I'm looking for the easiest way to create a digital display for my company's Quality team that shows updated metrics every day. I was thinking of using a micro PC running Windows 11 in Kiosk mode, connected to a large screen TV via HDMI. The idea is to have a PowerPoint presentation that loops, and the Quality team would update the PowerPoint file on a network share. My main concern is whether the PowerPoint presentation would automatically refresh if the file is modified while it's running. I want to keep things as hands-off as possible for the IT department. I also considered using a digital media streamer that can access content from a network share. If anyone has experience with this setup, I'd love your input!
5 Answers
What you’re describing is pretty much digital signage! While there are subscription services out there, a lot of open-source options exist too. If this project proves successful, you might want a solution you can expand upon in the future. Look into Xibo as a good starting point!
Consider using Yodeck for displaying your PowerPoint. It's a really straightforward solution; you get a free plan for one screen. Just upload the new PowerPoint, remove the old one, and push the updates to the screen. I use it with a FireTV, and it works seamlessly. They also have an app for RokuTV.
One option I've seen is using Office 365 for hosting your PowerPoint. If you play it through a web browser on the TV, it automatically updates when you make changes to the file. We've been testing it and found that it just refreshes during the next loop, which is great because you won’t have to remote in every day to restart PowerPoint!
If you want to keep it simple, just share the PowerPoint file over office.com and use a device like Chromecast, FireTV, or Roku that has a web browser. It’s less hassle than some dedicated digital signage solutions, and you won’t have to worry about constant updates.
We’ve been doing something similar with Google Slides instead of PowerPoint. Google Slides updates in real-time, which is handy! However, you can't edit a PowerPoint file while it's in use, so just keep that in mind. Google Slides might streamline the process.
Awesome! That was my biggest worry. Thanks for confirming!