Concerns over overcrowding prompted the decision, after the 15 x 4 metre DOOH LED display was installed in January in place of passenger information boards which moved inside the concourse. The LED display, 15m by 4m, was installed in January and operated by JCDecaux.
Excerpt – Haigh took aim at the station’s operations after London TravelWatch called for a review “as a matter of urgency”, following complaints of “dangerous” overcrowding at the station, posing questions as to the use of the advertising screens, especially during periods of delays or high footfall. The government has ordered a review of “passenger information provision and circulation, including a shutdown and review of the use of overhead advertising boards”.
On behalf of my client Praevar, please find the attached press release and corresponding images announcing their partnership with BrightSign.
Key features of the Tile Replacement Product Matrix include:
Praevar partners with BrightSign to integrate BrightSign’s Built-In System-on-a-Chip (SoC) solution into Praevar’s outdoor and semi-outdoor displays, expanding their capabilities.
The collaboration addresses customer demand for a plug-and-play digital signage solution, catering to smaller businesses and venues without extensive digital signage experience.
Praevar’s high-brightness Placard and Podium series displays will transform into all-in-one solutions with built-in media playback, storage, and management, allowing retailers to extend marketing reach beyond traditional spaces.
The displays feature 4K resolution, high-end P-Cap touch, up to 3,000 nits brightness, direct air cooling, impact-resistant glass, and IP56 weather protection.
The integrated solution provides an easy-to-learn, secure platform for retailers to drive sales and improve customer engagement, both indoors and outdoors.
Powered by BrightSignOS™, known for its reliability, stellar video quality, and security, the solution brings BrightSign’s trusted technology to Praevar’s commercial-grade displays.
Praevar’s social media handles are:
X: @Praevar
Instagram: @Praevar
LinkedIn: @Praevar
Facebook: @Praevar
Praevar Partners with BrightSign to Embed Powerful Digital Signage Technology Inside Outdoor-rated Displays
The New Partnership Pairs the BrightSign Built-In Solution with Praevar’s Key Outdoor and Semi-Outdoor Wall and Totem Displays
Ontario, Canada – September 9, 2024 – Praevar, a manufacturer of intelligent outdoor displays and kiosks, today announced a partnership with BrightSign, the provider of the most advanced, capable, and trusted digital media players and operating system. The collaboration will put BrightSign’s powerful technology inside outdoor and semi-outdoor digital signage and digital out-of-home (OOH) displays. This solution is a direct response to customer demand for a flexible, turnkey option to support smaller businesses and venues. Since 2016, Praevar has designed and manufactured ultra-reliable indoor and outdoor displays for many of the world’s top OOH media companies. Now, Praevar has reached an exciting milestone. The company will combine its commercial-grade displays with the power of BrightSign’s System-on-a-Chip (SoC) solution, BrightSign Built-In. This will transform Praevar’s high-brightness Placard and Podium series displays into all-in-one visual
messaging and marketing solutions that users can easily deploy and manage.
“Many smaller retail operators order large displays in enclosures for store advertising, but when they unbox and power them on, the screen shows a technical message about the operating system. Without digital signage experience, these retailers don’t know what to do next,” said Ralph Idems, CEO of Toronto-based Praevar Corporation. “Our collaboration with BrightSign solves this challenge by giving them a ready-to-go solution that’s easy to learn and operate. Powered by BrightSignOS™, the solution is reliable and secure, providing a dependable platform to drive sales traffic and improve shopper experiences.”
The solution meets the growing demand for smart commercial displays with built-in media playback, storage, and management capabilities. It also empowers retailers to extend marketing reach outside the physical limits of brick-and-mortar stores to windowfronts, sidewalks, concourses, and plazas of retail and mixed-use environments. BrightSign’s SoC solution integrates into small- and large-format displays. It offers the stellar video quality and signage power that characterize the company’s signature purple standalone media players.
“Demand for our BrightSign Built-In platform is strong, which is a testament to industries looking for more reliable, secure ways to display important content,” said Misty Chalk, Vice
PRESS RELEASE
2
President, Sales (Americas) at BrightSign. “Like our partners at Praevar, we see a growing need for larger, flexible screens with integrated digital signage capabilities that empower retailers to give consumers the information they need, whether indoors or outdoors.” Praevar’s BrightSign integration extends to wall or floor-mounted Placard units and free-standing Podium display totems up to 75 inches, with brightness ratings as high as 3,000 nits, 4K resolution and support for high-end P-Cap touch. The units are direct air-cooled, come with impact resistant glass faces, and are IP56 rated for weather protection.
