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
>