Digital signage A–Z

Terms around screens, players and advertising in public spaces, briefly explained.

420 terms

1

18-sheet billboard (Großfläche): The Großfläche is a classic poster format in German out-of-home advertising, a landscape format made of 18 sheets of A1 paper, hence the designation 18/1.

3

3D hologram display: A 3D hologram display is a display device that presents images so that they appear to float freely in space.

A

Accessibility: Accessibility means that content and devices can be perceived and used by people with visual, hearing, motor or cognitive impairments as well.
Accessible video: Accessible videos are designed so that people with visual or hearing impairments or with seizure disorders can also perceive and understand the content.
Ad exchange: An ad exchange is an electronic marketplace on which advertising slots are traded automatically in auctions between sellers and buyers.
Ad play: An ad play is a single showing of a piece of content or an advert on a screen.
Ad server: An ad server is a system that manages which ad is delivered when and where, and counts the deliveries.
Ad slot: An ad slot is a fixed position in a screen network's loop that is reserved for a spot of a certain length.
Advertiser: An advertiser is the company or organisation that promotes its products, services or causes and pays for the advertising.
Advertising creative: An advertising creative is the finished design used to advertise; in out-of-home advertising it is usually just called the creative.
Advertising disclosure: Advertising disclosure means that advertising must be recognisable as such to the viewer and must not be disguised as neutral information.
Advertising installation (building law): In German building law, an advertising installation is a fixed structure used to announce, promote or point to a business or profession that is visible from public roads and spaces.
Advertising inventory: Advertising inventory is the total of all ad slots that a network operator or sales house can sell in a given period.
Advertising medium: An advertising medium is the medium or surface through which an advertising message reaches people, such as a poster, a magazine or a screen.
Advertising pressure: Advertising pressure describes how intensively a target group comes into contact with an advertising message over a period.
Agency commission: Agency commission is the remuneration a media agency receives for planning advertising for its clients and buying it from media owners.
AI-generated content: AI-generated content means images, text, videos, voices or music that an artificial intelligence program has produced from a description or template.
Alerting: Alerting means that a management system sends a message to the people responsible on its own initiative when a fault occurs, instead of waiting for someone to check.
Allergen labelling (FIC Regulation): Allergen labelling is the obligation to state which ingredients in a food can cause allergies or intolerances.
Alpha channel (transparency): The alpha channel is additional information in an image or video file that defines, for each pixel, how transparent it is.
Ambient light sensor: An ambient light sensor measures how bright it is around a display and automatically adjusts its brightness.
Andon board: An andon board is a display in production that makes the status of machines or workstations visible at a glance, usually through colours such as green, yellow and red.
Android player: An Android player is a media player that runs the Android operating system and uses a player app to show content.
Anonymisation: Anonymisation means altering data so that it can no longer be linked to a specific person, even with reasonable effort and additional knowledge.
Anti-glare treatment: Anti-glare treatment is a treatment of the display surface that reduces distracting reflections from lamps, windows and sunlight.
API: An API is an agreed interface through which two programs exchange data without anyone transferring it by hand.
Aspect ratio: The aspect ratio is the ratio of width to height of an image or screen, for example 16:9 in landscape or 9:16 in portrait.
Attribution: Attribution is the assignment of a measurable effect, such as a shop visit or a purchase, to a specific advertising activity.
Audience detection (camera): Audience detection refers to systems that use a camera at the screen and analysis software to record how many people stand in front of the display, how long they look and which group they probably belong to.
Audience measurement: Audience measurement determines how many people are within view of an advertising medium or facing it, and derives impressions and reach from this.

B

Backlight: The backlight is the light source behind the liquid crystal layer of an LCD that makes the picture visible in the first place.
Backup: A backup is a copy of data kept in a second place, from which the data can be restored after a loss.
Bandwidth: In networking, bandwidth is the amount of data a connection can carry per second, usually stated in megabits per second (Mbit/s).
Beacon: A beacon is a small radio transmitter that regularly broadcasts an identifier via Bluetooth Low Energy, which a nearby smartphone can recognise.
Behind-the-counter display (pharmacy): The behind-the-counter display is the shelf area behind a pharmacy counter where medicines are visible to customers but within reach of staff only.
Bezel (frame width): The bezel is the width of the border between a display’s picture area and its outer edge.
Bit rate: Bit rate states how much data a video or audio track contains per second, usually in megabits per second (Mbit/s).
Booking: A booking is a binding order for advertising time on a screen network for specific sites, a period and a quantity.
Brand lift: Brand lift is the measurable change a campaign brings about in how a brand is perceived, for example in awareness, recall or purchase intent.
Brightness degradation (ageing): Brightness degradation is the gradual decline in a screen's luminous output as operating time increases.
Burn-in: Burn-in describes an after-image that remains visible on a display after static content has been shown in the same place for a long time.
Business intelligence report: A business intelligence report is a prepared analysis of company data from a BI tool, with tables, charts and key figures that are recalculated regularly from the source data.

