Volume 10, Issue 2 — February 27, 2018

Digital signs linked to cameras, sensors and anonymous analytics software can recognize certain details about a shopper and deliver content tailored to that person’s age, gender, actions and likely preferences. A facial detection system also provides many benefits beyond presenting content. The anonymous data that the system gathers — combined with a retailer’s other data — can provide retailers actionable information and a more holistic view of their customer base, which they can use to streamline and fine-tune floor layout, inventory, shelf displays and other processes.

Let’s talk privacy

In addressing privacy concerns, it’s absolutely essential to understand the types of information that cameras linked to digital signs are actually gathering. These cameras are not capturing and storing images for the purpose of identifying specific individuals. That process is known as facial recognition, which is used for security purposes and at certain hospitality venues to spot celebrities and other VIPs. In sharp contrast, retail environments use facial detection systems that measure certain characteristics and using special algorithms are able to determine the age range and gender for the audience.

How it works

A facial detection system scans faces within the view of its cameras for basic attribution data. Its software uses algorithms to analyze this biometric (and other) data to determine, for example, that a person approaching a digital display is likely a 40- to 45-year old male or that there are a significant number of 25- to 30-year-old females among a crowd. Facial detection systems do not capture images or save personal information about the people they detect. These systems also are able to be used to measure dwell time, traffic patterns and even facial expressions. Along with this data retailers are also able to input other data points that will help paint a picture of understanding about how customers engage with content presented on a display.

Once age, gender and other data have been analyzed, the software can deliver an ad relevant to the shopper or shoppers. For example, the store may have a cosmetics advertiser interested in targeting 18- to 24-year-old females. When a shopper with that profile approaches a digital display, the software can deliver the cosmetic brand’s ad to its targeted audience.

What is the gain?

In DOOH operators can use facial detection to target audiences for their advertisers. A company can gather data that shows a certain demographic, 40- to 45-year old males for example, passes by the billboard every work day at a specific time. This enables companies to match advertisers to locations and time periods that are best suited for their brand messages.

What is the goal?

Facial detection systems can help retailers become more intelligent about who their shoppers are, at what times of the day they visit the store and what kind of products they’re buying. This knowledge will help them improve store layout, drive inventory decisions, and suggest changes in display content so it’s more effective.

Facial detection allows retailers to deliver more and communicate a stronger, cleaner message to targeted audiences. By measuring how long a shopper spent looking at an endcap or product or engaging with signage, retailers can also tell whether content is working or not working.

A new way to obtain insights

In case you haven’t been paying attention, there is a mass migration going on in AV. AV manufacturers and integrators have been leaving their traditional farms and silos. Heck, even our trade association has made the move.

Where are they all headed to? The fastest growing place in AV:

Experienceville, USA.

The move to experience has come on a few fronts.

Some manufacturers have started thinking of their product lines in terms of experiences. This makes a ton of sense, given that the end customers all think in these terms. As an example, a tech manager at a university is really concerned with the “learning experience” of the students. The professors’ interactions with technology and the way technology allows learning to be facilitated is really what is important. Categorizing products in terms of the “experiences” they affect seems to be a much more intuitive way for an end user to find the right products, as opposed to the traditional way of categorizing hardware only by their core functions like switching, routing, amplification, etc.

On another front, manufacturers have started expanding their lines to create more robust ecosystems. We see more and more manufacturers starting to head into previously uncharted territories over the last few years.  Crestron is now making DSPs and speakers, QSC is making cameras, Biamp is making Video over IP devices and the list continues. The theory is that because one manufacturer has already designed and tested all the technology in the chain to work together, they have more control over the end result and the customer experience is enhanced.

Of course there is some disagreement as to whether this type of brand extension works and many times customers may feel a bit restricted in their choices in these scenarios so it is important to also recognize and honor the loyalty and familiarity they may have to other brands and solutions by continuing to support traditional multi-vendor scenarios as well.

Choice is also a large part of “experience.”

Integrators have also staked their claim in the expansion category to create larger geographic footprints and enhanced services. The cost of buying an AV system and the cost of owning one are two completely different dollar figures. Integrators have been increasing their footprints to offer more robust services across regions and even countries, creating an opportunity to greatly simplify and improve their clients’ service experiences as well.

