Optimizing Digital Signage Performance: BrightSign and 22Miles

March 28, 2024

For IT professionals managing enterprise digital signage networks in high-stakes environments like defense and government facilities, digital signage needs to be more than just visually engaging—it must be secure, reliable, and built for long-term performance. When deploying large-scale signage solutions, IT teams face common hardware and compatibility challenges, including processing power limitations, system lag, and the need for seamless IPTV integration.

Ensuring seamless performance, hardware reliability, and long-term scalability is a top priority, so 22Miles and BrightSign deliver. In 2018, a leading defense company optimized its digital signage infrastructure using BrightSign media players and the 22Miles CMS. This strategic pairing ensures unmatched stability, security, and performance for mission-critical digital signage deployments. They have continued to scale their solution almost monthly, adding licenses to their global sites, from 100 to over 500 licenses and counting, with the most recent expansion of 45 new licenses just this month.

Why BrightSign?

When selecting a media player, the company needed a solution that would overcome the native limitations of commercial TVs while providing long-term stability and security. “BrightSign was an easy choice for us because it’s not Windows-based, which means fewer security concerns and better stability,” said Paul*. Unlike traditional smart TVs with limited processing power, BrightSign players offer dedicated hardware built for digital signage, ensuring smooth performance and uninterrupted playback.

Additionally, BrightSign’s compatibility with a wide range of display types makes it an ideal fit for large-scale deployments, where consistency across different hardware environments is critical. “The ability to use BrightSign with multiple display brands without worrying about compatibility issues was a game-changer,” he added.

Unlike consumer-grade hardware or Windows-based systems, BrightSign media players are designed specifically for digital signage. Key advantages include:

Reliability & Stability: BrightSign’s purpose-built OS eliminates common Windows-related vulnerabilities and performance bottlenecks.
Non-Windows-Based Security: With no exposure to frequent OS updates or security patches, BrightSign offers a secure, maintenance-friendly alternative.
Optimized for Performance: Dedicated processing ensures smooth playback, even in resource-intensive environments.

The Power of 22Miles and BrightSign Together

While BrightSign provides reliable media playback, 22Miles’ CMS takes content management and deployment to the next level. “With 22Miles, we’re able to centralize and automate our content distribution across all our displays, which saves our team an enormous amount of time,” said Paul.

One of the standout benefits of the 22Miles platform is its ability to optimize content delivery through smart scheduling, automated updates, and real-time monitoring. “We don’t have to worry about outdated content or manual interventions—22Miles makes sure everything is always up to date,” they explained.

Additionally, the integration between 22Miles and BrightSign is seamless, reducing the complexity of managing multiple devices. The defense company leveraged 22Miles’ intuitive UI and API capabilities to create a fully customized experience. “The way 22Miles allows us to integrate with BrightSign’s API is incredibly powerful—it makes managing multiple locations simple and efficient,” they noted.

One of the biggest advantages of 22Miles’ software is its ability to integrate seamlessly with a wide range of hardware, including BrightSign. A hardware-agnostic approach provides:

Flexibility in Deployment: IT teams can mix and match hardware as technology evolves.
Reduced Upgrade Costs: Avoid being locked into proprietary ecosystems with limited upgrade paths.
Scalability: Expand digital signage networks without worrying about compatibility issues.

Overcoming Hardware and Compatibility Challenges

One of the biggest challenges in digital signage deployments is dealing with the processing limitations of commercial TV displays. Many smart TVs struggle with rendering high-quality content or handling networked updates efficiently. “Before using BrightSign, we had issues with lagging content and slow updates due to the built-in TV processors,” said Paul.

By pairing BrightSign with 22Miles, the company eliminated these bottlenecks. BrightSign’s dedicated processing power ensures smooth video playback, while 22Miles’ hardware-agnostic CMS intelligently manages content distribution, reducing unnecessary strain on network resources.

In addition to BrightSign, 22Miles integrates seamlessly with a variety of display brands like NanoLumens for LED solutions, and Sony, Samsung, and other trusted manufacturers for commercial displays. This flexibility ensures that organizations can choose the best hardware for their needs without compromising performance.

Moreover, 22Miles has worked with ZeeVee to create an IPTV controller, addressing IPTV encoding challenges in digital signage. This solution optimizes content delivery, providing high-quality streaming without overloading the system.

Many commercial displays come with built-in media players, but their processing power often falls short, leading to lag, slow content loading, and playback disruptions. BrightSign media players and other integrated solutions from 22Miles solve these issues by:

Offloading processing from the TV to a dedicated high-performance device.
Ensuring smooth transitions and responsive content updates.
Supporting higher-quality video playback without taxing the display’s native system.

