Home Blogs & News

The 2013 version of the Digital Signage Expo (DSE) has come to a close, but our coverage here will live for another year -- until opening day of the 2014 event.

We have so much coverage -- and there's so much information on this DSE microsite that it can be overwhelming. So, please take moment to read this so we can familiarize you with what's on this site. First off, we have a Media Sponsor contract with DSE that allows us to do this site. So, we're an official media partner to DSE. Our four sponsors funded this site -- so visit them and, when you do see them in person, thank them. All four have small banner ads on the top of this site. We couldn't do this without Almo Pro A/V, Visix, NEC and Peerless-AV.

This site is not intended to be a replacement for attending the show live - you can't replace an experience like that. However, it's meant to augment your attendance. In fact, we get much of our site traffic from DSE attendees who couldn't see everything they wanted to see in the two days of the show in Las Vegas and the rest come from people who wish they could attend and didn't get to. Either way, you will find this show microsite helpful.

This section (BLOGS & NEWS) here (where you're reading this blog) is where we post all the blogs and news stories - as well as commentary - written by our team of reporters on-site at the show. The tab next to this we have a section called PRESS ANNOUNCEMENTS - here is where you can see announcements on all the products launched at DSE. To the right of that tab, we bring you VIDEOS. VIDEOS include every video we shot at DSE - every single one. We have them broken out by both product category (e.g., Displays, Media Players, Software, etc.) as well as interviews. Under Interviews, our founder, Gary Kayye, personally interviews thought leaders in the Digital Signage market. To the right of that tab, we have SHOW TWEETS - where we bring you every single tweet streamed from every single person who used the show hashtag #DSE2013 as well as our sponsor's own tweets. 

In all, at DSE 2013, we recorded more than 300 videos, tweeted more than 350 times about products we saw on the show floor, recorded three podcasts (you can hear those here), and we posted over 20 product news stories and blogs. 

We hope you find this portal useful and productive. And, while using it, if you have ANY suggestions to make it better for future shows, just click on the TAB called uReport and send us a message and your ideas.

Add a comment
Eclipse Digital Media's new digital menu board solution, updated using an Excel spreadsheet, is called EMBED. The EMBED menu board solution is powered by ONELAN digital signage media players (NTBs) and DCE software. This allows the NTBs to be updated via external sources and in this case, Excel spreadsheets. They are able to display various types of content including HTML5, CSS3, video, RSS feeds, images, text and audio.

As an Accredited ONELAN Advanced Content Design Partner, Eclipse has developed a range of digital menu board layouts that include sushi bars, coffee shops and QSRs plus interactive touch screen menu board content with table reservation functionality. All of these come with the ability to update content via Excel.

EMBED digital menu boards can be implemented as an out of the box standalone solution (all hardware, software and content situated in-house) or licensed solution (reduced hardware, subscribes information from an EMBED server). Eclipse offers a variety of menu board layout packages that can be edited along with digital media content services to design bespoke content for clients as required.

For more information about Eclipse Digital and the EMBED digital menu board solution go to: http://www.eclipsedigitalmedia.co.uk/embed
Add a comment
At the Digital Signage Expo, TriplePlay Services launched an entry level alternative to its existing digital signage solution, TripleSign, called TripleLite. TripleLite is a stripped back digital signage player aimed at small businesses, restaurants, bars, cafes, schools and nurseries. As all content is stored on to USB locally to each screen, the solid-state based media player doesn't lose its play capabilities if the network goes down. As all content is stored locally to each screen, so even if your Internet connection fails, your digital messaging will continue to display.

Content can be static images or video and signals can be output via HDMI or VGA. It also works in landscape or portrait mode.

Because it's new, Tripleplay doesn't have much information on its website yet. But here's what the company does have: http://www.tripleplay-services.com/TripleLite-Electronic-Posters/
Add a comment
The 2013 Digital Signage Expo Awards, offering a night full of corny jokes and brilliant media, began in unusual fashion, with a rap video about digital signage -- it set the entire tone of the event. An energetic emcee cracked up the audience with corny jokes about his horrible pronunciation of winners’ names, transitioned seamlessly into French, and kept the awards ceremony from dragging. Condensed into just two hours, this dinner and awards was an experience.
 
