Digital signage offers a superior ROI compared to traditional printed materials. Digital signs may be scrolling message boards, LCD or plasma display panels, electronic billboards, projection screens, or other emerging display types like Organic LED screens (OLEDs) that can be controlled electronically using a computer or other devices, allowing individuals or groups to remotely change and control their content.

The content displayed on digital signage screens can range from simple text and still images to full-motion video, with or without audio. Content scheduling and playback can be controlled by a number of technologies ranging from simple, non-networked media players that can output basic loops of MPEG-2 video to complex, N-tier player networks that offer control over many displays in many venues from a single location. The former is ideal for small groups of displays that can be updated via sneaker net, while the latter allows Digital Signage Network Operators to either push content to many players at once or have each player pull content from a server as needed.