A waiting room TV has an unusual audience. People are anxious, often in a hurry to be somewhere else, and sharing a small space. The right screen eases the wait; the wrong one adds to it. Here are the options and what each does well.
What to look for
- Calm, suitable content. Programming a mixed-age room can sit through.
- Sound control. Many offices want sound low or off. Pick a solution where sound on or off is your call.
- Room for your own messages. Check-in reminders, office hours, new services.
- Simple management. Front-desk staff should not need IT help.
- Reliability. A blank screen in a waiting room looks like neglect.
The options
Cable or satellite. Familiar, but you manage a box, a contract and a channel list you do not control, and you cannot easily add your own messages.
Consumer streaming apps. Easy to start, but made for homes. They often limit commercial use and give you little control over what plays next.
Digital signage software. Strong for messages and schedules, but you usually supply the entertainment and the hardware.
A player built for venues. Loop TV is designed for businesses including point-of-care settings. It combines TV entertainment, digital signage and an advertising option in one plug-and-play player. You need a TV with HDMI and Wi-Fi, channels play with sound on or off, and you manage the screen from your phone in MyLoop. You can upload your own signage and use the scheduler to build a custom channel for your office.
A quick way to decide
If all you need is background TV, cable or an app may do. If you also want the screen to carry your own information and to be managed by one person from a phone, choose a solution built for businesses.
Ready to try it? See how Loop TV works for your business, or get Loop TV.