Learn more about Praever and their BrightSign Built-In products here: https://www.praevar.com/products/brightsign-built-in/
About Praevar
Praevar Corporation, based in the greater Toronto area, produces the smartest media displays and kiosks, combining engineering innovation with decades of deployment experience. Praevar displays are designed to deliver perfect images and video for partners, even in challenging environments, while being energy-efficient and easy to maintain and service. Its products are installed and reliably operating around the globe – in use by top media owners, shopping malls, retailers and transit authorities. Praevar was launched in 2016, but its founders have been technology leaders and innovators in reliable outdoor- ready displays since 2001. For more information, visit praevar.com
About BrightSign
BrightSign LLC, the global market leader in digital signage media players, is headquartered in San Jose, California, with offices in Europe and Asia. BrightSign manufactures media players and provides free software and networking solutions for the commercial digital signage market worldwide, serving all vertical segments of the digital signage marketplace. From entry-level BrightSign LS players to BrightSign XC players offering state-of-the-art technology and unsurpassed performance, BrightSign’s products are known for their signature reliability, affordability, ease-of-use and market-leading technology. For more information, visit BrightSign.
##
Media Contact
Brandy Alvarado-Miranda
BAM Marketing & PR Agency [email protected]
Transparent Displays: Data Modul is marketing transparent screens developed by Japan Display Inc. for real-time visual translation
Applications: These displays can be used in places like ticket counters, government offices, and healthcare settings to facilitate communication between people who speak different languages.
Specifications: The displays come in 12 and 21-inch versions with resolutions of 1440×540 and 1280×720 pixels, and transparency levels of 84% and 90%, respectively
Use Cases: Ideal for busy spots like mass transport hubs, amusement parks, and hospitals where language barriers are common.
The new Data Modul displays, developed by Japan Display Inc., can enable things like real-time visual translation. The idea is that for processing applications for things like passports and visas, or getting directions to train platforms, the interchange can be handled on both sides of the counter in a preferred language – with the selected language appearing simultaneously on both sides of the transparent display.
The TFT LCD displays have 12 and 21-inch versions. The resolution is 1440×540 pixels for the smaller model and 1280×720 pixels for the larger one, with transparency levels of 84% and 90% respectively.
Digital Signage EKAA Review Outdoor Displays and Wall Mounts
Shirley EKAA
We’ve been speaking with Pearl, Shirley and Lyla at EKAA recently on several topics and I have been totally impressed with their products and their customer base.
The newest product being produced is outdoor 43. In short — The 43-inch outdoor is: 43-inch LG high-temperature screen 2680 US dollars, IP67 maintenance-free playback box (Android): 458 US dollars, floor stand: 450 US dollars, total: 3188 US dollars
Recent Post
We always track outdoor deployments and along a very sunny, salty and sandy beach it presents a challenge. There are many factors in high bright deployment with nits or brightness just one. A big one though… Ventilation and protective issues must be considered. Placement can be problematic and there are overhead ceilings you can attach to protect somewhat. In the old Redbox iteration, they used fabric mats that covered the screen.
It’s useful to see what is produced in China. Buying from China for US projects comes with its own set of considerations. Tariffs are big one. Service might be the bigger one.
Nice note by Shirley on Linkedin. We know her (very helpful) and the EKAA and they are one of the leaders.
While observing some outdoor advertising machines, I noticed several issues under direct sunlight: The screens appear dim, making the displayed advertisements worthless as consumers can’t see the content. This situation results in zero value for advertisers and the merchants who invested in these ads. Where’s the value in purchasing such advertising machines?
You’ve seen many of the large-format touchscreen Wayfinding directory solutions mounted on walls. You are finding your way to a transit station, airport, or maybe an outdoor shopping center. Several members provide award-winning hardware and software for those situations (see resources below). Outdoors can get a bit problematic.
[quick shortcut past all the commentary – visit EKAA.net for ultra slim. Talk to Pearl]
But many times, digital signage or interactive digital media escapes the scrutiny of accessibility. You will mostly hear about physical reach on kiosks, or you might hear about WCAG on websites. POS has its own non-definition despite the definition. We wish they were more important than people like to say. We wish they were enforced more.
On a visit to Colombia (Republic of), I drove from the airport. The people told me it was a 10-lane highway. Sure enough, it was. But (you knew that was coming). The problem was that the highways there had no lanes marked. Imagine that. Total chaos in every direction. Small details were left out for me.
