Visual communication, like most everything else lately, has gone digital. Using Digital signage vs. traditional printed signage increases your speed and efficiency while also creating a memorable and engaging experience for viewers.

Content management is handled via the CMS software’s user interface. This is what people use to upload or create content and create new programs for display on screen. Programs can include any combination of media and data like images, videos, web-based content, corporate dashboards, digital menu boards, live news, weather, business metrics and so much more.

The media player software downloads and plays on -screen the end user’s programming that they created in the CMS. Digital signage software helps you communicate more effectively, and it greatly improves your productivity by broadcasting your programming to any number of digital signage screens in just seconds.

Gone are the days of sending your signage off to the printer and waiting weeks to receive the final product. Instead, use electronic signage software to create and display custom content and messaging anytime and from anywhere right from the comfort of your web browser.

The first and most visible component is undoubtedly the screen. Digital signage screens come in two types; System on Chip (SoC) screens which feature an integrated media player, so all of the required components (including the media player) are inside the screen’s frame.

There are professional SoC screens available from Samsung, LG, Philips, and Sony. The second type of digital signage screen is more like your typical tv set and uses an external media player device in order to display your digital signage content on screen. Professional digital signage software products are compatible with both types of screens.

The next component is the digital signage server. End-users use a content manager to upload or create their content and create programs for display on screen. In a cloud-based digital signage offering, the server can be hosted by the software vendor or a system integrator. There is a monthly fee for each media player that is hosted.

The other approach, called on-premises, has the user host the server software on their own infrastructure. In this case, the customer purchases the software licenses outright and pays an annual SLA fee.

The third component is the media player (if required). Non system on chip displays, require an external media player device that is typically connected to the screen via an HDMI cable.

A professional grade digital signage platform purchased from a reputable digital signage company, should have the ability to support the most popular media player types like Windows PC, Android media player, Bright Sign media player etc. The media player downloads the digital signage content from the server and plays it back on screen.

Digital displays are essentially flat panel screens that rely on different technologies to render and present multimedia content to an audience. The most common are LCD screens which use liquid crystal cells to display content and LED screens which use light emitting diodes to render and display content. LED screens are typically very large and in Digital Signage they are most often used in outdoor scenarios.

Digital signage software has become an essential communication tool. There have been many studies that have demonstrated the effectiveness of digital signage technologies. Some of the reasons for it’s effectiveness include the ease and speed with which users are able to publish various types of dynamic content and information to any display in minutes, regardless of where they or the screens are at the time.

A question we hear often is, “where should I install my digital signage displays”. The answer will depend on several factors: What type of business are you in and what’s the purpose or goal of your digital signage project. You also need to consider the viewing distance, or how far away the average person will be seeing the screen from. It is always a good idea to place screens a minimum of 10 feet away from where the typical viewer will be.

Do you spend large sums of money every year on printed signs and point-of-sale material? Are you tired of seeing all that investment end up in recycling bins? Perhaps it’s time to start converting your static printed signs to digital signage displays. Anytime a change needs to be made, simply open up for favorite web browser and easily make the required changes.

Once you are finished, instead of sending your revised work to a printer and waiting days or weeks to see the finished product, simply click ‘Publish’ in your digital display software and see your new content come to life immediately.