Cross-Platform adoption of consumer-grade technologies has also been a stalwart of the move to experience.  Manufacturers and integrators alike have started to design their hardware and systems to interact seamlessly with AirPlay, ChromeCast, MiraCast, Alexa, etc. in an effort to make interfacing with their systems more familiar to their end user clientele and therefore provide ease of use that ties greatly into the user experience.

Others are getting in on the move as well. It seems the move to Experienceville is a bit contagious. Not only are AV manufacturers and integrators pulling up stakes and hitting the road, but so are other companies that utilize AV products and services. Traditional hotel food service providers have purchased AV consulting firms and most recently, an owner of dozens of live event venues purchased an experiential AV content provider. All of these are indicative of how even other industries are bringing complimentary products and services together to offer better experiences to their customers.

As you can see, the move to experience is definitely happening. For many companies, it won’t be an easy one. Just like the Oregon Trail, we’ll have to see who makes it there in the end. The strategy used may make the difference as to who ends up at the heart of the city and who lives in a tent at the edge of town.

Welcome to Experienceville, USA.  Population: Growing.

Both series are designed for a range of industries and environments, from retail and Digital out of Home (DooH), to finance, manufacturing, education, healthcare and transportation, where UHD displays are increasingly used in a range of applications. Due to its high image homogeneity and stable uniformity, the P Series is particularly well-suited for mission-critical control room environments.

The two series have been designed for image performance. The P Series features a brightness output of 700 cd/m2 for complete clarity even under bright ambient light, while the V Series, at 500 cd/m2, is perfect for common light conditions. Viewing quality has been significantly enhanced with the latest anti-reflective surface coatings delivering clearly visible messages even under varying and demanding ambient conditions. And, they can be installed in portrait, landscape or even table mode.

The P and V Series displays are future-ready with Open Modular intelligence (OMi) expansion, enabling owners to upgrade the power of their display at any time by seamlessly integrating one of NEC’s options for Open Pluggable Specification (OPS) Slot-in PCs, Raspberry Pi Compute Modules, or signal interfaces for content feed and computing.

Both the MultiSync P and V Series large format displays will be available across the EMEA region between May and August 2018. See the specs here.

And, if you want to watch any of the 1,400+ new product videos we shot, see the 2,000+ photos from the show floor, listen to any of the 50+ podcasts or read any of the 300 or so news stories we write to cover the show, check out our ISE 2018 Microsite here.

You can watch it here on our site.

Or, you can watch it on YouTube here.

Next, the TiLED Series is a modular, LED mounting system designed to support creative video wall configurations. The system can include any of three mounts supporting one, two or three LED displays that connect together to form a seamless video wall. Built for the Samsung IF Series, integrated plumb adjustment helps to compensate for imperfections in the wall, keeping everything flat. Offset mounting slots allow for easy installation and protect LEDs from the damaging friction that can occur when display edges rub together.

Lastly, Chief’s line of height adjustable display mounts is expanding to include electric solutions. The new cart, floor-support and wall mounts bring higher weight capacities to support larger interactive displays, and also give an option to users who may simply prefer an electric solution over non-motorized. Keeping safety top of mind, the electric solutions features anti-collision technology, which Chief says immediately halts, then reverses motion upon encountering an obstruction to avoid pinching fingers or damaging the display.

You can see all that Chief is doing at ISE here.

• Dedicated Unisee Mount adapter (included in UniSee Mount packaging)
• Easy and quick installation
• Modular system
• Lightweight aluminum profiles
• Integrated Cable management
• TÜV-5 certified

Barco UniSee is an LCD video wall platform and was launched in October 2017. One of the most innovative features of Barco UniSee is the specifically designed mounting structure that uses the power of gravity to align the individual displays at any time. This mounting structure is to support UniSee bezel-less LCD video walls. Until now, the UniSee Mount could only be attached to walls, but a purpose-designed adapter (part of the UniSee Mount package) now allows it to be easily connected to a Vogel’s Universal video wall solution enabling a ceiling-, floor- or a free standing mounting solution.

Vogel’s universal video wall mounting solutions are available in dedicated versions for floor to ceiling, fixed to floor, freestanding floor, free hanging ceiling, ceiling to wall, floor to wall set-ups.