Digital signage or interactive digital (PLEASE do not say interactive digital signage) has parameters for accessibility. Smart city terminals do (not everybody has a mobile). Digging through all the regulations can be exhausting, so we sliced and diced the specific “Wallmount ADA” help article. The critical metric is 4″ from the wall, not to be exceeded. (101.6 mm for those who prefer metric). Otherwise, I think people in wheelchairs or blind people with canes or dogs will hit it at some point.
We decided to find one.
Having over 42 years under my belt in product procurement with connections worldwide and 10,000 connections on Linkedin, it seemed like a reasonable endeavor and one with a high probability of success. “Hey X, I need a 32 or 55-inch display or touchscreen for use on a wall. 4″ is the main limitation. I’ll pay for paper thin.” Seemed like a reasonable request.
Silence
After a while, I had some of my Chinese companies offer to make one, or maybe they had one. A couple had ones that were pretty slim, but after mounting, they would exceed 4″.
A couple of companies said they could, but upon request, they were silent.
It took a couple of weeks, but finally, my APAC group came through for me. Pearl at EKAA told me about a new product they just released. As mounted easily under 101mm. As mounted is 6.9 cm (without wall mount 57mm).
4000 of them shipped already (which is proof there are real). KFC I think and some other non-disclosed. The 32 and 55 pdf’s are down below.
A few days later a second iteration released and this time 51 mm. Wow
The usual questions for me are:
who do you use for glass
how long is warranty
can i get it with or without touchscreen
which touchscreen controller are you using (PCAP and IR)
Estimate shipping cost to LA — boat and plane
Regulatory approvals are mandatory
The glass is easy and it is almost always the same: The reply is always “BOE, LG, or AUO. We can do Samsung too.”.
Outdoor LCD by EKAA
Everybody knows Pearl at EKAA
In the drive-thru project of the restaurant, customers who drive directly into the driveway check the menu on the LCD display and order meals to the employee (or AI) through the intercom system machine. After the outbreak of COVID-19, the advantage of “drive-thru” became particularly prominent. The demand for drive-thru digital menu boards since then has risen rapidly. This service not only saves customers the trouble of getting on and off the car but also saves customers from finding parking spaces and times. It could also reduce the risk of contracting the virus from contact with other customers when customers take meals.
We have realized an outdoor Display with a design that Is ultralight and slim, 4000 nits high brightness, high-temperature resistance, waterproof IP67, and Free maintenance. The new technology we adopted makes the effect displayed on the screen very bright. We have provided this product for many projects, including KFC, street light pole, drive-thru, outdoor gym, and so on. We hope we can support your business.
Outdoor iterations tend to end up in the news much more often than indoor. Proper installation and venting air circulation usually bites them in the butt. Even really nice outdoors like OH55s from Samsung often end up with “big bubbles”. Coates just put in several at the new McDonalds here in Denver and we are monitoring them. I think Vegas is 130F today. And it will get hotter…
In the fast-paced world of retail, staying ahead of the curve is essential for success. As technology continues to reshape how we shop and interact with brands, innovative solutions like digital endcaps have emerged as a potential game-changer in in-store advertising. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the exciting possibilities digital endcaps offer for retailers, exploring their potential to transform the customer experience, boost sales, and pave the way for the future of in-store advertising. Join us as we uncover how this cutting-edge technology reshapes the retail landscape.
What are digital endcaps?
Digital endcaps are dynamic display screens strategically positioned at the end of an aisle or shelf within a grocery store or other retail store, making them a high-traffic focal point for shoppers. Retail end caps enhance the in-store experience by transforming product displays, and creating impactful points of purchase.
Imagine walking through your favorite store, seeing new products down every aisle without going through the congestion, or using a touchscreen to find your everyday essentials.
Unlike their static counterparts, digital endcaps can showcase a wide range of multimedia content, including videos, animations, high-resolution images, and audio. This dynamic nature allows retailers to deliver engaging and visually compelling promotional messages to customers. Additionally, some digital endcaps offer interactive features, enabling customers to interact with content, access product information, and even make purchasing decisions directly from the display. As a result, digital endcaps have become a versatile and effective tool for boosting sales, enhancing the shopping experience, and capturing the attention of today’s tech-savvy consumers.
Why make the switch to digital?
According to an article by the Harvard Business Review, the past few years have inundated shoppers with uncertain and chaotic external forces, impacting what people value and what products are essential to them. In fact, “in an Accenture survey of 25,000 global consumers, released in July 2022, 60% of them [said] their priorities are changing based on global events. Nearly the same number say they’ve completely reassessed their life purpose and values in 2022, up from 50% in 2021.” And shoppers feel like businesses need to keep up. Nearly 2/3rds of shoppers feel companies need to respond faster to their changing needs.
