Digital signage is a worthwhile investment for any business. It can inform, educate, entertain, and persuade viewers in various ways. Future proof digital signage by making well-informed decisions when purchasing and looking after your signage.
From choosing the correct grade screen to purchasing the best software, follow this guide to future proof your digital signage investment and ensure optimum performance and longevity.
1. Choose A Commercial-Grade Screen
Choosing the right screen to display your marketing and communications content on is critical if you want a successful digital signage campaign. One of the key benefits of digital signage is its eco-friendly nature; many electronic screens now have a lifespan of roughly 100,000 hours, equating to over 10 years. Yet, choosing the wrong grade screen could compromise this lifespan.
When the digital signage industry first emerged, digital signage setups were often composed of consumer-grade television sets. Despite this, using these consumer screens for commercial purposes triggered regular breakdowns due to the long hours of displaying content.
Unlike a consumer-grade television, commercial-grade screens have higher brightness options, longer operational hours (up to 24/7 usage), portrait orientation, and various hardware potential, for example, video wall functionality. These benefits ensure your content is delivered consistently and reliably.
Consequently, while commercial-grade screens may be more expensive than consumer-grade screens, they can withstand a constant active status. In the long run, this purchase decision is cost-effective; a commercial-grade screen will last longer and require fewer repairs throughout. Future proof digital signage with commercial-grade screens.
How To Future Proof Digital Signage | 6 Top Ways
2. Select The Right Screen Display For Future Proof Digital Signage
When digital signage first entered the market, it was revolutionary and uncommon. In the last few decades, however, technological innovation has come far.
In the past, visual display screens used cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) for backlighting to illuminate images on-screen. While CCFL was cheap, it was bulky, and the power usage was inefficient and expensive. Fast-forward to now, light-emitting diode (LED) or liquid crystal display (LCD) screens (LEDs provide backlighting for LCD screens) have become commonplace and are the best future proof hardware choice for your digital signage campaign.
While CFFLs overheat and often burn out, ramping up upkeep costs, LEDs do not. LED and LCD screens, consequently, require a lot less power. This efficiency drives down costs and increases the longevity of the screen itself. Additionally, LED and LCD screens are light and flat, increasing their location potential and portability.
With digital technology rapidly developing, by adopting LED/LCD screens, your business can keep up with new advancements, such as video walls, rather than falling behind with out-of-date hardware. By adopting these screens from the start, you future proof digital signage and its future potential.
How To Future Proof Digital Signage | 6 Top Ways
3. Purchase Future Proof Digital Signage Software
Increasing the longevity of digital signage goes beyond just hardware selection. Future proof digital signage from the very start by selecting the right digital signage software. Developments in design software have led to a growing range of design applications. Online studios and applications, such as Canva, allow anyone from complete beginners to technical geniuses to produce well-designed and successful content.
Digital signage software evolution has widened the design capabilities of users everywhere. Despite this, by selecting the wrong software, you limit your content potential, as well as the number of people who can use it. Overall, these limitations will reduce your ROI and lead to more costs further down the line when different design functionalities are required or you hire untrained staff. To prevent this, do your research, think of the future, and purchase a digital signage software platform that will meet all your needs.
How To Future Proof Digital Signage | 6 Top Ways
4. Work With A Supportive Provider To Future Proof Digital Signage
Like all technology, sometimes things go wrong and you need extra support. When setting up digital signage campaigns, businesses often forget to consider the need for assistance in training, repairs, and advice. Select a provider that meets your support needs and attends to issues without delay to future proof digital signage.
Consider a provider with a support team that can access your screens remotely in seconds to resolve problems and minimise the downtime of your screens. Without support, breakdowns could jeopardise the future of your hardware.
By selecting a provider that prides itself on the digital signage support they give, you will future proof your digital signage, ensuring your ROI remains high and your content never fails to deliver.
How To Future Proof Digital Signage | 6 Top Ways
5. Think About The Media Player You Use
A digital signage solution requires two hardware components: a screen and a media player. Media players are micro PCs that lie behind your screen. They play digital signage content through an app and update the on-screen display in real-time via the internet.
To future proof digital signage, external media players have multiple benefits. Principally, they plug into any screen. As a result, if you already own a screen, your hardware costs are reduced, or if you need to buy a new screen after a breakdown, you do not require a new media player. This media player longevity would not be possible with an integrated media player in the screen.
Additionally, their energy efficiency makes external media players future proof cost-wise. Android media players use approximately £7 in electricity a year and use a fraction of the energy of a generic PC, increasing the longevity of your hardware and reducing costs. This point is particularly critical in a society with an increasing focus on sustainability and minimising the climate crisis.
How To Future Proof Digital Signage | 6 Top Ways
6. Consider Screen Quality To Future Proof Digital Signage
Developments in digital signage hardware have enabled an improvement in screen quality. As a result, future proof your digital signage by considering the quality of your screens. Once upon a time, 4k displays seemed an expensive and futuristic hardware ability. Despite this, 4k displays have reduced in cost in recent years, causing them to become a rising trend.
Though 4K is not currently in wide use, your systems may be in the field for a number of years. In that time, higher-resolution video and performance-driven content will grow in popularity, and 4K displays will become essential to keep up in a competitive market.
It is vital to consider screen quality when starting your digital signage campaign. Think ahead to ensure your digital signage lasts. Similarly, while 8K screens may now be a product of the future, they will soon become the present. This factor is something to weigh up when purchasing digital signage hardware.
