Key Takeaways

• Media players offer flexibility and future-proofing for digital signage.
• Systems on chip are simpler and safer for public spaces.
• Choosing the right option depends on the environment and specific needs.

Topics

• Technology
• Digital Transformation
• User Experience

Transcript

So when you're thinking about your digital signage network, you basically have two hardware choices up front if you're adding new screens which don't already exist. The most popular way is to take a regular screen and attach a media player to it, such as ScreenCloud OS or some of the Google Chrome media players, probably attached to the back into the HDMI cable. The benefit of that is that you can always upgrade that device and change that device over time and it's divorced from the actual screen itself. However, there is a, in many ways, a simpler option which is called SoC or system on chip. And this is where the computer is embedded into the screen and is running in that screen. Now, the downside of that is that you wouldn't be able to switch operating system and upgrading that operating system may be tricky if there aren't firmware updates available. But the benefit would be that everything is encapsulated within the screen itself. So if this screen is out in public, you may not want a computer dangling off the back of it that a member of the public could either knock off or steal or whatever it might be. So you tend to find system on chip being very popular when members of the public are around. It's also probably got a more of a lower health and safety profile because there's less bits going on. And generally speaking, things are a little simpler. However, for most communication screens, I would emphasize the media player versus the screen. That gives you the most options and future-proofing going forward. Thank you.