But how can they? Changing out traditional endcaps can be time-consuming and resource-intensive for businesses. It often requires a dedicated team to physically remove existing displays, replace them with new ones, and update signage and product placements. This process can disrupt store operations and consume valuable employee hours otherwise spent on critical tasks.
The answer? Going digital.
Digital endcaps offer a streamlined solution, allowing quick and effortless content updates without extensive labor or physical changes. This efficiency saves time and resources and enables businesses to respond rapidly to changing marketing strategies and customer demands, ultimately improving overall operational efficiency and flexibility.
With today’s rapidly changing customers, adopting digital endcaps over traditional end cap displays can help businesses meet the evolving expectations of modern consumers. Shoppers are increasingly seeking enhanced shopping experiences characterized by connection, clarity, convenience, and easy access to information. Digital endcaps offer precisely that.
These dynamic displays provide an interactive and engaging platform that allows consumers to effortlessly access comprehensive product details, special promotions, and related information. Shoppers are no longer left to decipher static signs; they can navigate, explore, and make informed decisions right at the endcap. By embracing digital endcaps, businesses not only cater to the desire for a more seamless and informative shopping experience but also gain a competitive edge in meeting the evolving demands of today’s tech-savvy consumers, ultimately helping to drive sales and increase customer loyalty.
Benefits of digital for businesses
Going digital has many benefits for businesses, allowing them to meet customers’ changing needs seamlessly. They offer:
More control
Digital endcaps give businesses greater control over their in-store advertising and promotional efforts. Unlike traditional static displays, digital endcaps offer the flexibility to update content in real time. For example, a fashion retailer can instantly switch from promoting winter apparel to showcasing spring collections with a few clicks, aligning their advertising with seasonal trends and customer preferences. Furthermore, businesses can gather data on customer interactions with the digital endcaps, enabling them to make data-driven decisions, refine their marketing strategies, and tailor promotions to specific demographics or locations, ultimately giving them more control over their marketing efforts and maximizing their return on investment.
More creativity
Digital endcaps open up new creative possibilities for businesses to engage customers. For instance, in a grocery store, a digital endcap can display product promotions and provide interactive recipe suggestions, helping shoppers envision delicious meals using the items in their carts. This dynamic marketing approach not only showcases product versatility but also adds an element of creativity and utility to the shopping experience. Businesses can experiment with multimedia content and eye-catching displays, from videos to animations, to convey their messaging in innovative and captivating ways, harnessing the power of creativity to leave a lasting impression on consumers.
Increased flexibility
Digital endcaps offer unparalleled flexibility to businesses and a constantly refreshing experience for consumers. Unlike traditional static signage that requires manual updates, digital endcaps are easily updated with minimal effort. This flexibility empowers business owners to quickly and seamlessly update their displays to showcase new products, promotions, or ideas, keeping the shopping environment dynamic and engaging. For consumers, this means they can regularly encounter fresh content and discover new products or offers, enhancing their overall shopping experience and encouraging repeat visits. This adaptability ensures businesses remain agile and responsive to market trends while providing customers with a more exciting shopping journey.
Less work
One remarkable aspect of digital endcaps is that they eliminate the necessity for physically stocking the promoted products on display. Instead, businesses can showcase products virtually, providing customers with a lifelike representation without inventory management. This opens up new opportunities for companies to present a broader range of products and variations, even those with limited physical stock, while allowing customers to explore and interact with them. Digital endcaps save valuable retail space and simplify inventory logistics, offering a more efficient and cost-effective approach to product promotion and presentation.
More shelving space
Digital endcaps offer the advantage of taking up significantly less physical space within a retail environment. Unlike traditional endcap displays that occupy valuable shelf and aisle space, digital endcaps are sleek and discreet. This space-saving feature allows retailers to maximize their available shelving space, ensuring that a wider variety of products can be showcased and readily accessible to customers. In essence, digital endcaps enable businesses to efficiently utilize their retail space, creating a win-win situation where they can provide shoppers with more options and enhance the overall shopping experience.
Tips on implementation
Looking to place digital endcaps in your store? Here are some tips to help you make the most of your new technology.
