Re: [CODE4LIB] Single-purpose digital displays

[cmark...@gmail.com]

I highly recommend dropping ~$20-40 for a dedicated "digital media player"
like this
 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  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 ! I just
discovered this and wish I had known about it sooner.

—Chris

On Fri, Oct 7, 2022 at 7:14 AM Andrew Ward  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  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 

Re: [CODE4LIB] Single-purpose digital displays

[Andrew Ward]

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  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
> > deborah.fitch...@lincoln.ac.nz
> > 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 

Re: [CODE4LIB] Single-purpose digital displays

[Onur Bugan]

Hi,

Posteus Kiosk (https://porteus-kiosk.org/download.html) is an easy software
for this.
An old PC with web access and a web page for the sculpture would be the
solution.
With this software, you can limit access to computers and web browsers
(Google Chrome or Firefox).

Onur BUGAN

On Fri, Oct 7, 2022 at 4:07 AM Fitchett, Deborah <
deborah.fitch...@lincoln.ac.nz> wrote:

> 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
> deborah.fitch...@lincoln.ac.nz
> 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."
>

Re: [CODE4LIB] Single-purpose digital displays

[Hammer, Erich F]

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
> deborah.fitch...@lincoln.ac.nz
> 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."

Re: [CODE4LIB] Single-purpose digital displays

[Jackie Keith]

I once had a digital photo frame that displayed locally stored files (flash 
drive) and allowed users to click play on a remote for videos. It also had 
motion detection. Sound, too. 

2014 NIX 8 inch Hi-Res Digital Photo Frame with Motion Sensor (X08D) 
https://a.co/d/7THoWVz
 
Perhaps one of these? ( I have not tried them.)

https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks/best-digital-photo-frames

> On Oct 6, 2022, at 9:07 PM, Fitchett, Deborah 
>  wrote:
> 
> 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
> deborah.fitch...@lincoln.ac.nz
> 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."