C

Cache: A cache is a storage area in which a device keeps data it has already downloaded, so that it does not have to transfer it again next time.
Calibration: Calibration is the adjustment of a display using a measuring instrument so that brightness, white point and colours match a defined target.
Call to action: A call to action is a clear prompt within a piece of content that tells viewers what to do next, such as “Ask at the counter now” or “Scan the code and book an appointment”.
Campaign: A campaign is a related series of content items that pursues a common goal over a set period, such as making a product known or drawing attention to an event.
Campaign flight: The campaign flight is the period from the first to the last day on which a campaign's creatives are played.
Campus signage: Campus signage refers to screens in schools, universities and educational institutions that inform students, staff and visitors about timetables, rooms and dates.
Car dealership showroom: A car dealership showroom is a dealer's display space where vehicles stand and screens show models, equipment and offers.
Care home: In care homes, screens inform residents, relatives and staff about menus, events, visiting hours and news from the home.
Category exclusion: A category exclusion is a commitment that no advertising from competitors or from certain sectors will run in a given setting.
CE marking: CE marking is the mark with which a manufacturer declares that its product meets all EU legal requirements that apply to it.
Central price management: Central price management means that prices are maintained in a single place and distributed from there to all outputs, such as checkouts, price labels, menu boards, screens and the online shop.
Channel: A channel is a fixed programme of content that can run on several screens at the same time, much like a television station.
Checkout area: The checkout area is the part of a shop around the tills, with the queue, conveyor belts, self-service checkouts and the way to the exit.
Checkout display: A checkout display is the screen at the till that shows the customer the scanned items, prices and the total.
Chip on board (COB): Chip on board is a construction method for LED walls in which the light-emitting diodes are placed directly on the circuit board as bare chips and sealed with a continuous protective layer.
Cinema foyer: In a cinema foyer, screens show the programme, showtimes, trailers and what the concession stand offers.
Citizen information: Citizen information refers to screens in town halls, citizens' offices and other public authorities that inform visitors about procedures, waiting times, opening hours and news from the administration.
City light poster: A city light poster, or CLP, is a portrait poster displayed in a glazed, backlit case.
Clock change (summer time): The clock change is the switch between standard time and summer time, in Germany between Central European Time (CET) and Central European Summer Time (CEST).
Cloud (SaaS): With cloud or software as a service (SaaS), the management software runs on a provider’s servers and is used over the internet, usually in a browser and for an ongoing fee.
CMS (content management system): The CMS is the management software in which the content, playlists, schedules and devices of a screen network are maintained.
Co-determination (works council): Co-determination means that the works council must consent to certain decisions by the employer before they are implemented.
Colour depth: Colour depth states how many bits per primary colour a display or image file uses to distinguish brightness levels.
Colour space: A colour space describes the range of colours that a device can display or that a standard defines for images and videos.
Community screen: A community screen is a screen through which a local community, such as a municipality, a parish or a community centre, shows dates and news for local people.
Comparative advertising: Comparative advertising is advertising that identifies a competitor or its goods or services, whether explicitly or by implication.
Compression: Compression reduces the size of files by storing data more efficiently.
Consent (GDPR): Consent under the GDPR is a freely given, informed and unambiguous indication by which a person agrees to the processing of their data for a specific purpose.
Consumer electronics store: In a consumer electronics store, screens are both merchandise and advertising media: televisions and monitors are displayed and switched on, and the store's own screens inform about offers and services.
Contact frequency: Contact frequency states how often, on average, a person encounters an advert during a campaign.
Content: Content is everything shown on a screen: images, videos, text, web pages, data and combinations of these.
Content approval (four-eyes principle): Under the four-eyes principle, content only goes on screen after a second person has seen and approved it.
Content template with placeholders: A content template with placeholders is a fully designed screen page in which certain fields such as price, product name, image or date are left empty and filled in later, either by hand or from data.
Contrast (legibility): Contrast is the difference in brightness between text and background and can be measured as a ratio.
Control group: A control group is a comparison group that was not exposed to the measure being studied and is otherwise as similar as possible to the test group.
Cooler door display: A cooler door display is a screen on or in the glass door of a refrigerated cabinet in grocery retail that shows offers and product information right next to the chilled goods.
Copyright: Copyright protects personal intellectual creations such as photos, videos, graphics, texts and music, and gives their authors the right to decide whether and how their works are used.
Corporate design: Corporate design is the consistent visual identity of a company or organisation, with defined rules for logo, colours, typefaces, imagery and layout grid.
Corporate lobby: A corporate lobby is a company's reception area, where screens welcome visitors, help them find their way and give a first impression of the business.
Countdown: A countdown is a display that counts down the time remaining until a set moment.
CPM (cost per mille): CPM is the price per thousand impressions: price divided by the number of impressions, times a thousand.
Creative review: Creative review is the check of a delivered advert before it runs on the screens.
Creative specification: A creative specification sets out the technical form in which an advertisement must be delivered so that it plays correctly on a screen network.
Cross-media campaign: A cross-media campaign spreads an advertising message in a coordinated way across several types of media, such as screens in public places, online advertising, radio and print.
CSV import: A CSV import reads data from a CSV file into a system; a CSV file is a plain text file in which each line is a record and the fields are separated by a delimiter.
Customer journey: The customer journey is the path a person follows from first contact with an offer through to the purchase and beyond.
Cyber Resilience Act (CRA): The Cyber Resilience Act is EU Regulation 2024/2847, which lays down minimum cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements.

D

Daisy chaining: Daisy chaining means passing a signal from one device to the next in a row instead of connecting each device to the source individually.
Data processing on behalf of a controller (DPA): Data processing on behalf of a controller takes place when a service provider processes personal data for a company and on its instructions; the rules are set out in Article 28 of the GDPR.
Data protection impact assessment: A data protection impact assessment, or DPIA, is a prior review of the risks a data processing operation poses for the people concerned and how those risks are reduced.
Data source: A data source is a system or file from which a screen obtains values or text instead of carrying them fixed in its content.
Data volume (data allowance): Data volume is the total amount of data transferred over a connection in a given period; for mobile contracts, the data allowance is the amount available each month at full speed.
Data-driven campaign: A data-driven campaign automatically adapts the creative or the timing of its ad plays to external data, such as weather, time of day, traffic conditions or stock levels.
Database connection: A database connection links a signage system directly to a database from which it reads content such as prices, appointments, stock levels or measurements.
Dayparting: Dayparting divides the day into periods that each show different content.
Deal ID: A deal ID is a unique identifier that marks a pre-negotiated arrangement between buyer and seller in automated advertising trading.
Demand-side platform (DSP): A demand-side platform is software that lets advertisers and media agencies buy ad slots automatically from many sellers at once.
Departure board: A departure board is an on-screen display that shows the next departures of buses, trains or other transport from one or more nearby stops.
Desk sharing: Desk sharing is a way of organising workplaces in which employees have no fixed desk but share free places, often after booking them in advance.
Device group: A device group brings several screens or players together so that they can be supplied with content, schedules or settings jointly.
Device ID (UUID): A device ID is a unique identifier by which management software recognises a specific device, regardless of its name or network address.
Device inventory: A device inventory is a maintained list of all devices in a screen network with their key details, such as location, model, serial number, software version and who is responsible.
Device profile: A device profile is a named set of settings applied to one or more devices, instead of configuring each setting individually per device.
Digital signage: Digital signage is the technical umbrella term for screens that are supplied with content remotely and address several viewers.
DisplayPort: DisplayPort is a digital interface for picture and sound, specified by the standards organisation VESA.
DIY store: In a DIY store, screens help customers find their way around large halls, understand products and see offers.
DOOH (digital out-of-home): DOOH stands for digital out-of-home advertising: adverts on screens in public or semi-public places, such as stops, shopping centres or shops.
Door sign (room signage): A digital door sign is a small display beside the door of a meeting room, classroom or treatment room that shows the room name, current occupancy and upcoming bookings.
Double-sided display: A double-sided display has two picture areas in one shared enclosure, mounted back to back and facing opposite directions.
Drive-thru display: A drive-thru display is a screen on the drive-through lane of a quick-service restaurant, where guests see the menu from their vehicle and check their order.
Dwell time: Dwell time is the time a person spends within sight of a screen and is therefore able to notice it at all.
Dynamic content: Dynamic content is content that is assembled from current data at the moment of display rather than existing as a finished file.
Dynamic creative optimisation (DCO): Dynamic creatives are assembled automatically from components such as image, text, price and call to action just before they play, to match location, time or data.

