Volume 6, Issue 12 — December 22, 2014
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Editorial Editorial Editorial
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Headline News Case Study of the Month
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Spotomate: Fast, Inexpensive Video Content for Your Digital Signage
By Matt Cooper Lead Designer
Dave Haynes, founder and blogger over at Sixteen:Nine, has launched an innovative service for digital signage operators in need of high-quality video content to run on a DS network. Spotomate is a cloud-based video template creation platform. Which, is a fancy way of saying that you drag-and-drop photos and enter text onto a template in a web browser.
Spotomate has almost 30 templates that range from generic action movie trailers that could be used for almost any product or service to application specific videos for cars, phones and restaurants. The templates are very high quality and are similar to what you would find at a stock motion graphic site like Envato marketplace. The huge difference being that you don’t even need to crack open After Effects, much less have learned how to create motion graphics. Even for designers and creatives who do know how to create motion graphics from scratch, in particular circumstances this service can be a godsend as well. From the Spotomate FAQ:
Have a client that wants awesome on almost no budget, and wants it NOW! Run the artwork through Spotomate and get a polished piece of finished, rendered creative in minutes. And charge the client whatever rate gets you your targeted margins, without tying up your talent for more than an hour.
Spotomate is also interested in your finished work. Got templates that are just gathering dust, and want to re-market them. We might be interested in buying versions off you and loading them up on our rendering engine.
The website lets you log in a just start modifying the templates for free. It walks you through each stage of the video with custom text and photos and you drop the content in as you go. The site then renders and delivers the content across the cloud to a link in your e-mail inbox. The kind of fun aspect of this site is its accessibility and speed — you can crank out an office joke video in about 10 minuets for free if you wanted to. When you are happy with the video, just pay the roughly $50 to $75 and the unwatermarked, DRM-free video will be delivered.
I see a lot of applications for this website in particular for integrators setting up small digital signage networks for clients in retail environments. You could easily create several video ads to get them started with content, and charge a reasonable fee and still make a profit and impress the clients. Or, even offer it as a bonus to sweeten a sale. The low price-point and time obligation really leaves a lot of options open.
The obvious downside is that even with 30+ templates, the videos are not going to be unique or even tailored to a client’s exact needs. I can see a situation where a client sees a video and asks: “Hey, can you slow down that transition, or loop that last video?” And you won’t be able to say yes. You’ll have to set client expectations early to prevent frustrations. The other drawback is that currently Spotomate only allows you to add still photos and enter text — no video. It’s a pretty glaring omission, but one that I’m sure is caused by the rendering engine the server uses. It’s probably not a permanent issue, but it is the current state of the application.
You can always contract out a serious motion graphic or video piece to a creative professional, and let the clients know how much that’s going to cost them. It’s all about options, and Spotomate adds a good one to your integration arsenal. Give it a shot — it’s free and fun. In fact, you can actually make and download a free holiday video if you go to Spotomate now.
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Making Hospitals More Human With Digital Signage
By Scott Tiner rAVe Columnist
When I read Paul Flanigan’s column in the November rAVe DS [Digital Signage], I realized that I too had learned some things this year. Like Paul, I learned that some businesses are more people centered than we treat them. I also learned that technology, oddly enough, may be able to help open up that human touch. Finally, I learned that my daughter should never do cheering again.
First things first. My daughter broke her elbow this summer. She did it during a cheering camp and required surgery and two months of physical therapy in order to fix it. The odd thing was that two years before she had broken the other arm in exactly the same way. The point here is not to create sympathy for my daughter, although she really does deserve it (she was in a lot of pain). Rather, it is to show that over the past few years I have spent some decent time in hospitals and dealing with doctors and surgeons.
My daughter is a very curious and intelligent young lady. As the doctor told her that her elbow was broken she wanted to know more about it. Exactly what was broken? How was the surgeon going to fix it? How big was the scar going to be? The surgeon we had was very competent, but certainly not prepared to answer these detailed questions that Maddy was asking. At one point he declared, “Well listen, your arm can’t stay like that forever, so we have to perform surgery,” and walked out of the room. It took us a while to convince her that while he was not very nice about it, he was correct.
