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I highly recommend dropping ~$20-40 for a dedicated "digital media player" like this <https://www.amazon.com/Atom-2K-Digital-Player-Drives/dp/B08MFFVD1P/> and connecting to a spare computer screen or TV. There's a wide range of devices like this to choose from but the common factor is they'll play media from a USB drive or SD card with minimum set up. Here's my TED talk pitch: - Zero internet capabilities solves the security concerns. - Easy to hide behind any TV or LCD screen. If it has an HDMI port, it'll work. - Consumes very little power compared to a full PC. - Almost no training involved in setup... - The only downside is that initially you may have to convert your video files with free software like HandBrake <https://handbrake.fr/> to make it work. Depends on what you're starting with. However... - The good ones will just auto-loop as soon as there's power. The remote control is optional. If you go the iPad route later on, check out the built in Guided Access feature in iOS <https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202612>! I just discovered this and wish I had known about it sooner. —Chris On Fri, Oct 7, 2022 at 7:14 AM Andrew Ward <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > My first impulse would be to use the old hardware you've got. Is there a > reason the display needs ongoing network access or could everything be set > up to run locally? Perhaps ITS would be more amenable to keeping old > hardware around if you completely disable networking. > > For ease of use, I would probably go with an ASUS Chromebox. With a managed > license, you can set everything up from the admin console, lock it down, > and basically forget about it. I have colleagues at other area libraries > that use various chrome products to manage their digital signage and they > have been very successful. > > If you do go the whole PC route, there are many mini-pc options these days > that use either laptop or low-power chips that can be fully functional > machines at a fraction of the cost. (Just one example: > > https://www.amazon.com/CHUWI-LarkBox-Pro-Computer-Streaming/dp/B08KCZPQ3P/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=arm+linux+mini+pc > ) > The quality can vary, so I'd just preface the normal caveat of sticking to > the bigger brands. > > Lastly, while it is very easy, I don't love Porteus Kiosk for mid- or > long-term projects since the free option does not automatically update and > requires quite a bit of maintenance. Windows has a built-in kiosk mode ( > https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/configuration/kiosk-single-app) > and IMHO there are better options for Linux systems like Cage ( > https://github.com/Hjdskes/cage/wiki.) I've done some work setting up our > OPACs using Cage and had success on Ubuntu Server and OpenSUSE. My (very > incomplete) notes on that process can be found here: > https://codeberg.org/Pribrariam/ModernIPAC > > Andrew Ward > > On Fri, Oct 7, 2022 at 12:22 PM Hammer, Erich F <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > Deborah, > > > > If you only want to display a video and don't need any user input, most > > televisions these days will play media (pictures, video, audio) from a > USB > > flash drive. We have one set up to endlessly loop through a series of > > videos. All it needs is power. > > > > If you want interactivity, you might consider an ipad. Not cheap, but > > with an MDM you have a lot of power to easily lock it down and can > minimize > > the cables. > > > > Erich > > > > > > On Thursday, October 6, 2022 at 21:07, Deborah Fitchett eloquently > > inscribed: > > > > > Kia ora koutou, > > > > > > We’ve got a sculpture in the library that we’d like to contextualise > > with a > > > video, and we’re looking for ways to set this up. It’s essentially a > > digital > > > plaque: something like a screen, probably some quietish speakers, video > > > player software, enough storage for the video, and a start button. > > > > > > Options we’ve considered: > > > > > > * We’ve eyed up Raspberry Pis for this kind of thing, but then > > you’ve got to > > > identify/source/assemble all the peripherals yourself and it’s probably > > very > > > simple and obvious to someone who likes that kind of thing but I’m not > a > > > hardware person at all. Also I think at the time we wanted to display a > > > particular website, and it raised network security issues that made us > > tired > > > just thinking about them. > > > * We’ve tried to get away with using old netbooks/tablets but ITS > > doesn’t > > > like us keeping those things around past their best-by, also due to > > network > > > security issues. > > > * The local public library has some very cool interactive displays > > but they’re > > > also pricy to match. And we’ve got to consider not just the initial > > purchase > > > (which could conceivably come under a refurbishment project) but also > > > maintenance and replacement in due course (which would have to come out > > > of our normal strained budget). > > > * So we’ve always ended up either a) giving up or b) using a whole > > PC, > > > which is ridiculously overpowered for a single purpose and yet here we > > are. > > > > > > Any ideas for this use-case? > > > > > > And/or for our other occasional purpose of displaying/letting people > > browse > > > a specific website? (Ie click links and maybe input keywords for > > searching.) > > > > > > Deborah > > > –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– > > > Deborah Fitchett (she/her) MLIS, RLIANZA > > > Associate University Librarian, Digital Scholarship > > > > > > –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Learning, Teaching and Library – Te > > > Whare Pūrākau PO Box 85064, Lincoln University Lincoln 7647, > > > Christchurch, New Zealand +64 3 423 0358 > > > [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> > > > ltl.lincoln.ac.nz > > > > > > –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– > > > Lincoln University > > > Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki > > > –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > > > "The contents of this e-mail (including any attachments) may be > > confidential > > > and/or subject to copyright. Any unauthorised use, distribution, or > > copying of > > > the contents is expressly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail > > in error, > > > please advise the sender by return e-mail or telephone and then delete > > this > > > e-mail together with all attachments from your system." > > > > > > > > -- > Andrew Ward (he/him/his) > Digital Services Librarian > Troy Public Library >