E

E-invoice: An e-invoice is an invoice in a structured electronic format that software can read and process without anyone retyping it.
E-paper: An e-paper display does not emit light but reflects ambient light like printed paper.
EDID: EDID is a small data set in the screen that tells the connected source which resolutions, refresh rates and audio formats the device can handle.
Editorial calendar: An editorial calendar is an overview that defines which content runs on which screens and when, and who prepares it by when.
Electronic shelf label (ESL): An electronic shelf label replaces the printed shelf tag with a small display whose content is changed centrally.
Emergency message: An emergency message is a notice that, in an emergency, overrides all other content and appears immediately on selected or all screens.
Employee communication: Employee communication covers all the ways in which a company or organisation informs its own staff.
Enclosure: An enclosure is the housing that holds the display, media player and connections of a screen and protects them from dust, water, heat and tampering.
Encryption (TLS, HTTPS): Encryption makes data unreadable to unauthorised parties; for transmission over a network this is now usually done with TLS (Transport Layer Security).
End of support (end of life): End of support, also called end of life, is the point from which a manufacturer no longer maintains a product or software version, meaning it supplies no more updates, spare parts or help.
Endless aisle: Endless aisle refers to a screen or terminal in a store through which customers can view and order a retailer's entire range, including items that are not in stock on site.
Energy efficiency class: The energy efficiency class places an electronic display on the EU energy label in a grade from A to G, depending on how much electricity it uses relative to its picture area.
EU hosting: EU hosting means that an online service and its data are run on servers located within the European Union.
EV charger advertising: EV charger advertising refers to screens on or in charging stations for electric cars that show advertising and content for drivers and passers-by alongside information about the charging process.
Event schedule display: An event schedule display is a screen in hotels, conference centres or companies that shows which events take place that day in which rooms and at what times.

F

Feedback terminal: A feedback terminal is a device with a screen or buttons at which customers, guests or patients rate their satisfaction with a few inputs, for example using smileys ranging from satisfied to dissatisfied.
Fibre-optic signal transmission: Fibre-optic signal transmission means sending video, audio or control signals as light through an optical fibre cable instead of electrically over copper cable.
File size: File size states how much storage a file takes up, measured in bytes and multiples such as kilobytes, megabytes and gigabytes.
Fill rate: Fill rate states what share of the advertising opportunities offered was actually filled with paid advertising.
Filler content: Filler content is a creative that occupies an ad slot in the loop when it has not been sold.
Firewall: A firewall is a protective barrier between networks that uses rules to decide which connections are allowed through and which are not.
Firmware and update: Firmware is the software built into a device; updates are revisions to firmware and programs.
Fitting room: In the fitting room of a fashion store, screens or digital mirrors can show customers information about the items they are trying on and let them request help.
Flicker: Flicker is a rapid, periodic fluctuation in a screen's brightness that may be visible or go unnoticed.
Flight information display system (FIDS): A FIDS (flight information display system) is an airport's display system that shows departures, arrivals, check-in desks, gates and baggage belts on screens in the terminal.
Floor price: The floor price is the lowest price at which a seller releases advertising inventory in automated trading.
Font licence: A font licence governs what a typeface may be used for; font files are usually not bought outright but licensed on defined terms.
Font size for viewing distance: Font size for viewing distance is the letter size that on-screen text needs in order to remain reliably legible from the actual distance of the viewers.
Footfall counting: Footfall counting records how many people pass a location or enter an area within a given period.
Footfall measurement: Footfall measurement determines whether people visited a particular place after being exposed to an advert, usually a shop or a branch.
Fresh food counter: A fresh food counter is the staffed counter in grocery retail for meat, cold cuts, cheese, fish or baked goods, where staff weigh and wrap the goods.

G

Gambling advertising: Gambling advertising is advertising for lotteries, sports betting, amusement arcades, casinos or online gambling, and it is subject to special rules in Germany.
Gamification: Gamification is the use of game elements such as points, leaderboards, badges, prize wheels or small challenges in a setting that is not itself a game.
Gamma: Gamma describes how a screen converts the brightness values of a signal into the brightness it actually emits.
GDPR: The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2016/679) governs throughout the EU under which conditions personal data may be processed.
GEMA: GEMA is the German collecting society that manages the rights of composers, lyricists and music publishers and collects fees for the use of their music.
Geofencing: Geofencing places a virtual fence around a location and triggers an action when a device enters or leaves that area.
Geotargeting: Geotargeting is the selection of screens for a campaign by their location, for example by city, postcode, radius around an address or type of surroundings.
German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG): The ElektroG, Germany's Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act, governs the placing on the market, take-back and disposal of electrical and electronic equipment.
Gesture control: Gesture control is operating a screen through hand movements in the air without touching the surface.
Greyscale levels: Greyscale levels state how many brightness steps a screen can use to display each primary colour.
Grocery retail: Grocery retail covers shops that mainly sell food and everyday goods to consumers.
Gross impressions: Gross impressions are the total of all impressions in a campaign, with each person counted as often as they had the chance to come into contact with the advertising.
Gross rating point (GRP): A gross rating point, or GRP, measures a campaign's weight as gross impressions expressed as a percentage of the target group.
GTFS: GTFS is an open data format for public transport timetables in which stops, routes, trips and departure times are described in several text files.
Gym: In a gym, screens show class timetables, training tips, offers and entertainment for members while they train.

