How to choose meeting room display hardware in 2026

There are many varied room display panels available, and the choice can be overwhelming. The right meeting room display hardware for you depends on your specific needs and office layout, so we'll start with display placement, and then go through the available panel options in detail.

Placement

Ideal location

The ideal place for a meeting room display is right next to the meeting room door, on the side away from the hinge if the door opens outwards (so that it's never covered by the door). The display is easiest to read at eye level, but the display also needs to be easy to reach if you'd like to use it for room booking or check-in. We recommend mounting at a height of 40 - 55" (1 - 1.4m) for the best balance. Note that the ADA-recommended reach range maximum height is 48" so be careful going over this limit. Many of Dash's most frequently used room controls appear at the middle of the display or lower for this reason.

Power

A meeting room display needs to be running all day, so it should be permanently connected to a power source for the best reliability.

• If there is an outlet near the door, you can connect the panel directly with an AC adapter. Run the cable through a conduit or behind the wall for a seamless finish. If you don't have an outlet nearby, adding one can be cheaper than you think, so we recommend getting a quote.
• If an outlet isn't practical, but you have Ethernet nearby, then you can use Power over Ethernet (PoE) with a PoE-ready panel, or a PoE to USB adapter.
• If neither option will work for you, you can consider alternative locations. Dash has several display modes, including an in-room mode that can be mounted inside the room or placed on the meeting table, and three multi-room dashboard display modes that can be used with larger displays mounted in central locations (such as hallways and lobbies).
• High quality consumer tablets (such as iPads) have batteries that can last for more than a day of continuous use, especially if you use Dash's "Dim display after hours" feature to save power. Charging each display overnight will let you use them all day without power, but you'll need to remember to charge them every night.

Screen size

The display needs to be legible at a distance, so we recommend an 8 - 10" display as the best balance between price and performance for a single-room display. Smaller devices can be hard to read if you're not up close, and the price for panels larger than 10" goes up quickly. You can also consider whether the panel will work better in your space mounted in portrait or landscape - Dash works great with either orientation. If you have limited wall space, Dash is also designed to work well on smaller displays (even phones), and if you're planning on showing several rooms on a display in a central location, you may want to consider a larger device like a smart TV instead.

Hardware

Consumer tablets

Consumer tablets can be the most cost-effective way to add meeting room displays to your office, and offer performance that's almost as good as dedicated room displays. If you already have some spare tablets you can repurpose, you can get started with just the cost of mounts, or you can purchase new tablets to get the perfect displays for your space. Amazon Fire tablets are a great entry-level option, with the Samsung Galaxy Tab A range also being a great choice. For the most polished experience, base model iPad 10 or 11 tablets offer a great user experience and look great on the wall.

Repurposing existing hardware

The easiest way to get started is by repurposing old devices that you already have. A spare iPad or Android tablet, a wall mount and a nearby power outlet will give you a working meeting room display for the cost of the mount. They might not have everything you're looking for out of the box, but they will get you most of the way there with minimal cost. If you have them, we recommend starting with existing devices so that you can learn what you need before investing in new displays.

Recommended specifications

To use Dash, you'll need a device running Android 5.0 or later, or iOS 12 or later. This includes most tablets released in the last decade.

Display

Your meeting room displays need to be legible from all angles, so we recommend devices with an IPS LCD display, which does not suffer from color shifting when viewed from an angle. OLED displays also perform great, but tend to be found on more expensive high-end tablets.

Processor and memory

Dash is designed to run well on low-end devices, so you don't need to have the latest processor or a lot of memory. We recommend devices with a basic processor, and at least 2GB of RAM. If you're choosing a device running Android 13 or later, then we recommend a minimum of 3GB of RAM.

Battery

One other important consideration is the long-term health of the battery in your device. Tablet batteries are not designed to be held at 100% charge for long periods of time, so it's important to choose a tablet with good battery management to maximize the lifespan of your device. Apple devices come with this out of the box. Android devices running Android 11 and later include adaptive charging, which can help, and devices running Android 15 and later include a charging optimization setting allowing you to stop the device charging beyond 80%.

Mounting

Consumer tablets don't include wall mounts, but you can easily mount them to the wall yourself for a minimal cost. If you're on a budget, you can use 3M Command Picture Hanging Strips. They're invisible behind the tablet, allow you to reposition, and remove cleanly.

If you're looking for a more professional solution, dedicated mounts such as the Durable Universal Aluminum Tablet Holder can provide a seamless look, and Steel enclosures from companies like Maclocks offer added security to guard against theft.

If you're using an iPad, the W124 Tablet Enclosures from PoE Texas supports the iPad 10 and 11, and includes a colored LED status light, giving you the same functionality as a dedicated room display device.

Some enclosures are built to take particular tablets, so we recommend choosing your device before settling on a mount.

Power

Most consumer tablets are powered using a USB-A or USB-C socket. If your display comes with an AC adapter included in the box, and you have an outlet near your mounting location, you can plug it in and even run the cable behind the wall for a seamless look. If you don't have an outlet nearby, you can power your tablet using PoE by purchasing an adapter.

