Menu boards in my store with a Nuc? Usb pc? Suggestions?

[Bladst]

I was not sure where specifically to post this.

 

I have a store that I would like to set up a two or three television menu set up. One with a static menu, one with a rotating menu, and one with ads I create on it. 

 

I wanted to see if this is something I could do with a NuC or a usb pc or even just a small micropc. I have can use a powerline adapter or wifi. I'd love to have it set up to run the two or three monitors and be able to update the images from a different pc. 

 

Does anyone have experience with this? Is there a program you would recommend?

 

I appreciate any help or if someone could lead me to a forum of something similar. I could not find anything in the search.

 

Thank you!

[butler1233]

I'd look at PiSignage - https://pisignage.com/

It supports setting up a server to manage them from. Running 3 screens off 1 PC is going to be awkward for most digital signage software anyway.

 

It comes with 3 free licenses, and sounds like it would cover what you want anyway. It has wifi integrated so all you'd need to do is power it, which if you're using actual TVs you can probably power it from a USB port on the TV.

 

[Drak3]

Having remodeled a few restuarants, Dominoes and Burger King being the two most recent, it wasn't uncommon for static menus to be still images on a thumb drive, and animated menus to be looping videos.

[Bladst]

On 3/10/2018 at 1:44 PM, Drak3 said:

Having remodeled a few restuarants, Dominoes and Burger King being the two most recent, it wasn't uncommon for static menus to be still images on a thumb drive, and animated menus to be looping videos.

I was thinking way too complicated. This is working great. Thank you.

 

 

[Drak3]

3 minutes ago, Bladst said:

I was thinking way too complicated. This is working great. Thank you.

 

 

No problem. Only drawbacks are multiple USB sticks and if you only have one per screen, updating menus with new items or removing items means temporarily losing a menu.

[vanished]

On 3/10/2018 at 2:44 PM, Drak3 said:

Having remodeled a few restuarants, Dominoes and Burger King being the two most recent, it wasn't uncommon for static menus to be still images on a thumb drive, and animated menus to be looping videos.

That makes a lot of sense actually.  Most if not all TVs have the ability to play back content like that built in, so this would definitely be the cheapest way, and you also avoid the embarrassing situation of having a BSoD, failed POST, or windows update screen shown to customers lol

 

9 minutes ago, Drak3 said:

No problem. Only drawbacks are multiple USB sticks and if you only have one per screen, updating menus with new items or removing items means temporarily losing a menu.

I think he should be able to afford 1 extra USB drive or there are bigger issues with the business than how to setup the menu

[Drak3]

Just now, Ryan_Vickers said:

That makes a lot of sense actually.  Most if not all TVs have the ability to play back content like that built in, so this would definitely be the cheapest way, and you also avoid the embarrassing situation of having a BSoD, failed POST, or windows update screen shown to customers lol

A Pi likely wouldn't have this issue.

But $35 per Pi or $8 per USB drive.

1 minute ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

I think he should be able to afford 1 extra USB drive or there are bigger issues with the business than how to setup the menu

More of an issue of losing track of the drives.

Or forgetting which ones are which.

[divito]

A Pi will go a little further if your content needs to be a little more dynamic, like an actual video playlist or using content from a website/server; it will also depend on the features of the TV itself. While most will have an option for displaying an image from USB, or even a slideshow for cycling through images, most old-ish models probably won't have the ability to showcase a video if you ever need or want such functionality.

I know some places that upgraded their TVs to Smart TVs, and simply made videos (menus would simply be a paused video "image") and put them on Youtube, and then used the TVs WiFi and Youtube app to display their marketing, rather than a separate box/infrastructure to try and deal with. This helped with their social media/advertising, as well as on-location. 

[Bladst]

19 hours ago, divito said:

A Pi will go a little further if your content needs to be a little more dynamic, like an actual video playlist or using content from a website/server; it will also depend on the features of the TV itself. While most will have an option for displaying an image from USB, or even a slideshow for cycling through images, most old-ish models probably won't have the ability to showcase a video if you ever need or want such functionality.

I know some places that upgraded their TVs to Smart TVs, and simply made videos (menus would simply be a paused video "image") and put them on Youtube, and then used the TVs WiFi and Youtube app to display their marketing, rather than a separate box/infrastructure to try and deal with. This helped with their social media/advertising, as well as on-location. 

I haven’t used a pi at all and am not familiar with what it can and cannot do. It would be nice to update from another pc but I wasn’t sure of what programs to use. 

[Donut417]

On 3/10/2018 at 4:44 PM, Drak3 said:

Having remodeled a few restuarants, Dominoes and Burger King being the two most recent, it wasn't uncommon for static menus to be still images on a thumb drive, and animated menus to be looping videos.

 

On 3/15/2018 at 10:28 PM, Bladst said:

I was thinking way too complicated. This is working great. Thank you.

 

 

Burger King Specifically uses a system from https://www.sicom.com/. They do the digital menu boards, POS and more. Basically when Burger King brings out a new sandwich, they can directly push out the marketing material automatically to all the stores who are participating. 

[AshleyAshes]

On 3/15/2018 at 10:43 PM, Ryan_Vickers said:

That makes a lot of sense actually.  Most if not all TVs have the ability to play back content like that built in, so this would definitely be the cheapest way, and you also avoid the embarrassing situation of having a BSoD, failed POST, or windows update screen shown to customers lol

My only question is, can you get those screens to auto play that content?  Though maybe that's a function in the 'Retail' mode that a lot of TVs have when they are on display in a retail electronics store.  Cause you'd want those TVs to 'just turn on and show the menu'.  If you shut down for for the night, had a blackout, or tripped a breaker, you don't want to have to find the remotes, navigate the menus and select the right image off the USB to get your signage going right.  You want a TV that'll basically just go to a thing the moment it turns on.

[Drak3]

18 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

 

Burger King Specifically uses a system from https://www.sicom.com/. They do the digital menu boards, POS and more. Basically when Burger King brings out a new sandwich, they can directly push out the marketing material automatically to all the stores who are participating. 

Not all of them.

[Donut417]

6 minutes ago, Drak3 said:

Not all of them.

To my understanding most of them were to convert. As thats what Corporate wanted. Because the Scicom POS allows corporate in the system to make sure Franchisee's are paying the percentage off of sales they are required to pay. 

[Drak3]

51 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

To my understanding most of them were to convert. As thats what Corporate wanted. Because the Scicom POS allows corporate in the system to make sure Franchisee's are paying the percentage off of sales they are required to pay. 

One in Kuna and one in Nampa certainly don't.