Who should choose the Raspberry Pi?

The Raspberry Pi is not the easiest solution – but the most powerful. It's worth it for:

  • Tinkerers and tech enthusiasts: You enjoy configuring things and want to understand how everything works.
  • Multiple locations: You can configure an image once perfectly and then clone it to 10, 20 or 100 Raspberry Pis.
  • 24/7 continuous operation: With watchdog and read-only filesystem, the Pi runs for months without manual intervention.
  • Independence: No Amazon account, no Google account – you control everything yourself.

To be honest: If you're only running one display and have no Linux knowledge, a Fire TV Stick for $30–45 is the much simpler choice. The Raspberry Pi costs $80–120 with accessories and requires 1–2 hours setup time – it's only worth it for 2–3+ displays or if you want full control.

What you need

  • Raspberry Pi 4 (4 GB RAM) or Raspberry Pi 5: approx. $60–80 (older models like Pi 3B+ also work but are slower)
  • Official Raspberry Pi power supply (USB-C, 15W): approx. $10 (important for stability!)
  • MicroSD card (32 GB or more, Class 10 / A1): approx. $8–12
  • Optional: Case with cooling: approx. $8–15 (recommended for continuous operation)
  • Monitor or TV with HDMI: (already available)
  • USB keyboard and mouse: for setup (not needed afterwards)

Total cost: approx. $80–120 (one-time, no recurring costs)

Raspberry Pi 4 next to monitor on desk – preparing as digital signage display in kiosk mode

Step-by-step guide

1. Install Raspberry Pi OS

  1. Download Raspberry Pi Imager: raspberrypi.com/software
  2. Insert the microSD card into your computer (via SD card reader if needed).
  3. Open Raspberry Pi Imager and select:
    • Device: Raspberry Pi 4 (or 5, depending on your model)
    • OS: Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) with Desktop (not Lite!)
    • Storage: Your microSD card
  4. Click "Edit Settings" (gear icon) and configure:
    • Hostname (e.g., "signage-1")
    • Username and password (remember these!)
    • Wi-Fi SSID and password (if available – saves time during first setup)
    • Enable SSH (useful for remote management)
  5. Click "Write" and wait until the process completes (approx. 5–10 minutes).

2. Boot Raspberry Pi and update

  1. Insert the microSD card into the Raspberry Pi, connect monitor (HDMI), keyboard and mouse.
  2. Connect the power supply – the Pi boots automatically (red LED lights up, green LED blinks).
  3. After approx. 30–60 seconds, the desktop appears. Sign in with your configured username.
  4. Open a terminal (icon top left or Menu > Accessories > Terminal).
  5. Update the system (important for security and stability): 
    sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
    (Duration: approx. 5–15 minutes, depending on updates)
  6. Reboot the Pi: sudo reboot

3. Configure Chromium in kiosk mode

Chromium is pre-installed on Raspberry Pi OS. We'll configure it for fullscreen continuous operation:

  1. Open a terminal and create a startup script: 
    nano ~/kiosk.sh
  2. Insert the following content (replace YOUR_PLAYER_URL with your actual Bildschirmzentrale URL): 
    #!/bin/bash
xset s off
xset s noblank
xset -dpms

chromium-browser --noerrdialogs --disable-infobars --kiosk \
  --disable-features=TranslateUI \
  --disable-session-crashed-bubble \
  --check-for-update-interval=31536000 \
  'https://bildschirmzentrale.de/player/YOUR_PLAYER_URL'
  3. Save with Ctrl+O, Enter, then Ctrl+X.
  4. Make the script executable: 
    chmod +x ~/kiosk.sh
  5. Test the script: 
    ~/kiosk.sh
    Chromium should now start in fullscreen with your slideshow. Close with Alt+F4.

What does the script do? xset s off disables the screensaver, --kiosk starts Chromium in fullscreen without address bar, --disable-infobars suppresses update notifications.