The awards ceremony had two sections, the Apex Awards, which honor innovation in the development and deployment of technology in the global digital out-of-home networks (DOOH), and the Content awards, which recognize originality in content applications tailored specifically for the many and varied global DOOH audiences. 
 
Below is the full list of winners for both the Apex and Content Awards. 
 
This year Gold, Silver and Bronze Apex Awards were presented to winners in 10 categories from a field of 90 entrants:
 
Arts, Entertainment & Recreation  
 
GOLD Westfield San Francisco Centre, Nominated by Obscura Digital
SILVER Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, Nominated by Intermedia Touch Inc.
BRONZE Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society, Nominated by DRM
Productions Inc.
 
Business, Industry & Government
 
GOLD San Francisco Public Utility Commission, Nominated by Obscura Digital
SILVER Christie West Wing, Nominated by Christie Digital Systems Canada Inc.
BRONZE Arsenal Media Fountain of Content, Nominated by Arsenal Media
 
Education & Healthcare
 
GOLD University of Waterloo Stratford Campus, Nominated by Westbury
National Show Systems Ltd.
SILVER Florida Hospital - Wesley Chapel, Nominated by Sound Stage Inc.
BRONZE Saint Louis University, Nominated by NEC Display Solutions
 
Event Venues
 
GOLD Antron Showroom, Nominated by Float4 Interactive
SILVER Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Nominated by Gefen
BRONZE University of Oregon, Nominated by Haivision
 
Food & Beverage
 
GOLD Dee Daa Restaurants, Nominated by Arsenal Media
SILVER Top of Waikiki Restaurant, Nominated by Pacific Digital Signs
BRONZE Starbucks Coffee Co., Nominated by Starbucks Coffee Co.
 
Hospitality
 
GOLD Swan & Dolphin Resort, Nominated by Xpodigital
SILVER Tourisme Montérégie, Nominated by Arsenal Media
BRONZE Wynn in Las Vegas, Nominated by JANUS Displays by Morrow 
Technologies
 
Interactive Self-Service
 
GOLD Pepsi, Nominated by Intel
SILVER Telenet Mobile – SmartSpot - DOBIT, Nominated by Scala Inc.
BRONZE Buffalo Wild Wings, Nominated by Wireless Ronin Technologies 
 
Public Spaces
 
GOLD Westfield Shopping Center, Nominated by Scala Inc.
SILVER Samsung Galaxy S3 Turkey Launch Projection Mapping, Nominated by Dreambox Visual Communications
BRONZE Clear Channel Spectacolor - Times Square, Nominated by Clear Channel 
Spectacolor
 
Retail
 
GOLD Build-A-Bear Workshop, Nominated by Build-A-Bear Workshop®
SILVER Connections, Nominated by YCD Multimedia
BRONZE Holt Renfrew Ltd., Nominated by Rose and Thistle Media
 
Transportation
 
GOLD CBS Outdoor, Nominated by MRI (Manufacturing Resources 
International)
SILVER McCarran International Airport, Nominated by Four Winds Interactive
BRONZE IGITerminal - 3 & 1 Airport,Delhi, Nominated by Times Innovative Media Ltd. (Times OOH)
 

The DSE 2013 Apex Award of the Year winner is: Build-A-Bear Workshop, Nominated by Build-A-Bear Workshop
 
This year Gold, Silver and Bronze Content Awards were presented to winners in 10 different categories from a field of 70 entrants:
 
Arts, Entertainment & Recreation
 
GOLD Second Story Interactive Studios, for content created for Vault of the 
Secret Formula: Bubble-izer
SILVER Intermedia Touch Inc., for content created for Seminole Casino Coconut Creek
BRONZE Arsenal Media, for content created for Christie, The Discovery Wall
 
Business, Industry & Government
 
GOLD Arsenal Media, for content created for The Fountain of Content 
SILVER Obscura Digital, for content created for Digital Arts Wall, San Francisco 
Public Utilities Commission
BRONZE Arsenal Media, for content created for Christie, Kitchener West Wing Lobby
 
