Every player runs the same content from the same admin panel. Some are better at certain things — production workflows, portrait orientation, TV power scheduling. Use this page to match the player to the room.
Three common deployments and the player that fits them best.
A $45–$60 board (4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended for video-heavy schedules) that handles 1080p signage, 4K stills, CEC power scheduling, and portrait orientation. Pi 4 has a hardware H.264 decoder up to 1080p; Pi 5 dropped the hardware H.264 block but its A76 cores software-decode 1080p without breaking a sweat. Our intended default player — same image as Pi 3 B+, but we haven't yet had a Pi 4 or Pi 5 on a real customer fleet. Email us if you hit issues.
Setup guide →When you need NDI source output into ProPresenter, vMix, or OBS — or when you're driving a 4K display with heavy live-stream content. The only player that publishes itself as an NDI source on the network.
Setup guide →Schools and offices already on Apple infrastructure. Best-in-class 4K HDR video, AirPlay-style provisioning, and Mobile Device Management support if you have it. Landscape only — Apple TV doesn't expose orientation APIs.
Setup guide →A $60 stick that runs the native Android player with offline caching, kiosk mode, and a built-in self-updater. The 4K Max ships with 16 GB storage (twice the base 4K Stick) and Wi-Fi 6 — the right choice for image- and video-heavy schedules. Not the right pick for YouTube/Vimeo iframes (use Pi or Apple TV for those).
Setup guide →The only player with touch interaction — pick this for wayfinding kiosks, check-in stations, lobby directories, and classroom curriculum slides where the volunteer taps through the lesson. Supports both portrait and landscape; mounts behind a tablet enclosure. Lock it down with Guided Access (free, built-in) or MDM Single App Mode.
Setup guide →All integrations (Planning Center, TouchPoint, eSPACE, BoxCast, Google Drive, OneDrive, YouTube, Vimeo, TRMNL) work on every player — they're served from the cloud. The rows below are the player-specific differences.
| Feature | Raspberry Pi 4/5 | Intel NUC | Apple TV 4K | iPad / iPhone | Mac | Fire TV Stick 4K Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image slideshows | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 1080p video playback6 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓Native ExoPlayer |
| 4K video | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ◑iPad Pro only | ✓ | ◑Fire TV 4K models |
| Live streams (HLS / BoxCast) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓Native ExoPlayer |
| YouTube / Vimeo / web embeds5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗Not recommended |
| Display rotation (90° / 180° / 270°)1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗Landscape only | ✓ | ✗Landscape only | ◑Images yes, video no |
| NDI source output2 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| CEC TV power scheduling3 | ✓Native HDMI-CEC | ◑USB-CEC dongle | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗System-only on Fire OS |
| Offline cache playback | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto-boot to kiosk (headless) | ✓ | ✓ | ◑Single App via MDM | ◑Guided Access | ✓ | ✓Optional Device Owner kiosk |
| Touch & interactive content4 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| OTA updates | ✓Auto, no IT touch | ✓ | ✓App Store | ✓App Store | ✓App Store | ✓Self-updater + Appstore |
The wood-framed TRMNL e-ink display is a player in a different category — no video, no audio, batteries instead of HDMI. DisplayCache serves it as a private plugin: server-rendered PNGs that pull birthdays, anniversaries, events, weather, or any TouchPoint / Planning Center / eSPACE feed. Battery life stretches up to a year depending on refresh interval — refresh every 15 minutes for active dashboards, or daily for slow-moving content like staff anniversaries. Perfect for desks, hallways, and the staff break room.
Tell us about your room and we'll recommend a player. Most deployments end up on a Raspberry Pi — we'll let you know if yours is the exception.
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