MPi4 NEC MediaPlayer Kit slot-in card powers 4K digital signage displays with Raspberry Pi CM4

NEC Display Solutions has been integrating Raspberry Pi Compute Modules into commercial displays used for digital signage and presentation platforms for over 5 years now.

The company, now called Sharp NEC Display Solutions, has launched a new Intel Smart Display Module (SDM)-like slot-in card based on Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 called “MPi4 NEC MediaPlayer Kit” and designed as an entry-level card alternative to the company’s Intel SDM slot-in cards designed for NEC large format 4K displays.

MPi4 NEC MediaPlayer Kit specifications:

• SoM – Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 “NEC Edition” with
  • SoC – Broadcom BCM2711 quad-core Arm Cortex 72 @ 1.5GHz, VideoCore IV GPU with OpenGL ES 3.0 graphics,  H.265 (HEVC) up to 4Kp60 decode, H.264 up to 1080p60 decode, 1080p30 encode
  • System Memory – 4GB LPDDR2 SDRAM
  • Storage – 32 GB eMMC flash
  • Dimensions – 55 × 40 × 4.7 mm
• Interface Board for Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4
  • Networking – Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port
  • USB – 2x USB 2.0 ports
  • Misc – Watchdog timer, real-time clock in combination with supported NEC large format displays
  • Dimensions – 114.5 x 26.0 x 133.7 mm
• Certificates – CE, FCC certification
• Warranty 3 Years

The “NEC Edition” Raspberry Pi CM4 module probably just has the same hardware, but the difference is that it comes pre-installed with NEC MediaPlayer designed for digital signage with a user interface to manage and create content, or as the company calls it: “visual experiences”.

The card appears to be compliant with SDM-S (small form factor), but Sharp NEC Display Solutions carefully avoids the term, but it may not be 100% compatible, or the term can only be used with Intel cards.

The Raspberry Pi CM4 card is the entry-level card designed for signage displays in retail environments, passenger information, and quick service menu boards, and more powerful Celeron, Core-i3/i5 are offered for more demanding video applications such as video conferencing, interactive whiteboards, and collaborative use cases.

The short video below shows how the MPi4 NEC MediaPlayer kit is inserted into NEC M Series displays.

The MPi4 NEC MediaPlayer kit will be available in May via distributors located in Europe and Middle Eastern countries for under $200. You can find additional information, and a distributor for your country, on the product page.

Via LinuxGizmos

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.

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