Question Wireless communication with file storage to TVs?

[private_joker]

Hi all, apologies if this isn't the best place for this question, I was torn between this & Home Theater, but I have a problem related to the TVs at my work I was hoping to get a few extra brains on as I'm currently stumped.

We have 4 TVs at my office set up to display a welcome message when we have special guests come in (its a marketing place) and their current system is for me to have to manually go around the office with a step ladder and remove each of the flash drives manually, load up a video file I make in Canva on each one, replace all of the flash drives and set all the TVs to loop the video. I figure there has GOT to be a simpler way to do this, right?

- I've looked around the TV app stores to see if there was any kind of cloud storage or cloud media TV apps that I could upload the file to from my laptop. I haven't found anything conclusive on this since they're not logged in and they're from different brands. (There is one LG smart TV, two Insignia Amazon fire TVs, and one Hisense Roku.)

- I've looked at Wifi Flash Drives, there are not many of them and I'm not sure if they would work for what I need. They all seem to be based around sending files to and from your phone. Speaking mostly about at the Sandisk "Connect" here - (https://www.sandisk.com/goto/connect)

That's about all I have so far. TL;DR - Need to figure out a reliable way to send files wirelessly to a flash drive or get custom looping video to 4 different branded disconnected TVs somehow. Any ideas are appreciated! Thanks

 

[Ralston18]

Displays is a good category for the time being.

The overall requirements seem to suggest the use of some Kiosk centered solution.

How much control, flexibilty, and budget do you have with respect to making changes (kiosk or otherwise)?

Open-minded management?

The TV's should not care about the source of the input they are expected to display.

Are you in an environment where you can set up a dedicated source for the welcome message to be promulgated to all four TV's?

More information needed.

 

[private_joker]

Displays is a good category for the time being.

The overall requirements seem to suggest the use of some Kiosk centered solution.

How much control, flexibilty, and budget do you have with respect to making changes (kiosk or otherwise)?

Open-minded management?

The TV's should not care about the source of the input they are expected to display.

Are you in an environment where you can set up a dedicated source for the welcome message to be promulgated to all four TV's?

More information needed.

the management is fairly open minded on changes, but it's a start up company lol, my budget is probably only what I can convince them is worth it for my minor inconvenience to be ailed since in their eyes the current system "works". I don't know if there's any possibility for a physical kiosk area as they're all in different areas of the office, disconnected from each other, and we had some technicians install them so truthfully I'm not sure where the cables go (unless you mean something else by Kiosk? Not super familiar with TV tech). I figured if those Sandisk wifi flash drives looked promising I could probably convince him to buy 4 of those at 30 - 50 dollars, but I don't think I could convince him to let me spend a day setting up any kind of central system or display cable route around the office if that helps. Ideally small or wireless is what I have to work with at the moment unfortunately.

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Optisigns.com

It’s about 10-15 a month per screen but has an interface similar to canva. You get a fire stick or roku device and they basically have an app you load on your fire stick or roku, and it gives you a code to use to adopt it. You create your signage, I think you can do photos, videos, weather etc and you just push it to each screen from a web interface.

Previously at work we used specialized basically Linux computers that cost about 1200 bucks each. We had issues with them and had to send a few of them back under warranty. At least if a fire stick dies, 40-50 bucks? Anyway we switched to that and we like it. I work for a Church headquarters, and I would say we have at least 5 screens we are using it with. But we also help at a Bible college, and they use them for signage as well.

 

[Ralston18]

By "kiosk" I was thinking in terms of a central location from which to send the display feed to all four TVs.

Not a good choice of wording there....

Do all four TV's have a coax input? Or an Ethernet port?

Maybe some sort of convertor would be viable.

For example (not a product recommendation or endorsement):

HDMI to coax

or

Video Extenders

There are all sorts of products available. Google at will.

Very likely that you can put together some workable plan per @ohio_buckeye 's suggestions and/or other combinations of devices and connectivity.

Primary objective being to centralize the display source serving the four TV's. And no more step ladders.

Start with an office diagram showing the floor plan, TV locations, etc.. Check all four TV's for other input options. Plan it out. Make measurements, look for cable runs (if necessary), etc.. Do not overlook any power requirements.

Do be sure to read all product documentation including fine print and details.

Hopefully you can set up some testing that can be moved from TV to TV to ensure that all are compatible, etc..

 

[ohio_buckeye]

I can say for our screens the fire sticks all use WiFi. I think there are solutions that are supposed to give Ethernet to them if that’s a requirement. There is a bit of monthly cost but it sure is easier to log into a web portal, design what you need and then push it to the screen. I think with the one I mentioned you can do groups etc so that different screens can be in different groups to show different things. But so far it’s working decently especially when cost is compared to the equipment we were using.

 

[private_joker]

I can say for our screens the fire sticks all use WiFi. I think there are solutions that are supposed to give Ethernet to them if that’s a requirement. There is a bit of monthly cost but it sure is easier to log into a web portal, design what you need and then push it to the screen. I think with the one I mentioned you can do groups etc so that different screens can be in different groups to show different things. But so far it’s working decently especially when cost is compared to the equipment we were using.

I think all things considered this might be the best option, I'll bring it up to them. I just don't have the technical knowledge to be running wires through walls or anything of the sort, I was ideally looking for a wifi / cloud storage based solution, 10 a month per screen is insanely steep but it's worth an ask. thanks for both of your help!

 

[ohio_buckeye]

10 a month isn’t bad really. The equipment we used previously were specialized micro PCs running a flavor of Linux iirc. If memory serves those units were about 1200 each, and they would stop working or get to hot and have to be sent in for service or replaced. Compared to those costs 10 a month seems reasonable imo.

 

[private_joker]

10 a month isn’t bad really. The equipment we used previously were specialized micro PCs running a flavor of Linux iirc. If memory serves those units were about 1200 each, and they would stop working or get to hot and have to be sent in for service or replaced. Compared to those costs 10 a month seems reasonable imo.

that does sound much more reasonable than your previous setup, yeah. i think i'm just considering it from my company's angle where they might see it steep compared to just making me get the ladder out and go around taking flash drives in and out of the tvs at no real cost to them, haha. i think if we used it consistently in a storefront it would make more sense but currently it's only used as a welcome for clients a few times a week. Maybe when i'm not at work and they have to do it themselves for a day they'll realize how tedious it is and change their tune lol.

 

[ohio_buckeye]

You might look there are other options. But that’s what we settled on.