Choosing the right screen for digital signage in the UK

The Screenli platform runs on a small mini PC that we supply with each subscription. The mini PC handles the kiosk software and the cached content, and it drives whatever screen you put it behind. The screen is the variable; the mini PC is the constant.

So the screen choice is really three choices: consumer TV, commercial display, or multi-panel video wall. Each is right somewhere; each is wrong somewhere else.

The five things to ask before buying

1. Will direct sunlight ever hit the screen during the day?
2. How many hours per day will the screen run?
3. How visible is the screen from a passing crowd or a long room?
4. How easy is it to access the screen for maintenance?
5. What is the warranty and what does it cover?

When a consumer TV is fine

• Indoor displays with no direct sunlight.
• Run-time under 10 hours a day, 5 days a week.
• Viewing distance under five metres.
• Reception screens, internal comms displays, back-of-house menu boards.

When you want a commercial display

• Anywhere a south or west-facing window is involved.
• Run-time over 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Anywhere a failed screen costs you sales the same day.
• Anywhere a 24/7 commercial warranty matters.

When a video wall makes sense

When the frontage is too wide for a single panel, or when the brand wants the cinematic weight of multiple panels driven as one. The mini PC drives multi-panel video walls just as comfortably as a single screen; the spec discussion shifts to bezel thickness, panel alignment and total brightness across the array.

Brightness matters more than resolution

For UK conditions, a 2,500 nit panel is comfortable in most window settings. A 3,500 nit panel is needed for south-facing windows in summer. A 700 nit consumer TV is fine for an indoor reception but will wash out completely against a sunlit window.

We can spec the lot on the consultation

We work with UK hardware partners who supply and install commercial displays alongside the mini PC. If you already have screens you want to keep using, the mini PC plugs into them by HDMI; you only need the partner conversation if you also need new hardware.