Digital Signage - For my home

[Kaplin261]

I have been debating on if a white board and 3 monitors above it as digital signage would enhance the life of my family of 3.  The white board would be used to quickly jot down messages, chores and activity's.  The digital signage would display the weather, calendar with events, pictures and advertisements that would encourage us to stay on track for our life goals.

Upfront costs $350 and 8-10 hours of my own labor
Life Expectancy: 7-10 Years
Annual Expenses (Electricity): $24

Big business uses digital signage to influence consumers and raise profits. Could it work it at home?

We have no debt other then a mortgage with %2.89 interest with 12 years left. Our household income is $120k

[kvaruni]

This is probably the same as asking whether the latest iPhone or Samsung Galaxy will enhance the life of your family :). Short answer: no. Long answer: not having any debts means you have financial freedom and can do whatever you please. The nerdy side of me really likes the idea and I can see it work. Since most of the information is static, you could look at other techniques though. I have had a very similar idea to repurpose some old ereaders. Maybe that is something that would work for you? Hack-level is high though, so might not be for everyone.

Overall, a good white board is something that will last forever if you treat it well. And yes, it can make things easier around the house.

[I'm a red panda]

I'd get a white board and a good big calendar.

The rest sounds a bit ridiculous to me.

[catccc]

I'd get a white board and a good big calendar.

The rest sounds a bit ridiculous to me.

For a family of 3?!  This, or something similar.  Keep it simple. 

[Kris]

If one of the life goals you have is to retire early and not let being a slave to consumerism derail that, it seems like this purchase would be a reminder of exactly the opposite.

IMHO.

[boarder42]

this is a very strange first post in a forum about not needing stuff like you just brought up.

[kvaruni]

To be fair, it is a forum about financial freedom. What you do with that freedom is entirely up to you, and there is no single way of getting to that stage. If the topic starter truly thinks this will enhance his/her life, then all the power to him/her. I have seen very similar screens/mirrors being made by Philips with a hugely elevated price tag, so you could also see this as a very economical DIY. Whether digital signage will actually help to persuade anyone in the house ... I do not know (and I am very skeptical).

[Bob W]

Love your out of the box thinking.   My wife would never go for this.    Why don't you do this for us.  Spend the meager amount and try it out.   Let us know how it feels and worked.   Our have you read somewhere about this working for someone?   Perhaps you could share that link.  Surely someone is already doing something very similar. 

[terran]

Definitely yes to the whiteboard. We have one magnetically stuck to our fridge that has our weekly menu, the grocery list as it develops throughout the week, and random notes or things we need to do/remember.

[catccc]

Okay, money aside:

I think someone has done a study showing that people are less likely to retain information read off of a screen (as opposed to a piece of paper or a book).  I know people's values differ, but personally I would not want to add any more screens to my family's already screen-a-riffic life.  And I think we are on the low end of screeniness already.  Backlit screens mess with your melatonin levels which causes sleep problems.  I actually think for non-monetary reasons, like physical and emotional health, you shouldn't do this.

[Kaplin261]

My thoughts for this are that if  advertisement company's can influence people to buy certain products, why cant I use that same technology to influence myself and my family.

 A Burger King billboard might have a celebrity eating a hamburger, my digital signage could have mom or dad eating a apple. Software that checks the weather and puts a picture of  a bicycle on a sunny day with the words " Its going to be a beautiful day today, why not use your bicycle to run that errand."  Depending on the time of year the digital signage could pull recipes and put up pictures of recipes  that have fruits or vegetables that are in season.

I install communications systems for Data Centers, Hospitals, Schools and Offices. Digital signage is a big thing right now.  Aesthetically when done correctly it is beautiful and adds a nice touch. If installed at my home my wife would require it to look like a piece of artwork hung on the wall, and it could be.

Is this just a fancy toy or is it a useful tool that can influence our family's habits?

[I'm a red panda]

A Burger King billboard might have a celebrity eating a hamburger, my digital signage could have mom or dad eating a apple.