Here are the details.

The Leyard VersaLight Series makes it easy to turn creative design ideas into spectacular video walls — with a self-contained modular structure that can be modified to fit users’ unique needs. The compact displays can be combined into multiple sizes and shapes, bringing custom LED video wall designs to almost any space, no matter how challenging.

The self-supporting, quick-align frames are easy to install and provide a wide variety of flexible mounting options. They can be hung or mounted on a wall or ceiling, stacked as a self-standing video wall on the floor, and even mounted directly to frames designed and customized for a specific installation. These features make the Leyard VersaLight Series extremely versatile for a wide range of indoor and outdoor applications — from non-traditional ceiling displays to temporary outdoor staging applications.

The Leyard VersaLight Series offers the following benefits:

• Leyard VersaLight Series displays are 240 millimeters wide by 480 millimeters tall (9.4×18.9 inches), offering a compact design that can be tailored to a wide range of indoor and outdoor applications. The interlocking die-cast aluminum mounts are available in one-by-one (1×1) and two-by-two (2×2) configurations, making it possible to build video walls of nearly any shape and size.
• The Leyard VersaLight Series offers a wide range of mounting options, allowing for video walls to be hung, mounted to the wall or ceiling, stacked above the floor or mounted directly to customized frames. Optional quick-lock hardware is also available for fast-up, fast-down installations. Each Leyard VersaLight Series cabinet is a self-contained unit that can be combined into large video walls or used individually in space-constrained spaces.
• The Leyard VersaLight Series is offered in indoor configurations of 2.5-, 4- and 6-millimeter pixel pitches and outdoor configurations of 4-, 6- and 8-millimeter pitches. The product also offers excellent brightness and black levels for high ambient light environments.
• The Leyard VersaLight Series is designed to support 24×7 operation and employs a fast, modular service capability. The series makes it possible to monitor the health status of all video wall components from a central location—automatically identifying non-functioning displays, power supplies and electronics in real time so customers can proactively troubleshoot their video walls and take corrective action.
• The Leyard VersaLight Series can be installed and serviced from the front, eliminating the need for rear access, freeing up valuable space and simplifying maintenance.

The Leyard VersaLight Series will begin shipping in Spring 2018 through Leyard and Planar’s worldwide network. You can see all the specs here.

Eve Plus has the same minimalist design as the fixed Eve mounts and is precision machined from high grade aluminum. Eve Plus offers both the company’s slimmest case and the smallest base ever. Just slide the iPad in the case and magnetically attach it on the Eve Plus wall base to hold and charge. Eve Plus cases are available in a satin white, brushed black and brushed aluminum finish. The wall base has the same form and dimensions as the Basalte switches and sockets. It’s available in the case’s aluminum finishes, as well as in brass, bronze, copper and more.

Eve Plus is here.

Christie Velvet CorePlus is designed with a focus on flexibility and affordability while delivering a host of features normally found in more expensive LED. The on-board or remote power options for CorePlus increases installation possibilities while providing efficient heat management and redundancies for 24×7 operation. Christie Velvet CorePlus includes a direct mount system, making for quick and easy installation directly onto flat walls — eliminating the need for an additional mounting structure and thereby further reducing total system cost. Moreover, with the new E600 Controller, end users can easily scale to 4K60Hz.

Christie has also launched a new online LED calculator to allow its integrators, distributors, consultants and architect partners — as well as end users — to design quickly and easily an LED video wall to meet their unique requirements. With a simple click, customers can request a price quote from the Christie sales team.

Christie also announced that its Velvet Apex Series now makes 4K video walls better and less complicated with the new E600 Controller with 4K60 capability. Not only is the actual design easier to configure, fewer components are used in the signal chain, which means an artifact-free image and a better viewing experience for audiences.

Featuring low brightness enhancements, advanced image processing, HDR10 signal compatibility and premium image quality, Christie Apex Series ensures your content is displayed both vividly and accurately — right down to the finest detail.

The enhanced Apex Series is available in a range of pixel pitches from 1.2 to 2.5 millimeters and features a 16:9 aspect ratio. The 0.9-millimeter model was originally introduced in December 2017.

Christie Digital is here.

