Most anyone you ask will know what digital signage is but what many are not familiar with is the components that make up the system.
What makes up a digital signage system?
Anyone can hang up a display but how the content gets on that display is the question.
Digital Signage Systems
One of the first digital signage setups consisted of an old school tube-TV with a VHS or DVD player. As one can imagine it was a lot of work to update the content that was being displayed.
So, what is all involved in a digital signage system?
There are three main components that are required to get set up. A display or media wall, a digital signage player, and content management system:
Display – This is the interface that is used to display the content. In past days many choose flat-screen displays but as technology evolves the trend seems to be moving towards LED and media walls.
Signage Player – It is the brain that connects to your display that hosts the software.
Content Management – Also known as a CRM, this is the software that is used to get the information onto the display. This is often the most important part of the
How to Choose
The digital signage system chosen will depend on the setup and needs of the organization.
There are many options to choose from. In deciding which system is best for you there are a few things that you need to keep in mind. There are some questions that can be asked to help narrow down the choice:
- What type of content is going to be displayed?
In order to choose the right signage software, you need to determine what type of is content going to be used; will it contain videos or just text and pictures. Not all software will support videos and larger types of media.
- What type of display is being used – touchscreen or just display?
Not all software supports interactive content so one must decide on the display before choosing the software system.
- Is there a digital signage player included?
Many systems come as a bundle, but if it does not come with a player it could be difficult to source one out that will work with the software. In addition, having to install it yourself can be time-consuming and technically challenging.
On-Site vs Web-Based
There are two different deployment methods you can choose between; cloud-based and desktop signage systems. Both have their place depending on what the organization's needs are.
Cloud-based software means that the system is hosted remotely meaning you can access it anytime from any location as long as you have a device that’s compatible and an internet connection.
On-site means that the software is on one’s own server in-house and content can only be updated from the location of the server.
Contact Us
DIGITAL EDGE's first installation almost 11 years ago was digital signage in an Elementary School. We know how to do digital signage. Contact us today for a free consultation or more information.
