Digital signage player hardware you can buy today

What to look for in a signage player

Any box that runs the app will play content. These points decide whether it keeps doing so unattended for years.

• Android version. Newer is better for web dashboards and video codecs. Android 9 or later is a sensible floor for new purchases.
• Memory. 2 GB of RAM or more. Layouts with video, a web dashboard and a ticker in one screen need the headroom.
• Resolution. 1080p is enough for most signage. Buy a 4K-capable box only if the display and the content are 4K.
• Wired Ethernet. A cable is more reliable than Wi-Fi behind a metal-backed display or in a busy building.
• HDMI-CEC. Lets the box turn the TV off outside display hours and wake it again. CEC has to be switched on in both the TV and the box settings.
• Device admin support. Needed for kiosk mode, silent updates, remote reboot and putting the box to sleep. Some consumer boxes leave this out.
• Power resume. The box should start again by itself when power comes back after an outage, without anyone pressing a button.

For boxes, platform families matter more than brand: a mainstream Android TV or Google TV device, or a well-supported Amlogic-based Android box, is a safe starting point. Buy one, test it with your real content, then order the rest.

Minimum and recommended

A box at the minimum will play images, text layouts and playlists. The recommended setup is what we suggest for lobbies, menu boards and anywhere a blank screen would be noticed.

How pairing works

1. Install the CompleteVantage app on the box, or open the player page in a browser.
2. The screen shows a six-character pairing code.
3. In the admin, add a screen and type the code. Name it, pick its group and time zone.
4. The screen downloads its content, caches it and starts playing.

Each screen gets its own device token. The server stores only a hash of that token, and a paired device cannot be taken over by someone re-registering it. More on this on the security page.

Device-owner mode: when to use it

On Android boxes that support it, the app can be made the device owner. This is set once, over adb, on a box with no accounts on it. After that:

• App updates install silently, inside the install window you choose.
• "Reboot device" works from the admin.
• The app becomes the home screen and is pinned on screen, so passers-by cannot leave it.
• The box sets its own clock to the screen's time zone, so web dashboards show the right local time.

The trade-off: removing device-owner mode needs a factory reset. Without it, the app still plays, but Android shows an "Update?" prompt on the TV for each app update, and after a reboot some boxes need the app opened once unless it is set as the home app or the display's startup app.

Samsung, LG and other smart TVs

There is no native Samsung Tizen or LG webOS app. The browser player may work in some of these TVs' built-in browsers, depending on the engine and the model, so test it on the exact TV first. For a dependable result, plug an Android box or a small PC into the HDMI port and let the TV be a display. Contact us if you want a second opinion before buying.