With more than 30 years’ experience in the AV industry, this acquisition further strengthens and positions NEC as one of the world’s leading visual solutions provider while supporting a more consultative market approach focusing on in-depth understanding of customer challenges and vertical industry opportunities. The new acquisition will enable NEC to integrate and further develop its LED solutions and continue to develop its professional services and additional support capabilities. By providing a total package of full-service offerings along with its premium display technology NEC can offer end-to-end visualization services to its customers.

The market demand for large digital canvasses is rapidly growing across all major display technologies – LFD video walls, large venue/laser projection and LED walls, whereas now NEC becomes a single source for all product categories providing customers the ultimate choice to match their individual needs. There’s a clear growing demand from a range of industries for large-screen signage, advertisement and infotainment: transportation companies requiring bigger passenger information displays, retailers enhancing outdoor branding and advertising as well as in-store marketing, while other growth applications include control rooms, corporate conferencing environments and more.

Over the past three years NEC has successfully promoted the S[quadrat] product portfolio across all major markets. S[quadrat] has built a good reputation for state-of-the art LED display systems that combine high operating safety and pioneering feature sets that ensure a future-proof investment. These are combined with high quality components paired with an innovative design, all engineered in Germany. Customers can now benefit from a long-term LED expertise resulting in enhanced service offerings like Visualization as a Service with a holistic project sales support especially for complex installations including design, planning, consultancy, installation and after-sales support for long-lasting operation and investment security.

NEC Display is here and S[quadrat] is here.

Designed with the needs of integrators and end-users in mind, the DS-VW775-QR offers what Peerless-AV says is innovative, time-saving installation and maintenance features, including tool-less micro adjustment, easy hang wall plate, quick release mechanism and reusable spacers for both portrait and landscape applications.

With the addition of tool-less lateral micro-adjustment, the DS-VW775-QR offers 1.5″ of fine tune adjustment on each of the X, Y and Z axes. The mount also features prominently colored adjustment knobs for easier set-up and maintenance. Serviceability is easier than ever before with the press to release pop-out feature, providing quick and convenient access to a recessed display without searching for hidden pull strings. The gentle release mechanism requires less pressure to pop-out a display than other video wall mounts, giving peace of mind that the delicate pixel structure will not be damaged from pressing too hard on the display front.

Reusable spacers can be used for both portrait and landscape applications resulting in a faster and more cost-effective install. Enhanced cable management allows the cables to effortlessly travel in and out with the display, eliminating the chance of interfering with the mount, as well.

The standard version DS-VW775, launched in 2016, has the same feature set as the new DS-VW775-QR, but offers unique red pop-out levers above and below. When the mount is fully extended it offers an extra 2″ of service space from the wall compared to the SmartMount Full-Service Video Wall Mount with Quick Release (DS-VW765-LQR/PQR).

The DS-VW775-QR is 4.5lbs lighter and the DS-VW775 is 10lbs lighter than the DS-VW765-LQR Full-Service Video Wall Mount with Quick Release. This makes these mounts even easier to handle and position, especially when combined with the installation app and reusable display-dedicated wall plate spacers. Using the easy hang keyhole adaptor plate, a single installer can simply hook the mount onto the wall, providing a hands-free environment to secure it.

The DS-VW775-QR and DS-VW775 support 46″ to 60″ displays with a maximum load of 56.8kg (125 pounds) and VESA pattern up to 600×400. Included security hardware makes the DS-VW775-QR suitable for public environments to deter tampering and theft.

For more information, go here. The SmartMount Supreme Full Service Video Wall Mount is available now.

The Leyard DirectLight LED Video Wall System is a family of seamless, fine pitch LED video wall displays that allow for wall-mounted, front service installations in indoor environments and incorporates the Leyard DriveSense technology.

The Leyard DirectLight 0.7 millimeter display is, so far, the industry’s smallest pixel pitch LED video wall display, providing high resolution images at the closest viewing distance. The Leyard DirectLight 0.7 allows for 4K and 8K resolution video walls in smaller spaces, matching the pixel density seen in traditional control room video walls but with a completely seamless and uniform image. And with the addition of a 2.5 millimeter model, customers now have a wide range of options from which to build high resolution LED video walls tailored to the resolution requirements of almost any indoor environment.

