Ask a digital signage vendor about access, offline playback, price, lock-in, ease of use, live data, network, training, security and support. Each section below lists the questions, the answer to listen for, and the answer that should worry you.
The most important question: what happens to my screens and content if you close? The best test of all is a trial on one of your own screens.
Who can change what on our screens?
- Can a store manager see only the screens at their own store?
- Can head office keep its content apart from what locations add?
- Can we lock the logo and layout and let locations change only the text?
- Can new content wait for a named person to approve it?
- Can we make our own roles?
- When someone leaves, how fast does their access stop?
Listen for roles that apply per location, and a clear "yes" on approval and locked designs. Worry if every user sees every screen, or a role change needs a support call.
What happens when the internet drops?
- Does the player store content on the device or stream it every time?
- Which content stops without internet, such as web pages or live data?
- How does the system tell us a screen is offline, and how soon?
- Can we see what a screen shows right now, from the office?
Listen for: stored content keeps playing and you get an alert. Worry if the screen goes black, or if you learn about a dead screen from a customer.
What does the price include?
- What is the price per screen per month, billed monthly and annually?
- Is there a minimum screen count or term?
- Which features cost extra (SSO, proof of play, approvals, more users)?
- Must we buy your hardware?
- Is there a setup, training or content-migration fee?
- How much can the price rise at renewal?
- Can we pay by invoice?
Listen for a price on the vendor's website and a written list of extras. Worry about a low software price that needs an expensive player from the same vendor. Compare typical prices in how much digital signage costs.
What happens if you close or are sold?
- How long have you sold signage software, and who owns the company?
- What happens to our contract and content if you close or are bought? (Raydiant's assets were sold in 2025: what happened to Raydiant.)
- Does our player work only with your software?
- How do we download our files, reports and logs, and how much notice do we give to cancel?
- Can we speak to three customers of our size?
Hardware matters most. A player that runs one vendor's software means new hardware on every screen if you move. General-purpose players, such as the Amazon Signage Stick or an Android box, let you switch software.
Can our own team update the screens?
- Can a store manager change a menu without training?
- Can we update from a phone browser?
- Can we preview content before it reaches the screen?
- Can we add our brand colors and fonts?
- Can we try it on our own screen before we sign?
Listen for a free trial on your own content. Worry about a guided demo with no login.
Can the screens show our live data?
- Which data sources connect without custom work: spreadsheets, calendars, SharePoint or Google Drive folders, RSS, web pages, point-of-sale menus?
- Who sets up each connection: you, us, or a paid services team?
- How often does the screen refresh the data, and what shows if the source is down?
- Is there an API, and on which plan?
Listen for a list of connections with the plan each needs. Worry about "we can integrate with anything" with no price or timeline.
What does the player need from our network?
- How much bandwidth does a player use, and when? Does it download each file once or stream it?
- Which domains and ports must the firewall allow?
- Does the player work on guest Wi-Fi, behind a proxy, or on a wired port only?
- How do player and app updates arrive, and can we see which version each screen runs?
Listen for a written network sheet your IT team can check. Worry if the vendor cannot say which domains the player contacts.
How do training and updates work?
- Is training included, and is it live, recorded or written?
- Is there a help center we can read before we buy?
- How often do you release updates, and do they cost extra?
- Is the trial the full product, or a limited version?
Listen for a full-feature trial and public help articles. Worry about paid onboarding that is required before you can use the product.
How do you handle IT and security questions?
Ask for written answers, and let your IT team choose the questions. Common ones:
- Which identity providers do you support for SSO? See the single sign-on buyer's guide.
- Can we require two-factor sign-in?
- Is there an audit log we can export?
- Where is our data stored?
- Which independent security assessments have you completed?
Worry about a vendor that answers every question "yes" with no detail. If IT has a formal security questionnaire, send it with the RFP, not after the pilot: see the digital signage security questionnaire guide.
Who answers when a screen goes dark?
- Which hours and time zones does support cover?
- Do we reach a person by email, chat or phone, and how fast by severity?
- When a screen fails at night, does anything alert us?
- Can we restart the player remotely, or does someone have to visit?
- Can we see which screens are up and down in the product, without asking support?
Then call a reference customer and ask how support behaves after the sale. A reference who says the vendor answers on nights and weekends tells you more than any feature list.
How does Brix answer?
- Access: custom roles at the locations you choose, content approval and locked templates. See organization, people and roles.
- Offline: the screen keeps playing downloaded content. An alert rule can email you when a screen goes offline.
- Price: $6 per screen per month billed annually, or $8 billed monthly. Proof of play is included and off by default.
- Hardware: Amazon Signage Stick, Fire TV, Android boxes, Google TV and Windows. You buy the player.
- SSO: OpenID Connect, with SCIM. No SAML.
- Live data: Google Sheets and CSV, OneDrive and SharePoint folders, and JSON feeds. Brix connects to Toast, Square and Clover; our team sets up the connection with you.
- Trial: 7 days, the full product, no card.
- Support: a US-based team in Los Angeles, 7 days a week, at no extra cost.
- Not a fit: synchronized video walls, touch kiosks, and screens that must run on Samsung Tizen or LG webOS without a separate player. Brix has no SOC 2 report.
Start your free 7-day trial and test your questions on a real screen. For a formal process, use our RFP template.