United States House of Representatives
Embraces Split-Flap TV for Innovative Communication

At Split-Flap TV, we pride ourselves on delivering innovative and eye-catching digital signage solutions to organizations worldwide. Recently, we had the unique honor of working with the U.S. House of Representatives, one of the most prominent institutions in the United States, at the Capitol building in Washington DC. Their Congressional Staff Academy sought a flexible and striking way to communicate essential information, and Split-Flap TV became their go-to solution. Here’s how their journey with us unfolded.

The Challenge: A Need for Eye-Catching and Flexible Communication

The Congressional Staff Academy supports the work of House staff by providing resources, training, and professional development. They needed a visually appealing and flexible way to share class schedules and motivational quotes in their office spaces and hallways to create engagement, nudge creativity, and draw the eye of passersby.

Their ideal solution?

Something inspired by the timeless charm of train-station split-flap boards—attention-grabbing, unique, and reminiscent of an era of simple yet effective communication.

Alternative options and why they don’t fit

Options the congressional staff members considered came back to traditional hardware based split-flap systems. While certainly eye-catching, they soon found out these solutions are incredibly costly. They found themselves in a bind, similar to other professional communicators.

For both smaller and scaled implementations, current split-flap based hardware systems pose a cost-efficiency and rigidity issue. Smaller implementations frequently start out with one or two screens at most. The ROI of such hardware-based systems that are either custom-based or a one-size-fits all solution with minimal flexibility (also called a “one-trick-pony”) is too low to justify a purchase.

Similarly, companies seeking larger implementation projects frequently intend to replace existing digital signage systems by modern, innovative, unique, and more creative solutions. But the high costs and limited flexibility of such hardware systems, puts these companies in a tough position. Replacing existing systems with more innovative ones at scale, requires not only easy set-up, but also cost-efficient scaling possibilities.

Before Split-Flap TV, customers were forced to choose regular signage solutions and forego the unique and creative edge they sought in a Split-Flap concept.

After exploring various alternatives, their search brought the congressional staff members found to Split-Flap TV.

Why Split-Flap TV?

Split-Flap TV stood out as the perfect fit for their needs, offering:

• • • • Cost-Efficiency: A fraction of the price compared to traditional mechanical boards.
    • • SaaS-pricing model: Subscription-based pricing, with plans to suit each individual case’s needs.
    • • Quick Start-Up: Ready to use with minimal setup time.
    • • Eye-Catching Design: The train-station aesthetic they desired, reimagined for the digital, automated age.
    • • Flexibility: Not a “one-size-fits-all”, but a “make-it-your-own” approach. The only limit being your screen-size.

The Solution: A Digital Signage System Built for Efficient Simplicity

For their setup, the House selected a 65-inch TCL TV with embedded Google TV. When customers ask us what TV they should go for, we frequently mention a couple of points that can help them make their choice.

• The first question you should consider, is whether you have a TV screen you are looking to use, or whether you’re in the market for a new purchase? We would always recommend going for a SmartTV that has a “Google Play Store” integrated in its system, since it ensures an even faster set-up than is the case with an external player attached. Check your TV’s operating system (OS), and figure out what kind it is. If it’s not a Smart TV with integrated “Google Play Store”, you’ll be just as fine with an external media player attached to your screen. In the House’s case, they hadn’t yet purchased their systems, so our tech-team at Split-Flap TV guided them in their decision making to find their perfect fit.

• Secondly, think about your intended use of the system. How long do you need the screen to operate? Continuously (i.e., 24/7) or is 16h or less per day enough? Answering this question gives an indication of the kind of quality and durability you will be looking for in a screen, which can help differentiating between consumer-oriented and more professional screen solutions. The key point being, don’t go for an overpriced one unless you actually need their advanced functionality, but make sure the quality is good enough to make your content stand out as it should. For the U.S. House of Representatives, the TCL TV met their immediate needs. However, professional-grade options like Philips PRO screens, for instance, are ideal for high-traffic areas or round-the-clock operations

• Finally, how many screens do you need and what size should they be? This is probably the most fun choice to make, but it is also an important one to consider, given the impact on the content you’ll be showcasing. If you are looking to start with one screen and scale from there, we recommend thinking about your plan with your screens and the Split-Flap TV system in mind. Split-Flap TV allows you to operate and manage the content on multiple screens all over the world from one single platform, which can make scaling incredibly easy. As such, you have to keep in mind that the same content will look different on screens of different sizes or qualities. When asked for advice, we always offer one guiding principle: “Go for screens you see working for you both at small scale as well as at larger scale implementations, so that the only question you need to ask yourself at any step is; how many do I want to add/remove and where do I want to put them.”.

How Split-Flap TV Fits Their Operational Goals

Currently, the House’s Split-Flap TV is used in the coaches’ offices to:

• Display changing class schedules for training sessions.
• Showcase motivational quotes to inspire staff, visitors, and passersby.

This dynamic content transforms otherwise static spaces into vibrant hubs of communication, engaging everyone who passes by.

The system will be managed by one to two people to input content, manage the visuals on screen and monitor effectiveness.

Early Feedback: A Resounding Success!

After just two weeks of use, the feedback from the Congressional Staff members has been overwhelmingly positive:

It is going great. My boss loves it! Colleagues think it’s different and love the unique design. – U.S. House of Representatives.

Their only suggestion? A step-by-step manual to make onboarding even easier for new users—a great idea we’re working into future updates!

Looking Ahead: The Future of Split-Flap TV

As the Congressional Staff Academy continues to explore new ways to use Split-Flap TV, we’re thrilled to support their efforts to modernize communication in one of the nation’s most respected institutions. Their success story highlights the versatility of our product and its ability to adapt to diverse organizational needs.

At Split-Flap TV, we are continuously looking for ways to innovate and improve the tool to match our customers’ needs. If your a current user and you want to share your story, don’t hesitate to reach out and share your experience. It is through your feedback that we get inspired, learn, and improve our product to fit your needs. Real-time visualization of information, choosing between text, pictures, or both, and combining static with dynamic content, is only the beginning …

For more information on how Split-Flap TV can transform your workspace, contact us today or explore our solutions at SplitFlapTV.com.

Pro Tip: If you’re considering digital signage, think about your content needs, operational requirements, and audience engagement goals. Split-Flap TV can help you achieve a professional, unique, and efficient setup—just like we did for the U.S. House of Representatives!

Split-Flap TV Team