More information about DirectLight is here.

“We are opening E4 D.C. with a new keynote address from industry consultant Gary Kayye who will provide an unbiased look at AV over IP, then the tour ends with a dynamic presentation from former NFL MVP quarterback and Super Bowl champion Joe Theismann who will share a game plan for success by drawing parallels between winning in football and in business,” explained Craigmyle. “In addition, one of the main reasons attendees come to E4 is to see the new products our exhibitors are demonstrating. This year we are bringing the largest assortment of new AV equipment we’ve ever had on the tour.”

The full lineup of business and technical sessions, many of which are worth AVIXA CTS Renewal Units (RUs), follow. Complete details can be found here:

• Keynote: An Unbiased Explanation of AV-over-IP (1.5 CTS RUs)
• Endnote: The Game Plan for Success
• HDBaseT Certification (1.5 CTS RUs)
• Behind-the-4K-Screen: A Backstage Tour
• OLED THE Curve of the Future (1.0 CTS RU)
• Conducting a Needs Analysis (1.0 CTS RU)
• Who is AVIXA?
• The Future of Digital Signage in Smart Connected Cities (1.0 CTS RU)
• Kayye’s Krystal Ball (1.0 CTS RU)
• The Silent AV Project Killer: Identifying Team Dysfunction and Pathways to a Cure (1.0 CTS RU)
• Digital Signage Design Principles (1.0 CTS RU)
• Experience Workshop: Introduction to Interactive Digital Signage (.5 CTS RU)
• Experience Workshop: A Revolution in Control System Programming (.5 CTS RU)
• Samsung Showcase: An exclusive interactive demo room that features a creative mix of indoor and outdoor displays

Some of the newest highlighted products on the E4 Washington, D.C. tour include:

• Introduced this Month. ATEN VE8950 Video over IP Transmitter delivers visually lossless 4K AV signals with low latency over long distance via a local network of standard Gigabit network switch
• Official Launch at E4 D.C. Barco F80 Projector, a fixed installation projector for museums, boardrooms and auditoriums with 3D capability that makes it great for dark theme park rides and interactive experiences
• Hands-On Exhibit Barco UniSee Platform, a redesigned LCD video wall that consists of UniSee View, UniSee Mount and UniSee Connect, which come together and provide a new way to look at large screen visualizationarco
• Launched at ISE Biamp next-generation Devio® collaboration platform with Beamtracking™ microphones
• Shown first at E4 D.C. NEC dvLED L012i display, with a resolution of 1860×1116 and a display face that is about the same as a 2×2 55-inch videowall.
• Official Launch at E4 D.C. NEC V754Q: Part of the new V Series UHD lineup with products in the 65-, 75-, 86- and 98-inch space and the same 24/7 run rate
• Special Bundle Peerless all-in-one kiosk with BrightSign player and Almo Content. The built-in digital signage module delivers flawless full HD 1080p60 single video decoding, HTML support, networked content playback and more
• Launched at ISE Vaddio DocCAM 20 HDBT In-Ceiling Document Camera for higher ed classrooms, board rooms or anywhere a razor-sharp overhead view is a must, and RoboSHOT IW HDBT Recessed PTZ Camera, an in-wall, recessed HD camera with integrated pan/tilt/zoom capabilities

Also NEW to the E4 AV Tour:

