Complete guide
Digital signage software: what it is, how it works and how to choose it
Digital signage software manages, from the cloud, what a business shows on its screens: videos, images, menus, prices and promotions, scheduled by time of day and controlled from anywhere. This guide explains how it works, what you need and what to look at before choosing one.
Pantarix is a Spanish cloud digital signage platform for shops, restaurants, hotels, gyms, clinics, chains and agencies. Free for one screen; from €9 a month, VAT included.
What digital signage software is
It is the program that decides what each screen shows, when and in which order. It replaces the USB stick and the looping slideshow with a cloud dashboard where you upload content, organise it into playlists, schedule it by time of day and publish it to one screen or a hundred at once.
A digital signage system has three parts: the screen (a TV or a monitor), the player (an Android device connected to the screen, or the TV itself if it runs Android TV) and the cloud platform where everything is managed. The player downloads the content and shows it; the platform tells it what to show and when.
In practice, “digital signage”, “digital display advertising” and “screen advertising software” name the same thing. Manufacturers say digital signage; shop owners usually say screens.
- Player
- The device that shows the content on the screen: an Android TV or an Android box connected over HDMI.
- Playlist
- The sequence of videos and images that plays, with the duration of each item.
- Schedule
- Which playlist plays in each time slot and on which days, with priorities when they overlap.
- Sync
- The player checks the platform, downloads what is new and keeps it locally so it can keep playing offline.
How cloud digital signage software works
With Pantarix, from the box to the screen in five minutes. No computer, no server of your own, no technician on site.
- 01
Install the app on the screen
On an Android TV or Google TV, install the Pantarix app. If your TV is not Android, connect a Pantarix Box or any Android player over HDMI.
- 02
Pair the screen with a code
The screen shows a six-digit code. Type it in the dashboard and the screen is linked to your account. No data cables, nothing to configure on the TV.
- 03
Upload content and build the playlist
Videos, images, menus and promotions. Order them in a playlist and set how long each one stays. With AI Studio, write what you want to promote and the AI composes the poster with your brand.
- 04
Schedule and publish
Assign the playlist to the screen or to a group, set time slots and days, and publish. The screen syncs in seconds and keeps the content locally in case the connection drops.
What you can show on the screens
Videos
MP4 from any camera or editor; Pantarix normalises them so the player never stutters.
Images and posters
JPG and PNG, landscape or portrait, for as long as you want.
Menus and menu boards
One menu per time slot: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Prices change from your phone.
Offers and promotions
Scheduled with a start and an end date: they go live and come down on their own.
Live streams
HLS and RTSP channels and audio: the match at the bar, a corporate channel in the waiting room.
Portrait content
Totems and rotated screens, with the same playlist adapted.
Playlists by time and day
Each screen plays what it should at every moment.
AI-generated posters
Describe the promotion and the poster comes out with your logo, colours and typography.
Features that really matter
What separates serious digital signage software from a looping slideshow.
Remote management
Every screen in one list with its status, last seen and a screenshot of what it is playing.
Scheduling
Time slots, weekdays, dates and priorities when two playlists overlap.
Offline playback
Content is stored on the player; if the internet drops, the screen keeps going.
Groups and multiple sites
Group screens by site, area or type and publish to all of them at once.
Power on and off
Screens switch on and off with your opening hours over HDMI-CEC.
Roles and permissions
Each person sees and touches what they should; everything is in the activity log.
Alerts
If a screen stops reporting, you see it before a customer does.
API and webhooks
Connect Pantarix to your POS, your ERP or your booking system.
What hardware you need
Any TV with Android TV or Google TV works: install the app and you are done. If your screen is not Android, a Pantarix Box (a pre-configured Android player, €99) or any Android player with HDMI turns it into a digital signage screen.
Requirements: Wi-Fi or Ethernet and a free HDMI port if you use an external player. No computer, no server of your own, nothing to install on site apart from the app.
Which businesses it is for
The system is the same; what changes is what you show. Each industry has its own page with content examples, useful features and its own questions.