Be strategic
Strategic digital endcap placement within a store maximizes its impact and effectiveness. The location of digital endcaps plays a pivotal role in catching shoppers’ attention and driving engagement. Placing them in high-traffic areas, such as near entrances or popular product categories, ensures a significant portion of the customer base sees them. Additionally, aligning digital endcaps with the overall store layout and shopper flow can guide customers to specific promotions or products, increasing the likelihood of conversions. Careful placement also allows retailers to target particular customer demographics or highlight seasonal offers, tailoring the messaging to align with shopper preferences and behaviors.
Be engaging
Digital endcaps in stores should be engaging because they serve as an opportunity to capture and hold shoppers’ attention in a crowded retail environment. With the modern consumer’s increasingly short attention span, engaging content on digital endcaps can effectively communicate messages, promote products, and convey brand personality. Engaging displays create a memorable shopping experience that keeps customers interested and encourages them to interact with the content. This interactivity can lead to higher levels of customer engagement, a deeper connection with the brand, and, ultimately, increased sales. In today’s competitive retail landscape, an engaging digital endcap can be the difference between a shopper passing by and customer being captivated by the message and making a purchase.
Keep it fresh
Digital endcaps in stores should feature fresh content regularly to maintain their appeal to customers. By changing the endcap content periodically, retailers can keep the displays exciting and engaging, preventing shoppers from becoming accustomed to a static message. Fresh content holds customers’ attention and encourages them to visit repeatedly to see what’s new and exciting. This practice helps to reinforce brand awareness, as customers associate the store with dynamic and up-to-date messaging, ultimately enhancing customer loyalty and driving foot traffic to the store. In a fast-paced retail landscape, the freshness of digital endcap content is a vital strategy to ensure that customers remain captivated and eager to explore what’s on offer.
Interactive is key
Digital endcaps in stores should embrace interactivity as it allows for a more personalized and engaging shopping experience. By incorporating touchscreens or QR codes, customers can actively interact with the endcap, explore product details, view videos, or access additional information. This interaction empowers customers to make informed purchasing decisions and fosters a stronger connection with the brand. Shoppers appreciate the ability to engage with content in a way that aligns with their preferences and needs, making the overall shopping experience more memorable and satisfying.
Optimize product placement
Optimizing product placement on digital endcaps in stores is crucial for capturing customer attention and boosting sales. By thoughtfully organizing the display, retailers can make the shopping experience more convenient and engaging. Placing promoted items in the bottom section of the display ensures easy access for customers, encouraging them to pick up and examine the featured products. Strategic product placement maximizes visibility and guides customers’ attention towards the most prominently featured items, increasing the likelihood of purchase and ultimately driving sales.
Partner with Keyser today
Digital endcaps are the future of in-store advertising, offering businesses a dynamic and engaging way to captivate customers and boost sales. With the flexibility to deliver fresh and interactive content, these displays transform the shopping experience.
At Keyser, we specialize in digital endcap displays, offering various indoor digital signage solutions tailored to your needs. Our offerings cater to diverse requirements, from customizable screen sizes to different mounting configurations and optional touchscreen functionality. We provide seamless communication options, including WiFi, cellular, Bluetooth, and NFC, ensuring your digital endcaps are visually striking and technologically advanced. Take advantage of the incredible possibilities digital endcaps offer for your business. Contact our sales team at Keyser today for more information on implementing these cutting-edge displays and enhancing your in-store advertising strategy.
This is an article about why companies should consider adding AI. It discusses the benefits of AI, such as efficiency, cost-effectiveness, scalability, precision, and innovation. It also addresses concerns about data security and accuracy. The article concludes that AI can be a valuable tool for businesses, but it should be implemented with care.
Training is usually the very last consideration but with AI, it moves up much higher in the stack. 22Miles is expert and more experienced than most with AI, so good advice
Why You Should Consider Adding AI For Your Company
Discover the numerous benefits of integrating AI into your company, from efficiency and cost-effectiveness to innovation and scalability with an AI Assistant. Article Link
To embrace AI or not to embrace – that is the question facing many companies today. Should they fully implement artificial intelligence as an indispensable tool in their data analysis arsenal or remain cautiously undecided, grappling with uncertainty and hesitance? Let’s explore the benefits of incorporating AI training using company data.
Today, the seamless integration of AI into our daily work life, exemplified by read.ai’s accompaniment to various virtual meetings on platforms such as Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet, has become undeniably effortless. The advantages are unequivocally apparent. However, one cannot overlook the potential quandaries that arise when read.ai inadvertently records a confidential gathering, encompassing proprietary data, and consequently preserves it indefinitely in an online domain.
Therefore, the way AI is employed assumes a paramount position, necessitating meticulous consideration.