Education & Healthcare
 
GOLD Intermedia Touch Inc., for content created for Miami Children's Hospital 
SILVER Arsenal Media, for content created for Wilfrid Laurier University, 100th Anniversary
BRONZE Visix Inc., for content created for University of Iowa Interactive Wayfinding
 
Event Venues
 
GOLD Oklahoma City Thunder, for content created for Chesapeake Arena 
SILVER Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, for content created for MLSE Live
BRONZE Insteo, for content created for Vitec Group
 
Food & Beverage
 
GOLD Groupe Viva, for content created for Le 2 Pierrots
SILVER Allure Global Solutions, for content created for Moe's Southwest Grill -
Digital Menu Boards
BRONZE Arsenal Media & Jaime Burns, for content created for Dee Daa Restaurants  
 
Hospitality
 
GOLD Arsenal Media, for content created for The Tourisme Montérégie
Experiential Tower
SILVER X20 Media, for content created for Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa
BRONZE Swan & Dolphin Resort, for content created for "ELLA" RFID Reader Project
 
Multi-Platform
 
GOLD Arsenal Media and Converse Marketing, for content created for 
Caterpillar Global Mining,Touchpoint  Digital Program
SILVER Elevate Digital, for content created for Groupon
BRONZE Intelligent Multimedia Ltd., for content created for IML Challenges
 
Public Spaces
 
GOLD Pearl Media, for content created for Chevy Interactive 3D Projection 
SILVER Vanten K.K., for content created for Ganbatte 365
BRONZE Monster Grupo Creativo S.A. de C.V., for content created for 
Banamex S.A.
 
Retail
 
GOLD Rose and Thistle Media, for content created for Holt Renfrew Ltd.
SILVER All Things Media LLC, for content created for Mercedes-Benz  USA, AMG
Digital Signage
BRONZE AKQA, for content created for RBS Group
 
Transportation
 
GOLD Inwindow Outdoor, for content created for Beneful Virtual Dog 
Park/Columbus Circle Interactive Wall
 
The DSE 2013 Content Award of the Year winner is: Inwindow Outdoor, for content created for Beneful Virtual Dog Park/Columbus Circle Interactive
Add a comment
One of the more intriguing aspects of Digital Signage Expo has been its commitment to looking beyond the borders of the United States of America and extending its reach to digital out-of-home networks and digital place-based advertising across the globe.

To that end, more than 75 countries were represented at DSE 2013. Among the top 10 include Canada, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, Colombia, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, Russia and India.

“I think the growing number of international attendees and countries that they come from goes hand in hand with the industry’s growth and our event’s leadership position,” said Angelo Varrone, CEO of Exponation, LLC, which produces the trade show. “DSE is the only event than allows attendees to truly ‘see and hear it all,’ thanks to a highly diversified robust education program and a very large variety of exhibitors representing all aspects of digital signage.”

Among some of the programming included the Second Annual Digital Signage 360: A Global Perspective. Adrian Cotterill, co-founder and editor-in-chief of DailyDOOH.com, served as moderator and program coordinator of the daylong seminar. Presenters included Bing Kempo, CEO of Bing Kempo Media; Mariusz Orzechowski, president of the Polish Digital Signage Association; and Neil van Wouw, CEO of Vanten K.K. Digital Signage Services.

Those who attended the show found that the speakers’ expertise and experiences provided a greater worldview as to some of the challenges and successes in rolling out systems in different countries.

“Our shift to a mostly digital attendee promotion plan this year definitely resulted in our message reaching many more international attendees than ever before in our history,” Varrone said.

Truly, digital signage is not a uniquely or strictly American thing. How were your experiences at DSE 2013 with regards to international attendance and worldview?

This was reprinted with permission from the Digital Signage Connection and originally appeared here.
Add a comment
Digital Signage Expo (DSE), running from February 26 to 28 this year in Las Vegas, has 10 percent more exhibitors this year than last, but the growth felt larger than that and the high energy level was palpable. Exhibitors I questioned were pleased with their booth traffic, with some “complaining” of being too busy. One exhibitor said he didn’t have enough staff to handle the flow. He only had six people.

