The cost of digital signage hardware
The hardware cost of digital signs includes the investments in the digital screens, the digital signage player, and ancillary expenses like the cost of setup.
The type of screen you choose largely depends on what you are using your electronic sign for. A simple LCD TV screen can suffice for showing image & video content on a digital church sign, but the same will fail to support a 24/7-ON digital advertising billboard.
Decision-making parameters for choosing the screen type:
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Working hours
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Interactivity
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Indoor or outdoor implementation
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Screen positioning (hanging, standing, mounted, or embedded)
Specifications that affect the per-screen cost of digital signage are:
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Size
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Resolution
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Brightness
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Viewing angles
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Touch support
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Screen refresh rate
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Contrast ratio
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Energy consumption
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Durability
Here is a comparison of some commercial displays in terms of display price and features:
| Sl. No. | Display Type | Display Model | Price | Features | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Commercial TV | Samsung NT670U Series 50" | $569 | - 3840 x 2160 4K UHD - Direct-lit LED technology for better energy consumption - Super sleek with no bezel |
Digital display boards in hotels, corporate offices, & retail stores |
| 2 | Commercial Digital Signage Screen | Samsung PM-H Series Digital Signage (PM55H) | $2,119 | - 1920x1080 Full HD - Plug and Play - Tizen 2.4 (VDLinux) OS - Built for 24/7 Operation - Temperature sensor |
Digital signboards inside showrooms and hospital digital signage |
| 3 | Budget Buy TV | TCL 43" Class 4-Series 4K UHD HDR LED Smart Android TV (43S434) | $350 | - 4K Ultra HD Resolution - Chromecast built-in - 3 HDMI inputs - Google Assistant - Voice Remote Control |
Small businesses with limited run time |
The digital signage player helps render your content on screen. The choice of your player determines what type of content gets processed (images, videos, web content, URLs) and how fast it is processed.
Different digital signage players use different Operating Systems (OSs). For instance, Samsung displays use Tizen OS, Intel players use Windows OS, while the Chromebit & Chromebox players use Chrome OS.
To learn more about the most popular digital signage players, visit the Pickcel player page.
Whether you need to buy an external digital signage player device will depend on the choice of your screen model. If your signage display comes with an embedded media player, then you don’t need any external device.
However, if you are converting a regular TV into digital signage, you will need an external media player. Sometimes, displays with in-built players also need an external digital signage player for additional processing power.
Factors that affect the cost of your digital signage player:
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Operating system
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Memory/storage/CPU power
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Media support
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Working hours
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Indoor or outdoor operation
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Environmental conditions (temperature/humidity)
Here are some recommended digital signage players that you can use according to your budget & business necessity
Originally Published as What is the cost of digital signage ownership? on Pickcel Digital Signage Blog
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