4. Set up autostart via systemd

To make Chromium start automatically on boot, we create a systemd service:

  1. Create a service file: 
    sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/kiosk.service
  2. Insert the following content (replace YOUR_USERNAME with your actual username): 
    [Unit]
Description=Kiosk Browser
After=graphical.target network-online.target
Wants=graphical.target

[Service]
Environment=DISPLAY=:0
Environment=XAUTHORITY=/home/YOUR_USERNAME/.Xauthority
Type=simple
ExecStart=/home/YOUR_USERNAME/kiosk.sh
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
User=YOUR_USERNAME

[Install]
WantedBy=graphical.target
  3. Save and close (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X).
  4. Enable the service: 
    sudo systemctl enable kiosk.service
  5. Start the service manually to test: 
    sudo systemctl start kiosk.service
    Chromium should now start in fullscreen.
  6. Reboot the Pi to verify everything starts automatically: 
    sudo reboot

5. Enable watchdog (automatic restart on crash)

The hardware watchdog reboots the Raspberry Pi if the system freezes:

  1. Load the watchdog module at boot: 
    echo "bcm2835_wdt" | sudo tee -a /etc/modules
  2. Install the watchdog daemon: 
    sudo apt install watchdog -y
  3. Edit the configuration: 
    sudo nano /etc/watchdog.conf
  4. Remove the # before the following lines (if present): 
    watchdog-device = /dev/watchdog
max-load-1 = 24
  5. Enable the watchdog service: 
    sudo systemctl enable watchdog
sudo systemctl start watchdog

How does the watchdog work? The Raspberry Pi sends an "I'm alive" signal every few seconds. If this signal stops (e.g., during a system crash), the hardware reboots the Pi after 15 seconds automatically.

6. Read-only filesystem (optional, for maximum stability)

SD cards wear out after many write cycles. A read-only filesystem prevents data loss during power outages and extends lifespan:

  1. Install the overlay filesystem: 
    sudo apt install overlayroot -y
  2. Enable read-only: 
    sudo raspi-config
    Go to Performance Options > Overlay File System and enable it.
  3. Reboot: sudo reboot

Caution: In read-only mode, you can't save permanent changes (e.g., install new software). To make changes, temporarily disable Overlay via raspi-config. For beginners, we recommend skipping this step and only enabling it if you experience SD card wear problems.

Criteria Details
Cost approx. $80–120 (one-time, incl. accessories)
Time required 45–90 minutes initial setup
Difficulty Medium to advanced – Linux basics helpful
24/7 operation Excellent – with watchdog and read-only, maintenance-free for months
Requirements Raspberry Pi 4/5, microSD, HDMI monitor, keyboard (for setup)

Advantages of Raspberry Pi for digital signage

  • Full control: No Amazon, Google or Apple account needed. You decide everything yourself.
  • Clone for multiple locations: Configure image once perfectly, then copy via dd or Win32DiskImager to any number of SD cards.
  • Remote management: Via SSH, you can centrally manage all displays, deploy updates or change URLs – without being on-site.
  • Energy efficient: The Raspberry Pi consumes approx. 3–6 watts – less than a Fire TV Stick and much less than a laptop.
  • Longevity: With read-only filesystem and watchdog, a Pi easily runs 1–2 years without maintenance.

Disadvantages and when to choose a Fire TV Stick instead

  • Higher barrier to entry: Terminal, systemd, config files – not for absolute tech beginners.
  • Higher cost: $80–120 instead of $30–45 for a Fire TV Stick.
  • Longer setup time: 1–2 hours instead of 15 minutes.
  • No official support hotline: For problems, you rely on community forums and your own research.

Our advice: For 1–2 displays without technical knowledge: Fire TV Stick. For 3+ displays, professional installations or if you're a tinkerer: Raspberry Pi. You can also start hybrid: Test first display with Fire TV Stick, scale to Raspberry Pi if successful.

Common problems and solutions

Chromium doesn't start automatically on boot:
Check the service status: sudo systemctl status kiosk.service. Common errors: username wrong, script path wrong, DISPLAY or XAUTHORITY not set.

Screen goes black after some time:
The xset commands in the script should prevent this. Also check your monitor's power saving settings.

SD card becomes unreadable after months:
Enable read-only (step 6) or use a high-quality SD card with high write cycle guarantee (e.g., SanDisk High Endurance).

Pi doesn't boot after power outage:
The Pi boots automatically as soon as power is applied. Check the power supply (use original!) and whether your monitor activates the HDMI input.

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