This combination of hardware and software solutions results in a reliable and future-proof system that can handle the growing demands of digital signage in a variety of settings.

The Role of On-Prem Solutions in Secure Digital Signage Deployments

Due to strict security protocols, cloud-based content management isn’t always an option for many defense, government, and enterprise environments. On-premise (on-prem) digital signage solutions offer enhanced control, security, and reliability—critical factors for high-stakes deployments.

By deploying 22Miles’ CMS on-prem alongside BrightSign’s dedicated media players, IT teams can:

Ensure Maximum Security: Keep content and network operations behind a secure firewall, minimizing external vulnerabilities.
Enhance Performance and Uptime: Eliminate reliance on external cloud servers, ensuring uninterrupted access to signage content.
Maintain Compliance: Meet regulatory requirements by keeping sensitive data within a controlled infrastructure.

For the defense company in this case study, an on-prem deployment of 22Miles’ CMS ensured that their digital signage network met strict security and compliance mandates while maintaining the flexibility and performance advantages of BrightSign players.

The Role of GPIO Integration for IPTV Control

Controlling channel switching and interactivity can be challenging for organizations that rely on IPTV systems. The defense company utilized BrightSign’s GPIO capabilities to streamline IPTV integration. “We needed a solution where we could control IPTV feeds efficiently, and BrightSign’s GPIO integration made it possible,” he explained.

However, the real game-changer came with 22Miles’ ability to leverage its agile platform to create a custom IPTV controller web interface. Paul, the end user, recognized that with 22Miles’ flexibility, he could develop a unique solution—a QR code-triggered web interface that allowed for seamless channel switching and volume control directly from the digital signage screen. This innovative feature was so unique that even BrightSign was impressed by its functionality, as it showcased how 22Miles could easily develop and customize features beyond typical expectations.

With 22Miles’ platform managing the content logic, users can seamlessly switch between digital signage content and live TV feeds without experiencing lag or interface disruptions. “The combination of BrightSign and 22Miles gave us a fully integrated IPTV solution without requiring additional hardware investments,” he added.

For defense and enterprise environments using IPTV, GPIO (General-Purpose Input/Output) integration is a game-changer. BrightSign’s GPIO capabilities allow for:

Seamless Channel Switching: Easily control IPTV streams with interactive digital signage.
Custom Automation: Trigger content changes based on external inputs, enhancing operational efficiency.
Real-Time Content Updates: Ensure the latest information is always displayed without manual intervention.

By leveraging the unique capabilities of both BrightSign and 22Miles, the company was able to create a fully customizable IPTV experience that was both cost-effective and future-proof.

Technical Tips for Optimizing Performance

For IT teams looking to maximize the performance of their BrightSign and 22Miles deployment, the following best practices are key:

Use BrightSign’s Native Playback Capabilities: Optimize video encoding to match BrightSign’s supported formats for smoother playback.
Leverage 22Miles’ Smart Scheduling: Reduce network congestion by automating content updates during low-traffic hours.
Enable Remote Monitoring: Utilize 22Miles’ real-time monitoring tools to detect and resolve issues before they impact users.
Optimize IPTV Channel Switching: Use GPIO integration to create a seamless transition between signage content and live broadcasts.

By implementing these strategies, organizations can ensure their digital signage network operates at peak efficiency, with minimal maintenance requirements.

Future-Proofing with 22Miles and BrightSign

Scalability and flexibility were key considerations for the defense company. “We needed a solution that would grow with us, and 22Miles’ hardware-agnostic approach means we’re not locked into a single ecosystem,” said Paul. As new display technologies emerge, their digital signage infrastructure remains adaptable, ensuring continued ROI.

A key example of this adaptability is the PowerBi Widget, which 22Miles offers to enhance content connectivity and flexibility. This tool empowers end users to seamlessly integrate data and visual content, constantly evolving their solution to support a wide range of content types and experiences. As industries require increasingly sophisticated data integration, this widget allows users to stay ahead of the curve.

For enterprises seeking a robust, future-proof digital signage solution, the combination of BrightSign and 22Miles offers a powerful, reliable, and scalable platform. Whether overcoming processing limitations, integrating IPTV, or simplifying content management, this pairing delivers a seamless experience for IT teams and end users alike.

By combining BrightSign’s purpose-built media players with 22Miles’ powerful digital signage software, our client successfully overcame hardware limitations and enhanced the reliability of their signage network. This solution delivers the security, flexibility, and high performance required for mission-critical environments.

For IT professionals looking to optimize digital signage deployments, investing in the right hardware and software combination is key. Explore the BrightSign and 22Miles partnership and book a demo today!

*Names have been changed.