• Canon REALiS WUX7000Z laser projector combines long-lasting performance, high brightness along with a wide range of interchangeable lens options and advanced features in a compact design for higher education, corporate, marketing, HoW, training, museums and more
• Epson Pro L L1505UNL/L1755UNL large-venue 15K laser projectors combine laser light and 3LCD technology for powerful images that are ideal for events staging, auditoriums and sanctuaries
• LG 55EJ5D OLED wallpaper, razor-thin, lightweight displays with superior picture quality create an extraordinary customer experience
• LG 88-inch ultra-stretch 88BH7D display measures over seven feet long and two feet wide for a variety of installations from a stand-alone display to a video wall in landscape or portrait with touch screen for interactive functions
• NEC social wall with direct view LED video wall is designed for vibrant and colorful content visualization for auditoriums, reception areas, retail stores and more. It is being used to showcase the networking and socialization posts from exhibitors and attendees straight from the E4 show floor
• Samsung Flip WM55H, a portable, wheel-based stand for the Samsung Flip digital flipchart that allows a meeting to start anywhere
• Samsung QB65H-TR, a robust, all-in-one e-board that features enhanced touch technology and UHD picture quality
• Samsung and HARMAN Professional huddle space solution Using QMH targeted to small- and medium-sized collaboration spaces
• Sharp PN-L705H 4K AQUOS board interactive touchscreen brings stunning 4K Ultra-HD resolution, reproduces content accurately with incredibly precise color and detail and includes the “Pen-on-Paper” user experience
• Sharp PN-V701, a 70-inch LCD display can be used to create impressive video walls with fewer displays and less bezel interruption to complement any commercial or public space
• ViewSonic LS800WU, a new WUXGA standard throw laser phosphor projector with 5500 lumens and built-in HDBaseT receiver
• Zebrix Advanced Cloud Services and CMS software powered by Samsung SOC Tizen displays

Since 2009, the E4 program has offered AV professionals a full day of educational sessions worth AVIXA CTS Renewal Units (RUs) as well as exclusive access to the industry’s newest AV products and services. For more information, go here. E4 Washington, D.C. is on March 6 at the Sheraton Tysons Hotel from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Register for E4 D.C. here.

Both the transmitter and receiver only need a single cable for both the signal and the power. PT-871/872 also boast Kramer Intelligent EDID Processing ensuring plug and play operation for the HDMI source and display systems with no need for additional configuration. Status LED indicators for HDMI and DGKat 2.0 ports facilitate easy local maintenance and troubleshooting. The pair is highly durable as the devices’ temperature remains low to withstand extreme weather conditions.

More detailed specs are here.

With a welcoming address by NEC Display’s Richard Ventura, 2018 Chairman of the DSF, the Digital Out-of- Home Strategy Summit will feature:

• Opening Keynote entitled, “The Importance of Measurement for DOOH,” to be presented by Kym Frank, president of Geopath, who will discuss the DOOH measurement ecosystem, including the strengths and weaknesses of available datasources and methodologies.
• Panel: The Future Trends that Will Impact DOOH in Terms of New Technologies, Regulations, Opportunities and Strategies, to be moderated by DSF Board member David Haynes, panelists will include Christie Rice, marketing manager of digital signage for Intel and Dina Townsend, vice president and retail practice leader of RMG Networks, Manolo Almagro, managing partner of Q Division and Stephen Freitas, chief marketing officer for Outdoor Advertising Association of America.
• Panel: What Defines a Smart City and How is Technology Being Deployed Throughout Them, to be moderated by Paul Fleuranges, director of corporate initiatives for the New York Transit Authority, panelists will include George Burciaga, managing director of global government development & innovation for CIVIQ Smartscapes, Jeff Frazier, chief strategy officer, Smart City Media and Romulus Stoian, senior manager, DOOH Marketing Solution Leader for Samsung SDS America.
• Panel: Blending of DOOH with Mobile and Its Impact on the Market, to be moderated by Chris Lydle, Global Lead, Digital Signage and Kisosk for Google, panelists will include Doug Pittman, founder and CEO for BoardActive, Ian Dallimore, director of digital innovation and sales strategy for Lamar Advertising, Chuck Billups, senior vice president of brand advertising and retail partnerships for PRN — a STRATACACHE company and Mikhail Damiani, CEO of Blue Bite.
• Lunch and Learn: Just Because We Can, Should We? How Safe is the Data and Our Privacy?, to be moderated by Laura Davis-Taylor, co-founder of the High Street Collective, panelists will include Kym Frank, president of Geopath, Jeffrey Martin, president and CEO of Right Media Solutions and Gerardo Garcia Stackpoole, founder and CEO of Wunder.
• Federation of Internet Alerts — Today, FIA uses Internet advertising to display official child abduction alerts and tornado warnings across devices throughout the United States to those in the alerting area. FIA can extend its online distribution of life-critical alerts to help authorities reach people in the alerting area through improved availability and use of Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) for imminent threat alerts all over the world. This will be presented by Jason Bier, president of Federation for Internet Alerts.
• Discussion on Trends Within the DOOH Community, to be moderated by Sheldon Silverman, CEO and founder of SmartBomb Media Group, the panel will include Susan Danaher, founder & CEO of the Danaher Group, Chris Ferranti, senior vice president, managing director, U.S. of Rapport Worldwide and Travis Macionsky, vice president and director OOH for Horizon Media.
• A 360 View of a DOOH Solution, to be moderated by Stephanie Gutnik, vice president of business development for Broadsign, the panel will include speakers from TINT, Esprit Digital, Quividi and the end user.
• Panel: Generating Revenue with Programmatic Buying, to be moderated by Philip M. Cohen, president and CEO of CMN Holdings, panelists will include Eric Lamb, director of publisher solutions for Vistar Media, Dan Levi, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for ClearChannel Outdoor, Stephanie Gutnik, vice president of business development for Broadsign and Ian Mirmelstein, senior vice president of digital innovation for Adspace Networks.
• Panel: Insights into Trends, Issues, Challenges and Opportunities Throughout the World — Moderated by Mark Boidman, managing director of media and technology investment banking for Peter J. Solomon Company, panelists to include Jose Avalos, IOTG vice president and global director of visual retail and digital signage for Intel Corporation Mark FLys, general secretary of FEPE International, Joe Copley, director of partnerships for Seedooh and Kevin Romano, executive vice president of Global Media for Christie Digital Systems.