Later, as my wife and I were in the waiting room, we watched the surgery board. It told us very clearly where Maddy was in the process (prep, operating room, post-op, recovery). That small bit of technology gave us a feeling that we were somehow connected with Maddy. We could get a sense of whether things were proceeding in a timely manner. I began to wonder if perhaps some of the same technology could be put to use in the pre-operative areas. So many of us, including Maddy, need surgical procedures, and yet we have no idea what these surgeons will do to us once we are under. Imagine a digital signage network that allowed for doctor/patient interaction. The surgeon could have loaded up a few pre-made videos about the type of break Maddy had, and the type of surgery he was going to perform. The anesthesiologist could have done similar work with what she should expect about the medicine he would give her.
These digital signage systems could also be used to help us learn more about our health. When you get an X-ray, aren’t you really dying to get a look at it? And yet, even though it is of your body, it seems like a secret. When you are in a hospital bed with various equipment connected to you, don’t you want to know what it all does and means? Why can’t we incorporate some type of education into a hospital visit. Why shouldn’t we know what all those monitors are doing and what they mean? Why shouldn’t be able to see test results? Perhaps more access to and information about our own health would make us all a little more conscious of our health.
I am not suggesting that medicine should become less personal. Yes, I think the surgeon should have extricated himself from the room in a more polite manner. I also think that doctors do have a duty to answer your questions about what is going on with your body. However, I also realize that this surgeon had been at work all day, had just come out of a surgery and wanted to get this one started so he could get home to his family. He truly did not have an endless amount of time to sit there and answer questions. By having this digital signage system in place, he could answer a few questions that were specific to Maddy, and then allow her to gain access to the information on her own. Now that would be a great use of digital signage.
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Four Key Factors to a Good Interactive Experience
By Jessica Glynn Marketing, Reality Interactive
Are you considering adding digital touch-points to your retail location? It’s not enough to just add an interactive experience, the experience needs to be done right.
But what separates good interactive experience from not-so-good interactive experiences? Just like any other retail design project, there are four key factors to consider.
Does it fit in the environment?
The environment the interaction will be going in is the first thing that needs to be considered. The amount of space for this interaction being one of the most important factors. The 90 inch tablet we put in the Time Warner Cable Flagship Store is a great showpiece, and touch-point, but in a small store it may be overwhelming at best, but physically impossible, at worst. What about the enclosure design? Will it fit seamlessly into the environment, stand out just enough to attract a customer, or clash entirely? This must be considered before you can begin designing.
Other environmental factors that are important to consider include:
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Sound: How you integrate sound will depend largely on the environment. Maybe your installation is in a busy mall, where you want extra sound to attract customers. Maybe it’s in a hospital where sound is disruptive and inappropriate. Sound is frequently an after-thought, but should be considered before you develop content.
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Lighting: Is your installation inside or outside? An indoor installation may not have as many lighting factors to consider. However, an outdoor installation will suffer from sun-glare issues. It will also need to light up well enough to be used in the dark.
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Protection: Is also more of a factor for outdoor installations. If the interaction is in an area where it can be rained on, for example, the installation will need to be water-proof. Will it only be used seasonally? If so, consider making it portable so it can be put away during the off-season.
Strategic Placement
Related to environmental considerations are that of placement. The installation must not be placed in a way where it will interrupt traffic or obstruct visibility in a retail environment. You also generally wouldn’t want to tuck your installation away in a corner where it won’t attract any attention. If you want customers to slow down and stop when they see your installation, you’ll want to put it in a high transit area.
However, there is a caveat. If the transaction being performed is of a sensitive nature, like a financial transaction, your customer will feel more comfortable if the installation is placed in a more private area.
Understanding Your Customer
You probably know, from the perspective of your business, what you hope to achieve from the interactive experience. But before you can move forward with a plan, you must consider what’s in it for your customer. How will this experience attract a customer and make them want to interact? Consider a kiosk. A great kiosk is a kiosk people want to touch. But what makes them want to touch it? They have an objective that the kiosk will help them accomplish in an efficient way. Think of some of the most popular kiosks:
Airport kiosks help customers get through check-in faster, which helps to improve the quality of their experience. The kiosks can print out their boarding pass and get them to the security check-in faster.
