A buyer's checklist
Digital signage companies: how to choose one
Search "digital signage companies" and you get software apps, AV integrators, print shops and screen resellers on the same page. They're different businesses that solve different problems. Here's how to tell them apart, the questions that expose a weak vendor, and when we'd tell you not to hire us.
From the CrownTV team, after 13+ years and 10,000+ screens. Agree or disagree? (347) 410-6890
The three kinds of commercial signage companies
| Compared | Software-only | AV integrator | Turnkey provider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sells you | A CMS subscription | A custom-designed project | Screens, player, software, install, support |
| Price shape | About $8 to $30 per screen per month | Per project, quoted after design | Per screen, all-in (CrownTV: from $2,950) |
| Who installs | You, or someone you hire | Their crew | Their crew or vetted network |
| Right for | Teams with screens and IT staff already | Boardrooms, studios, venues, heavy audio and control | Multi-site programs that want one accountable vendor |
| Watch out for | Nobody owns the hardware problem | Cost and speed on repeatable rollouts | Lock-in to their software |
CrownTV is a turnkey provider. We've tried to describe the other two fairly; they're the right answer for plenty of buyers.
The checklist
- Who physically installs? Employees, a vetted network, or whoever's free on a gig app? Ask for the certificate of insurance.
- Are the displays commercial? Consumer TVs void their warranty in a business. Ask for the model number and look up its duty rating.
- What does year two cost? Many quotes show year-one software only. Get the per-screen monthly price in writing.
- Who answers at 9pm when a screen dies? Get a name, a number and a replacement time. Ours is a 48-hour player swap on managed contracts.
- Do they monitor devices? If the vendor can't see a screen go offline, you'll find out from a customer.
- What's excluded? Mounts, network drops, electrical, content design and tax are the usual gaps.
- Who controls content? Ask for a demo of permissions: can a branch manager overwrite the head-office campaign?
- Can you leave? What happens to your screens and content if you switch software?
- Show me a site like mine. A named client with a store count, not a logo wall.
Red flags
- A lump-sum quote with no line items.
- No published price anywhere, for anything.
- "Unlimited support" with no response time.
- A window display quote with no brightness figure. Anything under 2,500 nits will wash out.
- A drive-thru or outdoor quote without a site survey.
- Case studies with logos but no numbers.
How CrownTV answers the checklist
Our own and vetted insured crews in all 50 states. Samsung commercial displays as an authorized reseller, 3-year commercial warranty. $20 per screen per month from year two, published. Monitoring on every device, 48-hour player swap. Permission tiers like L'Occitane's: IT, marketing, store manager. Named clients with numbers: L'Occitane 150+ stores, Janie and Jack 115+, CBD Kratom 55+ in under 10 days, Victoria's Secret Fifth Avenue 15 displays. Prices are on our small business and main pricing pages.
When we'd tell you to hire someone else
One or two screens, a capable IT person, and content that changes rarely: buy commercial panels and a software-only plan, and skip us. A broadcast set, a boardroom with ceiling microphones and a control system, or a stadium board: hire a specialist AV integrator. An outdoor LED billboard by the highway: hire an outdoor LED company. We'd rather earn the jobs we're built for, which are multi-site programs where one vendor owning screens, software, install and support saves real money and real headaches.
Still deciding what you need? What is digital signage covers the basics, and managed digital signage explains what happens after install.
Common questions
Questions about signage vendors
What is the best digital signage company?
The best digital signage company is the one whose business model fits how you'll run the screens: a software-only vendor if you already have screens and IT staff, an AV integrator for a one-off custom build, or a turnkey company like CrownTV for hardware, install, software and support on one contract across many sites. Use the checklist on this page to test any of them.
Who are the top digital signage companies in the USA?
We don't publish a ranking, because the top digital signage companies in the USA fall into three different groups, software-only CMS vendors, AV integrators and turnkey providers like CrownTV, and the best one for you depends on whether you need software, a custom build or the whole job done. Put any of them through the checklist on this page: who installs, what year two costs, who answers at 9pm and what's excluded.
What do commercial signage companies actually do?
The term covers three different businesses: software companies that sell a CMS subscription, AV integrators that design and install custom systems per project, and turnkey providers that bundle displays, players, software, install and support. Many print-sign shops also use the phrase, so check that the company you call does digital screens.
What questions should I ask a digital signage company?
Who physically installs, and are they employees or subcontractors? What does software cost in year two? Who do I call at 9pm when a screen dies, and how fast is a replacement? Are the displays commercial-rated? What's excluded from the quote? Can I leave and keep my screens?
How much should a signage vendor charge?
For reference, CrownTV's turnkey price is $2,950 to $9,950 per screen installed with a year of software, then $20 per screen per month. Self-serve software runs about $8 to $30 per screen per month. Large LED walls are priced per square foot.
Is CrownTV right for everyone?
No. If you have one screen and an IT person who likes this stuff, a software-only plan will cost you less. If you need a broadcast studio or a boardroom with ceiling audio and a control system, a specialist AV integrator is the better call.
Is CrownTV a digital signage company in the USA?
Yes, CrownTV is a US digital signage company founded in New York in 2012, based at 433 Broadway, Unit 220, New York, NY 10013, with offices in Miami Beach and Atascadero, California, and insured install crews in all 50 states. It's run by Crown Heights Communication, Inc., a certified WBE with New York State and New York City.
Is there a digital signage company near me?
If you're in the US, yes: CrownTV is based in New York with offices in Miami Beach and on California's Central Coast, and our insured install crews work in all 50 states, so a local install doesn't depend on a local office. Quotes come back within 2 business hours and most single sites are installed 5 to 7 business days after the paid invoice. If you only need a printed sign or an outdoor LED billboard, a local sign shop is the better call.
Reply in 2 business hours
Put us through the checklist
Send your project and your questions. We'll answer every item on the list in writing, with prices.
(347) 410-6890Or call. You can also use the full quote form on crowntv-us.com if you want to attach floor plans.
- You send the basics: locations, screens, timeline.
- Within 2 business hours, a priced scope per screen comes back.
- Once the invoice is paid, most sites are installed in 5 to 7 business days.