Choosing the right displays for your digital signage system is as critical as picking the right digital signage media players. The wrong hardware selections will deliver low-quality signage.
Get started with digital signage displays with Rise Vision!
For digital signage displays we recommend the Avocor R Series Hardware as a Service, our add on subscription digital signage display with a built-in media player. With the Avocor R Series Hardware as a Service, you can simplify your digital signage and eliminate upfront CAPEX costs.
We provide support, handle software updates, and if you ever run into a problem with the Avocor R Series Hardware as a Service, we’ll replace it. You also have the option to upgrade them at your renewal so you don’t need to worry about refreshing your hardware.
The R Series takes minutes to set up, flawlessly handle demanding schedules and is designed for digital signage. And you can simplify your procurement by purchasing your digital signage software and hardware from one place.
Displays, monitors, screens, and even TVs are all interchangeable terms that are commonly used to describe the device that shows your signage. Here at Rise Vision, we like to use the word “display” because it’s been the go-to industry term for a few decades now.
If you’re shopping online for digital signage displays, any of the terms (display, monitor, screen, LCD screen, LED screen) will point you in the right direction. However, it’s important that you purchase a commercial digital display. This will help you avoid buying TVs that are designed for home entertainment and not digital signage.
A commercial digital display is designed to run continuously, whereas a consumer-grade display is designed to work for a few hours a day. Remember, most digital signage campaigns run 24/7 and need to be powered by hardware that can continuously run, nonstop.
All digital signage displays should have HDMI ports these days. It’s possible to set up a digital signage system using older displays that only support VGA or DVI. However, we strongly suggest only using digital signage displays that support HDMI. Displays that use HDMI will produce a more crisp and clean looking picture. Additionally, it will be difficult to find a digital signage media player that can output video in anything other than HDMI.
Weight is the most overlooked specification when choosing a digital signage display. It’s easy to be swayed by performance features such as resolution and backlighting technology, but a heavy display can easily put the brakes on your installation process.
The first thing you need to do is know the weight limit of your mounting hardware and surface. An extra heavy display will rip right out of a wall or collapse support structures. Not to mention, a heavy display can increase the risk of injuries to technicians and staff.
More modern displays are being designed with an extra thin side profile which not only solves the weight issues described above but also can improve the overall aesthetic you’re aiming for. The reason why we suggest knowing this dimension is that most displays sold online are shown with only a front view. It’s easy to miss the profile thickness when the side image isn’t being shown.
Choosing the perfect size for your display is an important consideration and something that needs special attention. Where you plan on putting your display (or displays) will determine what size you can buy.
For instance, if you plan on placing your digital signage display in a cabinet or recessed wall, you’ll need to measure the dimensions of that space to make sure there’s enough room to service the display in the future.
There are also cases where an entire wall may be dedicated to digital signage and purchasing a display that’s too small may affect the aesthetics of the overall presentation. We recommend creating a schematic that details the dimensions of the wall or space you plan on placing your display in. Identify the distances from the display to the floor, ceiling, and other edges on your schematic.
There are three common resolutions available for digital signage displays:
- 1080 - 1,080 pixels by 1,920 pixels (2,073,600 pixels)
- 4k - 3,840 pixels by 2,160 pixels (8,294,400 pixels)
- 8k - 7,690 pixels by 4,320 pixels (33,177,600 pixels)
The general rule of thumb is: the more pixels a display has, the higher the picture quality.
For digital signage applications, 4k displays will produce great-looking images and video and are perfectly suited for any criteria. 8k displays are generally too expensive and require advanced media player hardware to operate. At this point in time, we do not recommend using 8k displays for digital signage applications.
Most displays are marketed using their diagonal dimension. For instance, a 48-inch display means the diagonal distance between opposing corners of the LCD screen will be 48 inches long. However, the actual dimensions of the display will be different. Those dimensions will be provided separately and will come in both height and width.
Knowing the true dimensions of your display is important for installation and aesthetic planning. If your digital signage display is going to be stowed in a cabinet or recessed area of a wall, knowing the height and width will be critical to a successful installation.
Most digital signage displays range between 48 inches to 65 inches. Any display that’s outside this range tends to become less practical.
“We use Rise Vision to display marketing videos, safety videos, consumer venues, etc. Changes are easy to make, and do not require our displays to be connected to network (videos will run offline!)”
In recent years displays have gotten larger due to increased consumer demand. At the time of this writing, the largest standard display is marketed as a 98-inch diagonal - about 7 feet by 4 feet. There are larger displays but they’re incredibly expensive and require special delivery and installation. For instance, Samsung has come out with The Wall Luxury which is 24 feet in width.
To get started with digital signage displays, you’ll need to first pick a template from our website or from this page and then sign up for a free Rise Vision trial account.
After picking a template and then creating a Rise Vision trial account, it's time to activate your display.
To share Rise Vision to digital signage you need a digital signage display or TV and a digital signage media player if it isn't built into the TV.
Remember to continue communicating better by subscribing to our free weekly template recommendations and be sure to attend one of our free weekly training sessions. Also, we’re standing by if there’s any problem, feel free to contact us anytime.
“It’s been a lot easier to share news and promotions with our customers while still keeping them entertained. We also just added a display in our back office and have had great feedback from the team!”
