Announcements are DisplayNyx's way of interrupting the normal playlist rotation to put something time-sensitive in front of whoever's looking at the screen right now. There are a few different flavors, and picking the right one matters.
Scheduled announcements with recurrence
Some messages repeat on a pattern - "Kitchen closes in 15 minutes" every night at 9:45, or "Happy hour starts now" every weekday at 4pm. Scheduled announcements let you set that pattern once (daily, specific weekdays, a date range) and it fires automatically from then on, no one needs to remember to trigger it.
Live takeovers
Other messages are one-off and need to go out right now - a closing due to weather, a recall notice, an unexpected delay. A live announcement takes over the target screen(s) immediately, on top of whatever's playing, and clears once it's done or dismissed.
Text-to-speech and live voice broadcast
Both scheduled and live announcements can carry audio, not just on-screen text. Text-to-speech reads a typed message aloud through the screen's speakers - useful for a queue call in a clinic waiting room, or a boarding-style announcement in a busy store. Live voice broadcast goes a step further: a manager can speak directly, in real time, and have their voice come through any screen they target - effectively turning your screen fleet into a PA system you already own, with no extra hardware.