Peter Bocko of Corning Glass was promoting the benefits of Gorilla Glass in large sizes for digital signs. Bocko said that the signage community has the imagination, energy and resources to try new applications and new approaches, while makers of displays for monitors and TVs are too strapped for cash to boldly go where no display has gone before. (Note: I am freely paraphrasing Bocko’s remarks.)

Conventional display people have trouble getting used to the idea that successful digital signage installations are not primarily about the displays. Media creation and delivery, and distribution networks receive more attention (see yesterday’s Display Daily). Network software must allow managers to schedule and conveniently reschedule what ad and other media appear on which sign at what time, and must verify that the ads actually appear on the screens they are scheduled to appear on.

Interactive signage, which senses that a person is actually viewing the sign when an ad appears, is already technically well developed, although not yet widely deployed. More advanced versions sense the age and gender of the viewer, opening the possibility of the network operator only getting paid for an exposure when the viewer fits the advertiser’s target demographic. Intel is a major technology developer in this area. There are also digital signs that are interactive in the more conventional sense of touch and gesture interaction.

Still, there is no digital signage without the sign, and the signage divisions of most of the major panel makers had major presences on the show floor. These included Samsung, LG, Sharp and Panasonic. Significant players who do not make their own panels include NEC, Sony, Viewsonic, DynaScan, Planar and Christie.

Yes, that Christie. The projection Christie. Although Christie was not at all bashful about promoting its DLP/LED rear-projection MicroTiles, the bulk of the booth was devoted to flat-panel solutions. Christie is adopting the approach that they are here to serve their customers with whatever technology is most appropriate, and they are stressing a vertical approach that includes sign manufacturing, installation, and network operation, as required by the customer.

Somebody at Christie has been listening to Corning’s Peter Bocko. A 55-inch Christie LCD sign was prominently identified as being protected with Gorilla Glass.

Although LCD signs dominated, there was a significant scattering of LED signs on the floor. Nanolumens had a large booth to show off various signs using the company’s flexible LED technology, but the most striking of their signs consisted of two vertical surfaces intersecting at 90 degrees, like the corner of a square post. The images of models wrapping around the corner were strange, and therefore attention-getting.

There was still some projection, with NEC making an impact with a very large rear-projection image generated by two big projectors whose images meshed seamlessly on the screen, and other vendors with smaller rear-projection solutions.

At Sharp, I spoke with the executive who manages both the flat-panel signage and projection groups. He said there is no doubt that larger flat panels are making serious inroads on the projector business in the broad mid-range of image sizes. Inexpensive projectors for elementary education are holding their own, as are powerful projectors for very large images, but the value proposition posed by ever-less-expensive large flat panels is proving impossible for competing projectors to resist.

Panasonic showed an impressive, very large plasma touch screen with sophisticated communication capabilities for distance collaboration. A line or signature drawn on the screen tracked the stylus precisely and without lag.

Also among the exhibitors showing non-LCD signs was E Ink, with a variety of tiled, very-low-power, monochrome examples. E Ink customer Toppan was presented with a Product of the Year Award from Signage Solutions Magazine for an updated version of its Machikomi (“city communication”) E Ink signs in the Sendai subway system that survived the March 2011 tsunami, and provided one of the few ways that emergency information could be communicated to the population following the disaster.

Several companies were applying 4K panels to the demanding signage environment. LG showed a 4K 84-inch touch sign, which it labeled the world’s first. ViewSonic also showed a 4K 84-inch interactive sign based on AUO, not LG, glass. ViewSonic’s Gene Ornstead said the company is receiving interest from the DoD for interactive mapping apps in command and control centers. Sharp showed the impressive 4K 32-inch with IGZO backplane it has been showing at least since last year’s SID show.

Sharp also featured its very large LCD panels — up to 90 inches — engineered into displays for the signage market.

Finally (at least as far as this column is concerned), transparent displays are very much alive. Planar showed the very intelligently designed refrigerator door it introduced last year, but it is not yet on the market. MRI was promoting its large transparent refrigerator doors with resized displays that fill the entire door, but — unlike last year — did not have a unit on display. Smaller retail-window and showcase solutions could also be seen.

