Digital display screens help businesses and organizations grab the attention of the audiences they care about most. Compared to static, printed signs, digital display screens are often more engaging, as they can display motion graphics, videos, and dynamic content. The post below details how businesses can get started showing content on a digital display screen. Some methods are easier than others, and modern digital signage platforms make content management for digital display screens easier than ever.
What hardware renders content to your screen?
Digital display screens do not display content by themselves. They need to have additional hardware that renders the content to the screen. For example, with home TV screens, a DVD player renders DVD content to the TV.
Today, almost all screens feature HDMI ports and accept HDMI input. Users can pair almost any hardware that displays content via HDMI output with their screens. However, important considerations include the cost of that hardware and ongoing electricity costs. When a person uses a desktop computer to render content to their digital display screen, they typically spend too much on upfront hardware costs and electricity. Additionally, they most likely cannot use the desktop computer for other tasks while displaying content to their screen.
The modern solution for rendering content for a digital display screen is a digital signage player. A digital signage player is a small, physical device with the dedicated purpose of rendering content to your display screen. These devices are often far cheaper than a full computer, and they typically have very low power draws. These savings are important for cost-conscious organizations, especially as the organizations scale digital display screen deployments across multiple locations.
How do users manage content on their digital display screens?
In the past, content management for display screens was a difficult and time-consuming task. If a user wanted to change the content on their screen, the process almost always involved the person physically visiting the screen. The individual would then have to add content using a USB drive and wired keyboard.
Today, users can manage the content on their digital display screens using digital signage software. Digital signage software typically exists as a SaaS product that users can access from anywhere using a modern web browser. The user’s digital signage player communicates with the digital signage software and receives directions on what content to display.
Some digital signage software equips users with advanced content management features. These additional features can include playlists features that help users organize their content and scheduling features to help users set when they want their content to display. Other features include screen grouping features that allow users to control the content on multiple screens at once. With digital signage software, users can control the content on their digital display screens in just a few clicks.
How can people launch their first digital signage display screen?
Screenly provides both the necessary hardware and software for users to launch a digital display screen. Screenly is compatible with almost any screen that accepts HDMI input.
Screenly’s digital signage media player device is the Screenly Player. The device draws only 3 watts of power and can render content in beautiful Full HD resolution. This content can include images, videos, and even webpage content.
Screenly Players then communicate with Screenly digital signage software. Users can log in to their online Screenly account to change out content, schedule content, and manage their screens’ health. Users can manage their content remotely from anywhere with an internet connection.
While Screenly is compatible with almost any screen that accepts HDMI input, some users require commercial-grade screens. These commercial displays often feature high-brightness capabilities for outdoor use and stunning picture quality. In some cases, users can combine their displays into a multi-screen video wall for a stunning viewing experience. Screenly is compatible with NEC commercial grade screens.
Getting started with Screenly digital display screens
To get started with Screenly, the first step is to check out our digital signage software. You can sign up for a free 14-day trial and see inside Screenly right now.
If you have any questions about setting up and launching your first digital display screen with Screenly, feel free to reach out to Screenly Support.