Let us commence by examining the factors that render AI indispensable. Artificial intelligence, with its unparalleled capabilities, offers an exceedingly efficient avenue to automate a myriad of tasks, thereby liberating employees from mundane responsibilities. By way of example, chatbots orchestrated by AI have evolved into indispensable components of most customer support teams, alleviating the burdensome and repetitive obligations associated with gathering information or initiating the process of filing a complaint. This in turn empowers human personnel to dedicate their precious time and expertise to the provision of extraordinary customer experiences and the proactive resolution of issues at hand.
Industry-Specific Data Training
In today’s data-driven business landscape, companies are increasingly recognizing the value of industry-specific data training. This customizable training approach is tailored to the unique needs of a particular industry, products, and businesses. By harnessing the power of tailored data, businesses can optimize their performance and achieve optimal results.
Efficiency: AI can analyze large amounts of data quickly and accurately, eliminating biases and errors that can result from human involvement. By utilizing AI, businesses can save time and energy, allowing employees to focus on other essential tasks.
Cost-effective: Hiring and training new employees to perform data analysis tasks can be a significant financial investment for companies. On the other hand, training AI models using company data involves a one-time investment in AI infrastructure. This approach saves organizations money in the long run and provides a cost-effective solution for data analysis.
Scalability: As businesses generate vast amounts of data, the scalability of AI models becomes crucial. With AI, companies can easily scale their models to handle large data sets without incurring additional costs or resources. This ensures efficient and effective data analysis as businesses grow.
Precision and accuracy: AI models are trained to recognize patterns, make predictions, and identify anomalies in data. This capability leads to more accurate decision-making, giving businesses a competitive advantage and contributing to better profitability. By leveraging AI, companies can make data-driven decisions with confidence.
Innovation: Trained AI models could uncover hidden insights, analyze market trends, and predict future outcomes. This valuable information allows businesses to innovate and develop new products and services, leading to increased profitability and success in the market.
However, it is important to address concerns that come with AI implementation. Data security breaches are a key apprehension, as AI heavily relies on the collection and processing of vast datasets. Additionally, the quality and accuracy of AI-generated insights can be influenced by biased or incomplete data. Addressing these concerns requires choosing a reputable and reliable backend vendor.
Incorporating AI Assistant by 22Miles
Considering the significant impact of data-driven decision-making in business, 22Miles provides AI Assistant solutions carefully trained to align with your company’s specific data requirements. With our cutting-edge AI Assistant, businesses can revamp their support experiences, fostering exceptional interactions for both customers and employees. By incorporating our AI Assistant, you can expect heightened efficiency in customer communications and a substantial uplift in overall operational productivity, leading to improved bottom-line results.
Tailored AI Training Solutions
At 22Miles, we offer diverse AI training solutions to cater to various business needs. Our offerings include a 60-hour AI training program tailored for existing 22Miles applications, as well as customizable AI training options meticulously designed for businesses of all scales.
In conclusion, the decision to integrate AI into your company to address specific business problems is a strategic one that can offer significant advantages, but it must be made with careful consideration of various factors. When considering whether to use AI, it’s imperative to balance the potential benefits with the potential risks, particularly concerning data security and accuracy.
AI has the power to enhance efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness by automating tasks, offering valuable insights, and driving innovation. However, to ensure a successful AI integration, it is vital to address data security and accuracy concerns. Data is the lifeblood of AI, and maintaining its integrity and protecting it from unauthorized access or breaches is paramount. Employing robust security measures, encryption, and following best practices in data management are essential to mitigate these concerns.
In summary, using AI for your company to solve business problems can be a wise decision, but it should be made with caution and a clear focus on data security and accuracy. Partnering with an experienced AI company is essential to leverage the potential of AI technology while mitigating risks. Their expertise can guide you through the nuances of AI implementation, from selecting the right algorithms to managing data and addressing any ethical considerations. By doing so, you can position your company for success in an increasingly AI-driven business landscape.
Mexico Amusement Park Video Wall and Digital Signage Case Study
Situation
digital signage amusement park
Major amusement park in Mexico needed a way to communicate all of its featured attractions to customers as they entered the park.
Solution
165 inch 4K video wall positioned outside which uses dynamic content managed by CMS.
Notes:
Software – Alveni uses an on-premise server with the SiteRemote server software with SiteCaster DS features from PROVISIO. The end customer is in Mexico and communicated directly with Alveni in Spanish. The UI was freely designed and a language drop-down selection easily integrated. See tutorial video: ‘Languages’ at https://www.sitekiosk.com/tutorials/. SiteKiosk Online Cloud digital signage CMS pricing is $239.00/device per year. Win/Android devices supported.
