# Free digital signage on a Raspberry Pi > Canonical HTML: https://screenrig.ai/digital-signage/raspberry-pi A Raspberry Pi 5 or 4 makes a free digital signage screen your AI agent runs. One install line puts the screenRIG Player on the Pi, and it boots straight into it with no desktop. The Pi 5 plays 4K video, and the Pi 4 plays 1080p. Updated October 27, 2026. > **You:** Get this 4K clip ready for my Raspberry Pi 5. It is a 4-second test clip, 15.9 MB. > > **Agent:** Done. I converted it to 4K HEVC at 30 frames a second, which the Pi 5 decodes in hardware, and uploaded it. The file went from 15.9 MB to 4.5 MB before it left my machine. ## Can a Raspberry Pi 5 play 4K digital signage? Yes. The Pi 5 decodes HEVC (H.265) video in hardware, up to 4K. H.264 video is decoded in software and suits 1080p. Tell your agent which Pi the clip is for and it converts the video to match, as above. A Pi 4 plays 1080p, so for a Pi 4 your agent converts to 1080p instead. HEVC is for screens that run the Player app, not for every web browser. ## Does a Raspberry Pi sign keep playing offline? Yes. The Player downloads your content once and plays it from the Pi's own storage, so a dropped network does not stop it. With the dedicated-screen option, the Pi also starts straight back into the Player after a power cut. ## Can a Raspberry Pi 5 drive a video wall? Yes, two displays. One Pi 5 drives two displays as one wall from a single Player. The [Linux page](https://screenrig.ai/digital-signage/linux.md#one-pc-two-or-three-displays) has the details, and an Intel mini PC drives up to three. ## From a blank card to a code on the screen 1. Write Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit, the Trixie release) to the card and boot the Pi on your network. A 32-bit image or the older Bookworm release cannot run the Player, and the installer says so. 2. Run the install line from the [Downloads page](https://screenrig.ai/downloads.md#linux-quick-install) with the dedicated-screen option. A Lite image has no desktop, so the page's [package list](https://screenrig.ai/downloads.md#linux-distributions) shows what to add first. 3. Restart the Pi. It boots to the Player, which shows a code for your agent. On the desktop edition the session already has what the Player needs: install without the dedicated-screen option and start the Player from the menu. ## A tall screen: a building directory A Pi can drive an upright screen too. The Player tells your agent how big the screen is, so the page is made to fit it. > **You:** This screen is mounted upright. Build a directory: Reception on the ground floor, then Harbor Dental (floor 1, suite 104), Northpoint Physio (1, 112), Alder & Finch (2, 205), Studio Marlow (2, 210), Tidewater Insurance (3, 301) and Cedar Legal (3, 318). Add a note that the lifts are beside reception. > > **Agent:** Done. The screen reports an upright display, so I made the directory that shape. It lists all seven, sorted by floor, with the note about the lifts at the bottom. ![A tall building directory in a cream and red poster style: Reception on Ground, then Harbor Dental, Northpoint Physio and four more tenants, each with a floor](https://screenrig.ai/static-resources/images/screenshots/landing/devices-raspberry-pi-portrait-directory-5065c8c2.webp) *The directory on a test screen turned upright.* ## Get your Pi going Ready to try it? The [Downloads page](https://screenrig.ai/downloads.md#linux-quick-install) has the install line for your Pi. ## Related - [Digital Signage Player Apps for Every Screen](https://screenrig.ai/downloads.md): screenRIG is free. Pay only if you want more. Player apps for Android TV, Amazon Signage Stick and Fire TV Sticks, Raspberry Pi, Windows, Mac and Linux. - [Free Linux Digital Signage Player](https://screenrig.ai/digital-signage/linux.md): screenRIG is free. Pay only if you want more. Turn a Linux PC or mini PC into a signage screen your AI agent runs. It boots straight into the Player. - [AI Digital Signage Software, Free and Agent-Run](https://screenrig.ai/digital-signage/ai.md): screenRIG is free. Pay only if you want more. Your AI agent makes the signage, puts it on real TVs and checks the screen. Ten example prompts inside. - [Supported Players and Setup](https://screenrig.ai/docs/players.md): Install the screenRIG Player on your screen, pair it with your agent, and compare content types, streams and device controls by platform. - [Quickstart: Digital Signage with Your AI Agent](https://screenrig.ai/docs/start.md): screenRIG is free. Pay only if you want more. Install the official plugin with your AI agent, then pair a Player and publish your first screen. [Start free](https://screenrig.ai/docs/start.md). screenRIG is free. Pay only if you want more.