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What Makes An Industrial Media Player Different?

 

Digital signage is an industry that has seen exponential growth in recent years. We can see it across cities and urban landscapes across the world, from retail to street furniture, transportation and more.

 

This notable rise indicates how the use of signage media players, across a wide variety of industrial applications, is truly booming.

 

Signage displays are used by all different types of businesses, in every shape and size for a whole host of content delivery needs. The expansion of implementing digital signage displays has been a major contributor to the industry’s growth.

 

There are lots of different types of digital signage media players available on the market; today we’re going to focus on industrial media players and what makes them different from your average media player.

 

What is an Industrial Media Player?

 

An industrial media player is a complete system solution with an in-built universal hardware platform and comprehensive networking software for effective and engaging content management. It is a fully functional system operating from one complete source.

 

The core of any digital signage system is the media player. It is this PC that helps broadcast your signage campaign to the digital displays.

 

As a general rule, every display or sign, in order to operate, must be paired with one digital signage or industrial media player.

 

Here at AOPEN, we offer reliable and easy-to-use media players, perfect for playing content locally or from a distance. All our industrial media players come with a warranty and technical support via our online helpdesk.

 

Take a look at our full product range:

 

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What makes an industrial media player different?

 

Industrial media players are engineered specifically for demanding environments and configured for a long lifecycle with components to withstand the rigors of 24/7 operation in challenging environments and installations, including retail, restaurants and more. 

 

  • Purpose-built reliability
    A single mistake or failure could cost a company hundreds of dollars and even lose revenue for the customer. Due to the challenging nature in which industrial media players are used, it is therefore paramount for their application that they are purpose-built and reliable.
     

  • Careful design and functionality engineered for vital longevity
    Another element that makes industrial media players different is that they are carefully designed; their functionality has been engineered to provide vital longevity and prolonged use.
     

  • Environmental resistance
    Compared to other media players, industrial media player offers smooth content delivery. Whilst also eliminates noise and data corruption. Reliable models are fanless, which helps greatly improve the system reliability.
     

  • Fully sealed from contaminants
    Many industrial media players have no vents or openings; this means that they are fully sealed from contaminants. This is ideal for restaurants looking for interior digital signage menu boards. In addition to this, a fanless media player solution helps prevent dust, grease and moisture from reaching the key components - vital for particular industries!
     

  • Built to last
    Due to the design and engineering that goes into an industrial media player and thus its reliability, it means that this hardware is built to last and have a long lifespan, compared to other media players.

 

Advantages of Industrial Media Player Integration

 

One of the major advantages to industrial media players is that the configuration is locked down to offer peace of mind to signage integrators. Whereas, consumer-grade media players require constant updates and are only built to operate for a few years.

 

The main challenge for signage integration is making sure that the digital signage media player they select survives the rigours of installation, no matter where it is placed (even if in a challenging location!).

 

Where are these media players used?

 

Industrial media players have varied applications for digital content delivery. One of its many uses is for digital signage displays and Digital Out Of Home (DOOH) advertising.

 

Signage displays are used for a variety of purposes by businesses, some of which include customer acquisition, but they can also be used far beyond this. One of the most significant uses is for DOOH advertising.

 

Digital Out Of Home (DOOH) advertising

 

What is DOOH advertising? It’s one of the fastest-growing forms of advertising in this current time. You’ve probably seen lots of examples of static and interactive digital out-of-home advertising in your everyday life, from billboards to display screens at medical facilities or boards within transportation hubs, such as airports and train stations.

 

It is real-time marketing that can display messages or advertisements across a city (or even across an entire country!). The content can change dynamically depending on the time of day, weather condition or perhaps even target passersby with tailored ads, depending on where they are and what is around them. 

 

For example, letting shoppers within a centre know the latest deals from shops within their vicinity.

 

What’s The Difference Between Consumer-Grade and Commercial/ Industrial Media Players?

 

The difference between consumer-grade and commercial or industrial media players lies within how they’re constructed.

 

Consumer-grade players are built using a combination of materials, predominantly plastics and polycarbonate. This is typically because these materials are inexpensive, but sadly, they aren’t very durable.

 

By contrast, commercial or industrial media players are much more hardy, making use of different materials. They’re built to handle extreme temperatures, moisture, vibration and impact force. An industrial media player also looks vastly different from its commercial counterpart.

 

Furthermore, the connectivity capabilities on commercial and industrial media players have a wider range of options. They are constructed with different output devices in mind, such as HDMI, USB, DisplayPort and even VGA or DVI connections.

 

Contact AOPEN

Interested in using digital signage or commercial/ industrial media players for your business? Then contact AOPEN today. We manufacture an array of digital signage media player hardware, perfect for creating engaging displays. Call us today at +31 (0)73 646 6400, or email us at request@aopen.com and we’ll be in touch with you shortly.