From Alveni – It’s the holiday season and tech teams keep working hard for loyal customers. Here is a 165” 4K videowall in Xel-há park, Riviera Maya, Mexico. The complete solution also includes Provisio’s Sitecaster CMS to easily update content. The videowall located in the visitors’ transfer area and allows Xel-há to engage customers when they arrive at the park and show all the amazing activities that the park offers! It’s great to work with companies that integrate technology into their operation to enhance the customer’s experience.
Resources:
Alveni – Headquarters in Monterrey, N.L. Mexico, Alveni offers interactive solutions for companies to help them communicate effectively and efficiently with clients & collaborators through the latest technology interactive solutions such as self-service kiosks, digital signage & customer satisfaction measurement
Sitekiosk – HQ Germany – SiteKiosk Online’s content management system provides you with extensive, easy-to-use functions to help you quickly create interactive interfaces and signage. SiteKiosk Online supports the Windows and Android
https://sitekiosk.online/ has replaced SiteRemote + SiteCaster DS. The new kiosk and digital signage software is much more powerful. See video tutorials at
We have just released SiteKiosk Online 1.1 with new and improved features. I will send a news alert to you. We also offer a comprehensive, Cloud-based design too to create multi-media campaigns in your Cloud account…. drag-n-drop, easy to use:
The world of generative AI is on fire. Super-powered algorithms are writing code, crafting stories, and creating images that would challenge a Turing test. Under the covers, deeply complex machine-learning processes are burrowing through billions of human-created words, graphics, and code, getting more intelligent and more creative by the minute.
And since these algorithms are fully accessible via Web API, they are easily incorporated into your Intuiface experiences.
Let’s spend some time understanding the world of generative AI their value for digital signage, and how you can use them in Intuiface
What is Generative AI?
Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a subset of machine learning that enables computers to create new content – such as text, audio, video, images, or code – using the knowledge of previously created content. The output is authentic-looking and completely original.
The algorithms creating this unique content are based on models that reflect lessons learned about a particular topic. These lessons are not programmed; instead, the algorithms teach themselves via a mechanism known as deep learning, refining their models as more and more data about a topic comes in. Among the many fascinating aspects of this technology is the flexibility of the learning engine, which is adaptable to all aspects of human expression. Both the aesthetics of an image and the formalism of JavaScript code are achievable!
The most well-known example of generative AI is GPT – currently known as GPT-3.5, the latest evolution of the third-generation language prediction model in the GPT series. Created by OpenAI, it’s an algorithm that can be adapted to create images and anything with a language structure. It answers questions, writes essays, develops summaries of longer text items, writes software code, and even translates languages.
To achieve this ability, OpenAI provided the GPT model with around 570GB of text information from the internet. Want to try it out? Head to ChatGPT, create a free account, and start a conversation.
For image generation, the best-known options are DALL·E (based on GPT), Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion. Like ChatGPT, these services take natural language as input, but their output is images. The output can be in any requested style – from art-inspired themes like cubism or impressionism to completely realistic images that look like photographs but were created by an algorithm. Now you can indulge your desire to see “Yoda seated on the Iron Throne from “Game of Thrones” at home plate in Fenway Park.” (We used Stable Diffusion to generate the image below with that exact text.)
How traditional digital signage can take advantage of Generative AI
Generative AI can be an excellent companion technology for creating unique and engaging digital signage experiences. With it, digital signage can dynamically create and display real-time content that perfectly fits the context. This content can be influenced by user behavior or external data sources, from weather forecasts to real-time prices.
Examples include:
Create context-sensitive images that reflect the current information, environment, or audience.
Generate summaries and/or translations of unpredictable text like news reports or sports events.
Rewrite messages with different tones and lengths based on the audience or urgency.
The most significant hurdle is performance, particularly for image generation, as today’s Generative AI solutions are not (yet) instantaneous. Depending on the complexity of the request and the complexity of the desired result, image generation can even take a few seconds. As a result, signage must be proactive in the content request to ensure there is no visual latency.
How interactive digital signage increases Generative AI value
By adopting interactive digital signage, which provides insight into the user’s preferences, you can go further with Generative AI. Now you are not just limited to an external context; you have intimate knowledge of your audience and can communicate accordingly.
By “interactive” we mean any type of human-machine conversation, both active and passive. Active options include touch, gesture, and voice, while passive options include sensors and computer vision. For all modalities, in combination with context and on-screen content, digital signage can clearly identify a user’s interests.
