Name: How to Turn a TV Into Digital Signage: 5 Steps
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How to Turn a TV Into Digital Signage: 5 Steps

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by | | General, ImplementationThis post contains affiliate links.The world today demands visual intrigue to attract consumers. No one likes to stand in line or sit in a waiting room without some sort of entertainment, hence the age-old custom of dentist lobby magazine racks. Digital signage is one great way to make your brand or business more memorable in the 21st century.There are many ways to go about setting up your TV monitor for digital signage, some more simple than others. Of course, the more professional and clean your signage, the more your audience will trust your service, and the more comfortable your job will be in the long run. What is more, digital signage is more affordable than ever!While it is possible to hook up digital signage without the need for a high-speed internet connection, if you want fewer cords and the ease of use that comes with using digital signage software, you will want great Wi-Fi. For the vast majority of businesses in this day and age, Wi-Fi is already a requirement and is incredibly easy to install.If you are going to use a 4K television for your display, make sure that your Wi-Fi is equipped to handle the speeds that the higher screen resolution requires. Since you may be using the same Wi-Fi for your business and clients, you will want to ensure that installing 4K will not cause your connection to lag or lose significant speed.If you already have Wi-Fi, check to see if your plan has at least 25 Mbps to support your 4K smart TV. Keep in mind all of the other devices you are running in your business, as this will increase strain on your connection.My favorite routers are mesh systems, and these are my top 3 choices. I use the Google one at home and the Orbi system at work.ImageTitlePricePrimeBuyNETGEAR Orbi Whole Home Tri-band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System (RBK853) – Router with 2 Satellite Extenders, Coverage Up to 7,500 Square Feet, 100 Devices, AX6000 (Up to 6Gbps)Amazon eero mesh WiFi system – router replacement for whole-home coverage (3-pack)Google Nest WiFi Router 3 Pack (2nd Generation) – 4x4 AC2200 Mesh Wi-Fi Routers with 6600 Sq Ft CoverageProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. The TV you select for your digital signage will be crucial. This piece of hardware is what determines the quality of the entire setup and design, and going to the store to buy any old TV will most likely cause issues down the line.The following will walk you through the decision process for making the correct aesthetic and financial decisions for your business’ digital signage TV.Fortunately, TVs have become so much cheaper over the years. My favorite brand and option is TCL. I typically get the TCL Roku TV even though I'm going to use an Amazon Firestick for signage. Just make sure your TV has HDMI in and it's 4K. Just pick your size and you're good to go. I always use 50″ or larger.ImageTitlePricePrimeBuyTCL 40-inch 1080p Smart LED Roku TV - 40S325, 2019 Model , BlackTCL 50" Class 4-Series 4K UHD HDR Smart Roku TV – 50S455TCL 65-inch 6-Series 4K UHD Dolby Vision HDR QLED Roku Smart TV - 65R635, 2021 ModelProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. As you see in the picture at the top of this post, the one digital signage solution is a vertical TV, something easy to do with the top digital signage solution I recommend.If you are looking to light up an entire wall with your digital signage or need digital signage on the go, choose a projector equipped with 4K resolution. All you need is a strong enough Wi-Fi connection, a speaker system if your presentation includes sound, and the process will work much the same.Consider also what sort of wall mount you want to purchase. Drilling your TV into the wall is a relatively permanent decision, so you want to make sure you choose the TV mount that is as versatile or as stable as your display demands. You can choose between the following:You will also want to keep in mind the size of your TV relative to its projected location. You do not want your audience to have to strain their eyes or crane their neck to view your content, nor do you want them to be distracted by other noises or stimuli.First and foremost, note the room itself. In a smaller space, you will want a smaller or medium-sized screen. You do not want your display to dominate the room and conflict with legibility. In a warehouse, you most likely want the largest screen available on the market and one that provides the crispest image.There is a science to deciding the proper distance between your screen and the viewer, especially given the high resolution of a 4K TV. Below is a table to provide you with a general idea of optimal distances per TV size. Measure the distance between your potential audience and the monitor and select accordingly.Given that the first step in installing your monitor is mounting it to the wall, ensure that you can locate studs in the wall where you would like to install your TV mount.Before drilling the first screw to mount the television, check to ensure there are not any external light