Perhaps most interesting for this segment was a Best Buy kiosk/vending machine for electronic gadgets. The kiosk uses a large transparent LG panel that showed subjectively good color gamut.

Bill Beaton, Senior Director of Product Marketing for Zoomsystems, which manages Best Buy’s 1500-kiosk network, said the first of the Kiosks with transparent displays would be deployed in the next couple of months. If the new kiosk shows sufficiently increased sell-through compared to the conventional kiosk it replaces, Beaton is hopeful that more of the transparent-display units will follow.

Although digital signs seem ubiquitous, penetration is still quite low and the current double-digit annual growth can be sustained for years to come. That energy and optimism was reflected in this year’s DSE. – Ken Werner
Add a comment
I was walking around the show floor here in Las Vegas at the 2013 Digital Signage Expo and saw NEC's Director of Sales Rich Ventura with a giant grin on his face. I asked him why he was so dang happy and he told me how he saw NEC's positioning here at DSE on Day 1 of the show as perfectly suited with the company's wide product line. NEC is showing not only flat panel displays here at DSE. But Rich also told me that more than 30 percent of digital signage uses projectors and NEC is focused on making not only flat-panels more interactive, but also adding interactivity to projection applications for digital signage. And, while I was speaking to him, he showed me the company's new 29" 2560x1080 (21:9 aspect ratio) monitor for both desktop and digital signage applications.

Here's NEC Display's ProAV Website: http://www.necdisplay.com/products/

Get the inside scoop by watching my interview with Rich from earlier today:

Add a comment

Add a comment
So far, the coolest thing I've seen at the 2013 Digital Signage Expo (DSE) has been from UK-based start-up company NOMADIX whose so-called iWalker is basically a wearable digital signage player (yes, the person wears a giant DS screen above his/her head) automatically serves custom digital signage content to the viewer based on age, gender, location and even distance from the screen. Using facial recognition technology, the system uses GPS location and live streaming technology to serve up ads to people who walk by it -- but the ads are customized based on who they actually are.

It's difficult to explain it better than that, so I shot a video of the system and interviewed the company's managing director, Mark Evans. I hope you'll watch and let me know if you think this is as cool as I think it is.

NOMADIX Media's iWalker can be found here: http://www.nomadixmedia.co.uk/

Enjoy this interview and see how the system works:
Add a comment
For years, Peerless-AV spent nearly all its marketing budget telling buyers of AV gear why they should use the company to mount all their stuff. And, Peerless still builds mounts -- lots of them -- all here in the USA. But now the company's marketing budget is split between a few new non-mount product lines. In fact, its Peer-Air line of wireless digital and analog video and audio transmission systems span everything from the home (where I actually use a Peerless-AV Peer-Air system to send HDMI and audio to a TV in my kitchen) to the corporate market where it now has a white-space transmission system to send HDMI and audio to hundreds of TVs simultaneously -- wirelessly.

Here at the 2013 Digital Signage Expo (DSE), Peerless-AV is launching a line of custom kiosk systems that are available in all sorts of sizes (even up to an 80" in its booth here) and colors (they can PMS match any color you want). I caught up with Peerless-AV's VP of Sales Nick Belcore today and he explained Peerless-AV's strategy in diversifying into more than mounts and why the company makes it all outside of Chicago.

You can see the new Peerless-AV line here: https://www.peerless-av.com/en-us/professional

Enjoy my interview with Peerless-AV's Nick Belcore:

Add a comment
Corning’s Dr. Peter Bocko’s keynote address, which kicked off the 2013 Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas, Nev., focused on the future of glass technologies. Corning showed the potential of creating a world of glass technologies like those seen in “A Day Made of Glass” and “A Day Made of Glass 2.”

“We’ve made good progress, but we still have a long way to fulfilling the promises of ‘A Day Made of Glass,’” Bocko said. Bocko added that, as opposed to being seen as invasive or intrusive, new glass informational technologies should serve the human connection and condition.

“The whole point is to bring us together,” Bocko said. “Not to separate us.”

Bocko spoke about the next wave of glass technologies being in Corning Willow Glass, which will be thinner and lighter, comformable and flexible and allow for next generation processing. He said Corning is making slow but steady progress in making Willow Glass a completely fingerprint-free, smudge-free surface that is easy to clean.

