What is Digital Signage

2021-10-28

Introduction of Digital Signage

A digital signage is a digital screen (like LED, LCD, OLED, etc.) used to display dynamic content, such as texts, images, videos, multimedia & interactive content and even live streams. This type of electronic signage is quite commonly seen outdoors as digital billboards(DOOH). They are also widely used in retail stores, modern office spaces,hospitals,restaurants, airports & transportation hubs, and even in many educational institutions or sports centers&stadiums.

While there are many advantages of digital signages over traditional signages, one that truly stands out is the ease of content playback and management. Since there is zero dependency for printing, the screen media can be quickly updated, whenever required.

Digital Signage System

From the above definition, it is clear that digital signage is any screen that we use for specific information to a target group.

But, these screens are not the sole component; there is a particular technology working at the backdrop. That is why we often refer to the entire technology as a 'digital signage system.'

There are three primary components of this system:

Hardware
Software or the CMS
Content

1. Digital Signage Hardware

The digital signage hardware consists of-

The Digital Display or the Screen: A signage screen is just like your mobile phone or TV. It is an interface that displays information. It is a screen that displays information. In fact, you can turn a TV into digital display board. However, most people tend to use commercial-grade screens for electronic signage as they offer better life span and visual output.
The Digital Signage Player: The signage media player is a small box that can be connected to the screen. In case your display is a smart display like Refee digital signage, the media player will be embedded in the screen. This piece of hardware has its own software that drives functionalities like downloading the content from the CMS and rendering the content in various formats like video, image, HTML, etc.
Display Mounts: Mounts and cables are required to attach your displays to the wall or hang them from the ceiling.

2. Digital Signage Software

The software is the brain that helps to process the data and display it on the screen without much hassle. Here are some of the key attributes:

Content Management System (CMS): Every software program has a dashboard that allows users to manage their activities. Some features of Refee digital signage CMS are functionalities like content scheduling, remote screen management, multiple media support (like JPG, MP4, GIF, HTML, etc.), integration capabilities, custom layout creation and device responsiveness.
Cloud for Content Management: The Refee CMS can be hosted on an organization's private data center (on-premise digital signage) or on cloud. Cloud deployment helps organizations with easier management of server infrastructure, easy distribution of content across geography, and high scalability. you can access your dashboard or CMS from anywhere in the world

3. Digital Signage Content

Whatever you show on screen is the content. It can be a pre-designed advertising video or a live news broadcast. Digital signages offer a vast array of content possibilities, such as images, social media posts, text messages, website information, live traffic and sales dashboards.

Digital Signage Types

There are various types of digital signges based on screen orientation, size, application, and content playback capabilities.

Here are different types of Refee digital signage based on their application:

DOOH Advertising Displays: DOOH(Digital Out-of-Home) signage are essentially the billboards that rent advertising space. These don't necessarily have to be gigantic, but need to be placed outdoors.
Freestanding Digital Signage: These are standalone LCD screens that you will often find at hotel lobbies and hospital receptions. They are used to display digital posters, announcements, welcome messages, and building maps.

Digital Menu Boards: Like traditional advertising billboards, static menu boards have also lost their appeal. The modern digital menu boards are dynamic; anytime an item is out-of-stock, or a new delicacy is added, it can instantly be updated on the menu.
Video Walls: To define simply, video walls are a number of screens joined to create a larger screen. It's a 'collage of displays.' Video walls give a high-resolution output and are often used to show media in an enlarged size.

Interactive Displays: Interactive displays are screens where users can physically interact with the machine. These are commonly seen in the form of self-service kiosks and digital information booths. Some common use cases of interactive digital signage include self-ordering menu boards, airport self-check-in systems, digital resources in museums, interactive wayfinding maps, etc.

Shelf Edge Stretched Displays: Shelf labels are the tiny signage attached on product shelves that gives customers information like price, discounts, or specifications. Digital or electronic shelf labels are thin panel-like screens that do the same thing. Being dynamic, they can better utilize the screen space by showing other details like expiry date & ingredients (in case of food or cosmetic products), warranty schemes (for gadgets), etc.