sources, both day and night, which may create a glare. Have someone hold up the monitor as you take a step back and assess the monitor’s viewability from various angles and lighting potentials.Also, note the general design of the area where you will be placing your digital signage. You will want your monitor on a blank wall with minimal visual distraction. The main focus is your content on the display screen, so get rid of any excess stimulation, including photographs and paintings.Before installation, consider how you will run the cords to your digital signage monitor and how you will keep them discreet. This process will be much simpler if you can locate your TV near power outlets and Wi-Fi router boxes. If this just is not possible, consider using cable tubing or running the wires behind your walls.If you want surround-sound or a more powerful sound system, you will again want to think about both the cords you will need to run along the walls and where you would like your speakers to be placed throughout the space.If you want your digital signage to be a more immersive experience, consider installing a sound system. When appropriate, music will further engage your audience, and hardwired television speakers typically have poor sound quality.The best digital signage software, in my opinion, is SignPresenter – hands down. Unless you're running over 50 screens, SignPresenter is the way to go.Sign Presenter digital signage software was built to run on Amazon Firesticks (now Chromecast too), and it's my recommendation for most organizations that want to use digital signage. It's powerful, simple, and flexible even though it's cheaper than just about every other option.Beyond the cost of the firesticks themselves, you'll want to sign up for a subscription to&nbsp;Sign Presenter&nbsp;and a license for each TV that is very affordable at $10/screen per month. With that, you get tons of features and a lot of flexibility, including:If your business needs more than 50 screens, you may look to these other alternatives. If not, Sign Presenter is probably your best bet.There are also media players explicitly made for digital signage, but that's almost always more expensive than SignPresenter.Whether installing five TVs, or fifty, make sure that you standardize your equipment. You will want to use the same devices for all display systems; this includes the TV itself and all of the connecting cables.If you need to hook up multiple monitors to display your digital signage, just get multiple Firesticks, and SignPresenter will manage it all. If you want multiple TVs that are near each other to show the exact same thing at the same time, you can consider HDMI splitters and just one Firestick.To use an HDMI splitter for a media streaming device such as the Amazon Firestick, plug the device into the input for the HDMI splitter and both monitors into the output ports.Note that more TVs equal more cords. If your monitors are spaced farther apart, make sure you have a game plan for how to keep them hidden away. Having a messy array of black cords will appear unprofessional and cheap.Providers such as SignPresenter give you a wide range of options to configure your digital signage display screen. These providers know that the goal is to attract and maintain your audience’s attention. Thus, they provide a wide array of varied stimuli.Here are some examples of possible media you can display through providers such as SignPresenter:SignPresenter also uses a straightforward image designer, allowing you to change font types, colors, and sizes, along with overlaid images and animations. They also offer excellent customer service support, allowing you to call and get answers to your questions straight away.In addition to the many different media you can display, you will want your images to be visually pleasing while reflecting your company’s mission.Think about your audience and the message you would like to convey. With digital design, you can go many different routes: professional, fun, educational, artistic, and edgy. Choose a theme and stick with it throughout your digital signage designs to create a cohesive visual experience.Keeping your theme in mind, choose a relevant focal point for each slide. It can be an image, logo, word, or phrase. Make sure to balance the design out with cohesive elements. When designing multiple slides, make sure your font design, size, and colors are optimized for legibility and stay consistent throughout your presentation.Along with various media, use different template designs while staying consistent with colors and fonts. All the while, remember that less is usually more. Opt for simple, sleek designs. These can still be fun and interactive but not too overly stimulating.While consistency and simplicity are key for efficiency and digestibility, you will want to take extra steps to grab your audience’s attention. Think about how you can include the following:Know that you do not need to be a design major to make a visually appealing and mission-focused display; however, it is possible to hire graphic designers for the task. More important than any other factor is making sure you have a focused and clear mission that can be easily translated into text and images.If you are using images found on Google or from