Best devices for Xibo and batch installation

Hello everyone,

I recently started working for a Digital Signage company. We are using Xibo on devices like the Intel Compute Stick (https://www.cnet.com/products/intel-compute-stick-2016/) which works fine.

This has a couple of downsides which we would like to get rid off.

First of all the sticks come pre-installed with Windows. This does not have to be a problem, but Windows needs to be configured on each stick. This takes time, especially when we have to install like 100 devices in a short period of time. I have been looking for alternatives and it seems that we can narrow it down to similar Android products or the Intel Compute Stick we are using right now. When using an Android device, we want it to be able to power on automatically it needs Wifi and we need a way to control the device remotely. At the moment we are using LogMeIn for the Windows devices.

The second thing is that it would be very desirable to simplify the installation process. Right now we have to startup every Intel Stick, configure Windows and install Xibo. This was working fine until we started getting some medium/big customers and we need to install bigger batches of players in a shorter time.

I would like to hear how other users/companies have managed to streamline their installation process and what devices they use for that.

Summarised:

  1. What devices would be good for using Xibo on (either Windows or Android)?
  2. How can we make the installation process less time consuming?
  3. Which remote control alternatives are there, compared to LogMeIn?

Hi Wouter,

  1. We use a variant (another local brand) of meegopad stick. It comes from same factory of meegopad. It has option of auto power on when plugged in. Its available on both windows 10 and ubuntu and

2)comes preconfigured with windows 10.

  1. You can look for screenconnect. Its cost effective option than logmein and available for all major OS platforms.

regards
Prakash

HEy! Did you found a good solution for your three problems??

Yours Mark

We’ve decided to stick with the Intel Compute Stick for a while. Right now we have a couple of USB storage devices with an image of our ‘master stick’, so we could easily restore that that image to new Intel Compute Sticks. Works fine and is way less time consuming than installing everey device manualy.

Because we keep using Windows for now, we have decided to stick with LogMeIn as well.

Ok, thanks. I am just testing 4 different sticks on different displays for a while (about 2 month) to see which is the most reliably one.

Hardware:

  1. MeegoPad T02 (Win10) about 80 €
  2. SWEDX SW-Z83 (Win10) about 130 €
  3. Android Mini-PC (Android 4.4.4) about € 35
  4. MINIX NEO Z64-A (Android 4.4) about € 140

Software:

For monitoring Windows:

  1. “Google Chrome Remote Desktop”
  2. CPU Temperature Email alarm with “Speedfan”
  3. Network activities email alert with "Networx"
    4.REgular reboot in Taskmanger once a day at night

For monitoring Android:

  1. “airdroit” as remote desktop and remote installer
  2. “Kingroot”
  3. “Autostart and Stay” for starting xibo and stay in front
  4. “Temperature lert” for cpu temperatures

For Both:
In addition to both I use remote wlan power sockets for Display and Player to switch both on and off if required.

You have any other suggestions making windows or android reliably and remote accessable??

I still need a screen rotation for Android and an easy way to deploy images of a complete android stick to another andoird stick to get rid of time cunsuming installation process of each stick.

For me it is very important to have a very reliable remote monitoring and access due to the fact that in future all displays are spread all over germany and i can not go there by myself.

Results of my test are coming here.

Yours Mark

Hello Marky,

Any news yet? I am very curious about your test results so far.

Keep us updated please! :wink:

Hi Wouler
We use Intel Compute Sticks the same as you.

we use Clonezilla to clone the installations. Unfortunately after imaging a stick with clonezilla you need a licence key.
Although for us that isn’t an issue as we have many licences.
Being a Windows installation we have been tempted to use SCCM.

tight VNC for remote control

tight VNC for remote control ?

Ok, my current intermediate results:

  1. DIVX Videos: Problems with displaying DIVX Videos on Android devices --> nothing is displayed
  2. WLAN: Wlan reception very bad with Android Mini PC, often connection disruption and automatic reconnect not always working
  3. CPU Temp: CPU Temperature 80° maximum by windows pc’s
    Putting CPU on my balcony by about 0 degrees celsius for some days --> no problems with all devices
  4. Power interruptions: No Problems in switch off power/unplug from power and autoboot with Windows and android
  5. Images: UHD Pictures 1920x1080 are a bit better presented on displays with the Minix; Windows PC’s a bit more grainy or pixilaited
  6. Rooting Minix not succesful, no solution until now
  7. google Chrome: very reliable and good solution
  8. Networx only trial Version, deinstallation and searching new freeware
  9. changed to reboot at night as command shell with xibo --> works good

more is coming…

Ok my results:

MeeGoPad: reliable but Windows os. A lot of adjustments necessary (no blue screen, no updates, …) some Error Messages appear and reboot necessary. No option for me to use Windows anymore.

SWEDX is no option due to the fact that it sometimes does not switch on again, wlan conection problems and windows os.

Android Mini PC: is good for small displays (<40") because the picture quality is not that good, but it is a cheap option (30 €) and reliable, no errors at all. You are able to connect power supply via usb.

Minix Z64: reliable, wlan connection problems but solution with “Wfif Schedule” App to switch Wlan on and off over the day, no errors, good picture quality.

Finally: Z64 if you have an own power supply for the player or Android Stick if you have to use USB supply (e.g. from the display).

Hope that helps.