Digital signage means different things to different people but in essence it’s the ability to easily display messages or advertising on screens placed around a building.
The screens are updated over the Internet so changing the content can be done almost instantly.
Digital signage screens in public locations are usually used to display advertising while internal screens are used to display things like staff messages.
If you own somewhere like a sports centre or golf club the signage screens can be used to show information about upcoming events while at the same time allowing local businesses to advertise on them, thus turning them into revenue generators.
What are the benefits of digital signage?
Content for the screens can be added, updated or removed almost instantly. You don’t need to print anything out or find some free wall space to put the latest poster or flyer up.
Digital signage screens are bright, colourful and attention grabbing. As they’re easy to update there’s no excuse to leave up old out of date messages or posters.
Indoor signage screens
Indoor screens are a much easier proposition in comparison to outdoor screens and in most cases you can just use an LCD TV.
Be aware that the domestic TV sets aren’t bright enough to use in sunny window locations. For those situations you will need to use a special high brightness screen.
Domestic TVs are not generally designed to be left on 24 hours a day and their internal ventilation may be compromised if you operate them in portrait orientation.
That said, there isn’t much in a modern TV to fail and they’re a lot cheaper than a commercial panel which is why you see them being used for digital signage. They’re cheap to fix and replace.
For example, betting shops in the UK use domestic TVs for showing racing results.
If you’re putting up screens somewhere that’s difficult to get to you might be better off installing a commercial panel that’s designed for 24/7 use.
Outdoor signage screens
Building an outdoor screen isn’t just a case of putting a large high brightness screen in a big metal box outside and hoping it works.
There are a number of safety, environmental and electrical requirements to satisfy. Typically you need to allow any heat to escape in the summer, the rain and moisture to be kept out and to prevent anybody getting electrocuted if they touch it.
Modern outdoor enclosures have air conditioning units and heaters built into them. If you get it all wrong the glass covering the screen will just steam up or the damp will cause the electronics to fail.
What are commercial signage screens?
These are normally designed for 24/7 operation.
Commercial screens can usually be operated in landscape or portrait orientation without any potential heat buildup as they’re designed for both orientations. They’re often brighter than normal TVs.
Commercial grade signage screens are available with special high brightness LCD’s that can be used in places like sunny window locations.
They might also come with a built in timer to switch the screens on or off at different times of the day. There’s no point leaving a screen switched on all night in an empty building.
Signage screen orientation
Screens can be positioned in landscape orientation like your TV or positioned vertically (on end) in whats known as portrait mode.
There is no ‘best way’, but the type of material you want to display might dictate the best orientation.
If you need to show video on a portrait screen it will need to be made for that orientation.
How are digital signage screens updated?
Screens are normally updated over the Internet. With our system you can run the system from your own dedicated VPS and domain name.
Screen content can be produced with the built in page editor or created elsewhere and saved as image or video files that can then be uploaded to the system.
You could easily display an advertising flyer that’s been created with a DTP or photo editor. The files are simply uploaded to the signage system for display.
Multiple pages or images for display are then added into playlists or carousels so they are displayed one after the other.