H

HDBaseT: HDBaseT is a transmission standard for carrying picture, sound, network, control signals and optionally power over a single network cable.
HDCP: HDCP is a copy protection system that encrypts digital video signals on their way from the source to the screen.
HDMI: HDMI is the widespread digital interface that carries picture and sound over one cable from a source such as a media player to a display.
HDMI-CEC: HDMI-CEC is a control function within the HDMI connection that lets connected devices send each other simple commands, such as power on, power off or switch input.
HDR (high dynamic range): HDR stands for high dynamic range and refers to image and video formats that represent a greater span between the darkest and brightest areas, and more colours, than the conventional SDR format.
Healthcare advertising law: Healthcare advertising law governs advertising for medicinal products, medical devices and treatment methods, mainly through Germany's Healthcare Advertising Act (HWG).
Heartbeat: A heartbeat is a short message that a device sends to the management software at fixed intervals to show that it is running and reachable.
High-brightness display: A high-brightness display is a display that emits considerably more light than a typical indoor device, so that it stays readable against sunlight.
Hospitality TV: A hospitality TV is a television set built for use in hotels, hospitals, care homes and similar establishments.
Hotel lobby: In a hotel lobby, screens inform guests about the hotel's offers, events, directions and services in the area.
Hotel room TV: A hotel room TV is the television in a guest room that offers hotel information, a welcome screen and often further services as well as TV channels.
House ad: A house ad is advertising that a network operator or venue partner shows for itself on its own screens instead of selling the slot to a third party.
HTML5 content: HTML5 content is content built with the web technologies HTML, CSS and JavaScript that runs in a browser environment on the player.

I

Idle screen content: The idle screen is the content a display shows when nothing else is scheduled or nothing else can be shown.
Image format (JPEG, PNG): The image format defines how a still image is stored and compressed in a file.
Image rights: Image rights is the umbrella term for all rights attached to an image that determine whether and how it may be shown.
Impression: An impression counts people who were within the screen's viewing area while the content ran.
Impression multiplier: The impression multiplier is a factor that states how many impressions a single ad play on a screen counts for.
In-store marketing: In-store marketing covers all activities through which a shop or a manufacturer addresses customers inside the sales premises.
Infographic: An infographic presents figures, processes or relationships as an image, with charts, symbols, maps and short texts, so that they can be grasped faster than running text.
Information terminal: An information terminal is a publicly accessible device with a screen, usually a touchscreen, at which visitors look up information themselves.
Infotainment: Infotainment is a mix of information and entertainment that wins attention through light content and uses it for messages.
Infrared touch: Infrared touch is a touch technology in which a frame around the screen creates an invisible grid of light beams and detects a touch because beams are interrupted.
Initial setup (provisioning): Initial setup, also called provisioning, is the process by which a new device receives its basic settings and is connected to the management software, up to the point where it shows its first content.
Interactive map: An interactive map is a digital site or building map on a touchscreen on which visitors can search for destinations, tap them and be shown the way there.
IP rating: The IP rating, under the standard IEC 60529, states how well an enclosure is protected against the ingress of foreign bodies and water.
IPS panel: An IPS panel is a type of LCD screen in which the liquid crystals rotate parallel to the image surface.
IPTV: IPTV (internet protocol television) refers to transmitting TV channels over a data network based on the internet protocol, instead of via aerial, cable or satellite.
IT baseline protection (IT-Grundschutz): IT-Grundschutz (IT baseline protection) is a methodology of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) that organisations use to build up and review their information security systematically.

J

JSON: JSON is a text-based data format in which data is written as name and value pairs and as lists, so that both people and programs can read it.

K

Kiosk mode: In kiosk mode a device locks its settings and other programs so that only the intended content stays reachable.
KPI dashboard: A KPI dashboard is a display that clearly summarises selected performance or operating figures and updates them continuously.

L

Labelling of AI-generated content: Labelling of AI-generated content is the notice that an image, video, audio or text was created or altered wholly or partly by an artificial intelligence system.
LAN (local area network): A LAN (local area network) is a local network that connects devices within a building or site, usually over network cables to the Ethernet standard.
Layout: The layout is the division of the screen area, defining which area sits where, how large it is and what it shows.
LCD: An LCD (liquid crystal display) creates its picture by having liquid crystals let more or less of a backlight’s light through at each pixel.
LED poster: An LED poster is a free-standing LED screen in the format of a poster stand that stands on its own base in a room or shop window.
LED wall (direct view LED): An LED wall is a picture area in which every pixel consists of its own small red, green and blue light-emitting diodes that emit light directly.
Legitimate interest: Legitimate interest is a legal basis under the GDPR that allows personal data to be processed where the controller's interest is not overridden by the rights of the people concerned.
Licence (right of use): A licence is the rights holder's permission to use a protected work, such as a photo, a video, music or a typeface, in a particular way.
Lifetime (display): The lifetime of a display is the operating time in hours after which its brightness has fallen to half of its initial value under defined conditions.
Lift and learn: Lift and learn refers to an in-store presentation in which a screen automatically shows information about a product as soon as a customer takes it from the shelf or from a display base.
Live data: Live data consists of values that are fetched continuously from an external source and updated on screen without an editor's involvement, such as weather, departure times, room bookings, waiting numbers, prices or production figures.
Live TV: Live TV means that a running television programme is shown on a digital signage screen, either on its own or in one area alongside other content.
Local dimming: Local dimming is a technique in LCD screens in which the backlight is divided into many zones that are individually brightened or darkened depending on the image content.
Log: A log is a continuous record of events that a device or software keeps with timestamps, such as start-ups, errors, logins or content played.
Logistics and warehousing: In logistics and warehousing, screens show staff orders, key figures, dock assignments and safety notices directly in the hall or at the loading bay.
Loop: The loop is the sequence in which a screen's content runs one item after another and then starts again from the beginning.