Self check-out kiosks help customers skip waiting in line at grocery stores. Instead of waiting for a cashier to ring them out, the customer does the work themselves. This also means they have to bag their own groceries, but they are active in this process instead of just standing in line. This reduces their perception of time lost in line.
ATMs are great because they mean customers can get cash out of their bank account during non-business hours. But customers still use ATMs even during business hours. Perhaps, removing a human from their financial transaction feels more secure. But even taking that out the equation, ATM lines just move faster. There’s no bank teller to make small talk with or check you identification. Many banks even have drive through ATMS so customers don’t even have to get out of their cars.
A good interactive experience will cater to the masses, not just a niche group. You must consider the needs of your customer and if this experience will be accessible for them. To decide this, you must understand the demographics of your customers. If your customers served skews older, you will need to use a font that is large enough for them to read. If your customers tend to prefer to speak a language other than English you should give them the option to select their language before proceeding.
Keeping the Content Relevant
A consumer will quickly dismiss a message if it doesn’t relate to them. So your content needs to be relevant.
Consider what you are trying to communicate to your customer. This is where content comes in. The content that you use will need to not just attract your customer, but also keep their attention. Content is not just the words you use, but also how you present them. User interface design is an important part of your message. If the way the installation works is unclear to the customer, then they will not be able to understand your content.
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Liberty AV Solutions Releases DL-USB2 Long-line Extenders Liberty AV Solutions is shipping their new DigitaLinx Hi-Speed USB extender, the DL-USB2.
Liberty says the DigitaLinx DL-USB2 products will extend a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 signal (480 Mbps) up to 100 meters (328 feet). The modular extenders may be powered on either end for low power devices such as keyboards or mice. For remote devices which require more power, the client side extender will require to be powered.
Initial offerings in the product line include a modular USB host transmitter (DL-USB2-H), a modular USB client receiver (DL-USB2-C), a wall plate USB host transmitter (DL-USB2-WP-H) and a wall plate USB receiver (DL-USB2-WP-C). All combinations of host and client are compatible with each other.
Here are specs of the entire line.
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FSR Ships HDBaseT 70-Meter Transmitter/Receiver Set FSR has started shipping its new HD-H70-SP HDBaseT Extender Set. The extenders are designed to send uncompressed full HD digital HDMI video, audio and IR and RS-232 control signals up to 70-meters via a single CAT-5e / CAT-6 / CAT-6A / CAT-7 cable. Input resolutions include 4K (2160p @30 Hz), 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 480p, 576i and 480i.
Powered from a single power supply via bi-directional PoE, the extenders can control the source from the display’s location or vice versa via the IR pass-through or bi-directional RS-232 control functions. The compact unit measures 5.3” wide x 3.0” long x 0.6” high. The package ships with a transmitter, receiver, power supply, four mounting ears, two IR emitter cables and two IR receiver cables.
Here are all the specs.
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Planar Debuts 98″ 4K Touch Screen LCD Display Planar Systems’ new UltraRes Touch is a 4K resolution 98” touch-screen LCD display. The Planar UltraRes 98” Touch combines a multi-touch (32 simultaneous touch points), has 500-nit brightness and offers 3840×2160 resolution.
Integrated with Planar’s ERO (Extended Ruggedness and Optics) — an optical bonding technology is designed for safeguarding in high-traffic and long-term use applications. They say the bonded glass screen also improves optical performance and touch accuracy by eliminating the air gap between the protective glass and LCD screen. The Planar UltraRes 98” Touch utilizes LED backlight technology and passive cooling for energy efficiency thus, it consumes less than 0.5 watt of energy in standby mode and incorporates a fan-less design.
The 98” Touch starts shipping this month. Here are the complete specs.
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Philips Signage Solutions Debuts OPS HDBaseT Receiver Module Philips Signage Solutions today announced the HDBaseT receiver in Intel’s Open Pluggable Specification (OPS) form factor module, CDR25. Philips’ CDR25 HDBaseT OPS module is designed to be integrated with Philips’ OPS-ready commercial EL and VL series displays as well as the zero-bezel XL and XH series displays.
