Software to Display Information on TV [User's Guide + 5 Tools]
If you're searching for software to display information on your TV, look no further. We've got all the information, tips, and tools you need.
In this article, we cover frequently asked questions about setting up an informational screen on your smart TV. Plus, we include a 5-step setup process as well as the top software to consider, no matter how simple or complex your needs.
What's in this guide:
- FAQs about software to display information on a TV
- TV display software setup guide
- Top 5 software for displaying information on a TV
FAQs about software to display information on a TV
Curious about how TV display software really works? Check out our list of frequently asked questions. They'll cover everything you wanted to know about setting up, paying for, and maintaining informational TV displays.
What kind of software do you need to display information on a smart TV?
To add text, designs, and widgets to your smart TV you will need digital signage software. This type of software converts your smart TV into a digital menu or sign. Many solutions operate from your smart TV's web browser and place the display in full screen.
What kind of information can you display on a smart TV?
Anything you want! Businesses and organizations can display company announcements, safety notices, upcoming events, employees of the month, important work procedures, sale and promotion information, company social media feeds, user-generated content, customer reviews, business analytics, and the list goes on.
No matter what you choose, just make sure to keep your audience in mind, whether that's your customers, students, or employees.
What automated feeds and widgets can you add to your TV?
TV display software not only lets you add static images and slideshows but you can also embed automated feeds and widgets, like RSS, social media feeds, weather, news, clocks, and more.
You can combine different types of information, for example you might have a slideshow with work procedures next to a social media feed with user-generated content from your brand to remind your employees how much your customers love what you do.
How much does TV display software cost?
The cost can vary widely based on the type of features you need. If you just want to display information on your TV using a simple tool belt for small businesses, you can expect to pay $20 to $30 per screen.
But if you need advanced features like offline play, uptime monitoring and alerts, and employee login data to the software to audit employee activity, then you'll need to choose an Enterprise grade solution and you might be paying anywhere from $50 to $200 per screen per month in addition to one-time fees for hardware.
Do you need special hardware to display information on your TV?
Most businesses will not need to purchase special media playing hardware in order to turn their TV into a digital screen. (Of course, you will need TV mounting hardware to securely mount your TV to the wall though.)
When it comes to the screen content itself, you only need hardware if you want the sign to work offline. If you almost always have Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi isn't a problem, then you don't need hardware. You can opt for a browser-based digital signage platform like Juuno. But if you do need offline play, then you will need to purchase hardware along with software from a company like Scala. (Keep scrolling for our recommended tool list.)
How do you update or edit a TV display?
If you want to change the information displayed on your TV, login to your digital signage software. This acts as a centralized content management system where you can make changes to the content and schedules for any screen. For example you could add a new announcement, or change the schedule to feature an employee every Wednesday.
Do you need Wi-Fi to display information on a TV?
Most businesses will use a browser-based digital signage solution because they are the most affordable, and the vast majority of businesses today have access to Wi-Fi at all times. However, if your Wi-Fi is inconsistent, you can opt for a solution that uses media player hardware for offline playback.
How do you display the same information on multiple TVs?
If you want to display the same information on multiple TV screens, just launch that content from each TV. For instance, if you're using Juno, all you need to go do is go to the internet browser of each TV, log in to Juuno, and launch the correct content. It will then play your information and announcements according to your content schedule (called playlists).
TV display software setup guide
When you're ready to set up your TV display, follow these simple steps:
Step 1. Choose the right software for your needs
The first step is to choose a digital signage platform. Keep scrolling for our recommendations for small businesses, large enterprises, and schools and universities. When choosing a platform, consider if you want additional features like office management and device rentals, or if you need offline play or uptime monitoring.
Step 2. Design your screen
The next step is to design your screen and connect your content if you want to include feeds and widgets like social media or weather.
If you're using Juuno as your digital signage solution, you can design menus, announcements, and other informational screens with Canva, which is a super popular and easy-to-use design tool. Our Canva integration pulls in your content.
Step 3. Mount your television
The next step is to safely mount your TV. You'll need to purchase mounting hardware from a home goods or technology store. Make sure to purchase mounting hardware that matches the size of your TV and place the TV where your audience will be able to read the content. (Depending on where you mount the TV, you may need to go back and adjust your design and increase the font for readability.)
Step 4. Set the content live
The next step is to set the content live. Go to your smart TV's web browser and login to your Juuno account. Then select the content that you want and launch it. With our playlists feature, you can set up content to play at specific days and times.
Step 5. Update the content as needed
And lastly, login to Juuno from your laptop or desktop computer to make changes at any time. You might want to update your informational screen every week, month, or quarter.
Top 5 software for displaying information on a TV
These digital signage software make managing your smart TV display content easy in one central location.
1. Juuno
Juuno has a few great features that make it a no-brainer choice. There's no special hardware required as Juuno launches from your smart TV's web browser. The integration with Canva means you can easily design any sort of informational screen. With social media and news feed integrations, you can include automatically updated widgets. And the playlist feature means that you can set up daily or weekly schedules to swap out content and keep your TV display fresh.
Pricing:
Juuno costs just $20 per screen per month, making it an affordable option for businesses, schools, and other organizations of any size. Sign up for Juuno.
2. Scala.
With Scala, you get a screen design studio and design templates, centralized content management system, security diagnostics, and performance monitoring. The platform does use special hardware to enable offline play, which may or may not be important to your business.
Pricing:
Scala only offers custom plans for large enterprises, so get in touch with them about your needs so you can get a quote for their software and hardware.
3. SkyKit
SkyKit includes digital signage features along with its office management platform, which also offers corporate device management, employee clock-ins, visitor management, and meeting room and desk management. These might be features you are looking for, or they might be unnecessary. Keep in mind that their display software does require hardware.
Pricing:
SkyKit also only offers custom enterprise pricing, so get in touch for a quote.
4. Rise Vision
Rise Vision offers TV display software designed exclusively for schools and universities. You can add news, clock, RSS, social, and weather widgets to display a variety of information along with your own announcements and designs. The platform can be used both in the classroom and in common areas.
Pricing:
You'll pay $999 per school per year, with unlimited usage within each school.
5. Spectrio
Spectrio offers digital signage, automated on-hold answering service, interactive kiosks for ordering and payments, overhead music, guest wifi network marketing, and scent marketing. This might be too robust for most business needs, but could be a good fit for hotel chains and large retailers.
Pricing:
Spectrio costs $99 per month for the first screen, with additional screens charged at $30 each per month.
For simple, affordable digital signage that just works, check out Juuno.