Does that celebrity actually get you into Burger King? Do you really think an image of Mom/Dad eating an apple is going to get your kid to?  (And if so- do you worry about how you are teaching him/her to be swayed so easily by media?)  Actually modeling apple eating seems to be a much better idea than photographing it.

Are you really more likely to bike because a giant sign told you to, and not because you see the sun shining in the kitchen windows?

I install communications systems for Data Centers, Hospitals, Schools and Offices. Digital signage is a big thing right now.

Those places need to communicate to a large number of people in the easiest way possible. They also need to entertain them because often they have a captive audience and they want the happiness quotient as high as possible.  You need to communicate to THREE people. Three people who don't have to sit in the waiting room for hours at a time. Or who are unlikely to be lost looking for a certain room, or trying to find information about what seminars are being presented that day, or when the next staff social is. This is an expensive waste of money. A good communication center can be accomplished with dry-erase markers. Color code them if you want to get fancy.

Heck, a lot of corporate digital signage is nothing but a waste of money.  I was at the airport and noticed a fancy digital TV that said "Gate 23". Right next to an old static sign that said "Gate 23".  Maybe it could be changed in an emergency?

[catccc]

My thoughts for this are that if  advertisement company's can influence people to buy certain products, why cant I use that same technology to influence myself and my family.

I think you are far better off talking to your kid/spouse at the dinner table about why they should/shouldn't do things.  Why put a screen between you and your loved ones unnecessarily?  It's not a good idea for a family, especially a smaller one in the same household where face to face communication should reign supreme.

[Kaplin261]

A Burger King billboard might have a celebrity eating a hamburger, my digital signage could have mom or dad eating a apple.

Does that celebrity actually get you into Burger King? Do you really think Mom/Dad eating an apple is going to get your kid to?  (And if so- do you worry about how you are teaching him/her to be swayed so easily by media?)

Are you really more likely to bike because a giant sign told you to, and not because you see the sun shining in the kitchen windows?

I install communications systems for Data Centers, Hospitals, Schools and Offices. Digital signage is a big thing right now.

Those places need to communicate to a large number of people in the easiest way possible. They also need to entertain them because often they have a captive audience and they want the happiness quotient as high as possible.  You need to communicate to THREE people. Three people who don't have to sit in the waiting room for hours at a time. Or who are unlikely to be lost looking for a certain room, or trying to find information about what seminars are being presented that day, or when the next staff social is. This is an expensive waste of money. A good communication center can be accomplished with dry-erase markers. Color code them if you want to get fancy.

Heck, a lot of corporate digital signage is.  I was at the airport and noticed a fancy digital TV that said "Gate 23". Right next to an old static sign that said "Gate 23".  Maybe it could be changed in an emergency?

Thank you for the constructive feedback!

[jmusic]

A Burger King billboard might have a celebrity eating a hamburger, my digital signage could have mom or dad eating a apple.

Does that celebrity actually get you into Burger King? Do you really think an image of Mom/Dad eating an apple is going to get your kid to?  (And if so- do you worry about how you are teaching him/her to be swayed so easily by media?)  Actually modeling apple eating seems to be a much better idea than photographing it.

Are you really more likely to bike because a giant sign told you to, and not because you see the sun shining in the kitchen windows?

I install communications systems for Data Centers, Hospitals, Schools and Offices. Digital signage is a big thing right now.

Those places need to communicate to a large number of people in the easiest way possible. They also need to entertain them because often they have a captive audience and they want the happiness quotient as high as possible.  You need to communicate to THREE people. Three people who don't have to sit in the waiting room for hours at a time. Or who are unlikely to be lost looking for a certain room, or trying to find information about what seminars are being presented that day, or when the next staff social is. This is an expensive waste of money. A good communication center can be accomplished with dry-erase markers. Color code them if you want to get fancy.

Heck, a lot of corporate digital signage is nothing but a waste of money.  I was at the airport and noticed a fancy digital TV that said "Gate 23". Right next to an old static sign that said "Gate 23".  Maybe it could be changed in an emergency?

+1.  When your only tool is a hammer...

Whiteboard = great idea.  And no, it's not a "static display!"  Want to change it?  Use the eraser!