With CDR25 plugged in, Philips commercial digital signage displays act as an all-in-one display that is able to playback the content from a remote media player up to 100 m (328 feet) away over industry standard CATx cables. Any uncompressed ultra-high-definition video (up to 4K), audio, and power over HDBaseT (PoH — up to 100W) will be transmitted to Philips commercial digital signage displays from the remote media player.
Philips’ CDR25 HDBaseT OPS module is certified by HDBaseT Alliance and is fully compatible with all HDBaseT certified transmitters in the market today and is already shipping.
The CDR25 HDBaseT OPS module supports Philips Signage displays commercial 42”, 46”, 55”, 65” of 60 EL series, the high brightness 42”, 46” of 71VL and 80VL series, and all Video Wall XL and XH series.
Here are all the specs.
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Christie Expands 1-Chip DLP Lineup With Q Series Additions Christie has added three new projectors to their Christie Q Series family. The new so-called “whisper-quiet” Christie DWX851-Q, Christie DHD851-Q and Christie DWU851-Q models deliver 7900, 7500 and 7900 ANSI lumens, respectively, and are usable in either single or dual-lamp mode. Operational in portrait or landscape setup and suitable for auditoriums, board and conference rooms, government, video mapping, rental staging and more, the three new models provide 2500:1 contrast ratio, Christie eClarity for improved control over image sharpness, gloss and shading, and built-in High Dynamic Contrast Range (HDCR) that eliminates image washout in high ambient light conditions while preserving image clarity.
With two color wheels built-in, users can select the one that best suits their content and application. The High-Brightness color wheel provides superior whites for enhanced graphic presentations while the Ultra-Rich color wheel delivers an expanded color gamut and lifelike images. The Q Series is equipped with a software function that allows for easy switching between the color wheels.
Features of Christie DWX851-Q, Christie DHD851-Q, and Christie DWU851-Q include:
- Two HDMI inputs
- Dual 350W UHP lamps
- Christie eClarity and HDCR
- Built in Ultra-Rich and High Brightness color wheels
- HDBaseT
- Portrait mode capable
- Edge blending and Geometric correction
- DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) Simulation Mode for training
- Status monitor display
- Motorized zoom, focus and lens shift with memory
- PC-less presentation
- Black or white design
- 3G-SDI (HD model only)
Christie Q Series models ship this month. Here are all the specs.
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Blonder Tongue Intros New MPEG-2 HD Encoder Blonder Tongue today announced that it has launched the HDE-8C-QAM/IP MPEG-2 HD encoder, which includes an IP output that is compatible with IPTV networks. By providing operators with a direct IP output, the HDE-8C-QAM/IP encoder eliminates the need for external QAM-to-IP equipment, making network design simpler and more manageable for operators in the education, enterprise, hospitality, healthcare, government and pro A/V markets.
The HDE-8C-QAM/IP encoder accepts programs from up to eight component or composite inputs, such as set-top boxes, satellite receivers, and camera sources and then digitizes, MPEG-2 encodes, multiplexes and modulates each HD stream into four adjacent ASI or QAM channels in the 54-1002 MHz range (CATV 2-158). To ensure flawless and continuous service, the HDE-8C-QAM/IP encoder automatically switches over to a built-in spare input in the event of a failure.
In addition to supporting Dolby Digital audio encoding and closed captioning, Blonder Tongue’s HDE-8C-QAM/IP encoder features an integrated EAS interface that simplifies the distribution of emergency alert messages. An accessible RF test point allows operators to perform monitoring and testing on the encoder without service interruption. The RF test point, combined with the unit’s user-friendly Web-based interface, dramatically lowers the learning curve for system operators while reducing operational expenses. Remote monitoring and control of the encoder can be achieved via any standard Web browser, bringing further efficiency to operators.
All the specs are here.
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Primeview Adds HD-SDI Connectivity to Video Walls Primeview has added HD-SDI (high definition-serial digital interface) connectivity to their video walls in the broadcast market. The single HD-SDI input allows studios to now natively connect on-set video walls to their legacy technology infrastructure.
Eliminating the external converter to connect video walls to DVI or HDMI inputs, the HD-SDI single to cable video wall is designed to handle the most demanding live broadcast or staging events.
The HD-SDI video wall solution is available in two sizes.
