Stand-alone digital signage

Stand-Alone Digital Signage consists of LCD displays with integrated media players, or ad players that run on flash memory cards. They are the most cost-effective method of providing digital signage. With sizes ranging from 7 inches to 82 inches, these ad players can be easily integrated into a point of purchase display, mounted to a rack or wall, or hung from the ceiling. All content is loaded onto a flash memory card that is easily installed in the ad player.

Advantages

A few benefits of stand-alone players include ease of use, reliability, and security. Technology advances that allowed integration of a media player into an LCD chassis have provided products that are inexpensive and simple to use. Load images and videos onto a memory card, put the card in the player, and plug it in. That’s it. No external computer, DVD player, or media player is required. Stand-alone digital signage is extremely reliable because there are no moving parts to fail. All content is played from a flash memory card (think digital camera). Most manufactures make their devices secure with a security door that is locked or screwed shut, so store clerks, shoppers, or children cannot change settings or unplug the sign.

Additional benefits include interactivity and a much lower cost for setup and maintenance. With stand alone units it is very easy to add push-buttons or touch screen interaction and place the displays on or above shelves. This allows customers to get some quick information to make a purchase decision without feeling like they are being “sold” by a clerk. Also, the cost of stand-alone digital signage has dropped drastically in the last year, so adding video interaction can be less than half of what it cost in 2008. No network to set up, no software to purchase, and no hard drives or DVD players to fail. Choosing stand-alone solutions over networked solutions can save $3,000 to $5,000 per screen when you compare the total cost of implementation. Updating the message is as easy as loading a new memory card in each sign.

Advantages

Ease of use - install flash memory and plug in
Reliability - no moving parts to fail
Security - memory card, controls and power connection locked
Interactivity - buttons or touch screen to walk customers through purchase decisions
Inexpensive - no computer, DVD, or network required, so setup costs remain low

Disadvantages

Disadvantages of stand-alone digital signage surface when remote access is required for management and content change. A stand-alone solution may not be the best choice if there are to be 100's or 1,000's of screens displaying content. For example, if a huge retailer wants digital signage in 500 stores in 50 different states, with the ability to instantly change the content, a networked solution is the right choice. Network infrastructure adds a high level of complexity. See [(Digital Signage)] for details on networking infrastructure.

For larger screens that must be mounted high on a wall or from a ceiling, access can be an issue. It is easy for a company representative to swap out a memory card on a display mounted to a shelf, but not so easy if that screen is 20 feet in the air.

Disadvantages

Remote management
Content updating

Other Considerations

Cost reductions in LCD screens have driven the prices down on screens over the last several years, and that trend is likely to continue.^{Digitalsignagetoday.com} To offer an even more attractive price point, some companies are offering stripped digital picture frames as digital signage. Digital picture frames have screens designed for personal use, plastic frames, and exposed controls. Beware of installing these players in POP Displays because their duty life is substantially shorter than industrial quality digital signage. Digital picture frames can suffer from stolen memory cards, screen burn-in, and disconnection by store clerks.

Content, in the context of digital signage, is the name used to describe anything designed and displayed on screens. Content can be anything, including text, images, animations, video, audio, and interactivity. It has frequently been argued that digital signage relies on good content if it is to work effectively. Although the display technology has proven itself in increasing sales, it is often the content that fails because marketers have not adapted their thinking to produce appropriate and engaging content.

Content design (much like the design for static signage) is typically done through a specialist agency or in-house. While there are a great number of different software solutions available, the most popular are made for the specific purpose of digital signage. In many digital signage applications, content must be regularly updated to ensure that the correct messages are being displayed. This can either be done manually as and when needed, through a scheduling system, or by linking in with an outside feed in a networked solution.

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