Administration and Scalability
Both Ditto and Kramer VIA GO offer administration capabilities. Ditto administration and remote management takes place entirely within the Ditto Account Portal — a web-based application accessible from anywhere. It is included with a Ditto subscription.
The Kramer VIA GO and other Kramer products can be managed from a central platform called VIA Site Management. VIA Site Management software is licensed and purchased separately from each Kramer device (See “Price breakdown” below). Your organization must be using Windows Server to run the software. If you don’t purchase VIA Site Management licenses, each Kramer VIA GO receiver must be updated manually.
Getting Started
Both Ditto and Kramer VIA GO require receivers deployed in each room they’re used in.
Mounting brackets and additional hardware accessories are available for the Kramer VIA GO for an additional cost. Mounting a Kramer VIA GO requires drilling into a wall or other surface.
Kramer VIA GO receivers are assigned a default IP address out of the box. Kramer highly recommends changing the IP address for every receiver to suit your organization’s network as part of the deployment process. This requires logging in to each Kramer VIA GO receiver with an administrator password, editing the IP address and other LAN settings and rebooting each receiver.
Editing any wireless or network settings on Kramer VIA GO requires a wait period for the new changes to load plus additional time to reboot the receiver each time a change is made.
Digital Signage
Ditto and Kramer VIA GO both offer digital signage capabilities, allowing admins to display content on screens when users are not actively mirroring. Features, price points and offerings vary between both platforms.
Ditto Digital Signage
Ditto offers an all-in-one platform for designing, managing and scheduling signage. Ditto digital signage is a robust service included at no extra cost with every subscription.
Learn more about Ditto digital signage.
Kramer VIA Digital Signage
The Kramer VIA GO displays content such as scrolling text, RSS feeds and media using its licensed VIA digital signage product. Other options are available with external vendors using additional paid subscription plans.
The Bottom Line:
Kramer pushes users to integrate third-party digital signage vendor Zignage, which adds recurring fees. Service, uptime and features are reliant on Zignage and not managed by Kramer. If your Kramer VIA GO receiver was purchased before June 2019, every digital signage display connected to a Kramer receiver requires an additional VIA digital signage license for an extra charge.
Ditto digital signage is a primary product feature, is continually updated and is fully included in a Ditto subscription. It adds no extra cost, speeds up workflows, offers better content options and is efficient to manage. Ditto admins can upload their own media and signage content in addition to using professionally designed templates. IT and project teams can easily edit and schedule content without adding extra steps to their workflow, managing additional vendor contracts or paying extra fees.
All-In-One or One Piece of the Puzzle?
Kramer implements more features and collaborative tools in its tiered family of VIA products. Many of these products can be managed under the company’s proprietary management platform. The VIA GO is Kramer’s entry-level product, which is reflected in its price and feature set.
More functionality is available with other Kramer products at higher price points. Miracast-enabled dongles, moderation tools and e-polling features are all available for additional costs with higher-tier receivers and ancillary hardware, all proprietary to Kramer.
Ditto is an all-in-one wireless presentation suite. Ditto receivers are devices familiar to many users and are bound by the quality assurance standards of Apple and Microsoft. The stability, scalability and functionality of both Ditto and Kramer VIA GO must be considered when deciding what solution is best for you.
Discover what people like you are saying about Ditto.
Cost
Both Ditto and Kramer VIA GO are priced on a per-room basis.
- Ditto: $99-$175 per year per receiver. Requires no additional hardware, cables or replacement parts.
- Kramer VIA GO: $476+ per room. Does not include required HDMI and ethernet cables, optional mounting gear or central management platform.
Get the complete five-year cost to own for Ditto and Kramer VIA GO.
Price breakdown
It's likely that you already have a compatible Ditto receiver and can begin using Ditto today without purchasing any additional technology or equipment. If you do require a wireless receiver, a device such as an Apple TV (priced at $150) will make the total cost of Ditto $249-$325.
Kramer VIA GO is sold through third party vendors. Kramer’s proprietary management platform is required if you want to centrally manage each receiver. This management software is licensed to each Kramer device and is listed for $995 for up to ten licenses. Bulk licenses can be purchased at higher price points.
If you need digital signage and your Kramer device was purchased before June 2019, every digital signage display connected to a Kramer receiver requires a VIA digital signage license for $51.99 each.
Mounting accessories are available from Kramer vendors, starting at an additional $165 each.
Final Thoughts
Ditto and Kramer VIA GO excel at wireless presentations. While achieving similar goals, it’s important to consider how the products differ in price, scalability and ease of use.
Ditto is a cohesive, all-in-one cross-platform solution that has a low barrier to entry. Users and admins can collaborate and share multiple screens with little set up, simple instructions and quick connections. Ditto scales across large or small organizations with free remote management and minimal deployment time. If you’re looking for a stable solution that uses proven, reliable hardware technology, go with Ditto.
Kramer VIA GO is a cross-platform solution that mirrors and streams media well. Its calendar and Do Not Disturb features complement busy meeting spaces with a large number of users. The VIA GO becomes more useful and scalable when used in tandem with other Kramer-branded products and services. If your company needs the add-ons and is willing to invest in custom hardware and a family of proprietary services, consider Kramer VIA GO.
Download the Ditto vs. Kramer VIA Go fast facts sheet full of bonus content. Get tech specs, in-depth cost analysis, reviews and more.
Updated on 12/13/21
