Cloud-based digital signage platform that helps you design and schedule easily from Online to Offline!
Looking for a way to show content on one or more screens in an efficient and reliable way? Then this guide is for you. Our cloud-based Digital Signage platform. Questions that do not just have to do with our service, but with Digital Signage in general. Either for one screen or a thousand, this guide contains useful insight for newcomers that could prove indispensable going forward. We made an effort to keep this guide vendor-agnostic, but a few brands are mentioned as examples.
PLUG, PLAY & REUSEUpload any video or image file type. Use our CMS Cloud Dashboard. Show any webpage or offline flashdrive contents.
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CONTENT ADAPTATIONAnything you upload is automatically adapted for perfect playback of you can customize the layout, timeline for more catchy views.
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A BREEZE TO DEPLOYPre configured plug and play players that can be used and navigate by anyone, just like a Smart TV.
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EASY CMS DASHBOARDProvides a comprehensive CMS management panel to manage from one to thousands of customer’s signage devices.
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DESIGN YOUR OWN LAYOUT & CONTENTS
USB Flash Drives VS CMS
All modern consumer TVs have embedded Media Players for home entertainment. The easiest way to display content is to prepare a USB flash drive with the video and images needed, plug it in the TV, and use the remote to start playing back your files.
If the TV is powered off (e.g. due to a short power failure, powering off at night or because of an energy-savings timer), it does not come back on automatically and playback does not resume by itself. It might take 1-5 seconds to go from one video to the next. Professional Digital Signage players do almost instant transitions, without black intervals.
A Digital Signage platform allows you to show a large variety of signage content, consistently and with minimal playback interruption. It allows you to manage everything centrally (usually through the Internet), no matter where your screens are located, using content that goes beyond just videos or images.
And if you think Digital Signage is not for your small business that just needs a couple of screens, you are wrong. Costs have dropped significantly and you can now find professional display solutions that you most certainly can afford. Some of our customers have an average of 10 screens for signage each (used to be 6). Eighty percent of them have less than 4 screens.
Content Management Systems @ CMS
The Content Management System is probably the core part of any solution. The main role of any CMS is to manage the content being sent to the Digital Signage screens. Managing content means content delivery, content adaptation (e.g. ensure proper encoding), setting up playlists, combining content into multi-zone layouts, and such.
Digital Signage CMS also allows you to do monitoring and reporting on the Digital Signage Players connected to it. Although this can be thought of as a completely separate function of “Device Management”, it is usually embedded within the CMS itself as a core feature.
The most important dilemma when it comes to the CMS is the “cloud vs on-premise” question. Most CMS are on the “cloud”, provided as a ready-to-use service directly from the vendor. Others are built as stand-alone software that need to be downloaded, installed on a server, and properly configured. This is a complex issue and that is why we discuss it in detail in the next section. One thing is for sure: for the vast majority of you reading this guide, the “cloud” is the way to go. Anything else is too complex and/or too pricey.
Digital Signage Players
To show anything on a screen, you need a Digital Signage Player. These are devices with software that communicates with the CMS, retrieve content, and play it back on the attached screen. There are screens that have embedded Digital Signage Players inside their chassis. They are professional Digital Signage displays. Some are based on specific platforms, others are open with interchangeable hardware.
Screens
And, of course, the screens. It might seem straightforward, but it is not.
There are several types of screens, each with pros and cons. Simple PC monitors, consumer-grade TV screens, professional Digital Signage displays; all will work. But some have features that other lack. And, in the end, it all boils down to cost.
Benefits of Cloud Services
Here is a list of reasons to opt for a Cloud Service:
All modern consumer TVs have embedded Media Players for home entertainment. The easiest way to display content is to prepare a USB flash drive with the video and images needed, plug it in the TV, and use the remote to start playing back your files.
If the TV is powered off (e.g. due to a short power failure, powering off at night or because of an energy-savings timer), it does not come back on automatically and playback does not resume by itself. It might take 1-5 seconds to go from one video to the next. Professional Digital Signage players do almost instant transitions, without black intervals.
A Digital Signage platform allows you to show a large variety of signage content, consistently and with minimal playback interruption. It allows you to manage everything centrally (usually through the Internet), no matter where your screens are located, using content that goes beyond just videos or images.
And if you think Digital Signage is not for your small business that just needs a couple of screens, you are wrong. Costs have dropped significantly and you can now find professional display solutions that you most certainly can afford. Some of our customers have an average of 10 screens for signage each (used to be 6). Eighty percent of them have less than 4 screens.
Content Management Systems @ CMS
The Content Management System is probably the core part of any solution. The main role of any CMS is to manage the content being sent to the Digital Signage screens. Managing content means content delivery, content adaptation (e.g. ensure proper encoding), setting up playlists, combining content into multi-zone layouts, and such.
Digital Signage CMS also allows you to do monitoring and reporting on the Digital Signage Players connected to it. Although this can be thought of as a completely separate function of “Device Management”, it is usually embedded within the CMS itself as a core feature.
The most important dilemma when it comes to the CMS is the “cloud vs on-premise” question. Most CMS are on the “cloud”, provided as a ready-to-use service directly from the vendor. Others are built as stand-alone software that need to be downloaded, installed on a server, and properly configured. This is a complex issue and that is why we discuss it in detail in the next section. One thing is for sure: for the vast majority of you reading this guide, the “cloud” is the way to go. Anything else is too complex and/or too pricey.
Digital Signage Players
To show anything on a screen, you need a Digital Signage Player. These are devices with software that communicates with the CMS, retrieve content, and play it back on the attached screen. There are screens that have embedded Digital Signage Players inside their chassis. They are professional Digital Signage displays. Some are based on specific platforms, others are open with interchangeable hardware.
Screens
And, of course, the screens. It might seem straightforward, but it is not.
There are several types of screens, each with pros and cons. Simple PC monitors, consumer-grade TV screens, professional Digital Signage displays; all will work. But some have features that other lack. And, in the end, it all boils down to cost.
Benefits of Cloud Services
Here is a list of reasons to opt for a Cloud Service:
- Zero setup time. You can start almost immediately – without setting up servers or software and without any plan-ahead configuration.
- Accessible from anywhere. You can have your Players located anywhere using just a simple Internet connection and manage them from the comfort of your home, as well as when you’re on the go.
- Scalable. Forget about server sizing. Cloud technologies allow you to add as many devices as you need, without downtime and additional costs. And you can get unlimited storage and bandwidth to serve your needs.
- Affordable. If you have a handful of screens, you certainly cannot afford servers and costly licenses. And most cloud solutions can be deployed effortlessly, even by non-tech personnel, so there is no setup cost.
- Pay as you go. You do not have to commit to a large license. In fact, you don’t have to commit to anything. Most cloud platforms allow you to start small, make zero commitments and grow down the road. Some even prorate your usage and charge you only for what you need.
- It’s a complete service. No need for managing backups, monitoring servers, hardware redundancy, and so on. Everything is managed by the provider and as a part of their offering. Smaller IT departments prefer this option, since it reduces their effort or commitment, while it shifts technical ownership (and associated responsibilities) of the system away from them and towards the provider.
- Always up-to-date. Since you pay for a service and not a license, you always enjoy the latest version of the software, with all the latest bells and whistles. Usually, updates are released every few weeks, compared to most on-premise solutions that release new versions every 6-12 months.
- Support is (usually) included. Providers want you to stay on board, so they do their best to (remotely) support you. You can get demos and training in order to revisit features anytime.
