Here at Play Digital Signage, we want you to have as many options as possible. That’s why we support almost any hardware for your digital signage. The only thing left to do is find a player that fits your needs.
Scroll down to see the players that we have tested and rated.
Entry-level Players
Cost-effective digital signage players perfect for getting started.
If you are a manufacturer or if you are importing specific hardware for digital signage we haven’t tested, we’d love to hear from you. Click below if you’re interested in having your media player tested, rated, and listed on playsignage.com.
We have created a rating system based on the question you want to know most: How will this player hold up to my content needs? For each player, we tested it using our content-focused method and answered this question for you using a scale of 1-100.
On Find a player you find players we've tested and rated through time and on this page we give you insight on how we test and rate the player.
What do we test?
We put the player through the 13 different content tests listed below to see which player would be the best for you.
150+ Slides
This test a playlist consisting of 150 or more slides that all include non-4K mages with a duration of 5 seconds per slide and no transition.
Instead of having HD video as the main content, this tests our software graphic rendering by having the HD video playing in the background of several slides.
4K Video contains multiple 4K video in different durations separated by slides giving the player opportunity to cache the video before the slide starts.
Level 1 Playlist contains random content such as slides with png, shapes, images, clock, weather and youtube. The slides does not have transitions and there are no animations.
Level 2 Playlist contains random content such as slides with png, shapes, images, clock, weather, youtube and several social media plugins. All slides have random transitions. There are no animations.
Level 3 Playlist is build for advanced players running an HD video in the background and a playlist-in-playlist (Also known as a zone) containing multiple slides with transparent background. Slides include clock, weather, images and several social media plugins. All slides have transitions.
Level 1 Zone Playlist contains of few slides where the main slide has an image as background and one zone on top running several plugins such as the clock, weather, video and images. All slides in the zone has transitions.
Level 2 Zone Playlist contains of few slides with transitions and where the main slide has an image as background and two zones on top running several plugins such as the clock, weather, video, ticker, video and images. All slides in the zone has transitions.
Level 3 Zone Playlist contains of few slides with transitions and where the main slide has an image as background and three zones on top running several plugins such as the clock, weather, video, ticker, video and images. All slides in the zone has transitions. One zone also has element animations.
This test a playlist consisting of 150 or more slides that all include non-4K mages with a duration of 5 seconds per slide and no transition.
Transitions
Transitions contain several slides with shapes and text running different transitions.
Animations
Animations contain multiple types of element animations, including animation of text, shapes, png, images etc.
Ticker
Ticker contains a couple of slides, one with a simple one line ticker and a slide with multiple tickers running at different speeds.
HD Video
The HD video tests the player's native graphic rendering by playing multiple slides with HD video as the primary content.
HD Video Background
Instead of having HD video as the main content, this tests our software graphic rendering by having the HD video playing in the background of several slides.
4K Video
4K Video contains multiple 4K video in different durations separated by slides giving the player opportunity to cache the video before the slide starts.
Level 1 Playlist
Level 1 Playlist contains random content such as slides with png, shapes, images, clock, weather and youtube. The slides does not have transitions and there are no animations.
Level 2 Playlist
Level 2 Playlist contains random content such as slides with png, shapes, images, clock, weather, youtube and several social media plugins. All slides have random transitions. There are no animations.
Level 3 Playlist
Level 3 Playlist is build for advanced players running an HD video in the background and a playlist-in-playlist (Also known as a zone) containing multiple slides with transparent background. Slides include clock, weather, images and several social media plugins. All slides have transitions.
Level 1 Zoned Playlist
Level 1 Zone Playlist contains of few slides where the main slide has an image as background and one zone on top running several plugins such as the clock, weather, video and images. All slides in the zone has transitions.
Level 2 Zoned Playlist
Level 2 Zone Playlist contains of few slides with transitions and where the main slide has an image as background and two zones on top running several plugins such as the clock, weather, video, ticker, video and images. All slides in the zone has transitions.
Level 3 Zoned Playlist
Level 3 Zone Playlist contains of few slides with transitions and where the main slide has an image as background and three zones on top running several plugins such as the clock, weather, video, ticker, video and images. All slides in the zone has transitions. One zone also has element animations.
