How To Use a TV as a Business Message Board

The recipe for communication in most business premises includes many sticky notes, unnecessary meetings, and long email threads. However, technological advancements in business communications mean we’re gradually leaving that chaotic approach behind. Centralized digital business message boards, which include the use of TVs, are becoming more popular.

Here’s how to use a TV as a business message board:

1. Choose the right TV.
2. Source the internet connection to the TV.
3. Choose your preferred digital signage software.
4. Pair your TV with the digital message content management system.

The rest of the article will expand on the tips above and cover all you need to know about converting your TV to a business message board.

1. Choose the Right TV

You probably have multiple TVs in your business premises right now, and you’re already earmarking a few to be used as your business message board (s). The main factors to consider when looking at the right TV to choose are the technical specifications, the size, and the compatibility with your digital signage software.

A Smart TV will allow direct installation of a media player or a digital signage player and connect to the internet without third-party solutions. On the other hand, a standard (non-smart) TV will require an external digital media player such as Revel Media Player, Groove Digital Signage, Google Chromecast, Chromebox, Chromebit, Amazon Fire Stick, etc.

Your choice of TV should also be large enough to ensure people can see the messages displayed at a glance. You should choose the TV size based on the room dimensions. If the distance between the TV and people in the room walking by or sitting is at least six feet (1.82 m), the TV should be at least 43 inches (109 cm). If the distance is 10-12 feet (3-3.65 m), the TV should be around 70-85 inches (177-215 cm).

2. Sort the Internet Connection to the TV

You can’t use a TV as a business message board without an internet connection. You’ll need excellent Wi-Fi to make the system work—especially if you have a 4K TV and intend to display messages in 4K quality. While setting up the system, you need to ensure that adding a 4K message board won’t negatively affect overall connectivity in the business environment.

For example, if you have a 25 Mbps router and intend to use it to stream digital messages while other devices are running on the same network, it may cause significant strain and make it harder for employees to get stuff done.

In that scenario, you’ll need faster Wi-Fi. Consider bumping up the router to at least a 100 Mbps model and sign up for higher-speed data plans. The best routers feature a dual-band that will give you two separate networks to split between your business message boards and other devices on the premises.

To connect your smart TV to the internet, you only need to turn it on and go to the connection settings from the menu. Input your Wi-Fi data in the right fields, and the TV should be connected to the web. The process is slightly different for non-smart TVs that require third-party media players to work.

Plug your chosen media player into your TV’s HDMI port and navigate the player’s settings using the remote. Select the “Connection” or “Network” option and choose your Wi-Fi. Hooking up the TV to the internet is a one-time thing—at least until you change your router password.

3. Choose Your Preferred Digital Signage Software

With your TV connected to the internet, all you need to do is download and install your preferred digital signage software application. The software will control the display on your TV. The best ones have broad support for the popular TV operating systems.

However, you may also use a conventional media player instead of paying for signage software. Some media players will allow you to broadcast picture or video messages to screens sharing the same Wi-Fi network with the source device (the computer controlling the messages). Functions such as message scheduling and compartmentalization may be missing, though.

4. Pair Your TV With the Digital Message Management System

Connecting your TV to the digital message management system is as simple as using the digital signage software or media player on the source device to find the TV or external media player. You’ll typically have to look at the “Casting” settings or similar depending on your device model.

If you’re using digital signage software as your message management system, you’ll have a streamlined dashboard of all published and scheduled messages. Some of them allow you to sync messages to and from cloud servers, allowing you to control the messages displayed on the TVs from anywhere in the world.

Pros and Cons of Using TV for Your Business Messages

Pros

• TVs are readily available with many models to choose from.
• They are affordable, with so many models under $300.

Cons

• TVs can’t work as a standalone business message board.
• They are not suitable for long-term usage.
• They won’t fit outdoors under harsh weather conditions.

What Type of Messages Can You Display?

There’s no limit to the kind of messages you can display on a TV used as a business message board. If the message is relevant and your source device can process the message format, it will appear on the screen.

Some of the message formats you can display include the following:

• Full-screen slideshows. From PowerPoint slides to standard JPEGS slideshows from a photo app, you can transform your messages into attractive slideshows that will communicate to the viewers in a fun way.
• Scrolling tickers. You can maintain a scrolling ticker of important announcements all day for your staff and customers. This feature may only be possible on digital signage software.
• Weather or traffic reports. You can show a 5-day forecast in-between important messages.
• Business schedules. Displaying full calendars, meeting listings and daily schedules on the TV is a sure way to ensure all relevant parties stay informed.
• Training videos. You can make a playlist of important company videos to share with the audience.
• Internal memos. It’s easy to waste hours on pointless emails per week. Displaying internal memos on a TV business message board gives your audience one less reason to get lost in their inbox.

Final Thoughts

A TV in a business environment doesn’t have to stay hooked to muted CNN or MSNBC.

You can convert it to a powerful communication tool that will help streamline your internal correspondence.

Looking for an easy way to get your business message board set up? Groove Technology Services has you covered! Located in Murray, Utah, we provide a variety of technology-based services, and are happy to help you with everything from internet installation to business message board set-up. Contact us today to get more details!

Sources

• Cenareo: How to Turn a TV Into Digital Signage
• Digital Signage Hub: HOW TO TURN A TV INTO DIGITAL SIGNAGE: 5 STEPS
• Telemetry: How To Create an Effective Digital Bulletin Board