A Screenly Player runs the same operating system you can put on your own hardware, on a board we build and support.
It arrives ready
ScreenlyOS is already installed and tuned to the hardware. Plug the player into the display and the network, turn it on, and it shows a pairing code.
There is no image to write, no first-boot setup, and no BIOS to touch. Boot and pair the device is the whole process.
The hardware is tested
On hardware you supply, we say plainly which models we have confirmed and which we have not. That question does not arise here. We build the board, test the operating system on it, and support both.
That is the practical difference. A Raspberry Pi or a Scala player runs the same software, but the hardware underneath it is yours to vouch for.
It costs nothing extra to run
ScreenlyOS and its updates are included with your subscription, on our hardware and on yours alike. Buying a player does not unlock anything, and not buying one does not cost you anything: Raspberry Pi and Scala players run the same operating system with the same features.
What you are buying is hardware that arrives working and stays supported.