M

Mandatory workplace notices: The duty to post workplace notices requires employers in Germany to make certain laws and information accessible to their staff.
Manufacturer (under the CRA): Under the Cyber Resilience Act, a manufacturer is anyone who develops or manufactures products with digital elements, or has them developed or manufactured, and markets them under its own name or trademark.
Matrix switch: A matrix switch is a device that distributes several video sources to several screens in any combination, so that each source can be shown on each output.
Media agency: A media agency plans and buys advertising time and space in various media on behalf of advertisers.
Media facade: A media facade is a building facade fitted with points of light or LED elements in such a way that the whole surface can show images, text or light effects.
Media library: The media library is the central store in the management software that holds all images, videos, documents and other files intended for display on screens.
Media mix: The media mix is the distribution of a campaign and its budget across different types of media, such as television, online, radio, print and out-of-home.
Media plan: A media plan sets out in which media, at which locations, over what period and with what budget a campaign is to run.
Media player: The media player is the small computer or app behind the screen that loads and plays content.
Media sales house: A media sales house sells advertising time on screen networks, which it need not own itself, to advertisers and media agencies.
Media station (museum): A media station is a screen or terminal in an exhibition where visitors can call up films, texts, images or sound on a topic.
Mega-Light: A Mega-Light is a large backlit poster in a glazed case, in the 18/1 billboard format.
Menu board: A menu board is a screen that shows food, drinks and prices, replacing the printed board or menu above the counter.
Merchandise management integration: A merchandise management integration links the signage system with a retailer's merchandise management system, in which items, prices, stock levels and promotions are kept, so that screens can show this data without it being copied by hand.
MicroLED: MicroLED is a display technology in which each individual pixel consists of microscopically small, self-emitting diodes for red, green and blue.
Mini LED: Mini LED refers to very small light-emitting diodes that are used mainly as the backlight of LCD screens, where they make a large number of individually controllable zones possible.
Mini PC: A mini PC is a full computer in a very small case, operated as a media player behind or next to a display.
Mirror display: A mirror display is a screen behind semi-transparent mirror glass that looks like an ordinary mirror as long as it is dark.
Misleading advertising: Misleading advertising creates a false impression of an offer through untrue or deceptive statements, for example about its characteristics, price, origin or availability.
Mobile location data: Mobile location data describes where mobile phones were at what time and, for advertising purposes, is usually analysed in aggregated and anonymised form.
Mobile network (LTE, 5G): A mobile network connects devices to the internet via a SIM card and a mobile operator’s radio network, without a cable or wireless LAN on site.
Moiré effect: The moiré effect is a visible interference pattern of waves or stripes that appears when two fine, regular grids overlap.
Monitoring: Monitoring is the continuous, automatic supervision of devices and services, so that faults are noticed before someone on site reports them.
Motion design: Motion design is the design of moving graphics, meaning animated type, shapes, symbols and transitions, as distinct from filmed video.
MTBF: MTBF is the mean operating time between two failures, determined as a statistical average across a large number of identical devices.
Multi-tenancy: Multi-tenancy means that a single installation of a piece of software serves several separate customers or organisational units whose data, users and settings are invisible to one another.
Multi-touch: Multi-touch is the ability of a touchscreen to detect several touches at the same time and tell them apart.
Multi-zone (zone): In a multi-zone layout the screen is divided into areas, called zones, that run independently of each other.
Multilingual content: Multilingual content means that screen content is offered in more than one language so that people who do not speak the local language can also understand the messages.

N

Net reach: Net reach states how many different people a campaign reached at least once, without double counting.
Network operator: A network operator is the company or organisation that runs a network of screens, is technically responsible for it and plays content or advertising on it.
Network package: A network package is a predefined bundle of screens that is booked as a whole, for example all screens in a city, of one venue type or reaching one target group.
NFC (near-field communication): NFC (near-field communication) is a radio technology for exchanging data over a few centimetres, for example between a smartphone and a small chip or reader.
Nits (brightness, cd/m²): One nit is one candela per square metre (cd/m²) and describes how much light a screen's surface emits.

O

OEE (overall equipment effectiveness): OEE is a key figure for the overall effectiveness of a machine or line, calculated as the product of availability, performance and quality.
Offline operation: In offline operation a player keeps playing even when the connection to the management system drops, because content and schedule are stored on the device.
OLED: An OLED display (organic light-emitting diode) consists of pixels made of organic material that emit light themselves and need no backlight.
Omnichannel: Omnichannel describes a strategy in which a business connects its shop, online shop, app, advertising and customer service so that customers can move between these channels seamlessly.
On-premises: On-premises means that an operator runs the management software on its own servers in its own data centre or network, rather than using it as a cloud service.
Online appointment booking: Online appointment booking lets people arrange an appointment with a practice, public office, garage or shop themselves via a website or app, without phoning or waiting on site.
Open auction: An open auction is an auction in programmatic trading in which any buyer connected to the marketplace can bid for an advertising slot.
OpenRTB: OpenRTB is an open technical specification that defines how sell-side and buy-side platforms exchange bid requests and bids in automated advertising trading.
Operating temperature: Operating temperature is the range of ambient temperature in which the manufacturer states a device works reliably.
Opportunity to see (OTS): Opportunity to see, or OTS, refers to the opportunity to see an advertisement, meaning the chance of an impression, not an actual glance.
OPS slot: An OPS slot is a standardised bay at the back of a screen into which a complete computer is inserted as a module.
Out of home (OOH): Out of home, or OOH for short, is the umbrella term for advertising that reaches people outside their homes: on the street, on the move or in places such as stations and shops.
Outdoor display: An outdoor display is a screen built for continuous operation in the open air, with protection against rain, dust, heat, cold and sunlight.

