screen needs to be replaced in case of player issues.
• External boxes offer more flexibility in terms of choice and desired specifications.
• External players can be either Android or Windows, offering more flexibility than embedded players, which are predominantly Android-based.

A third option is the OPS standard (Open Pluggable Specification). A player meeting the OPS specification can be directly "inserted" into the screen (which also must comply with the OPS specification). This is a very convenient solution as it eliminates the need for cables and allows for easy player replacement in case of failure or if a need for an upgrade arises. However, it is a more expensive solution in terms of acquisition costs.

5. What Performance Level Do You Need for Your Players?

The performance level is undoubtedly a crucial factor that will significantly impact the player(s) choice. You need to consider the content you want to display.

As mentioned earlier, an Android player will tend to be more limited than a Windows player and may not be suitable when you want to display multiple zones with rich content.

However, beyond that, there are different performance levels among the various players available on the market (whether Android or Windows). The more complex content you want to display, the more powerful CPU/GPU you'll need.

If you're looking to launch your digital signage project, Telelogos and its ecosystem will assist you in selecting players tailored to your needs, including lists of hardware already tested in production to save you time.

6. Consider the Digital Signage Software

One doesn't go without the other; it's essential to consider your digital signage software when selecting your digital signage players, and vice versa. Some digital signage software may only be compatible with specific players. Others, like Telelogos' Media4Display digital signage software, benefit from extensive compatibility with various manufacturers of Android and Windows players. This allows greater flexibility in project implementation.

Moreover, software like Media4Display allows comprehensive remote player control beyond simple content distribution. You can:

• remotely manage system and software updates,
• install/remove/update applications,
• execute various commands,
• remotely access in case of issues,
• secure connections and data transfers,
• reboot the player,
• and set up preventive actions to avoid critical problems.

7. Which Connections and Connectivity to Choose?

Digital signage players follow market trends in terms of connectivity.

HDMI is the most widespread standard for external players today, although other connection types like DisplayPort are still common for audiovisual streaming between the player and the screen.

You have multiple options for network connectivity: wired (Ethernet) or wireless (Wi-Fi/3G/4G cellular network). While wireless connectivity is now entirely feasible and viable, a wired connection tends to be more stable and reliable, minimizing the risk of connection loss.

Therefore, when choosing between wired or wireless, opting for the wired option is preferable if possible.

8. Are the Players Compatible with All Screens?

As always with digital signage, it's essential to prioritize professional screens alongside your digital signage players. Consumer-grade screens, for example, are designed for home use; they're not suitable for 24/7 intensive use and don't allow control or modification of their settings via the network (RS232/RJ45).