Digital signage media players
Digital Signage Media Players
Android or PC-based media players that connect to a compatible display over HDMI, with Wi-Fi and mobile-data options. Software is scoped separately.
Components & accessories
Digital signage media players for the screens you already have
Compact Android and PC-based players that connect to a display over HDMI, with Wi-Fi and mobile network options.
A media player is the small box behind the screen that stores and plays your content. If you already own good displays, or you are using screens that only have an HDMI input, a player is what turns them into digital signage.
Digital Signage Media Players (view the range) are listed in Android and PC-based versions, in a compact aluminium casing, connecting to the display over HDMI. Processing options are listed from quad-core and octa-core Android units up to a choice of PC processors, and Wi-Fi and mobile network connectivity are listed. The exact processor, memory and storage are confirmed for your configuration.
Choose the player by the software it has to run. Scheduled images and video make modest demands, and an Android player is the usual answer. A Windows application, a web dashboard or demanding video calls for a PC-based player. The player is hardware: digital signage content management is scoped and quoted separately, and many of our displays are listed with a built-in platform and need no player at all.
Catalogue
Products in this category
Each product family covers several designs and sizes. Open a family to see its options and stated specifications, or add it to your enquiry and tell us what you need.
One product family in this category
Where they fit
Suitable applications
Typical uses for the products in this category, drawn from the catalogue. The configuration for your site is confirmed with your quotation.
Putting existing screens to work
Connect a player to a display you already own, over HDMI, and bring it into the same content schedule as your newer screens.
Displays with an HDMI input
Drive stretched, double-sided or showcase displays that are listed with an HDMI input, using a player you choose.
Menu boards across several screens
Example application: a player behind each menu screen, so each section of the menu can be updated independently.
Video wall sources
Provide the content source for an LCD video wall, feeding the wall's processor or controller over HDMI.
Windows applications on a big screen
Use a PC-based player where the screen has to run a Windows application, a browser-based dashboard or software from another supplier.
Choosing
How the options differ
The decisions that separate one option from another, and what each one depends on.
- Step 1
Separate player or built-in platform
A display with a built-in Android or Windows configuration is tidier: one device, one power lead. A separate player is the better choice when the screens are already installed, when the display only offers an HDMI input, or when you want to replace or upgrade the player without taking the screen down.
- Step 2
Android or PC-based
Android players suit scheduled signage: images, video and simple layouts. PC-based players suit Windows software, web applications and heavier content. Quad-core and octa-core Android options and a range of PC processors are listed. The supported platform version is confirmed with your quotation.
- Step 3
One player per screen or one source for several
The simplest arrangement is one player behind each screen, which is how the range is illustrated. Showing the same content on several screens from one source, or spreading one image across a video wall, needs additional distribution or processing equipment, which we assess with your project.
- Step 4
Wi-Fi, wired or mobile connection
Wi-Fi and mobile network options are listed. A wired connection is usually the most dependable where a network point is available. The mobile option suitable for UK networks, and whether a wired port is fitted, are confirmed for the selected player. Mobile data contracts are arranged separately.
Beyond the hardware
Software and solutions that go with these products
Software scoped around these products
Applications and management tools are designed and built per project, then quoted separately from the hardware.
- Digital signage CMSThe right content, on the right screens, at the right time. We scope and deliver content management for advertising displays, menu boards and video walls — media, playlists, schedules, layouts, screen groups, permissions and approvals — matched to your players, your network and your team.Read more
- Kiosk managementOnce kiosks and displays are in the field, someone has to know they are working, keep them up to date and control who can change them. We help you define those management requirements and scope a proportionate way to meet them for the size of your estate.Read more
- IntegrationsKiosks, displays and sales software are most useful when they share data with the systems you already run. We scope and build integrations with point-of-sale, payment, booking, CRM and stock systems through documented APIs and webhooks, subject to what each supplier allows.Read more
Solutions that use them
Hardware, software and services combined around a job you need done.
- Digital advertisingDigital advertising works when the screen suits its location and the content stays current. We help you choose displays for indoor, window-facing and outdoor positions, and scope how content is scheduled and who updates it.Read more
- Restaurant workflowJoin the cashier station, ordering kiosk, kitchen and collection screen into one order flow. Start from three illustrative configurations, then agree how orders are routed, printed, paid for and collected in your restaurant.Read more
Questions
Digital signage media players: frequently asked questions
Do I need a media player if my display already runs Android?
Usually not. A display with a built-in Android or Windows configuration can run signage content without an external player. A separate player is useful when the display has no built-in platform, when the built-in platform cannot run the software you need, or when you want all your screens, old and new, to use the same player.
Will a media player work with a screen I already own?
If the screen has an HDMI input, it should accept the signal. Check the details before ordering: the screen's native resolution, whether it will be used in portrait, whether it switches on and to the right input by itself after a power cut, and whether it is intended for the hours you plan to run it. Tell us the make and model and we will flag any concerns.
Is content management software included with the player?
No. The player is hardware with an Android or PC platform. Content management is scoped and quoted separately, around the number of screens, who updates them and how content is scheduled. If you already use a content management system, tell us which, so its player requirements can be checked against the configuration. See digital signage content management.
Should I choose an Android or a PC-based player?
Decide by the software. For scheduled images and video, an Android player is generally sufficient. If the screen has to run a Windows application, a complex web page or demanding video, choose a PC-based player. If you are not sure what your content management or application needs, tell us what you want to show and we will recommend a configuration.
Can one player drive several screens?
The players are listed as connecting to a display over HDMI, and the basic arrangement is one player per screen. Duplicating that output to several screens, or splitting one image across a video wall, needs extra equipment such as a splitter or a video wall processor. We assess that with the rest of your project.
Tell us what you need
Describe what the screen needs to do and where it will go. We will recommend the right hardware and software and confirm the configuration in a written quotation.