Which are the Best Digital Signage Media Players?

Media players for digital signage are the backbone of our signage networks. These media players manage, display, and stream the content viewed by millions daily, ensuring seamless playback for digital signage campaigns. Digital signage media player devices range from the highly affordable and user-friendly to the more secure, robust, and feature-rich options.

For business IT managers tasked with selecting the ideal media player for their organization’s digital signage, the decision is far from trivial. Beyond the cost, considerations of security, reliability, ease of management, and compatibility come into play.

So in this guide, we’ve picked out some of the most commonly used digital signage media players with the goal of explaining the benefits of each one of these hardware components - as well as any negative factors. So if you need to manage and display content on your digital signage, which media player is best for you?

ScreenCloud PIXI

One of the best value digital signage media players on the market, PIXI is custom designed for digital signage by ScreenCloud. Built on Android, PIXI offers super-fast setup, top tier tech specifications at this price point and enterprise grade security. At just 120 grams, PIXI is not the lightest on the list - but the slim form factor makes it easy to install and hide behind your screen.

The low price point makes this an excellent device for organizations looking for a budget-friendly entry into digital signage, for example healthcare, education or hospitality.

Despite the low cost, PIXI offers top tier functionality whether you're powering tv slideshows or projector digital signage, with enterprise grade features for a consumer price. Grab PIXI for $65 from ScreenCloud.

Find out more about the ScreenCloud PIXI media player

Amazon Signage Stick

The replacement for the popular Fire TV Stick, Amazon's Signage Stick is designed specifically for digital signage displays. Preloaded with digital signage CMS software including ScreenCloud, it's easy to plug and play and get setup in minutes.

With 4k streaming, bootloading straight to kiosk mode and end to end data encryption, plus more onboard storage for better caching - the Signage Stick is designed to be the go to for digital signage professionals.

At $99, it's also an affordable player although still only available in the US and North America, so not an option for rest of the world.
Find out more about Amazon Signage Stick.

ScreenCloud OS P1

For best in class display control, a made for purpose digital signage media player is what you need. ScreenCloud's own P1 controller is powered by ScreenCloud OS and is optimized for control, performance and security.

The P1 is a plug and play digital signage controller which comes pre-installed with ScreenCloud OS, meaning your network of screens can be up and running in minutes.

This also means you can power up and control your screens entirely remotely with auto power on. And because ScreenCloud OS is built for enterprise digital signage, the P1 can handle some of the most demanding displays such as video walls, DOOH or large distributed networks of screens. The P1 is also secure as standard, with SOC2 and SOC3 certification and regular updates.

While this is not the cheapest option, the P1 is comparable in price to media players such as the Chromebox. For large or complex digital signage networks, or situations where the highest grade of security is needed, the P1 has no equal.

Read more: ScreenCloud OS.

Google Chromecast

Our top pick of the affordable media players for digital signage, the Google Chromecast is versatile and powerful enough to handle pretty much everything you might need to do. It connects easily to your wifi network and you can download the ScreenCloud digital signage app directly to the device for better control.

You can also choose from the Chromecast HD (up to 1080px) or the Chromecast 4K, depending on your display requirements.

An advantage of Chromecast vs Firestick (for now at least) is that Chromecast does boot straight into your signage software on startup. No need to fiddle with splash screens and connecting to your software - which is a major advantage when handling multiple screens.

There are relatively few limitations with the Chromecast for the price point. You can pick up a Chromecast from around $99 .

Read our guide to Chromecast for digital signage.

Android Smart TVs

Incorporating the Android operating system, smart TVs eliminate the need for an external media player, streamlining the setup process. They support a wide array of apps and services straight out of the box - including the ScreenCloud app.

While this may sound convenient, the reliance on the TV’s built-in hardware can limit future upgrades or expansions. Moreover, the varying quality and specifications across brands and models can lead to inconsistent performance and user experience. There can also be problems with the screen timing out and remote management when managing multiple screens.

Need to know more about choosing the best TV for digital signage? Read our free ebook: Business TV Buyers Guide.

Xiaomi TV/Mi Box

Xiaomi’s entry into the smart TV market provides a budget-friendly option without sacrificing quality. In effect though, this is a Xiaomi branded Chromecast with additional smart TV features. However it is a powerful and versatile choice for managing your signage network.

You'll find several options under the Xiaomi media player range, including the Mi Box, the Mi TV stick HD and Mi TV stick 4K. The Mi Box is the more powerful solution, with the TV sticks being a solid alternative to the Firestick or Chromecast.

Like other Android-based smart TVs, Xiaomi offers a good range of apps and services and a relatively stable connection.

Read more: How to setup digital signage with Xiaomi Mi TV.

Chromebox

There is a wide selection of mini pcs based around the Chrome OS under the Chromebox banner. These compact computers pack a lot of technology into a small box to provide a secure and manageable platform for digital signage.

