Easy DIY Digital Menu Boards
Try this low-cost, do-it-yourself solution that turns any TV into a digital menu board!
Most modern television sets feature the ability to play images and videos from a USB flash drive (also known as jump-drive, thumb-drive, stick, and USB thing). Plug a thumb-drive of content (more on content in a minute) into the USB port of a TV to showcase your menu, photos, or even videos. Some TVs even allow your content to play on loop — an easy way to share a slideshow of content. Use your television’s “input” feature to select the USB source. Access to your USB input may be located within a “media” option on SmartTVs.
But, not all televisions are created equal.
Ever wonder why some TVs are much cheaper than others, even though they may be the same size? TV manufacturers can create a range of models and slash prices by removing premium features. The ability for a TV to read and display content from a thumb drive often falls under that “premium feature” umbrella. When considering displays for food service establishments, premium features that appeal to home consumers often don’t make sense. Your TV might have a USB port, but when you plug a thumb drive in, nothing happens… it means that your TV’s USB port is there to provide power only.
No USB? No problem.
You don’t need a fully functional USB port as long as your TV has an HDMI port. When plugged into your HDMI port, the “Micca Speck 1080p Full-HD Ultra Portable Digital Media Player” gives you a USB port and more. If you’ve got an extra TV kicking around, I highly recommend this little device. Why? Because in 2020, I helped a customer set up 3 of these on used TVs — and it worked flawlessly. The Micca Speck is a cheap, powerful media player that can display multiple images and video formats in full 1080p HD. The player comes with a remote control and connects to your TV via HDMI cable. This device includes some noteworthy features such as an SD/SDHC memory card reader, USB port, automatic restart after a power failure, aluminum case exterior, and high-quality playback. I’m sure you can find comparable devices. This one retails for around $40.
So, now you’re excited about creating a digital menu board or point of sale display. What do you need?
- Any TV with an HDMI port.
- The Micca Speck Digital Media Player.
- A USB thumb drive loaded with your images or menu graphics.
Pro Tips
These graphics can be anything: menus and featured specials, in-store marketing and promotions, or recommendations to follow you on social media. You can also use video. How about reading featured specials to a vertically oriented smartphone on a tripod? Mount a small TV vertically outdoors, in an entry space, where guests wait in line or anywhere people might be peeking in. This method will work for any screen with an HDMI port. Where could you put a display?
You can use any software or application to create your digital menu board “graphics.” Many people have Microsoft PowerPoint. If you don’t, there are plenty of other applications that accomplish the same task. Presentation apps are ideal for making and organizing digital menu boards.
To avoid distorted or “squished” images, the graphics you make must be 1920x1080 pixels in size. These are the dimensions of typical flatscreen television displays. A 1920x1080 graphic will work on any TV, regardless of the screen’s physical size. If you happen to be using a 4K television, you’ll want to use 3840 x 2160 as your graphic size.
Microsoft PowerPoint slides can be set to a default size of “1080p” or 1920x1080. Often this is already the default size. If not, you can change it.* Once you’ve created your menu, simply “export” the slide as a jpeg image and copy it to your jump drive. The image is exported as 1920x1080 pixels, and so your menu should display on your TV exactly how it appeared in PowerPoint.
As I said, you can use any application you’re comfortable with to create your digital menus, advertisements, artwork, or even videos. There are many more methods, services, and devices you could utilize for electronic signage. This one happens to follow one of my favorite business strategies — highly effective and inexpensive.
Bonus Tips
Try it at home!
Make your own menu graphic–it doesn’t have to be pretty. Pop it on a thumb drive and stick it in the family TV. No USB port? No problem…
Have “the printer” do it.
Even for a small fee, it might be worth it. If you’re already having your menus designed and printed by an outside company, a tv-ready digital version of your menu could be a conversation away.
*PowerPoint stuck in 4x3 aspect ratio? Try this!
If you see black bars on the left and right of your menu graphic, it means your slides are set to a 4x3 aspect ratio.
1) While in your PowerPoint presentation, go to the Slide Show tab.
2) Select “Set Up Slide Show”
3) Change the “Slide show resolution” from ‘Use Current Resolution’ to ‘1920x1080.’
Amazon Link: Micca Speck 1080p Full-HD Ultra Portable Digital Media Player
