What it is and when you need it
Most screens run perfectly well on slides you create yourself in the dashboard. But sometimes the information you want to show already lives somewhere else: in your online shop, your planning system, your news posts or a price list. Retyping that data into slides takes time and quickly falls out of date.
With a data feed, your screens fetch that data directly. Narrow.TV connects a JSON or XML/RSS feed from your system or website and shows the fields you choose on your screens. When the data changes on your side, it changes on screen too.
Important: Narrow.TV sets this up for you. You do not connect a feed yourself in the dashboard, and there is no public API you send data to yourself. Get in touch to discuss the options for your situation.
How it works
- Source: a JSON feed or an XML/RSS feed from your system or website.
- Security: if the feed is protected, Narrow.TV can authenticate with a bearer token or a custom header.
- Refresh: the data is fetched at an interval of anywhere from every 30 seconds to once a day.
- Lists: if the feed contains a list, for example several products or posts, the records rotate on screen.
- Display: the fields from the feed, such as a name, price or title, appear on your screens.
How to arrange a data connection
- Decide which data you want to show and on which screens.
- Check whether your system or website already makes that data available as a JSON or XML/RSS feed. Many online shops, CMSs and news sites have an RSS feed; for an in-house system, your IT provider or developer can often create a JSON feed.
- Contact Narrow.TV. Share the address of the feed (URL), any access credentials (bearer token or header) and which fields you want to see on screen.
- Agree how often the data should be refreshed, between every 30 seconds and once a day.
- Narrow.TV sets up the connection for you.
- Check the result on your screen and let us know if anything needs adjusting.
Examples
Shop and online shop
Show products with name and price from your product feed, so the screen in your shop shows the same prices as your online shop. The products rotate automatically. More ideas for shops can be found in digital signage in retail.
Office and production
Show figures or statuses from your own system in the canteen or on the production floor, such as production numbers or open orders, as long as your system can provide them as a feed. See also digital signage in the office.
News from your own website
Does your website have a news or blog page with an RSS feed? Then the latest posts can appear on your screens, without anyone having to copy them over separately.
Prices and listings
If your prices or listings change often and are already in a system, for example used cars or properties for sale, a feed can put them on your screens. Please note: there is no integration with till systems.
What to work out in advance
The better your request is prepared, the faster the connection is up and running. Before the first conversation, list: which feed it is and who manages it, whether a token or header is required, which fields you want to show per record, which screens the data should appear on and how often the data changes on your side. If you have a sample of the feed or a test address, send that along too.
Tips for a good feed
- Keep it small. Only provide the fields that will appear on screen. Less data is faster and clearer.
- Create read-only access. Use a separate token for the connection that can only read the feed, separate from your other credentials.
- Choose a realistic interval. A price list that changes once a day does not need to be fetched every 30 seconds.
- Keep text short at the source. Long descriptions are hard to read on a screen. A separate short title in the feed works better.
- Make sure the feed stays reachable. If you change the URL or the token, let us know in good time.
Combining with regular slides
A data feed does not replace your other content. Your screens remain regular digital signage screens, on which you also create your own slides with text, images, video, a clock, the weather or a scrolling ticker. What else the software can do and what a screen costs can be found under digital signage software and on the pricing page.
Want to see how the dashboard works first? Start the free 30-day trial with one screen, and ask about the options for a data connection via the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I connect a data feed myself in the dashboard?
No, data feeds are not self-service. Narrow.TV sets up the connection for you. Get in touch via the contact page, info@narrow.tv or +31 (0)85 401 81 62.
Which data formats does Narrow.TV support?
Narrow.TV can connect a JSON feed or an XML/RSS feed. Authentication via a bearer token or a custom header is supported.
How often is the data refreshed?
That is configurable, from every 30 seconds to once a day. Choose an interval that matches how often your data actually changes.
Does Narrow.TV have an API?
There is no public Narrow.TV API for customers. If you want to show data from your own system, Narrow.TV connects a JSON or XML/RSS feed from your side.