Calculating The Score You See.
Calculating the score for each player is based on how well it passes the tests above.Players are rated 0 if the test was not passed or if the graphic stutter. In addition to their points for passing the tests, we also include points for IP rating, WIFI, Ethernet, and other parameters that define a digital signage player.
Raspberry PI 4 is a great starter player for digital signage. It comes in at a reasonable $100 price point and comes with good performance for the price. Raspberry PI 4 takes very little power to run and is consistent. With 8GB RAM, it is perfect for playlists that have video-heavy content or anything that needs more memory like embedded websites. However, on the downside, it runs with Linux which gives it poor driver support making it difficult to perform well with animations, transitions, and tickers.
Slide transition effects (?) Element animations (?) Ticker support (?) Script injection (?) Screenshot (?) Touch support (?) HD Video 4K Video Simple level playlist Advanced level playlist Zones (One zone) (?) Zones (Multiple zones) (?) Ethernet WIFI Fan-less
The Amazon FireTV Stick 4K works great with most basic content such as text, images, video, and plug-ins. However, it fails many dynamic content tests such as transitions, animations, and advanced playlists.
Slide transition effects (?) Element animations (?) Ticker support (?) Script injection (?) Screenshot (?) Touch support (?) HD Video 4K Video Simple level playlist Advanced level playlist Zones (One zone) (?) Zones (Multiple zones) (?) Ethernet WIFI Fan-less
This versatile Android Touch Screen system empowers users with easy, direct interaction with your content. A high-resolution display with crystal clear video output and vibrant colors, smooth and accurate response, creates an easy interactive user-experience.
In most cases, these units seem to be very underpowered. In this case, we found that the screen quality and the hardware resources were impressive. The all-in-one touchscreen is still rated as an entry-level media player, but it does have features that some of the higher-end players would have such as WIFI and internet cable support, WIFI, and an industrial-grade cabinet to store all control and wires.
The all-in-one touchscreen performed well when running content like images, video, text, plugins like weather, RSS, stream, and social media, but it failed tests with dynamic content like slide transitions, animations, and advanced playlists and playlists with zones.
Slide transition effects (?) Element animations (?) Ticker support (?) Script injection (?) Screenshot (?) Touch support (?) HD Video 4K Video Simple level playlist Advanced level playlist Zones (One zone) (?) Zones (Multiple zones) (?) Ethernet WIFI Fan-less
The Android HDMI Stick is not as powerful as the Amazon FireTV Stick 4K, but it’s very close. The stick consumes very little power and is easy to set up just like the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
The Android HDMI Stick is an entry-level media player that will work great with most content such as images, video, text, plugins like weather, RSS, stream, and social media.
The media player fails on dynamic content like animations, ticker and advanced playlists, and playlists with zones. The Android HDMI Stick can support HD video and 4K video, but the 4K video tests did not run smoothly.
Slide transition effects (?) Element animations (?) Ticker support (?) Script injection (?) Screenshot (?) Touch support (?) HD Video 4K Video Simple level playlist Advanced level playlist Zones (One zone) (?) Zones (Multiple zones) (?) Ethernet WIFI Fan-less
Brand: Techland Associates, Inc. Model: Android HDMI PC Stick
The newest product from Amazon is their 3rd Generation Amazon FireTV Stick. This media player is not as powerful as the 2nd generation 4K model, since it doesn’t have as much storage capabilities and it does not support 4K. However, like the other Amazon Fire TV Sticks, the 3rd generation model requires very little power, has an easy set-up, and requires little to no maintenance.
The Amazon FireTV Stick is an entry-level media player that will work great with most basic content such as images, text, plugins like weather, RSS, stream, social media, and even HD video without additional elements. However, the media player fails on dynamic content like slide animations, and advanced playlists, and playlists with zones.
Slide transition effects (?) Element animations (?) Ticker support (?) Script injection (?) Screenshot (?) Touch support (?) HD Video 4K Video Simple level playlist Advanced level playlist Zones (One zone) (?) Zones (Multiple zones) (?) Ethernet WIFI Fan-less
This Amazon Fire TV Stick is the LITE version of the 3rd Generation Fire TV Stick. It is identical to the regular stick except it does not support Dolby Surround and it does not have the ability to remote control the TV. The LITE version also has easy set-up, is low maintenance, and requires little power.
