The Changing Face of Digital Signage
By Linda Seid Frembes
rAVe Columnist  Facial recognition technology or, more benignly, audience measurement technology is a rising trend in the digital signage industry. Ad agencies and content producers – in search of quantitative return on investment and return on objective numbers – embrace it. However, facial recognition seems to evoke comparisons to the movie “Minority Report” or to the notion that Big Brother is watching and collecting information on everyone, and induces fears about consumer privacy.
In a sense, it’s a valid fear. Audience measurement provides data on age, gender, the amount of time the person looked at the display (i.e., dwell and attention time), and the total number of viewers. But no other information is collected (like your name, for example) thus making the data anonymous. In fact, it’s more likely that the information you’ve given to Google (chat histories, emails, searches, etc.) endanger your privacy more than a digital signage display.
 “We’re in the early stages of facial recognition technology,” says David Weinfeld, principle at digital signage research firm The Preset Group. “There are still smaller players who are fighting for market share.” Three audience measurement companies have garnered the most attention recently: CognoVision, TruMedia, and Quividi.
Weinfeld says that the technology is getting a major boost by recognizable entities like Intel, who launched their own digital signage solution in January 2010 and quickly added audience measurement capabilities soon after. He doesn’t think 2010 is the tipping point for facial recognition technology to take hold in every digital signage deployment, but the momentum is strong enough that widespread adoption isn’t far into the future.
So what is holding it back? Cost, privacy issues, accuracy of the technology, and the lack of a standardized way to present the collected data are a few reasons. “Regarding accuracy, the technology is getting better about exact demographics, but it still has a ways to go,” says Weinfeld.”There’s also the factor that sometimes it is added to a system as an afterthought rather than as a long-term engagement strategy.”
 Weinfeld sees the possibilities of using the collected data to dynamically update create based on dwell times, or to try different versions of an ad campaign and see what resonates with what demographic. “Ultimately, it’s about delivering a better experience, a more enriching experience, for the consumer,” he says.
To help educate consumers (and perhaps quell the fear of Big Brother), there have been efforts to provide privacy recommendations and best practices for the digital signage industry. The Center for Democracy & Technology recently released a set of recommendations that looks at the industry’s adoption of technologies like facial recognition, mobile marketing, social networking, radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking and license plate scanners.
In addition, the Point of Purchase Advertising International (POPAI) trade group also released the industry’s first “code of conduct” for the use of consumer tracking research data for the digital signage industry. In the announcement, Bill Gerba, POPAI Digital Group advocacy chair and CEO of WireSpring Technologies says: “As digital out-of-home (DOOH) media continues to trend towards greater identification and surveillance capability, it is important that our industry regulate itself. As we continue to cultivate DOOH media to recognize and uniquely identify individual consumers, our industry is treading a delicate line with regards to consumer privacy. These guidelines serve everybody’s best interests, including the consumer’s, by establishing credible and transparent standards before the problem manifests.”
Weinfeld applauds the efforts of POPAI and says that the digital signage industry must respect the role that consumers play in the digital signage ecosystem. “It’s about educating consumers and being transparent on what data is collected and how it’s used,” he adds.
 So while facial recognition technology is still a small part of the market, expect that more and more digital signage deployments will use it in the future. Coupled with location-based services like FourSquare and RFID, we’ve only seen the tip of the targeted advertising iceberg.
Linda Seid Frembes is a rAVe columnist who covers AV technology, installs, market trends and industry news. Linda has worked with high profile AV manufacturers, trade organization, systems integrators, rep firms and dealer/distributors in the industry including John Lyons Systems, Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW), Northern Sound & Light (NSL), and InfoComm International, among others. Reach her at linda@ravepubs.com
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Scala Acquires SignChannel from Thinking Screen Media  Digital signage software company Scala has purchased the SignChannel division of Thinking Scren Media. SignChannel is an advertising-free, subscription-based service that lets subscribers supplement their content with useful commercial content such as weather, stock information, news, or sports updates.
Scala says adding SignChannel to their portfolio of services makes it easier for small businesses to set up affordable, do-it-yourself DS networks. Since SignChannel provides content ad-free, it allows the businesses to sell their own ads without interference or competition.