While Corning has made great strides with glass technologies, including Corning Gorilla Glass, there is always room for improvement. “Any technology worth winning at demands continual innovation,” he said.

He thinks the digital signage industry has the potential to be of great benefit to glass technologies. “My hypothesis is that digital signage is a great testing ground for new value propositions,” Bocko said. “But we’ve still got a long way to go.”
Add a comment
In just  a few years, Almo Pro A/V went from start-up to one of the largest distributors of digital signage hardware in the U.S. Almo, a 50-year old giant consumer electronics distributor, hired long-time AV veteran Sam Taylor to head up its foray into the professional AV market nearly four years ago. Since then, the company's become the leading digital signage distributor in the U.S. and one of the top distributors of ProAV gear too.

I caught up with Sam here in Las Vegas at the 2013 Digital Signage Expo and asked him about Almo's strategy in digital signage, the E4 AV Tour, as well as what we can expect from the company in the future. I hope you'll watch and consider signing up to attend one of the E4 AV Tour stops in 2013 -- I am the keynote speaker. You can sign up here: http://www.almoproav.com/Events/e4/

Here's the full interview with Sam:
Add a comment
Playing on its popular consumer line of Smart TVs, Samsung is borrowing "smart" for its new Smart Signage Platform in digital signage. Samsung is showcasing the Samsung Smart Signage Platform, which it describes as an "open-source digital signage platform" built around an embedded media player and software developer kit (SDK).
 
Samsung’s new SDK for signage software allows software partners to develop customized signage applications suitable for an array of business and user environments. Backed by best-in-breed software developers and solution providers, including Capital Networks, Four Winds Interactive, Scala, Signagelive and Wireless Ronin, customers will have access to signage experts to help create customized solutions.
 
Powered by a System on Chip (SoC) semiconductor and featuring a dual-core CPU, full codec video processor and either 4GB or 8GB of storage depending on the model, Samsung’s Smart Signage Platform includes an embedded, high-performance media player which allows users to play back content without the need for a separate PC or set-back box. By eliminating the need for external devices, the Samsung Smart Signage Platform ensures clean and simple installation and operational processes, saving both time and money. The technology also supports open pluggable standard (OPS) platforms.
 
The Smart Signage Platform is compatible with the 2013 lines of the following Samsung digital signage products:
 
ME - C Series: These ultra slim, lightweight displays provide increased energy savings of 35 percent or more over CCFL backlit displays, while a thin chassis and narrow bezel help simplify installation and provide a more impactful message.
 
PE - C Series: This is a line of ultra-slim large format displays ideal for high-traffic areas that require 24/7 reliability, including commercial, public and corporate environments. These displays feature LED backlighting for brighter, more colorful images and anti-glare technology that offers a sharp picture, even in brightly lit indoor environments.
 
MD - C Series: Ideal for high-traffic areas, including commercial, public and corporate environments, the design elements of these displays facilitate enhanced performance with the added benefit of cost-savings. At just 19 millimeter, a narrow bezel allows audiences to focus more on the content, and the slim depth of the series offers more available space for other uses.

Here are the details: http://www.samsung.com/us/business/smart-signage-platform/
Add a comment
Patrick Quinn, president and CEO of PQ Media -- a leading provider of digital and alternative media forecasts -- was the keynote speaker at the Digital Signage Expo 2013 Advertising Summit in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Quinn provided data on the overall digital out-of-home industry and put the industry into perspective against the broader economic and advertising environment. One of the findings was that digital out-of-home media grew faster than any other ad medium in 2012 -- including the Internet. The remainder of the presentation focused specifically on digital place-based ad networks, screens that have both entertainment/information content and ads.

Quinn provided insights into the size and growth by four major regions: Asia/Pacific, the Americas, Europe and Middle East & Africa. Led by China, the Asia/Pacific region was both the largest and fastest-growing digital place-based ad network region. Quinn followed by highlighting the major differences between U.S. and global digital place-based networks, including which venues were driving growth in each region, such as health care in the US, transit in Europe, and cinema in Asia/Pacific.

