Who recommends mediasignage?

[CommissionerGordon]

We're thinking about purchasing some mediaboxes with mediaPlayer and mediaSERVER software liscenses to power some office signage, we looked at TVTools but according to other offices of ours it was really buggy.

Who recommends mediasignage here and why?

[HVL]

What are your reasons to buy a mediaSERVER? We've been slowly but steadily rolling out a mediaPLAYER/BOX network for a couple of months now, and the system is running.

I think I'd recommend mediasignage primarily because of the pricing. I've done quite a bit of research regarding cost of the software required to enter the digital-signage market, and there's no discussion that mediasignage is by FAR the cheapest. The mediaBOX'es are cool and nifty, and really well designed, but the software is really what makes mediasignage a great deal. What you're paying compared to what you're getting in the software is incredible. Amazing customization, features and endless possibilities.

The software lacks in the stability department, but when you buy the mediaBOX'es, this somewhat cancels out. By using TeamViewer as well, you'll be in the clear.

I'm going to be honest about the support though. I'm not really satisfied with the roadmap/planned features of signagestudio. It seems like this 'admin' account on these forums has some somewhat distorted ideas about when things are going to release/come out of beta/etc..

Live support and technical support are great, though. If you live in the states, Live support should be a bit more available than in Europe (where we live). Technical support is great too, both regarding documentation (countless videos describe all the features very thoroughly) and returns. We had a broken external PSU shipped to our location, and all it took was a couple of photos and an order-confirmation to get a new one within 3 days. Compared to the fact that (as mentioned) we live in Europe, I consider that overall a success.

If you're satisfied with the features the software has right now, I would most certainly recommend SignageStudio, SignagePlayer and the mediaBOX. We haven't been in need of the mediaSERVER, and I don't foresee that we will in the near future.

Sources: I've been in charge of this project. I can't really remember if I've missed any important aspects of this overall recommendation, but feel very free to to PM or write another response here, and I'll answer/elaborate asap.


EDIT: I just remembered something that might be worth considering as well. The SignagePlayer is not optimized very well. You should deliberately over-estimate the hardware-requirements if you want to run things smoothly without a doubt. The mediaBOX 3 (quad core) works like a charm.

[KRob]

I agree, that overall.. it's definitely the cheapest we've found.  We're in the same boat you are, we're purchasing for offices and plan to use the system for internal communications between all of our offices throughout the US.

We've had pretty good luck, we've purchased the MediaBOXes and have been using their cloud system to power the content. 

Unfortunately, we purchased the server because we want our information to remain private....but we've had nothing but problems trying to install and set it up.  We've spoken to the live chat support (which sometimes is quite helpful, and other times... extremely frustrating.  One example: I use a mac, and have had some compatibility issues even though they say everything is mac compatible.. and I've gotten answers like "use a PC".  Really? That's the answer? No. I spent $2,500 on this mac, your software is stated to be mac compatible and this is what I'll be using.  None of the tech guys seem to know a thing about Mac, which is surprising - since Mac is by far the leader when it comes to digital media.)  They also love using Team Viewer... but our company restricts Team Viewer, so we need more options than just that for tech support.

Anyway - as I've said we've have problems with the Server... we pay for "Enterprise level support" - yet, we've called multiple times, left messages, and have never received a call back.   Things like this are very upsetting - when they offer totally free options, yes... but we're choosing to pay them money... we should take some sort of priority.

Also - I agree with the previous reply that says they've been been kind of all over the place regarding upgrades, new system features, etc... which, when you're waiting for a specific feature to become available like we are, that has the power to become really aggravating.

We've been doing business with MS for the last few months.  Although we've had hiccups here and there, we have had overall a positive experience, until recently with all of our server problems.  I'm hoping they come through and help us... then my faith will be restored.   

I say they're worth a shot, but try out their free system first before investing a lot of money to ensure this is what you want.

[admin]

Hi KRob,

I can assure you that if you leave a message, you WILL get a call back.
Let me know anytime you need a call back via Live Chat and someone will call you.

If you have an issue with the server install, please let me know and I will make sure we take care of that as well...

Our customer service has all been priority #1 and always will be.

Regards,

Sean - MediaSignage.com

[John Maddox]

It''s easy, and inexpensive.  I know some folks want to have a "server", but unless you are looking to share private information (which I would NEVER recommend over digital signage anyway), then having your stuff in the cloud just has so many advantages.

My only advice would be to pay the $99.00 per month for enterprise (for the extra features).

Tech support (Joe and I are on a first name basis...lol) has always been awesome to me.

I can't speak to Mac, as I am a certified Apple hater :-)...but our clients are happy with the product, and the studio is fairly intuitive (even for a non-design) guy like me.  I've had one issue that was quickly corrected, and the support here is good as well.

That's my two cents, take it for what it is worth.

[HVL]

It''s easy, and inexpensive.  I know some folks want to have a "server", but unless you are looking to share private information (which I would NEVER recommend over digital signage anyway), then having your stuff in the cloud just has so many advantages.

My only advice would be to pay the $99.00 per month for enterprise (for the extra features).

Tech support (Joe and I are on a first name basis...lol) has always been awesome to me.

I can't speak to Mac, as I am a certified Apple hater :-)...but our clients are happy with the product, and the studio is fairly intuitive (even for a non-design) guy like me.  I've had one issue that was quickly corrected, and the support here is good as well.

That's my two cents, take it for what it is worth.

I agree with jmaddox's reasoning on the mediaSERVER. I see no reason to use it whatsoever.

Unless you've already invested in an army of Mac Minis for running the SignagePlayer, I would stay clear of Mac. Yes, it is compatible, but it isn't what the software is designed for. The update process is also a pain, apparently.

[KRob]

I agree with jmaddox's reasoning on the mediaSERVER. I see no reason to use it whatsoever.

As a customer who's gone the server route, I also agree.  We're using it in various offices throughout the country to send out information to all of our staff nationwide, so what we're streaming is purely internal and private.  We don't put anything very sensitive out there - but we don't want people getting access somehow, either.  So... we got the server.

Honestly, I wish we wouldn't have.  It's inexpensive in the digital signage world, yes - but for what it really is, I think it's got a hefty price tag.  It was difficult to finally install and get up and running properly... and doesn't get updates as quickly as the cloud users (cloud users are on 4.0 - while server users are still on 3.0.  Shouldn't that be the other way around?). 

It seems to me the cloud users, who use the system for free, get pretty much the same priority as we do, maybe even higher priority so in some areas of the system... which is totally backward. 

Unless you need to keep your stuff as private as possible... I'd keep with the cloud.

[admin]

@KRob

The reason why the MediaServers are the last to be updated is because not all MediaServers are online so not everyone can download and install critical bug fixes.

This is the reason why MediaSERVERS are usually the last to be upgraded to the latest version to spare them for possible bugs and contant updates.

[criley]

I would agree with Admin that this would be a wise choice. Knowing that if given the opportunity, many would elect to have upgraded too early. At least those who were on the media server, it was business as usual. This would have been a nightmare on a technical support issue for MS had they pushed the beta out to the media server community. Sometimes it is best to not even give a choice. I know it would suck for some, but a wise decision overall for the rest of us.