- PRV46LCWLUN6SDI – 46” HD-SDI Embedded LCD LED Video Wall Display
- PRV55SNG01SDI – 55” HD-SDI Embedded LCD LED Video Wall Display
Go here for the details.
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Digital Signage Expo Plans South American Event in 2015 BTS Informa and Exponation have announced a partnership that will see the debut of DSE South America. Exponation, LLC is the founder, owner and operator of Digital Signage Expo (DSE) in Las Vegas, Nevada, and BTS Informa will organize the event in Brazil in July 2015.
DSE South America brings together the digital signage market expertise of Exponation, and the superior trade show production capabilities of BTS Informa, one of South America’s leading trade show producers. BTS Informa’s portfolio of events include, SERIGRAFIA SIGN FUTURETEXTIL, ABF, Futurecom, Agrishow and Fispal Food Service, to name a few.
The expectation is to create a superior education, business and networking opportunity for qualified attendees from the Latin American digital signage market. DSE South America will serve this market’s demand for education and information with a high-quality conference program and an array of products and technologies from worldwide exhibitors on the show’s exhibit floor.
“Digital Signage in Latin America is growing significantly. Brazil is one of the best potential digital signage markets in Latin America and is the main business entry into this region. We partnered with BTS Informa because of their significant resources, as well as their highly-professional trade show production and promotion track record. With this new long-term partnership, we are confident that DSE South America will quickly become the premier event in Latin America,” said Angelo Varrone, CEO/Chairman of Exponation, LLC.
The show will take place on July 21-24, 2015, in the Anhembi pavilion, co-located with SERIGRAFIA SIGN FUTURETEXTIL.
According to Informa Group Brazil’s CEO, Marco Basso, the partnership is strategic and will bring significant benefits to the digital signage market in Latin America while becoming the premier digital signage event in the market. He says, “Our objective is to establish DSE South America as the leader in this market, offering attendees a broad assortment of education, new products and services.”
DSE South America 2015 will be a gathering place for the digital signage community in Latin America and is expected to attract more than 10,000 qualified visitors.
Details will eventually be posted here.
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Gefen Intros Two New 4K Ultra HD Extenders Gefen has announced the addition of two new 4K capable HDBaseT extenders that, the company says, can drive signals up to 150 meters. The 4K Ultra HD ELR-POL Extender has RS232, Ethernet and IR (EXT-UHD-CAT5-ELRPOL). It delivers HDMI at 1080p full HD up to 150 meters over a single Cat5 cable, an improvement of 50 meters over previous solutions. 4K UHD content is delivered up to 70 meters over a Cat5 cable, or up to 100 meters over a CAT-6 cable. A 10/100BaseT Ethernet connection is provided on the receiver unit at the display side, allowing IP connectivity without additional hardware or cabling required. Gefen’s ELR (Extra Long Range) implementation of HDBaseT extends up to 7.1 channels of high bit rate, lossless digital audio formats with zero delay. RS232 and bi-directional IR are transmitted along the same cable, offering convenient options to control source and display from both local and remote locations. PoL (Power over Line) technology is employed to allow the installer to power either the sender or the receiver, streamlining cabling and hardware in the viewing environment.
The Gefen ToolBox 4K Ultra HD ELR-POL Extender has RS232 and IR (GTB-UHD2IRS-ELRPOL-BLK) is basically a stripped-down version of the EXT-UHD-CAT5-ELRPOL that is just for HDMI at 1080p video (up to 150 meters over one Cat5 cable) and 4K UHD content can be sent up to 70 meters over a Cat5 cable or up to 100 meters over a Cat6 cable. In each instance, lossless digital audio formats, RS232 and bi-directional IR are extended over the same cable. This solution also offers POL technology, eliminating the need for power at the viewing location.
Both extenders support 4K resolutions up to 3840×2160 @60Hz, 4:2:0 color space and 4096×2160 @24Hz with HDCP compliance and 3D pass-through. Locking power supplies ensure a snug connection for an unfailing performance. Surface mountable enclosures with small footprints allow for an easy installation.
Here are the details.