Many of the biggest names in the world of PCs make a Chromebox, including Dell, Asus, HP, Lenovo - and countless other smaller knock-off brands. (view Chromebox on Amazon)

Prices range from under $50 to over $500, with a fairly broad median price around the $150-200 range.

The benefits of using a Chromebox are that it supports a wide range of applications and services through the Chrome Web Store and is easy to integrate into existing IT infrastructures, especially those already using Google services.

This also means you can stream more demanding content, and even add in your own security solutions or connect more devices. This can make the Chromebox a great option for displays such as video walls or interactive kiosks, for example.

While the Chromebox combines simplicity with the capabilities or more complex deployments it does come at a higher price point than some other options.

Mac Mini OS

For those who prefer to use the Apple ecosystem, the range of Mac Mini PCs are perfect for powering high end digital signage displays. This is a powerful option, with the same technology under the hood as a top-spec Macbook, but for more than half the price.

Of course, you also have excellent connectivity and performance, as you'd expect from Apple. Whats more, you can power up to three screens using your Mac Mini as a media player.

Apple has a reputation for better security vs the alternatives, but you still need to be sure you protect your network with adequate security.

While a Mac Mini makes a great controller and digital signage media player, it's obviously not the cheapest option. Expect to pay at least $500 for a refurbished Mac Mini, with some of the newer devices costing way north of $1000.

Read more: Mac Mini for digital signage.

Raspberry Pi

A powerful and versatile micro-computer, the Raspberry Pi is one of the many mini pcs that offer a fantastic balance between price and performance for DIY enthusiasts or businesses on a budget. It supports various operating systems and digital signage software, providing flexibility in deployment.

The best options are anything from Raspberry Pi 3 to 5, which offer better compatibility and ease of use.

However, it requires a bit more technical know-how to set up and manage, making it less ideal for those seeking a plug-and-play solution. The Raspberry Pi is also not a particularly secure device, with little in the way of security beyond the software in use.

While the Raspberry Pi is a great hobby device and is popular with some digital signage providers, at ScreenCloud we don't currently support Raspberry Pi as a player for our software.

But, if you're looking for a powerful, customizable and affordable way to power your signage - and you're happy to get stuck in with the tech, then Raspberry Pi is a great option.

Visit Raspberry Pi for more information.

Can you use Amazon Fire TV Stick for digital signage?

The Amazon Fire Stick has been the go to for many small businesses setting up their digital signage networks over the years. This compact, plug-and-play device was popular for its ease of setup and affordability, much like the Google Chromecast.

However, we no longer recommend the Amazon Fire TV Stick for digital signage due to some recent changes. A recent update by Amazon means that you're now routinely presented with the Amazon splash screen on activiation making the Fire Stick a fiddly and inefficient media player - with Amazon instead pushing their Signage Stick.

With that being said, if you have a Fire Stick to hand and you just want to stream content on one screen then yes, it can work. But if you're starting from scratch and you plan to scale, we highly recommend using another media player.

Read our guide to Firestick for digital signage.

Can you use USB sticks for digital aignage

Possibly the simplest form of digital signage players, a standard USB pen drive can be used with displays that support USB media playback. This low-cost solution is straightforward but lacks the dynamic content management and scheduling capabilities of more sophisticated media players.

It’s a viable option for extremely basic or static display requirements. But if you're looking for digital signs with more oomph, or you plan to update regularly, this won't be your best digital signage player choice.

Many free digital signage software also works by downloading programs onto a USB pen drive, so in some cases this might be one of the only options.

This is obviously one of the more fiddly ways of creating digital signage, but fine if you plan to set and leave. Be careful with USB sticks also as they can be a security risk, for various reasons.

If you're looking to create low cost digital signage, read our guide: How to build cheap digital signage.

Other Proprietary Digital Signage Media Players

Many other digital signage software providers will also supply their own branded media players. Some of these are based on Chrome or Windows, others are based on Raspberry Pi.

In many cases, these are simply rebranded media players, sourced from the same Chinese factories but with a different shell. And beyond the cosmetic differences they will also come pre-installed with the proprietary software for the company in question.

Whichever digital signage system you use, you should be able to use any of the devices on this list, or the digital signage players provided by the service providers.

Some might make bold claims that their Raspberry Pi media players are made in the UK. However the components are 100% sourced from China with the units simply being assembled and with the software added in the UK.

ScreenCloud are one of the only digital signage software companies to offer our own operating system and unique hardware. This makes for a more secure network as well as better control of your signage content.

Choosing the best digital signage solution

Your choice of digital signage player is only as effective as the software that is powering it. And while there are many great digital signage solutions out there, ScreenCloud is the choice of enterprise customers from around the world for good reason.

As well as our best in class software dashboard, nearly limitless software integrations and ease of use, our P1 digital signage player is one of the best hardware options available.

Find out why over 10,000 customers trust ScreenCloud to power their digital signage.

Sign up for a 14 day free trial, or schedule a demo to find out more.