P

Parking guidance system: A parking guidance system uses displays to direct drivers to free parking spaces, for example in a town to car parks with spare capacity or within a car park to the free level and the free space.
Passenger information: Passenger information covers all details that help travellers on public transport, such as timetables, departure times, platform or stop changes, delays, cancellations and diversions.
Passenger TV: Passenger TV refers to screens in buses, trams and trains that show news, weather, notices and advertising alongside the next stop.
Password policy: A password policy sets out the requirements passwords in a system must meet and how they are handled, such as minimum length, lockout after failed attempts and blocking of known passwords.
Patient information: Patient information refers to screens in medical practices, hospitals and health centres that inform patients and relatives about procedures, services, preventive care and how things work in the building.
Perimeter advertising (perimeter LED): Perimeter advertising with LED boards is advertising on LED boards that surround a playing field and show changing motifs.
Petrol station advertising: Petrol station advertising refers to screens at petrol stations, on pumps, in the shop and on the forecourt that reach customers while they refuel and pay.
Pharmacy sales area: The pharmacy sales area is the room in a pharmacy where medicines are handed to customers and advice is given.
Pictogram: A pictogram is a simplified symbol that conveys a piece of information, a place or an action without words, for example for toilets, lifts, exits or no smoking.
PIM (product information management): A PIM system is central software in which a company maintains all its product information, such as names, descriptions, technical attributes, images, variants and translations, in order to publish it to every channel.
Pixel defect: A pixel defect is a pixel or sub-pixel that does not work properly and stays permanently lit, stays dark or shows the wrong colour.
Pixel pitch: Pixel pitch is the distance between the centres of two neighbouring pixels and is given in millimetres.
Play report: A play report summarises which adverts ran when, how often and on which screens.
Playlist: A playlist is the list of content a screen shows one after another, with the duration of each item.
Point of sale (POS): The point of sale is the place where a purchase happens: in the narrow sense the till, in the wider sense the entire sales floor.
Port forwarding: Port forwarding is a rule in the router or firewall that passes incoming connections from the internet on a specific port to a device on the internal network.
Portrait and landscape: Landscape is wider than tall, portrait is taller than wide.
Poster advertising: Poster advertising is the traditional form of out-of-home advertising, in which printed posters are displayed on fixed advertising sites in public spaces.
Power consumption: Power consumption states how much electrical power a device draws in operation and is given in watts.
Power over Ethernet (PoE): Power over Ethernet is a method by which a device receives not only data but also its power over the network cable.
Power schedule (on and off times): A power schedule sets the times and days at which a screen is switched on and when it is dark or in standby.
Pre-download (prefetching): With pre-downloading, a player fetches media and schedules before they are needed and then plays them from its own storage.
Presence detector: A presence detector is a sensor that detects whether people are in an area and then triggers a signal.
Preview: The preview shows in the management software how a content item, playlist or layout will look on screen before it actually runs there.
Price checker: A price checker is an in-store device at which customers scan an item’s barcode and see the current price and further details on a screen.
Price Indication Ordinance: The Price Indication Ordinance (PAngV) governs how businesses in Germany must state prices to consumers when they offer goods or services or advertise them with prices.
Priority: Priority determines which content takes precedence when several items or schedules apply to the same screen at the same time.
Private marketplace (PMP): A private marketplace is a closed auction in automated advertising trading to which a seller invites only selected buyers.
Prize draw: A prize draw is a promotion in which participants get a chance of winning a prize without paying a stake, for example through a draw or a simple question.
Product advisor (guided selling): A product advisor is a digital application that guides customers to suitable products by asking a few questions about their needs, much like a sales conversation.
Professional display: A professional display is a screen built for continuous commercial operation, as opposed to a television for the home.
Programmatic DOOH: In programmatic trading an automatic auction decides which creative gets a free slot in a screen's loop.
Programmatic guaranteed: Programmatic guaranteed is a programmatic trading route in which seller and buyer agree price and volume in advance and the transaction is handled automatically through the trading platforms.
Projected capacitive touch (PCAP): Capacitive touch is a touch technology in which a fine, transparent grid of conductors behind the cover glass measures the change in an electric field caused by a finger.
Projector: A projector casts an image with light onto a surface, such as a screen, a wall, a window or a floor.
Proof of play: The proof of play shows that an advert or piece of content actually ran on a screen.
Pseudonymisation: Pseudonymisation means processing personal data in such a way that it can no longer be attributed to a specific person without additional information kept separately.

Q

QR code: A QR code is a square image code that a phone reads with its camera and that usually leads to a web page.
Queue management system: A queue management system hands out waiting numbers, calls people to a free counter and shows the current status on a wall display.
Quick-service restaurant (QSR): A quick-service restaurant is a fast-food restaurant with quick service, a fixed menu and ordering at the till, a kiosk or a drive-through.

R

Railway station: In a railway station, screens serve mainly passenger information and, separately, advertising to a large and changing audience.
Rated operating hours: The rated operating hours on a data sheet state for how many hours a day and days a week the manufacturer designs a display.
Reach: Reach states how many different people an advert or a medium reaches at least once during a given period.
Real-time bidding (RTB): Real-time bidding is a process in which a single ad slot is awarded to the highest bidder in an automated auction within fractions of a second.
Receiving card: A receiving card is the control board in each cabinet of an LED wall that accepts the image data from the sending card and drives the light-emitting diodes in its area.
Refresh rate: Refresh rate states how often a display redraws its picture per second and is given in hertz.
Remote management: Remote management lets screens and players be looked after from one central place without anyone having to travel to the device.
Remote restart: A remote restart is a command from the management software that restarts a player or its playback app without anyone being on site.
Remote screenshot: A remote screenshot is an image of what a player is currently outputting, sent to the management software on request or at regular intervals.
Resolution: Resolution states how many pixels make up an image, given as width times height.
REST: REST is a widely used architectural style for web interfaces in which programs use ordinary HTTP requests to access resources such as devices, media or appointments, each of which has its own address.
Restore: Restore means recovering data or a working system from a backup after a loss or failure.
Retail media: Retail media is a business model in which retailers sell ad space in their own environment to brands.
Right to one's own image: The right to one's own image protects people from having pictures of them distributed or shown in public without their agreement.
RoHS: RoHS is an EU directive that restricts the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.
Roles and permissions: Roles and permissions define who may do what in a screen network's management system: view, create content, approve, change devices.
Rollout: A rollout is the planned introduction of devices, software or a new software version across many sites or devices.
Room booking: Room booking is the reservation of meeting rooms, seminar rooms or other shared spaces through a system, usually the organisation's calendar.
RS-232: RS-232 is a serial interface through which a control device sends commands to a display and receives responses.
RSS feed: An RSS feed is a machine-readable file in XML format in which a website provides its latest items with headline, short text, date and often an image.
Rule-based playlist: A rule-based playlist only plays content when defined rules are met, for example a data value, a device group, a sensor status or the weather.