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Extron’s New USB Extender Ships Extron is shipping the USB Extender Plus, which extends signals from USB peripheral devices located up to 330 feet (100 meters) away from the host computer using a single CATx cable. The extender supports USB 3.0, 2.0, 1.1, and 1.0 devices with data rates up to 480 Mbps. Direct connection of USB peripherals to a remote host eliminates the need for additional IP network drops, equipment, software or drivers. For streamlined integration, the transmitter includes USB peripheral emulation that supports trouble-free booting of the host. Also, the receiver features an integrated four port hub with 5 Volts, 500 mA available on each port to power attached devices. The capabilities and low profile design of the USB Extender Plus ensure simplified device integration in a wide variety of environments, such as installation within a courtroom, classroom, lecture hall or conference space.
The USB Extender Plus streamlines integration by avoiding IT-specific design criteria that may be in conflict with the need to extend KVM in professional AV installations. For increased system reliability, peripheral emulation mimics an HID-compliant keyboard and mouse connection to the host device. Real-time status LED indicators provide visual confirmation of port activity between an active host and each connected peripheral device. The 1” (2.5 centimeters) high, quarter rack width enclosure of both the USB Extender Plus transmitter and receiver allow rack mounting or discreet installation beneath a table or inside a lectern.
The details are here.
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NEC Display Adds 47″ Sunlight-Readable Display With MultiSync X474HB NEC Display Solutions has launched the MultiSync X474HB using S-IPS technology — a large-screen digital signage display that’s integrated with what the company says is sunlight-proof operation. The 47-inch specialty LCD display is designed to intelligently adapt to its surroundings, offering a bright, clear image when required, without wasting energy when it’s not. Offering a brightness of up to 2,000 cd/m2, the X474HB is easily visible in outdoor applications.
In addition to a built-in OPS (Open Pluggable Specification) option slot, it has HDMI, VGA and DisplayPort 1.2 connectivity, as well as native 1920×1080 resolution. It also uses 10-bit color processing. The MultiSync X474HB lists for $4,149 and specs are here.
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MRI Intros ThruVu Transparent Digital CoolerThe ThruVu Digital Cooler from MRI is a transparent digital cooler product, what MRI says is the first fully integrated and complete solution of its kind. The free-standing cooler solution allows for Full HD images, graphics and videos to be displayed on the front door assembly of the cooler, while simultaneously allowing clear viewing of the product within the cooler. A 55”” transparent LCD replaces the traditional front cooler glass, and a customized electronics assembly provides the necessary technology backbone.
The ThruVu product is a complete digital cooler solution that includes the free standing cooler, LCD front door assembly, media player, and all required software integration. The design provides superior visual image quality on the LCD itself through a backlighting enhancement that MRI calls TransVu. This feature, they claim, provides 78 percent color saturation and allows for viewing the image on the screen when the door is both open and closed. The product has also met U.S. Department of Energy compliance standards for commercial coolers. Additions such as a 4G cellular modem allow for remote content uploading and back-end hardware monitoring.
Here are all the details.
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BrightSign Overhauls Entire Digital Signage Media Player Portfolio BrightSign just launched all new HD and XD digital signage players as well as introduced a new line, dubbed the LS, of “affordable” media players for commercial DS applications.
BrightSign’s portfolio of digital signage media players now consists of 10 players across four product lines:
BrightSign LS: BrightSign’s new LS series players are for customers who require the affordability of a low-cost solution as the LS422 ($250) is capable of 1080p30 single video decoding, with features such as GPIO and USB interactivity, and S/PDIF for digital sound to easily outperform any similarly priced device. And, the LS322 ($200) is a commercial audio device with S/PDIF connectivity capable of handling any audio-only installation.
BrightSign HD: Taken down from three models down to two, and updated with a new feature set that now supports HTML5 and 1080p60 content, both the HD222 ($350) and HD1022 ($500) deliver networked content updates and live data feeds, along with GPIO interactivity, UDP support and video wall synchronization. Both models are updated with a new “remote snapshot” feature that provides a snapshot view of your running presentation using local networking and the BrightSign App, or via the BrightSign Network. Additionally, the HD1022 delivers supplemental interactivity options via USB 2.0 and serial connectivity.
