Review: Samsung SMART Signage TV

Overview and set-up

Samsung's Smart Signage TV (SSTV) is billed as an all-in-one digital signage solution for small business owners. Available in 40 and 48-inch models, priced at $749 and $999, respectively, (about £450, AU$790 or £610, AU$1,065) these screens come loaded with content management software. Known as MagicInfo Express, the interface lets each business owner showcase daily specials, promote new products, play videos, and broadcast live TV – or any combination of these in a split screen display.

Unlike costlier digital signage solutions aimed at the B-to-B market, Samsung is betting this nimble model, with its lower price point, out of the box set-up, and availability at big box stores, will be a hit with small business owners. I took a close look at the new Samsung Smart Signage TV to tell you what you can expect.

Overview

Smart TV systems are nothing new. LG's Smart TV with WebOS has a comparably-sized 42-inch model going for $849 (about £520, AU$905), while Panasonic just announced its new smart 4K TV line – including the new flagship AX902. But while these televisions are aimed at a more general consumer and allow users to do everything from browse the web to use apps, SSTV is more of a niche product designed to do one thing well – display signage.

In fact, the SSTV could be considered a pared-down version of some of Samsung's existing digital signage solutions for enterprise use. That includes the Samsung Smart Signage Platform (SSP), which comes with a lot more bells and whistles than the SSTV. The SSTV, however, is aimed at single location storefronts and service providers – not corporate businesses. Let's take a look at what the model does include.

Out of the box

The SSTV comes packaged in a slim, colorful box (around 38 pounds) that looks like it was designed to slide easily off a shelf and onto a cart at a big box store. In fact, the product is being rolled out at club retailers as well as major electronics stores. Inside is everything required to get the TV up and running.

The box includes the SSTV and TV stand, the MagicInfo Express content management software (preloaded on the TV), components for a wall mount, a quick setup guide, power cord, warranty card, remote control with batteries and a USB stick for transferring content to the TV. Total set-up time to get the SSTV operational and running its first templates takes about half a day, depending on the user's abilities.

The television hardware itself features a professional-grade LED-lit LCD display (60 Hz Slim Direct-Lit Panel) and has about 16 hours of battery life to align with most business hours. The display on both models features a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 and a brightness of 350nit. The built in speakers are both 10W. Onscreen content displays crisp and clear. So far, it appears to be a solid television – now let's take a look at the signage solution.

Creating content and final verdict

Once the SSTV is up and running, you select your preferred language and head to the homepage to start creating content. The software features more than 200 templates organized in professional verticals – everything from dental clinics to cosmetics to delis to apparel.

Once the type of establishment has been chosen and depending on the template selected, you are offered three types of fields where you can upload or input content. These are text fields, video boxes and image boxes.

Users have three options for getting content to the display:

• Publish to the USB provided in the box.


• Via a common Wi-Fi access point.


• Turn the SSTV into its own Wi-Fi access point and push content to the display.

Once the content is uploaded, users can drag and drop the video or images, create text or allow for live TV in the split-screen windows available on that template. The end result is a graphics-oriented, professional looking display. (While there are text-only templates, store owners adding graphics and video to their signage will really make the most of this product.)

One interesting feature that SSTV offers is the ability to schedule different content to display throughout the day. Once the business owner has created a variety of templates, they can select "schedule" from the homepage and set the templates accordingly.

For example, a restaurateur's breakfast template can be set to display from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. followed by lunch and dinner templates. A bar or restaurant can set the divided screen to feature happy hour specials while showing the game, and then switch to showcase a late night bar menu once happy hour has concluded. The schedule function also allows different templates to be set for every day of the week, offering a great deal of flexibility.

You can even control how long an image appears on screen, which means even a slide show can be tailored to the business's needs. Unlike a personal computer set up to display a PowerPoint slide show, the SSTV allows full control over every aspect of the signage – date, time, length that content is shown, type of content. The SSTV really excels in this regard.

Additional features include preloaded Microsoft fonts to allow for some creativity while creating signage, as well as an image cropping tool that automatically sizes and scales images. There is no video feature available in portrait-mode templates, so users will want to stick to landscape options if they want to watch TV or include a video.

Mobile app

Available in the Google Play and the iTunes Store, the free MagicInfo Mobile app allows users to play content, edit the display schedule, and edit text straight from their mobile device. The app also lets users push content like photos or video to the SSTV. One drawback is that the app only allows users to access existing content, not create it.

This means that you'll have to head to your laptops or tablets in order to have full access to the software platform. In general, however, the app should provide a basic level of service for busy store owners who want control of the TV at their fingertips.

Final verdict

Business owners looking for a static, deli menu-like display will do well to stick with a cheaper, more analog solution. But those looking for a professional-grade signage solution that lets them play TV while showcasing their wares will do well with this commercial product.

The Samsung Smart Signage TV launched just weeks ago as of this writing, so it's still too early to tell if this new TV-signage mash-up will catch on with small business owners. But considering that this display's easy setup offers business owners a quick, intuitive way to create unique signage in less than a day's work, I'd say that's an excellent start.

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