S

Safe area: The safe area is the inner part of the image area in which important content such as text, logo and prices should be placed so that it is fully visible on every device.
Safety glass: Safety glass is glass manufactured so that it does not form large, sharp-edged shards when it breaks, which reduces injuries.
Sales uplift measurement: Sales uplift measurement checks whether more of a product was sold during a campaign than would have been expected without it.
SBOM (software bill of materials): An SBOM (software bill of materials) is a machine-readable list of the components a piece of software is made of, above all the libraries it includes, with name and version.
Scaler: A scaler is the electronics that converts an incoming video signal to a screen's actual resolution.
Schedule: The schedule defines in the management software which playlist or content runs on which screens, on which days and at which times.
Screen size (diagonal): Screen size is the distance between two opposite corners of the visible picture area and is usually given in inches.
Secondary placement: A secondary placement is an additional sales location for a product outside its regular shelf, for example on a display stand, a pallet, at the end of an aisle or at the checkout.
Security update: A security update is an update to software or firmware that closes known security flaws.
Self-order kiosk: A self-order kiosk is a touchscreen device at which guests order, and usually also pay, by themselves without queuing at a till.
Self-selection area (pharmacy): The self-selection area is the part of a pharmacy where customers may take goods from the shelf themselves, such as cosmetics, care products, food supplements and medicines that may also be sold outside pharmacies.
Self-service area (bank): The self-service area is the part of a bank branch with cash machines, statement printers and transfer terminals, and it is often accessible outside opening hours.
Sending card (LED controller): A sending card is the control unit of an LED wall that accepts the video signal from a player or computer and converts it into data packets for the receiving cards in the wall's cabinets.
Server: A server is a computer or program that provides services to other devices on the network, such as data, web pages or files.
Service level agreement (SLA): A service level agreement (SLA) is a contractual agreement that sets out in measurable terms what service a provider delivers, such as availability, response time and time to resolution.
Share of voice: Share of voice is the proportion of the total advertising time or volume of a medium or market that belongs to one advertiser.
Shelf media: Shelf media is the umbrella term for advertising and information media directly on the shelf, from printed shelf talkers to small screens on the shelf edge.
Shelf-edge display: A shelf-edge display is a narrow, long screen attached to the front edge of a shelf, where it shows prices, product information or advertising.
Shop floor management: Shop floor management is a leadership method in production and logistics in which managers and teams meet regularly where value is created, discuss key figures and tackle problems immediately.
Shop window interaction: Shop window interaction refers to screens in a shop window that passers-by can operate from outside, by touching the glass, using gestures or their own phone.
Shopper insights: Shopper insights are findings about how people decide and behave when shopping: what they plan, what they buy on impulse, how they move through a store.
Shopping centre: In a shopping centre, screens provide wayfinding, information about shops and events, and advertising to a large audience.
Showroom: A showroom is a display space where a company presents its products, such as furniture, kitchens, bathrooms, machinery or fashion.
Single sign-on: Single sign-on (SSO) means that a person signs in to several applications with their existing company account instead of having a separate password for each.
Slot allocation: Slot allocation describes which ad slots in a network are taken by which campaigns during a given period.
Smart Display Module (SDM): A Smart Display Module is a standardised, compact computing module that is inserted into a matching slot in the screen and turns it into a complete player.
SMD LED: An SMD LED is a small LED component soldered onto the surface of the circuit board, usually combining one diode each for red, green and blue in a single package.
SMIL: SMIL is an open W3C format (version 3.0 since 2008) that describes in a text file what a player shows when and where.
SoC display: A SoC display is a display with a built-in system on chip on which the player software runs directly, without an external media player.
Social media wall: A social media wall is an on-screen display that collects and continuously shows posts from social networks on a particular hashtag, account or topic.
Software licence: A software licence is the contractually granted right to use software to a defined extent, for example for a number of devices or users or for a period of time.
Split screen: With a split screen, the display area is divided into two or a few large areas that show different content or picture sources at the same time.
Sports club: In a sports club, screens show members, guests and spectators fixtures, results, training times, club news and sponsors.
Spot: A spot is a short advertising item that runs as part of the loop, usually a video or an image with a fixed duration.
Spot length: Spot length is the duration in seconds for which a single advert or item of content is shown on screen in one go.
Stadium and arena: In stadiums and arenas, screens are part of the event: large video walls, LED perimeter boards, screens in concourses, at kiosks and in boxes show the action, information and advertising.
Standby mode: In standby mode, a display or player is not fully switched off but waits, with low power consumption, for a signal to switch on.
Stick player: A stick player is a media player the size of a large USB stick that plugs directly into a display’s HDMI input.
Storyboard: A storyboard is a sequence of sketches or frames that defines the course of a video, animation or content sequence frame by frame before production begins.
Streaming: Streaming means that a video or audio is transmitted continuously over the network during playback, instead of being stored completely on the device beforehand.
Stretched display: A stretched display is a screen with a strongly elongated aspect ratio, that is, much wider or much taller than a usual 16:9 device.
Substitution timetable: A substitution timetable is a school's daily overview of changes to the regular timetable, such as cancelled lessons, cover teachers, room changes and rescheduled exams.
Subtitles: Subtitles are lines of text at the bottom of the picture that reproduce the spoken words and important sounds of a video.
Supply-side platform (SSP): A supply-side platform is software that network operators and sales houses use to offer their advertising inventory automatically to many buyers.
Synchronised playback: Synchronised playback means that several players play their content precisely coordinated in time, so that images on different screens change at the same moment or a video runs across several screens.