To learn more about SignChannel, go to http://www.signchannel.com
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Primeview Launches Open-Frame LCD for Integrating into DS Kiosks  Dubbed the PRV46OPFDID, Primeview’s latest customizable LCD monitor is a 46” 1080p native HD monitor that’s rated at 700 nits brightness (although, it’s likely a bit less than that) and includes RS232 as well as network control options. It’s designed as an OEM monitor frame that can be integrated into custom KIOSK designs for both high and low volume opportunities for integrators.
It’s certainly not the quality of NEC, Sony or Samsung, but it’s an interesting customizable option. You can see all the specs at: http://primeview.biz/Product.aspx?id=136
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Minicom Spins off DS Division with $6 Million Investment  Minicom has spun-off its DS division into a separate company — called MDS for Minicom Digital Signage — and says they have raised $6 million to finance its operations independently. The investment, which was led by Jerusalem Venture Partners and joined by Aviv Ventures, will supposedly be used to broaden its platform from its new offices in Jerusalem’s JVP Media Quarter.
MDS claims its technology is currently deployed on over 400,000 screens worldwide, and facilitates the distribution of content to consumers in retail, education, finance, transportation, and hospitality environments. In addition to the company’s headquarters in Israel, MDS has offices in the UK, Switzerland, and the U.S. in order to meet the localized needs of its customers.
If you want more information on Minicom Digital Signage, go to: http://www.minicomdigitalsignage.com/
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Little-Known CyberResearch Develops Sunlight-Readable Display  CyberResearch is announcing the CyberResearch CyRAQ 1000, what they say is a sunlight-readable outdoor digital displays with portrait, landscape, and wall-mount options. Specified at 1080p native, the LCD displays include a series of 23", 32", and 40" pylon-mounted digital signage displays that the company says are built for use in all-weather outdoor video or digital signage applications.
The CyRAQ 1000 LCDs use AR-Bonding to reduce excessive light reflections when used in sunlight and increase contrast ratio. Apparently AR-Bonding also provides extra mechanical support to the LCD and eliminates the problem of air-gap glass fogging from condensation.
You can see all the specs at: http://www.cyberresearch.com/store/product/monitor-size-display/industrial-monitors-lcd-flat-panel-displays/lcd-monitors-displays-keyboards-kvm-switches/20-21-22-24-inch-monitors-displays-and-larger/CyRAQ_1040SC_1080p_Monitor_9777.2.htm
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NEC Adds New S-Series to LCD Monitor Line-up  This month NEC Display announced its new S Series, featuring the addition of the 40-inch S401 and 46-inch S461 LCD displays. Replacing the renowned M Series, the S Series is ideal for those customers with digital signage and entertainment applications running for extended operation times. These types of environments can include airports, hospitality, boardrooms and public areas.
The 1080p native displays offer a variety of new features compared to previous generation models, including DisplayPort and Ethernet connectivity and an ambient light sensor for automatically setting brightness based on existing lighting conditions. The displays spec a contrast ratio of 4000:1, an increase from its predecessors, while maintaining the same level of power consumption, according to NEC. The S401 and S461 have the ability to be tiled in a video wall matrix up to 10×10 (100 displays), which is an improvement from the previous 5×5 capability of the M Series. Brightness is spec’d at 250 cd/m2 and the S401 and S461 will be available for April 2010 shipment listing at $1,399.99 and $1,799.99, respectively.
You can see all the specs at: http://www.necdisplay.com/Products/Series/?series=653ca4d2-9a8e-4e04-a614-b9c94ddd8c19
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Sony's Latest 40" LCD Touts Low Power Consumption  Dubbed the FWDS42E1, Sony’s newest 42” LCD panel is a native 1920×1080 resolution display that’s designed for 24/7/365 operation in both portrait and landscape mounting configurations. At a list price of $1950, it claims to be one of the lowest power consumption LCDs on the market at 98 watts typical (hmmm…) operation and 0.5-watts in standby.
You can see all the specs at: http://b2b.sony.com/Solutions/product/FWDS42E1
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Extron Steps Into DS High-End Media Player Market  Earlier this month, Extron introduced a line of HD and 2K Video Players for single and multi-channel applications including digital signage. The MMP 9500 is an HD MPEG video player that supports ATSC-compliant formats for single or multi-site digital signage applications. The JMP 9600 Two-Channel JPEG2000 Players are ideal for entertainment applications.