Like the 3rd Generation Fire TV Stick, the LITE version will only support basic content such as images, text, plug-ins, and HD video with no added elements on top. However, this player fails dynamic content testing such as with animations and advanced playlists.
Warning! The FireTV Stick Lite does not yet support launch on startup.
Slide transition effects (?) Element animations (?) Ticker support (?) Script injection (?) Screenshot (?) Touch support (?) HD Video 4K Video Simple level playlist Advanced level playlist Zones (One zone) (?) Zones (Multiple zones) (?) Ethernet WIFI Fan-less
Brand: Amazon Model: FireTV Stick LITE (3rd. Gen) AFTSS
Zidoo X9S is an advanced TV box also suitable for entry-level digital signage. It was forest introduced in t2016, so it is older hardware, but what sets it apart is its connectivity. The Zidoo X9S supports HDMI In and HDMI Out as well as USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Gigabit network, Optical SPDIF, Composite Audio, and dual-band WIFI. There are a lot of connectivity options!
Zidoo X9S runs simple content as images, video, text, plugins like weather, RSS, stream, social media, etc. The media player fails on dynamic content like transitions, animations, ticker and advanced playlists, and playlists with zones.
Zidoo does support HD video without added elements. Be aware the media player does support 4K, but during testing the 4K video did not run smoothly.
Slide transition effects (?) Element animations (?) Ticker support (?) Script injection (?) Screenshot (?) Touch support (?) HD Video 4K Video Simple level playlist Advanced level playlist Zones (One zone) (?) Zones (Multiple zones) (?) Ethernet WIFI Fan-less
Mi TV Stick is powered by Android TV 9.0. It is a cost-effective entry-level player. The Mi TV Stick will support basic content such as HD video, images, text, and some plug-ins. However, it is not powerful enough to run dynamic content such as transitions, animations, or advanced playlists.
Slide transition effects (?) Element animations (?) Ticker support (?) Script injection (?) Screenshot (?) Touch support (?) HD Video 4K Video Simple level playlist Advanced level playlist Zones (One zone) (?) Zones (Multiple zones) (?) Ethernet WIFI Fan-less
Brand: Xiaomi Model: Mi TV Stick with Voice Remote
We support native Apple OSX. Though we tested using the Macbook Pro, you can use any of Apple’s computers that run their OSX. The Macbook and Macbook Pro are on the more expensive side when it comes to players, but there is no content test that it doesn’t pass. Whether you have more basic content or dynamic content, this media player can keep up.
Slide transition effects (?) Element animations (?) Ticker support (?) Script injection (?) Screenshot (?) Touch support (?) HD Video 4K Video Simple level playlist Advanced level playlist Zones (One zone) (?) Zones (Multiple zones) (?) Ethernet WIFI Fan-less
The Intel NUC media player is a mini PC with the same power and resources as a modern PC or laptop. The Intel NUC runs on multiple operating systems, but for the test, we used a Windows 10 OS. The great thing about buying a media player like this one is unlimited power and possibilities. It will run anything you throw at it. Advanced animations, 4K video, transitions, multiple zones, and other heavy content will be smooth. This one is a great pick of a player.
Slide transition effects (?) Element animations (?) Ticker support (?) Script injection (?) Screenshot (?) Touch support (?) HD Video 4K Video Simple level playlist Advanced level playlist Zones (One zone) (?) Zones (Multiple zones) (?) Ethernet WIFI Fan-less
You can use any form of PC, MiniPC, or Laptop, that is running Windows OS as a digital signage media player. In this test, we used a Dell Latitude Laptop (scroll to see specifications). It passed all of our tests except the 4K video, though keep in mind the performance is 100% based on the hardware.
Slide transition effects (?) Element animations (?) Ticker support (?) Script injection (?) Screenshot (?) Touch support (?) HD Video 4K Video Simple level playlist Advanced level playlist Zones (One zone) (?) Zones (Multiple zones) (?) Ethernet WIFI Fan-less
Brand: Microsoft (OS) & Dell (Hardware) Model: Latitude E7450
We’ve been waiting for this for some time now. There is finally a Google Chromecast with local storage suitable for digital signage.