BrightSign XD: All three of BrightSign’s XD models have been updated with an even faster graphics and HTML5 engine and Power over Ethernet (PoE) and remote viewing capabilities – the price didn’t change. The XD232 ($450) claims a faster graphics and HTML5 engine and PoE, as well as interactive capabilities via UDP commands and the BrightSign App, plus GPIO controls and video wall synchronization. The XD1032 ($600) also includes S/PDIF output for pure digital and surround sound audio, and additional interactive controls via serial and dual USB 2.0 ports. And the XD1132 ($650) adds Live TV playback via HDMI, even HDCP-protected content.
BrightSign 4K: The 4K capable 4K242 ($600) offers PoE, as well as the capability of dual decoding of one 4K video and one Full HD video simultaneously. It includes abundant content support such as HTML5, live media feeds and IP streaming. The GPIO port offers basic interactivity, while the Ethernet port supports networked interactivity for synchronized video walls, mobile device interactivity and messaging between BrightSign and third-party devices using UDP commands. The 4K1042 ($700) adds S/PDIF output for pure digital surround sound audio and a multitude of interactive controls for engaging interactive displays including GPIO, serial, USB and UDP. Rounding out the 4K lineup, BrightSign’s top-of-the-line 4K1142 ($850) also delivers Live TV playback via the HDMI input, even HDCP-protected content.
All of them are here.
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North American Bank Customer Survey Finds Digital Signage Impacts Brand STRATACACHE today released the results of a survey it did to measure the ROI of digital signage in banks. The report, called Understanding the Role of Digital Signage in Retail Banking, was actually administered by a brand valuation firm and market research firm, Brand Finance and Luth Research.
For more information on the study and to receive a copy of the report which includes more detailed ratings of six of top American banks and the six major Canadian banks, go here.
The research, which examined the impact of digital signage on retail banking customers in North America, focused on three distinct areas: attitudes towards digital engagement, brand impact and brand effectiveness. The study found that digital signage when used in a retail banking setting has a measurable impact on brand perception and strongly suggests that in-branch media merchandising drives meaningful and quantifiable brand value.
High-level findings from the Luth’s research and Brand Finance’s analysis include:
- The presence of unique customer profiles: there are four distinct customer profiles with similar attitudes toward technology, banking activity.
o These profiles have been categorized by Brand Finance as “Aspiring Alvins,” “Digital Daves,” “Simplicity Sues,” and “Retired Rays” each with varying opinions on the impact of digital signage in retail baking.
o “Digital Daves” and “Simplicy Sues” provide the greatest opportunity for retail banks in their digital marketing efforts, especially as it relates to digital signage.
- Attitudes: digital signage is perceived as an effective form of communicating with customers.
o Retail banking customers have a more positive view of digital signage than online
o Digital Signage is seen as less intrusive and more innovative than other media.
o For United States banks, Citibank yields highest digital signage scores, whereas in Canada, RBC is in the lead.
- Brand Impact: 77 percent of U.S. respondents agreed that banks employing digital signage are more innovative than those that don’t.
o When banks are seen as innovative they also score more highly for customer satisfaction.
- Brand Effectiveness: Consumers recall digital signage just as much as they do other traditional and digital advertising outlets.
o When compared to the high cost of TV advertising, digital signage yields a slightly higher recall rate than TV at a much lower cost.
o Amongst people who have been exposed to digital signage, the ratings for digital signage verses TV become more favorable, indicating greater exposure will lead to even greater favorability over time for the digital signage medium.
- Advertising Effectiveness: Digital signage is effective as an advertising medium as exposure increases Satisfaction and NPS scores.
o Digital signage is efficient as an advertising medium as consumers recall digital signage just as much as they do for other traditional and digital advertising outlets.
o Digital signage is effective as it’s able to easily capture the user’s attention and generate a positive change in banking behavior.
o Banks that do not utilize digital signage lose out on easy advertising and up-selling opportunities with their own customers.
In the study administered by Luth Research, 3,963 respondents were surveyed via an online panel across 17 North American banks between January and February 2014. Respondents were asked 50 questions pertaining to their attitudes toward their bank, bank usage, demographic information and perceptions of technology. Based on the results, Brand Finance combined brand strength indices, business details, and survey data to measure the brand value of retail digital merchandising investments. Their findings detail the brand impact, in dollars, of investing (or of not investing) in in-branch digital merchandising initiatives.