Locking down

Because your meeting room displays are often in public-facing areas, it's important that you can lock them down. Commercial displays are often locked down out of the box, but there are also two ways to do this on consumer tablets:

1. You can lock the device by turning on Guided Access (on Apple devices) and Screen Pinning (on Android devices). This locks the device to Dash, making it impossible to reach the home screen without a PIN code.
2. If you have an MDM system, you can configure your room displays in Single-app Kiosk mode. This locks the device to Dash, sets Dash to start automatically with the device, and lets you block notifications and system menus. For more information, see your MDM provider's guide or contact us for assistance.

You can also set a PIN code in Dash to lock down access to Dash's settings menu - you'll find this option in the security section of Dash's settings.

Purpose-built meeting room displays

While dedicated room scheduling panels cost more than a tablet, some can be surprisingly cost-effective. Dedicated room panels offer the following advantages over consumer tablets:

LED status lights. A colored light on the front or side of the panel makes it easy to see the room's current status from a distance, and even from the side down a long hallway. Dash supports the LED status lights in a number of purpose-built room panels - please see our hardware guide for the latest list.

Single-cable install. PoE panels take one Ethernet cable for power and network. There's no need for a separate outlet or power brick, and you avoid issues with WiFi congestion and dropouts that can happen with consumer tablets.

Built-in mount. Professional panels come with wall mounts in the box, and often have optional special mounts for glass and mullions.

No battery to wear out. With no battery included, you don't have to worry about battery management or your battery wearing out if it's left fully charged.

A professional look. A dedicated panel, designed for use as a meeting room display, gives a more professional impression to visitors using your meeting rooms.

Panels from our hardware partner PoE Texas come with Dash preinstalled, and start from $279.99, a comparable cost to a consumer Android tablet or an iPad. Dash also supports LED light strips on a range of panels from ProDVX, Qbic and a range of other manufacturers. See our hardware guide for more information.

Smart TVs and commercial displays

If you're putting one display in a lobby to show several rooms at once, we recommend considering a large commercial display or a smart TV.

If you have a Dash Enterprise subscription, the web version of Dash is compatible with any smart TV running a modern browser, as well as commercial displays supporting web apps.

Dash has three multi-room modes for this: a dashboard showing each room's status, a schedule dashboard showing each room's full day's schedule, and a "what's on" list of current and upcoming meetings across several rooms. Smart TVs tend to be more expensive than room panels, but can work out cheaper overall since you use a single device to display multiple rooms at once.

How much does a meeting room display cost?

Here is a summary of each type of device, covering the rough cost, how easy it is to see the room's current status from a distance, and support for PoE.

* More stars means the room's status is visible from further away.

Prices are indicative and vary by region and supplier. See our hardware page for the current list of supported devices.

Software costs are separate, and much simpler. Dash's read-only display is free on unlimited screens, and a Dash Business subscription with full booking features costs $3.99 per display per month (with no per-user fees, and no server to run). So a room display can cost as little as the price of a wall mount, or around $300 per room for a purpose-built panel with a subscription attached.

What we would choose

Offices on a budget

Try to repurpose as many existing devices as possible, making up any gaps with cheaper Android tablets such as the Amazon Fire tablets. Use 3M Command Picture Hanging Strips to mount them on the wall, and use the included AC adapters to power them (or PoE adapters and injectors if you have Ethernet nearby). Even if you need to move a few outlets, this will likely be cheaper than a full complement of dedicated room displays. If budget doesn't allow for one display per room, try a single display in a central location, showing all the rooms at once using one of Dash's dashboard modes.

The free version of Dash gives you a read-only meeting room display at no cost, allowing you to get up and running without needing to invest in a subscription.

Small offices

Use consumer Android tablets, or iPads if you prefer Apple's ecosystem, with a wall mount. If powering the displays with AC, run the cable behind the wall for the cleanest look. At this scale it can also make sense to manage your devices with MDM and/or Dash Enterprise to lock down your displays and centrally manage their configuration. Consider also having a larger display or smart TV at reception showing all rooms.

Larger offices and multi-site deployments

For larger deployments, we recommend dedicated room display devices. They are easier to set up and mount, and their lack of a battery and built-in PoE support means they'll be more reliable over time. Choose a single model to roll out everywhere, and use MDM and Dash Enterprise to centrally manage every display.

Getting started

Whatever hardware and subscription you choose, the overall setup process is the same: install Dash, connect your room calendar, pick a display mode and mount the device. Our device setup guide covers the details for each platform, and the quick start guide walks through the whole process end to end.

We offer a free one-month trial for all of our subscriptions, so if you'd like to try Dash Business just start a trial from within the app. Your first month is free, and if you cancel during this time you won't be charged. If you'd like to trial Dash Enterprise, please contact us to get started.

If you're not sure which hardware fits your building, get in touch with us, and we'll help you choose the best device for your needs.