Android digital signage on any stick, box or TV
An Android stick is the cheapest reliable player most networks will find. It costs less than a service call, it fits behind the panel, and it runs the same browser player as everything else.
How Displayer runs on Android
Open the browser on the device, go to the pairing URL, and type the six digits into the panel. The device downloads the schedule and its media, plays from local storage, and reports what it drew. There is no store app to install and no version to keep updated across a fleet.
Android TV sets run the same way through their own browser, so a recent TV can be its own player with nothing plugged into it.
Build the screen your Android player will show, right here
The screen builder below renders what an Android stick or box plays once it opens the Displayer URL. Pick a venue, a layout and an orientation, type three lines, and watch the loop run with its live clock and ticker.
Venue
Orientation
Layout
- Venue: restaurant, retail store, clinic, gym, office or school
- Orientation: landscape 16:9 or portrait 9:16
- Layout: full bleed, main plus sidebar, or a menu board in three columns
- Content: your business name and three short lines, prefilled for the venue you picked
The schedule strip underneath shows the same playlist placed on a weekly grid, which is exactly what the schedule view does inside the product.
Choosing a device
| Device | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Android TV stick, 2 GB memory | Images, web content and 1080p video | Very cheap sticks throttle and reboot under long duty cycles |
| Android box, 4 GB memory | 4K video and heavier layouts | Buy one with wired Ethernet where the connection matters |
| Android TV set | Reception and notice screens, no extra hardware | Older sets have slower browsers and awkward auto start |
| Rugged industrial Android player | Screens that run 16 hours a day or more | Higher price, usually worth it above a counter |
Buy the cheapest device that runs a modern browser, keeps running for a full day and restarts itself after a power cut.
Settings that keep it unattended
- Auto start the browser on boot, using the device setting or a simple kiosk launcher
- Disable sleep, screen saver and automatic display off
- Turn off system notifications, so nothing appears over your content
- Set the resolution and orientation to match the panel and leave them fixed
- Let the device restart after a power cut, so nobody has to visit the site
- Keep storage free, so media can be downloaded and offline playback works
What it costs
Billed per active screen: 19 USD on Essential, 29 USD on Professional with groups, dayparts and proof of play, 49 USD on Network with single sign-on and the audit log. You buy the Android device once, from anyone. See the pricing page.
Is there an app to install
No. The player is a browser page, which is what makes updating a fleet of players a non-event.
Does video play smoothly on a cheap stick
1080p usually does on a device with 2 GB of memory. For 4K, use a box with 4 GB and hardware decoding. The player page covers the trade-offs.
What happens when the wifi drops
The screen keeps playing what it downloaded, and uploads its stored play records when the connection returns. Where the connection is unreliable, use a device with Ethernet.
Pair an Android device now
If there is a stick in a drawer, that is your first screen. Open the pairing URL and type six digits.