online content design websites such as Canva, make sure to brush up on copyright laws. Luckily, there are plenty of free graphic designs out there that can be used for commercial use.Music is one of the best ways to attract viewers to your display. By engaging another of the five senses, especially one as emotionally charged as music, you will leave a greater lasting impression.Here is why music is a good idea for digital signage:While slides featuring text, images, and animations can be intriguing, humans are most drawn to stories. Narratives are more quickly and effectively conveyed through video, where you can overlay text and attach audio.Given the popularity of TikTok, you will want to keep your content upbeat, straightforward, and visually pleasing. To do this, consider the following points:Your display will be a lot larger and with a much higher quality threshold than the standard smartphone. So, you should think about using professional video editing software such as iMovie or Adobe Premiere Pro, especially if your video is going to run longer.It is now clear why you should incorporate music, so it is time to get into the “how.” So first, contemplate how your chosen music will work cohesively with your brand’s persona. Think of the kind of music you would want to listen to if placed on hold for your product or service.Ultimately, the better matched your music is to your brand, the greater your likelihood of making a sale and being remembered. You have the option to experiment with different sound systems, music genres, and audio clips. Using a digital signage provider will make these trials and errors simple to navigate. Personally, I like to run music and audio separate from digital signage – through our build-in speakers in the ceiling.The final and most exciting stage to set up your TV’s digital signage is putting the final product on display. Before going live, allow time for you or someone else to view the presentation from your audience’s perspective.While this step-by-step article tries to weed out any potential errors from the get-go, there are a handful of blemishes that are better worked out once the finished presentation is on the monitor.Sounds, speed, and lighting are huge parts of making sure your TV has properly transformed into the digital signage of your dreams. Think about these things to make sure you have everything where it needs to be:While your slideshow may look great on your computer monitor, these smaller displays do not always seamlessly transfer to the big screen.Check to make sure none of your slides are warped or cut off by the screen. This framing issue might be due to the configuration of your TV settings. Go in and edit the width and height to ensure no images are stretched and no text is falling off-screen.While watching through your digital signage presentation on the big screen, look for any glitches or sound mismatches. These disruptions could be a sign that your Wi-Fi network is struggling to maintain a steady connection. If the monitor becomes fuzzy, check all cords, making sure they are all securely attached.It is in your best interest to set a budget towards the beginning of the project. Designating a set amount of money to the project will ensure that you do not initially purchase an expensive 4K TV, only to then run out of funds when you end up needing to buy a more costly Wi-Fi router down the line to stream your content.Following this train of thought, you will want to standardize your hardware across the board, a task more efficiently accomplished with a budget in mind. Also, consider assigning someone the role of managing and continually updating your digital signage display. This ensures that content and hardware remain consistent and organized.It may be helpful to keep track of how you went about installing your digital signage display. Note down the TV model, the media streaming device, and the digital signage provider you selected.While setting up your digital signage can seem like a monumental task when trying to decide between the many options available for installation, digital signage companies make this step-by-step process much simpler. If you want a more straightforward route, opt for a company such as SignPresenter, and your work is already halfway done.DigitalSignageHub.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.DigitalSignageHub.org also participates in affiliate programs with other sites. Any Affiliate links included in any content may result in commission or compensation for DigitalSignageHub.org at no additional cost to you whatsoever.

by | | General, ImplementationThis post contains affiliate links.The world today demands visual intrigue to attract consumers. No one likes to stand in line or sit in a waiting room without some sort of entertainment, hence the age-old custom of dentist lobby magazine racks. Digital signage is one great way to make your brand or business more memorable in the 21st century.There are many ways to go about setting up your TV monitor for digital signage, some more simple than others. Of course, the more professional and clean your signage, the more your audience will trust your service, and the...

How to Turn a TV Into Digital Signage: 5 Steps

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