DSE 2018 is scheduled for March 27-30, 2018, with access to the Exhibit Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas. To register, go here.

The Wall Professional builds upon its consumer counterpart with the integration of Samsung’s MagicInfo content management platform. Within MagicInfo, users can create, schedule and deploy content across a single Wall Professional display or Wall Professional display network from any location. The platform also provides complete display performance visibility for immediate error detection and troubleshooting.

In addition, Samsung’s cinema team showed a new display technology claiming to be the world’s first 3D Cinema LED screen. This enhanced display maintains consistent brightness to deliver subtitle text, images and even minor visual details with unprecedented accuracy, even while viewers wear 3D glasses. Unlike standard 3D cinemas with more limited visual reach, the Samsung 3D Cinema LED screen delivers these quality-enhancing benefits throughout the entire theater, ensuring that all movie-goers enjoy the same immersive viewing experience.

Also at ISE, Samsung’s new versions of their QM Series (450nit brightness) and QB Series (350nit brightness) UHD 4K (3840×2160) displays — all integrated with their Optimal Color Mode.

On the standard LED front, Samsung’s fine pixel-pitch IF-D Series LED Signage with HDR picture and Scene Adaptive HDR technology was on display in both concave and convex formats.

Samsung also used ISE to formally introduce its Samsung Flip interactive digital flip chart (WM55H) to the European market at ISE 2018.

Samsung Commercial is here.

The TL-FO-USB3-02 extends USB 3.1, 2.0 and 1.1 devices simultaneously up to 200 meters (650 feet) over duplex multimode fiber. Swappable SFP fiber modules allow integration with single mode fiber for longer distance applications.

Additionally, an integrated Ethernet channel provides 100Mbps of LAN pass-through from the transmitter to the receiver. For added versatility, the receiver also features four USB type A ports allowing four separate USB devices to be simultaneously connected. Each port receives 1.2A (6W) of power over USB.

TechLogix debuted the TL-FO-USB3-02 at ISE. More information is here.

Dante enables audio system scalability over a local area network using standard Internet protocols. The family of Dante-enabled products from Extron work together as part of a complete networked audio system solution and integrate with other Dante-enabled products to create scalable system designs.

All the specs on the AXI 02 are here.

Wall Designer works to provide what the company says is an easy and intuitive visual interface for the Fx4, Fx4-SDI and Hx4 multi-screen display wall controllers offering an advanced video wall design and Implementation suite. It enables users to place projects across a virtual canvas. Adjusting the input resolution ensures the project matches the content, with Wall Designer automatically arranging the capture regions or adjusting each region to suit.

Wall Designer takes the stress out of configuring hardware for a project by automatically adding one of Datapath’s award winning range of multi-display controllers, projects and assigning each output to a monitor. Re-drawing screen assignments to suit the project's needs and help installation builds. Connecting a number of wall controllers to your Mac and Wall Designer will allow users to assign the wall controller to monitor and program them. Full monitor EDID management is available for timing adjustments.

