ChromaSign – LED Billboard Engine

ChromaSign is a custom-built digital signage platform powering LED billboards across South Africa, designed for reliability, speed, and full control in environments where failure is not an option.

What I Built

A full-stack signage system with:

  • A desktop player that runs on cheap hardware
  • A content manager for scheduling text, video, and images
  • A real-time control API for live updates and sync

Designed to replace clunky, expensive commercial signage solutions, and it works in the wild today.

Tech Stack

  • Frontend: JavaFX for the media player UI
  • Backend: Java (Spring Boot for control API)
  • Protocols: WebSocket for real-time content push
  • Streaming: RTMP for live video injection
  • Storage: SQLite (lightweight + portable)
  • Other: Electron UI wrapper for cross-platform compatibility

What It Does

  • Plays video, image, and text content on digital LED billboards
  • Allows operators to schedule playlists and override them live
  • Syncs time-based events across multiple displays
  • Runs on low-spec machines for edge-based control

Key Features

  • Real-time control via WebSocket or admin panel
  • Drag-and-drop playlist manager
  • Offline fallback: cached content plays during network loss
  • Hot reload: push updated content without restarting the app
  • Cross-platform: Linux & Windows support

Engineering Wins

  • Built a custom animation engine using JavaFX for precise timing
  • Handled frame-perfect media playback
  • Wrote my own RTMP ingestion module to support video mixing
  • Designed an electron-wrapped manager for non-tech operators
  • Survived real-world use with zero major crashes in the field

In Production

  • Used by multiple billboard operators across South Africa
  • Powers street-level LED signs, mall screens, and event displays
  • Built for rugged environments , low power, minimal maintenance

“The commercial signage space is bloated and overpriced. I built a remote signage system to give clients full control - and save them a ton of money.”

📌 Follow along weekly right here or catch me on LinkedIn. I’m documenting the grind so you don’t have to make the same mistakes I did.