In predicting 2013 growth, Quinn provided insights on 10 opportunities and challenges that global digital place-based networks face, including the need for better metrics and the quick adoption by networks to integrate mobile strategies into campaigns. The data and insights that Quinn shared were taken exclusively from PQ Media’s Global Digital Out-of-Home Forecast series, which will be updated in April.

This article was reprinted with permission from the Digital Signage Connection and originally appeared here.
Add a comment
Digital Signage - I am writing this on the eve of the Digital Signage Expo here in Las Vegas. Over the next two days, I expect to talk to, see and hear about all aspects of the digital signage industry. While 3D digital signage will be one focus, there will be a lot more to absorb.

The displays in the digital signage industry are the most obvious part. But to develop effective digital signage solutions you need a business model (advertisers or someone to pay the bills); creatives (to shape the content to these unique platforms); networks (to deliver the content to specific demographics); and software (to manage the flow of content).

What are successful case studies? There are many, some of which will be given awards at a ceremony on Wednesday night. However, I caught the last session of the pre-show Digital Place-Based Advertising Summit today. In that session, we heard about a successful campaign by “Rock the Vote” that last fall put together a national campaign using all placed-based signage networks to target the 18-29 year crowd. They used signage in Best Buy, IZON super markets, Denny’s, Taco Bell, The Mall Network, plus a dozen one-offs and cherry picked networks. And, they even set up signs in 10 bus shelters in New York and Miami where people could use their smartphone to register to vote using a QSR code or NFC capabilities. Now that’s using technology this crowd understands.

Another case study I liked was one created by Fiat, who reentered the U.S. market about two years ago and is selling one car – a Fiat 500. The ad was created to run on the Gas Station TV network and was produced for about 3 percent of the cost of a traditional national ad campaign. The spot features a guy trapped inside the gas pump with only a slot where you see part of his face. He is going a little crazy inside the pump waiting for that 40 MPG Fiat to pull up to the gas pump. It is a funny and engaging ad and it flashes the location of the nearest Fiat dealer at the end of the spot. They might think about adding that QSR code to NFC capability next time to get directions loaded onto the consumer’s smartphone right then and there.

CU Solutions, a national organization of credit unions, also used Gas Station TV to couple their ads about financing options with national spots for GM cars, but with the locations of local credit unions flashed by geography.

Jack in the Box used similar geographical analysis to find bars that were close to their 24-hour fast food chains to bring these folks in at all hours.

Notice that none of these solutions gave much thought to the display other than to understand what they had to deal with. Nor did they talk about the delivery and management of the content. That’s because this was from the perspective of the brands and advertising agencies. They focus on results and use technology tools as needed to get them. This is a perspective that can get lost on the DSE trade show floor where it is all about technology push. But in reality, it is the brands, the agencies and the creatives that are driving the decisions. It’s these guys you need to show your technology to and let them figure out how to effectively use it.

Which brings me to 3D digital signage. I am aware of at least two multi-hundred unit glasses-free 3D signage networks (TravelPlaza and the Hispanic Shopping Network). Did you know that this weekend, Paramout Pictures will start a promotion on the TravelPlaza network of 3D signs to promote the debut of their new 3D movie, “Jack the Giant Slayer”?  It kind of makes sense to advertise a 3D movie in 3D doesn’t it?

Sure, I will be asking about all the technical aspects of the 3D display, content delivery and management, but I also want to know what the advertising community and major brands know about 3D and if it is even on their radar yet. We will see.
Add a comment
SunBriteTV has unveiled a range of new Dispersive Signal Technology (DST) touchscreen products at DSE. These new interactive digital signage products, available in 32-, 47-, and 55-inch screen sizes, build on the success of the direct sunlight-readable Marquee Series of portrait and landscape models.

SunBriteTV’s new direct-sunlight readable all-weather outdoor touchscreens start from as low as $4,595 (32-inch DS-3204TSL), and are aimed at commercial retail spaces including outdoor shopping malls, sports venues, cinemas, airports, public transportation centers and more.