One of the benefits of the Wall Designer software is the information it provides to enable easy configuration. Information such as screen dimensions — in pixels and millimetres, bezel sizes and refresh rates are all included. The ability to choose from a list of previously used monitors as well as adding other monitors and even bespoke RGB LED configurations has created software which makes display wall configuration and implementation a joy, rather than a chore.

A unique feature of Wall Designer is its user-driven monitor database. The range of monitors in the application’s database has grown to cover an enormous and constantly growing number of unique devices, as users have added their own monitors and submitted these back to Datapath for inclusion.

Wall Designer for the MacOS is available now as a free download from the Datapath website for Apple desktops and laptop computers running MacOS version 10.12, High Sierra and above. Further details can be found here.

“Large, innovative digital display installations excite customers and provide new revenue streams for retail location owners,” Rubie said. “With NanoLumens’ lightweight and easy-to-install LED displays, we can mount them virtually anywhere a client wants. Our two latest installations at QICGRE’s Canberra Centre and Westpoint Shopping Centre show exactly how versatile the technology is, with each double-sided vertical display hanging from the ceiling without any additional infrastructure support. These installations would simply not be possible with any other display technology.”

The display at Canberra Centre, measuring 11’ by 19’ and weighing 2,100 pounds, and the display at Westpoint Shopping Centre, measuring 9’ by 16’ and weighing 1,540 pounds, provide incredibly bright, large, crisp imagery with their 4mm pixel pitch designs. Freed from the constraints of heavy, unwieldy multi-panel video walls, DPS was able to suspend the NanoLumens displays from each location’s glass atrium high above shoppers, requiring no major construction or support infrastructure.

“We are thrilled with Digital Place Solutions’ installation of the NanoLumens displays,” said QICGRE’s Head of Commercial Dennis Michael. “The vibrant, oversized double-sided displays are a new point of interest for shoppers that allow us to utilize space that previously was impossible to monetize. Think about it: with DPS able to hang huge NanoLumens displays above busy foot traffic corridors, we are basically creating marketing solutions for retailers and brands out of thin air. Additionally, the DPS team was exemplary in their conduct and professionalism, and worked closely with our mall operations team to deliver an outstanding product without impacting the mall’s day-to-day operations. We would be delighted to work with Digital Place Solutions on further deployments.“

“As the principal contractor overseeing all of these projects, Digital Place Solutions is proud to have delivered them all on time and on budget,“ DPS Director Gerry Thorley added. “Our team has the expertise to deploy displays without bulky cables or any adding any additional structure to the mall.  The result is a super thin display that appears to float in the space and enhances the environment that mall owners are delivering to consumers. Digital Place Solutions understands the operating requirements of retail space and despite complicated access and installation environments we were able to seamlessly deploy these magnificent displays in just a few shifts.”

Lastly, QICGRE required a certain level of performance guarantee, which NanoLumens delivered with its unrivaled six-year, down-to-the-pixel warranty. Between the warranty and the innovative Nixel-based design, by which the display is comprised of small individual LED panels that snap together seamlessly, any future repairs can be done quickly without impacting the mall’s operation.

“Working with NanoLumens display technology has allowed us to deliver 100 percent satisfaction to retail mall owners through unique, eye-popping installations,” Thorley added. “Whether used to create revenue with advertising or provide information and announcements, the displays demand the attention of every shopper. It’s a great feeling to be able to listen to what our clients want, no matter how bold, and tell them ‘yes, we can do that.’  With NanoLumens, we can.”

Commenting on the installations and the success of the relationship with both DPS and QICGRE, NanoLumens Vice President of Sales East-US and International Almir DeCarvalho stressed the values shared by each partner. “A transformative business outcome can only result from a team that is committed to excellence in every phase of the project,” he said. “NanoLumens provides one very important component of the successful relationship — world class LED-based visualization solutions in any size, shape or curvature a client desires — but it is still only one piece of the equation. It requires the vision of the customer, QICGRE, and the commitment to excellence by our installation partner, DPS, to bring it all to life in a way that generates a more complete customer engagement solution. We look forward to many more projects with DPS and QICGRE!”