The MMP 9500 is a player that supports ATSC-compliant formats, HDV, and MPEG-2 in resolutions of 1920x1080i, 1280x720p, and 720×576/480p. Utilizing a 10/100 Base T Ethernet network infrastructure, the MMP 9500 is an intelligent device in that can live anywhere on the network and it can be triggered to play out HD video as part of an elaborate multimedia show and even operates in sync with lighting, music, and environmental effects.
Two models of JMP 9600 Video Players, the JMP 9600 HD and JMP 9600 2K, can be used to provide 2D, 3D, and stereoscopic playback of JPEG2000 format files at up to 250Mbps. JPEG2000 compression is the superior choice for high resolution image playback. 4:4:4 color sampling and 12-bit color depth provide better granularity and less contouring.
The two players aren’t on Extron’s website yet, but you can see their press release here: http://www.extron.com/company/article.aspx?id=jmp9600pr
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InfoComm Ups the Digital Signage Ante  InfoComm International has been putting out programs on digital signage for more than five years, but this year they are ramping up to match the swell in market interest. In fact, InfoComm 2010 event (June 9-11 at the Las Vegas Convention Center) will feature what they are calling the world's largest Digital Signage exhibition. The show will include a Digital Signage Pavilion, with exhibits showcasing displays, mounts, and networking and software solutions.
InfoComm 2010's Digital Signage Application Showcase, now in its 4th year, will feature digital signage in fully integrated environments.
Beyond the show floor, InfoComm 2010 will feature a full array of digital signage training. Plus, InfoComm has also partnered with the Strategy Institute to offer a two-day Digital Signage Technology Summit June 7-8. To sign up, go to: http://www.infocommshow.org
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Air Canada Uses DS for Giant Employee Communications Vehicle  Based in Montreal, Air Canada is the country’s flag carrier providing scheduled and charter air transportation for over 34 million customers annually with a fleet of more than 340 aircraft serving 170 destinations across five continents. With mobile employees scattered around the world and at 36,000 feet, delivering up-to-date information can be a real challenge. Air Canada tackled this issue with the development of a cutting-edge digital signage network channel dubbed globe TV, which was designed to improve the airline’s employee communications and the quality and consistency of its customer service. Globe TV has been deployed to nine crew center locations in Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, and Calgary.
The Goal
 The inspiration for globe TV came in 2006, a time in which Air Canada’s In-Flight Service Delivery department was publishing more than 130 paper bulletins pertaining to on-board products, services and procedures. At least double that number was being issued when communications from all other departments within the In-Flight Service division were taken into account. Members of the cabin crew were inundated with paper, which meant that there was greater potential for important information to be overlooked.
How'd The Do It?
 Globe TV uses X2O’s Xpresenter digital signage platform to develop and air content on a DS network located in the airline’s In-Flight Service Crew Centers as well as In-Flight Service Training Centers. The network-based DS system allows Air Canada’s staff to quickly and easily update the network with promotional videos, airline news, and information regarding products, policies, and procedures. The airline can upload new content for each specific location, making local displays especially relevant to their corresponding crew base. Xpresenter’s “smart templates” update automatically from data feeds with timely content such as pre-flight information, on-time performance metrics, and weather maps, all continually updated without any additional work from Air Canada’s staff.
To measure globe TV’s effectiveness, Air Canada recently distributed an online survey to more than 6,500 employees, in order to gain specific information regarding their use of the system and their thoughts on how to move forward. Through the detailed survey, the airline was able to get feedback directly from its audience and identify opportunities for improvement. Originally, the main screen on the displays provided system-wide news highlights from various existing internal sources, a local news section, and a number of key indices, including on-time performance and customer service index targets and results. Flight information provided at-a-glance gate and departure information for Air Canada and Jazz flights. A crawling ticker scrolled along the bottom of the screen and displayed “flash” messages that were also printed on the pre-flight cabin crew information manifest.
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So, that's rAVe DS [Digital Signage] for this month! Remember, we are here to HELP the AV market penetrate the DS market. Only 12 percent of the DS market is integrated by AV companies. The other 88 percent is IT-based. Now, there are AV publications and even an association that would like to draw those IT people in to AV (it would increase readers, right? – and more readers means they can charge more for ads). That is NOT what we are doing. rAVe DS is specifically designed to pull AV into the DS market and teach AV companies how to take business away from the currently dominated by IT market.
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