Testing this media player was fun because the hardware and operating system kept up pretty well. It is also super user-friendly and pulls off most content except element animations, advanced playlists, and advanced zones. However, for the price-point, it is a great option for your digital signage.
WARNING! Due to security measures from Google, you will NOT be able to auto-launch the Chromecast with Google TV.
Slide transition effects (?) Element animations (?) Ticker support (?) Script injection (?) Screenshot (?) Touch support (?) HD Video 4K Video Simple level playlist Advanced level playlist Zones (One zone) (?) Zones (Multiple zones) (?) Ethernet WIFI Fan-less
Brand: Google Model: ChromeCast with Google TV
Specifications
Android TV 10 OS, 1.9 ghz., Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A55 CPU, 2GB ram, 8GB internal storage, Mali G31 MP2 GPU.
This 10” Android Tablet delivers reliability, responsive touch, and clear HD display designed to survive the rigors of continuous public use for in-store interaction, self-service, corporate, and hospitality environments. It is a great solution for featuring products and services in retail, restaurant, education, among many other possible usages.
This device can be utilized in a number of different applications without sacrificing performance and quality. However, keep in mind that it does not support 4K video, element animations, advanced playlists, or zones.
Slide transition effects (?) Element animations (?) Ticker support (?) Script injection (?) Screenshot (?) Touch support (?) HD Video 4K Video Simple level playlist Advanced level playlist Zones (One zone) (?) Zones (Multiple zones) (?) Ethernet WIFI Fan-less
Brand: Techland Associates, Inc. Model: MW-10T 10”
The Rikomagic DS02 has an Android operating system and supports 4G, Wifi, and rotation. It also has a metal case. The Rikomagic can keep up with most content. However, it failed tests with 4K video, element animations, advanced level playlists, and zones. This media player is a solid mid-level choice.
Slide transition effects (?) Element animations (?) Ticker support (?) Script injection (?) Screenshot (?) Touch support (?) HD Video 4K Video Simple level playlist Advanced level playlist Zones (One zone) (?) Zones (Multiple zones) (?) Ethernet WIFI Fan-less
Nvidia is known to many for having been a market leader for hardware in the gaming industry for years and years, but they have become much more and they are becoming more visible in other industries and this piece of hardware is a great example.
This media player is not much bigger than a FireTV and it’s gorgeous. We didn’t think it would perform much better than other media players in the same category, but it is strong! This media player will play most of your content. Compared to similar players it will run zones, animations, ticker, and so forth pretty smooth. The only thing you can’t do is an advanced playlist and zones.
WARNING! Due to security measures from Google, you will NOT be able to auto-launch the Nvidia SHIELD Android TV 4K.
Slide transition effects (?) Element animations (?) Ticker support (?) Script injection (?) Screenshot (?) Touch support (?) HD Video 4K Video Simple level playlist Advanced level playlist Zones (One zone) (?) Zones (Multiple zones) (?) Ethernet WIFI Fan-less
Samsung’s line of Tizen based smart TVs is growing every year. These SmartTVs are commonly known as TVs built for digital signage and where the player is built-in to the TV itself. This means you only need the TV and no additional hardware.
The TVs are great for most content for digital signage, but as the hardware isn’t the strongest you should not build content based on multiple zones and/or animations.
We don’t recommend positioning more than 1 video on a slide at given time as overlapping videos can cause the videos to render incorrectly.
Slide transition effects (?) Element animations (?) Ticker support (?) Script injection (?) Screenshot (?) Touch support (?) Software controlled display ON/OFF (?) HD Video 4K Video Simple level playlist Advanced level playlist Zones (One zone) (?) Zones (Multiple zones) (?) Ethernet WIFI Fan-less
Brand: Samsung Model: Tested on Samsung QM49R (Tizen based)
Specifications
Tizen 4.0 (SSSP 6.0), 1.6 GB ram, 4.5 GB internal storage (expandable with USB memory stick).