Here are all the stats: http://www.sunbritetv.com/
Add a comment
Convergent Media Systems Corporation, a Sony company, today announced the introduction of the Prodokol LOGIK content management and scheduling application at DSE.

LOGIK is part of the Prodokol Enterprise media platform and eliminates the use of traditional playlists to manage content across a network, which are typically resource intensive and subject to human error. Instead, users set spot dates, apply tags and assign playback rules for each new piece of content and LOGIK takes care of the rest.

Spot dates dictate when content plays and allows users to set up and down dates, expiration dates, manage day parting and set any frequency requirements. Users can also use tags to specify where content plays. Content tags are matched with meta- data from each player to ensure content plays back at each targeted location.

Content rules give users more control of how content plays. LOGIK allows users to apply proximity rules between multiple pieces of content, priority rules that place content higher in the rotation schedule and control over repeat frequency. Prodokol LOGIK provides a playlist preview to see exactly how content will play on a particular player.

Get the scoop at: http://www.sony.com
Add a comment
Here at DSE, Mitsubishi Electric Visual Solutions has introduced the 70-inch MDT701S monitor -- one of the thinnest available today, and the 55-inch MDT552S -- featuring a super-thin bezel with a super-slim body depth. Both LCDs are edge-lit LED technology. Other features include:

 

  • Energy Star compliant.  
  • Front- and rear-ambient light sensors that detect lighting conditions in two areas. These sensors automatically adjust the monitor’s brightness level, balance image brightness for optimum viewing, and use less energy in areas with high ambient light.
  • A robust jack panel that provides a diverse, versatile set of connectivity options for quick and simple installation in a wide range of environments.
  • An Intel OPS (Open Pluggable Specification) Card Slot for flexibility in expansion and scalability.
  • Two built-in 10-watt speakers that fire downward to eliminate sound reverberation, which often occurs with wall-facing, rear-mounted speakers.
  • USB Hub for direct connectivity through a variety of devices.
  • AMX / Crestron RoomView compatibility for easy integration and installation.

Here are the specs: http://www.mitsubishi-presentations.com/mdt701s/

Add a comment
It's the last set-up day in Las Vegas before the opening of the annual Digital Signage Expo. I grabbed Sean Matthews at VISIX so that you can see the company's PowerPoint plug-in for building digital signage content using the popular Microsoft presentation app. For $499, APPOINT literally turns Microsoft PowerPoint into a simple-to-use content generator for a digital signage network. VISIX, known for its higher ED leadership in digital signage applications, designed APPOINT so that anyone in the K-12 or college environment could be assigned to maintain a digital signage network and not have to master a complicated graphics design tool. Since APPOINT uses the same PowerPoint program used by over 90 percent of college presenters, its learning curve is minimal and turns pretty much anyone into a creative content producer.

Here's a video I shot today where VISIX President Sean Matthews explains it all to me.

And, of course, you can check it out yourself at: http://www.appointsignage.com


Add a comment

Almo Professional A/V announced this week a new distribution agreement with Elo Touch Solutions, a global supplier of touch-enabled Interactive Digital Signage (IDS) technology. Almo Pro A/V reseller partners now have access to Elo’s touch interactive experiences in screen sizes ranging from 7 inches to 70 inches.

“The Elo team is excited to engage with the Almo digital signage thought leaders and certified Pro A/V technology experts,” said Craig Witsoe, CEO, Elo Touch Solutions.  “Together we will help resellers and end-users realize the possibilities for digital signage to help education, government, hospitality, healthcare, and retail organizations enhance their audience experience and optimize communications efficiency.”

“Our resellers are experiencing increasing demand for large format touch-enabled displays,” explained Sam Taylor, executive vice president and COO for Almo Professional A/V. “We’re partnering with Elo Touch Solutions because they provide a broad portfolio of screen sizes and touch technologies our resellers can incorporate into their projects with the service and support to back Elo’s innovative products.”

Almo will show Elo Touch Solutions products in its booth (#1251) at the Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas this week.
 

Learn more about Almo Pro A/V here: http://www.almoproav.com/

Learn about Elo Touch Solutions here: http://www.elotouch.com

Add a comment

Page 1 of 2

<< Start < Prev 1 2 Next > End >>