- Bars and cafés
- Restaurants
- Shops and retail
- Hotels
- Gyms and sports centres
- Pharmacies
- Hair and beauty salons
- Clinics and medical practices
- Car dealers and garages
- Supermarkets and grocery
- Offices and receptions
- Schools and academies
- Estate agencies
- Bakeries and pastry shops
- Town halls and public services
- Petrol stations
- Trade fairs and events
- Museums and cultural centres
- Franchises and chains
- Care homes and day centres
How much digital signage software costs
Pantarix is priced per screen and per month, VAT included, with no lock-in. One screen is free forever.
1 screen
up to 2 screens
up to 5 screens
up to 20 screens
What we do not charge for: per-user licences, installation or updates. The hardware is yours. Yearly billing lowers the monthly price.
Managing screens for several clients? There is an agency plan from €49 a month. Pantarix for Agencies →
See all plansDigital signage software versus the home-made alternatives
A USB stick in the TV works until a price has to change. This is how the usual options compare.
| Updating content | Scheduling by time | Several screens | If the internet drops | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USB stick in the TV | Walk to each screen with the stick | No | One by one | Keeps playing | €0 and many hours |
| PC with a looping slideshow | On the computer at the site | By hand | One computer per screen | Keeps playing | One PC per screen |
| Chromecast or YouTube | From your phone, one at a time | No | No | Stops | Ads and interruptions |
| Pantarix | From the dashboard or your phone, all at once | Yes, by hour, day and date | Yes, with groups and sites | Keeps playing the stored content | From €0 |
How to choose digital signage software
Eight questions worth asking before signing up, with Pantarix or anyone else.
- 01
Does it work in the cloud and from a phone?
If someone has to sit at a specific computer to change a price, the price will not change.
- 02
Does it lock you into proprietary hardware?
A closed player is paid for twice: when you buy it and when you want to switch providers. Android TV is a standard.
- 03
Does it keep working offline?
Ask what happens when the connection drops. The right answer is “it keeps playing the last thing it downloaded”.
- 04
Does it schedule by time and day?
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekends. Without scheduling, someone has to remember to change it.
- 05
Does it have permissions per person and per site?
The manager of one site should not be able to touch another site’s screens, and everything should be logged.
- 06
Is the price per screen, with no surprises?
Watch out for per-user licences, charges for “advanced features” and lock-in periods.
- 07
Does support speak your language?
And sit in your time zone. When the screen at the entrance is black, you do not want a ticket queue.
- 08
Is it GDPR-compliant with data hosted in the EU?
Your videos, your prices and your users’ data live on their servers. Ask where.
FAQ
Questions about digital signage software
What is digital signage?
Digital signage means showing content (videos, images, menus, notices) on screens in a physical space and managing it remotely with software. Pantarix is digital signage software.
Is digital signage the same as screen advertising?
Advertising is one use of it. Digital signage also covers menus, waiting-room information, welcome screens, internal communication and live channels.
How much does digital signage cost for a business?
With Pantarix, one screen is free and the next ones start at €9 a month, VAT included. If your TV runs Android TV you need nothing else; otherwise a Pantarix Box costs €99. No installation, no lock-in.
What TV do I need?
Any TV with Android TV or Google TV, where the app is installed. A TV without Android works too with a Pantarix Box or any Android player connected over HDMI.
Does it work without internet?
Yes. The player stores the content locally and keeps playing if the connection drops. When it comes back, it syncs the changes.
Can I show advertising on the TV in my business?
Yes: your own promotions, your brands’ or third parties’, for as long and at the times you decide. Pantarix does not insert ads on your screens.
How many screens can I manage?
From one to hundreds, in one or several sites. Plans go from 1 screen (Free) to 20 (Business), with custom and agency plans above that.
Can content be scheduled by the hour?
Yes. Each playlist is scheduled by time slot, weekday and dates, with priorities when two overlap. A café can play breakfast until 11:00 and lunch afterwards without anyone touching anything.
Do I have to install anything on my computer?
No. The dashboard is a website that works in the browser and on your phone; the only thing you install is the app on the screen.
Where is the data stored?
On servers in the European Union, operated by BluePlanet Investments S.L. (Lleida, Spain), under the GDPR. Your videos, images and prices are only sent to your screens.
Start today with one free screen
Create your account, pair your first screen and publish your first content in under five minutes.