T

Tag: A tag is a freely assigned label attached to files, content items or devices in order to organise, find or assign them specifically.
Targeting: Targeting is the deliberate choice of where, when and under what conditions an advert is played so that it reaches a particular target group.
Taxi display: A taxi display is a screen in or on a taxi that shows information and advertising to passengers or passers-by.
Template: A template is a layout with fixed and fillable fields for screen content.
Ticker (scrolling text): A ticker is a line of text that moves steadily across the screen, usually from right to left along the bottom edge.
Time synchronisation (NTP): Time synchronisation is the automatic adjustment of a device’s clock to an accurate time source on the network; this is usually done via NTP, the Network Time Protocol.
Time zone: A time zone is an area with a uniform legal local time that can be described as an offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), including the rules for summer time.
Tobacco advertising ban: The tobacco advertising ban prohibits advertising for tobacco products in most media in Germany, and now also in out-of-home advertising.
Totem: A totem is a free-standing, upright enclosure with a screen in portrait orientation that needs no wall.
Touch foil: A touch foil is a transparent film with an embedded sensor that is applied behind a pane of glass and makes it touch-sensitive.
Touchscreen (interactive): A touchscreen is a screen that responds to touch, so visitors can call up content themselves.
Tourist information: In a tourist information office, screens inform visitors about sights, events, accommodation, transport and the weather, often in several languages.
Trade fair stand: At a trade fair stand, exhibitors use screens, LED walls and terminals to demonstrate products, attract visitors and support conversations.
Transition: A transition is the way one content item changes into the next, for example as a hard cut, a crossfade or a slide in from the side.
Transparent display: A transparent display shows a picture on a surface that one can see through at the same time.
Trigger: A trigger is an event that, when it occurs, automatically starts a content change or an action on the screen.
Two-factor authentication: With two-factor authentication, a person proves their identity with two independent pieces of evidence, usually something they know (a password) and something they have (a smartphone or security key).

U

Unfair Competition Act (UWG): The UWG, the German Act against Unfair Competition, protects competitors, consumers and the general public from unfair commercial practices, including misleading, aggressive or harassing advertising.
Uniformity: Uniformity describes how evenly brightness and colour are distributed across the entire picture area of a display or video wall.
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS): An uninterruptible power supply is a device with a battery that keeps connected equipment powered without interruption during a power cut or voltage fluctuations.
USB playback: USB playback means that a screen plays images and videos directly from an inserted USB stick, usually in an endless loop.
User account: A user account is a person’s individual access to a system, made up of an identifier such as a name or email address, a credential such as a password, and the permissions assigned to it.
User-generated content: User-generated content consists of contributions such as photos, videos, texts or reviews that were created not by the operator but by customers, guests, fans or employees.
Utilisation: Utilisation states what share of the available advertising inventory is actually booked in a given period.

V

VA panel: A VA panel is a type of LCD screen in which the liquid crystals stand perpendicular to the image surface when at rest and therefore block the light of the backlight well.
Validity period: The validity period is the span with a start and end date during which a piece of content may be shown at all.
Vandal protection (IK code): Vandal protection refers to design measures that protect screens and terminals in public spaces against deliberate damage; impact resistance is often stated using the IK code.
Vector graphic (SVG): A vector graphic describes an image not as individual pixels but as geometric shapes such as lines, curves and areas, so that it can be enlarged to any size without loss of quality.
Venue partner: A venue partner provides a network operator with the location for one or more screens, such as a shop, a medical practice, a petrol station or a gym.
Venue type: The venue type describes the kind of place where a screen is located, such as a shopping centre, a stop or a shop.
VESA mounting standard: The VESA standard defines the hole pattern on the back of displays to which mounts are screwed.
Video codec: A video codec is the method by which a video is compressed for storage and decoded again for playback.
Video format (MP4): The video format is the type of file in which a video is stored with picture, sound and additional information; the most widespread format is MP4.
Video surveillance (notice sign): A video surveillance notice sign informs people, before they enter an area covered by cameras, who is filming there, for what purpose and where further information is available.
Video wall: A video wall consists of several screens mounted side by side and one above the other that together form one large picture.
Viewing angle: Viewing angle states how far one can look at a display from the side, from above or from below before brightness, contrast or colours drop noticeably.
Viewing distance: Viewing distance is the distance between the screen and the people who are meant to look at it.
Visibility adjustment: A visibility adjustment weights the number of people at a location by how likely they are actually to be able to see a particular advertising site.
Visitor registration: Visitor registration is the recording of guests as they enter a building, with name, company, contact person and time, nowadays often at a terminal or tablet rather than on paper.
Visual style: Visual style refers to the consistent way in which a sender's photos, illustrations and graphics are chosen and designed, such as subject matter, lighting, colour mood, framing and perspective.
VPN (virtual private network): A VPN (virtual private network) is an encrypted connection over the internet through which remote devices or sites are linked as if they were on the same local network.
Vulnerability reporting: Vulnerability reporting means notifying a security flaw in a product, either from outside to the manufacturer, for example by security researchers or customers, or from the manufacturer to the competent bodies.

W

Waiting room TV: Waiting room TV refers to screens in the waiting areas of doctors' and dentists' practices, veterinary practices or hospitals that show a programme of practice information, health topics and entertainment.
Wake-on-LAN: Wake-on-LAN is a method of switching on a device that is off or asleep over the network, by sending it a special data packet known as the magic packet.
Wall mount: A wall mount is a bracket for fixing a display securely to a wall.
Watchdog: A watchdog is a protective function that monitors a program or device and restarts it automatically if it stops reporting within a set time or hangs.
Wayfinding system: A wayfinding system is the entirety of signs, maps and displays that show visitors the way to their destination within a building or site.
WCAG: The WCAG are the internationally used guidelines for accessible web content, setting out how texts, images, videos and controls must be designed so that people with disabilities can use them.
Webhook: A webhook is a notification that a system sends automatically, when a particular event occurs, to a web address of another system registered in advance, instead of the other system having to ask repeatedly.
Website as content: With a website as content, the player calls up an internet address and displays the page as it currently exists on the server.
White balance: White balance is the setting of a screen that determines how neutrally white is displayed, without a blue or yellow cast.
Widget: A widget is a small, self-contained component within a piece of content that shows something specific, such as a clock, weather or a countdown.
Window-facing display: A window-facing display is a screen placed behind a shop window and facing outwards towards passers-by.
Windows player: A Windows player is a computer with the Windows operating system on which player software plays content for a display.
Wireless LAN (WLAN): Wireless LAN (WLAN) is a local radio network based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, through which devices connect to the network without a cable.

X

XML: XML is a text-based markup language in which data is described hierarchically using self-named elements in angle brackets, so that both people and programs can read it.

Y

Yield management: Yield management is the control of prices and sales channels with the aim of earning the highest possible revenue from a limited advertising inventory.

Z

ZUGFeRD: ZUGFeRD is a German format for electronic invoices that combines a PDF for people to read and an embedded XML file for software in a single file.

Is a term missing? Write to the editorial team.