Digital Signage Basics

Digital Signage is a class of device typically used for commercial signage. The displays range in sizes and use LCD, OLED, LED, or Projection technologies to display information. Display devices can be found in offices, retail spaces, and other places to provide wayfinding, marketing, event details, and other types of information. 

Digital Signage Service (Content Management Service)

Digital Signage Service, also known as Content Management Service, is a type of service that can complement digital signage hardware. It provides remote management capability for digital signage hardware. With a digital signage service, you can remotely:

• deploy content to devices across your sites
• change/update displayed content
• view which devices are online or offline in real-time
• change device configurations
• manage system settings
• some services allow you to update devices software or firmware

Note: You are not required to have a digital signage service but be aware of the extra steps needed to manage devices. Finder configuration requires entering the URL of a map on a web browser on a supported device. Without a digital signage service, a person will need to physically set up the Finder list/map view URL on each device. At scale, it could be difficult to manage multiple devices without the service. 

We recommend the following:

Though it’s possible to manually deploy content to your media players without a digital signage service, it’s recommended that you use a service to manage content remotely especially if you plan to have more than 5 Finder signs.

If you procure a Finder recommended hardware, it will come with a native content management service. These usually cost a monthly fee per device. If you do not already have a service, we highly recommend TelemetryTV for all your digital signage needs. TelemetryTV can also help standardize your signage service for easier management.

Digital Signage Hardware Specifications

The initial hardware requirements for Finder are: 

• Display - This is the digital signage display that Finder will use for wayfinding

  • Recommended Horizontal (width) range for visibility and usability: 24”- 50”.

  • Touch-enabled or non-touch. (non-touch devices are view only)

• Media Player (Computer Module) - This powers the content on the page and enables touch capabilities for the display.

  • Each display must have a media player to function properly.

  • Important Note, some displays have media players built into the device itself (e.g., iPad Pro). However, some do not. Check with your display provider to find out if the media player is included or not and if it can successfully power a modern web browser running Finder.