Again, to get a copy of it, go here.
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Kramer Debuts VS-211HA HDMI Auto-SwitcherKramer has announced the VS-211HA, a two-input HDMI auto switcher that can be set to select between autoswitching (last-connected or priority) and manual switching modes (manual and manual override). VS-211HA detects actual HDMI signals (instead of just 5V presence) allowing auto switching only to sources actually in use. HDMI 5V output turns off when no inputs are connected to enable cascaded setups and to let displays go into sleep mode.
The Kramer VS-211HA offers full signal re-clocking and parallel analog audio and HDMI switching. VS-211HA also features HEC, ARC and 3D pass-through and supports full HD video up to 6.75Gbps (2.25Gbps per graphic channel). In addition, it has PC audio ports for separate switching of 3.5-millimeter audio.
Here are the details.
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Australian Hospital Finds Its Way with Digital Signage Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH) is the largest-ever public health infrastructure project and one of the largest research facilities in Australia. Command Australia, with 22MILES, was contracted to design a full interactive wayfinding solution, with a true in-house management capability, for this eight-building healthcare complex. The end solution’s feedbacks surpassed all expectations.
Background
After almost five years of construction, the brand new Gold Coast University Hospital was officially opened Sept. 28, 2013. The AUD$1.76 billion ($1.59 billion UDS) project, made up of eight main buildings and a total of 59 floors with 1.83 million square feet of floor space, needed an additional facility to their traditional signage that would help patients, visitors and staff visually figure out how to get to their destinations hidden among more than 8,000 rooms and 250 departments on campus.
GCUH hired Command Australia (CA) to help with digital signage and wayfinding solutions. To meet its extremely tight schedule, CA came to 22MILES for its next-generation interactive wayfinding capabilities to assist with a powerful digital signage system that could manage directional and signage information in these complex buildings.
Challenges
GCUH knew wayfinding would be a huge issue for the large and diverse population to navigate through. Every day, specific rooms or even entire departments could be frequently moved around, expanded or shrunk, internal staff would need to find non-public rooms, in-patient areas would be closed after visiting hours, and some departments would not open on weekends.
GCUH needed a dynamic and efficient solution to guide individuals from a large traffic to quickly and easily retrieve real-time directional information without getting lost. But large hospitals, like GCUH, couldn’t afford to come back to vendors again and again and keep waiting for assistance with such frequent mapping changes throughout their campus. Another issue they would need to overcome was the multicultural presence at Queensland with the language barriers. Adding up all these requirements, a seamless back-end management seemed to be an impossible task.
Solutions
CA approached 22MILES after DSE 2012 with the hope they could help GCUH find the best solution to integrate. The digital signage and wayfinding platform from 22MILES was able to cover 100 percent of their needs. The biggest obstacle in GCUH’s adamant requirements was an interactive wayfinding solution with a true user editing/control capability, which was already part of native features in 22MILES digital wayfinding product.
This software offered GCUH a one-stop management experience through its comprehensive built-in features with minimal customizations: map editor handled floor plan updates for both kiosk and mobile, private/public pathway re-routing, and route scheduling; content editor dealt with all content/interface updates in five major languages and automatically connected any live events to the floor map; designer controlled layout update beyond template limitations; KMS monitored player status with flexible scheduling rules; staff management helped 19 private floors to be accessed with a login privilege.
Results
This standard product saved communication time and produced a successful result without any surprises from the beginning. Even with a three-month project delay, 22MILES wayfinding system was able to launch the kiosk testing two months ahead of grand opening. After a half-day training, CA mastered the back-end system, and proficiently published several rounds of mapping changes, language translations and template designs during two-week installation.
The on-site integrator reported that since opening, “a large number of people were using the wayfinding kiosk — everyone including the elderly.” Self-service wayfinding kiosks helped to reduce stress and confusion of patients and visitors, while they navigate at their own pace. GCUH was successfully under the budget and able to add new mobile wayfinding feature or smartphone users. These modern wayfinding kiosk facilities in GCUH proved customer satisfaction and retention.
This case study was reprinted with permission from the Digital Signage Connection and originally appeared here.
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For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe DS [Digital Signage] out there, hopefully you enjoyed another opinion-packed issue!
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