Digital signage FAQ: 30 questions answered

Digital signage is a system of screens, media players and management software that shows controlled content such as menus, notices and promotions. The content is changed from a central dashboard instead of at each screen.

Narrowcasting is delivering content to a specific audience in a defined place, as opposed to broadcasting to everyone. The word is common in the Netherlands and Belgium as a near-synonym for digital signage.

Digital signage works in three parts: a CMS where content and schedules are managed, a media player that downloads the content, and a display that shows it. The player is connected to the display, usually over HDMI, and to the CMS over the internet.

A TV playing a USB stick shows the same files until someone walks over and swaps them. Digital signage updates screens remotely, supports schedules and playlists, and can report what played.

Digital signage is used by restaurants, shops, gyms, schools, churches, offices, hotels, clinics, apartment buildings and sports venues. Typical uses are menus, promotions, timetables, notices and welcome screens.

Digital signage costs software per screen per month, a media player per screen and, if needed, a display. Prices differ by vendor and billing basis; Screenbird costs EUR 12 per screen per month billed annually or EUR 15 billed monthly, excluding tax.

Digital signage adds the media player for each screen, the display if you do not reuse a TV, mounting and cabling, and the time to set up and update content. Reusing existing TVs removes the display cost.

Billing basis changes the price per screen at many vendors, so compare prices on the same basis. Screenbird costs EUR 12 per screen per month billed annually and EUR 15 billed monthly, excluding tax.

Many digital signage platforms split features across plan tiers, so compare what each tier includes. Screenbird has one plan with every feature; Screenbird+ adds device management and priority support, which are services and not features.

Digital signage is worth it when savings and extra sales exceed the screen, player and time costs. The guide to digital signage ROI shows the formula with a worked example.

Digital signage needs a display, a media player, a network connection and a CMS subscription. The media player can be a stick, a mini PC, a Raspberry Pi or a unit built into the display.

A normal TV with an HDMI input works for digital signage when a media player is attached. Commercial displays are usually rated for longer daily use, so check the rated hours when screens run all day.

The best media player for digital signage depends on the CMS, the budget and how long the screen runs each day. Screenbird runs on the Amazon Signage Stick, Fire TV, Google TV and Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry Pi and any modern browser.

Some smart TVs can run signage software without an extra player. Recent Samsung and LG smart TVs run Screenbird in the built-in browser, and a small stick is recommended for screens that run all day.

Mixed screens in one system work when the CMS supports several player types. Screenbird manages Fire TV, Google TV, Windows and other players in one account.

Digital signage works best with short, glanceable content such as menus, offers, opening hours, timetables, notices and welcome messages. Choose content that matches why people look at the screen.

Digital signage content is created from images, video, text and templates in the CMS. Screenbird has a designer with more than 250 templates and a built-in AI assistant that creates a design from plain-language instructions, and changes go live after you confirm.

Digital signage can show spreadsheet and dashboard data when the CMS connects to those tools. Screenbird connects to Google Sheets, Google Slides and Google Calendar, and to Excel, Power BI, SharePoint and OneDrive. For the steps, see how to show an Excel sheet on a screen and how to display a Power BI dashboard on a TV.

Digital signage can show social media content when the CMS supports it. Screenbird supports Canva and Instagram, and its guide explains how to show Canva on a TV.

Digital signage content should match the display resolution, usually 1920 x 1080 for a landscape Full HD screen and 1080 x 1920 for portrait. The guide to screen orientation, resolution and aspect ratio explains the settings.

Digital signage schedules content by date, weekday and time, for example breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Screenbird handles this with playlists and scheduling.

Digital signage platforms manage screens in many locations from one web dashboard, so each screen is not visited for an update. Screenbird manages connected screens from one dashboard, which is available in 15 languages.

Digital signage screens can switch off on a schedule when the player sends power commands over HDMI-CEC. Screenbird switches screens on and off on a schedule through HDMI-CEC on supported players.

A proof of play report shows what played on which screen and when. Screenbird includes proof of play reports in its plan.

Digital signage can split one display into zones, for example a video, a menu and a ticker. Screenbird offers split screen with zones, each with its own content source.

Digital signage keeps playing downloaded content when the player supports offline playback. Screenbird screens keep playing when the internet drops.

A blank digital signage screen usually has one of four causes: the display is on the wrong HDMI input, the player has no power, the screen is not paired in the CMS, or no content is scheduled. Check them in that order.

Content looks stretched or cropped when its aspect ratio or orientation differs from the display. Match the content size to the screen, such as 1920 x 1080 for landscape or 1080 x 1920 for portrait, and check the orientation setting.

Video stutters when the file is heavier than the player can decode, so lower the resolution or bitrate or use a common codec such as H.264. A faster player can also fix it.

Content does not update when the player is offline, the content is not assigned to that screen, or the schedule is not active yet. Check the last time the screen contacted the CMS first.