Examples include:
Using user data to craft personalized “avatars” for the length of their session.
Add quirky personality to interaction, creating jokes and witty asides for the user in the context of what could be an otherwise boring digital engagement.
Converting a review of shopping cart orders into conversational text to humanize kiosk usage.
Use anonymous facial recognition technology to identify age/gender and use that information to customize communication.
Translate ever-changing data sources, like a product catalog or tourist information.
For any natural language scenario, the designer – or the user – could choose to dynamically transform the text to speech (TTS) using either OS-specific services or with the help of generative AI voice services like VALL-E.
In all cases, the creative team is freed from having to anticipate the broad range of potential users/scenarios/requirements. They can just rely on a Generative AI resource to do the heavy lifting in real time.
About The Guest Writer
Geoff Bessin is Chief Evangelist at Intuiface, which means he thinks about the intersection of digital interactivity with signage and presentations. Twitter – @geoffbessin
Digital signage solutions are everywhere from advertising billboards at the mall, to screens in offices displaying important company information. Digital Signage buying decisions are no longer a simple matter. It is now more complex than just picking an LCD display and determining how you want it to hang on the wall.
Here are a few components that can help you make more informed decisions on your next purchase.
1. Selecting the right digital signage screen
As always what works for one person may not work for another. There are many factors to consider when choosing the right digital signage display including pricing, durability, and more. Here are a couple of different screen types, and the best scenario to use each;
Tablet or iPads: These user-friendly multimedia touch screens work best when viewers are close to the screen. For example, these digital signs are perfect outside a meeting room, in an elevator, or next to a product in a supermarket.
Monitors: These digital displays are best if you are looking to display anything that is between 17 and 32 inches. If you need something larger you are better off getting something TV-like.
Non-smart TVs: While these are cost-effective large screens, they do have limitations.
Consumer TVs: These displays are recommended only for personal use. This means they are designed for less display time. At most, they can run for 8 hours a day. If you use these screens 24/7 they will lose quality over time, degrading the customer experience.
Commercial TVs: The biggest reason to buy a commercial screen is that they are specifically designed for long use periods. They are designed for 24/7 playlists.
2. Choosing the best digital signage player
A media player or device connected to a monitor is what makes the monitor capable of using digital signage software. Here are the different types of media players:
Consumer Media Players: These are designed for home use not to withstand 24/7 use. If in a commercial setting, the digital signage can get damaged or stop working altogether. Consumer media players are typically made from plastic which makes the cost cheaper. Options for mounting are also limited.
Commercial Media Players: These are designed to operate for long periods of time without getting damaged. Commercial media players also have faster processing power and can handle more dynamic content like 4K videos.
Industrial Media Players: These have the same level of computing, but the key difference from the commercial options is the extra features that help withstand the environment. Industrial media players are built with metal to protect the hardware inside from moisture, dust, heat, and cold.
3. Understanding media player performance
You want whatever you are displaying to run smoothly and without interruption. The performance of your device is a big part of that. When it comes to performance here is what to look for:
SOC/CPU(System On Chip/Processor): The SOC is responsible for much of the heavy lifting and processing power.
GPU (Graphics Processing Units): The CPU is responsible for the graphing processing power. You also will want to look for things like video decoding, video output, HDMI, and support for HDR.
Storage Drive: It is important to note that your storage drive will need enough space for caching media. In general, you want to get 8GB to 16GB.
RAM (Random Access Memory): RAM is needed to keep general user experience running at a high level.
4. What you need for interactive digital content
Interactive content requires one to roll their sleeves up and put forth a bit of work to bring to life. Network administrators or owners will need to secure hardware capable of powering such interactive content (see media players above), and also digital signage software to connect everything together for the content to run flawlessly.
A content management system with an open API will most always be the best choice for nearly all interactive digital signage projects. However, it is important to confirm the solution is also secure and reliable. Digital signage applications without security can become targets for tampering by hackers, so it’s truly important you take the extra steps to ensure your functionality is secured.
Finally, the digital signage platform needs content to be interacted with. This dynamic content takes respective forms, highly dependent on the nature of the digital signage solution selected. Interactive billboards or video walls, for instance, are likely going to showcase interactive content provided by a media buyer or advertiser looking to place a specific marketing or promotional campaign for their larger customers.
With indoor displays like wayfinding kiosks or digital menu boards, interactive content is likely a concern to be handled by the network owners themselves. This isn’t to say that the content must be created in-house or that you’re out of luck. A number of digital signage content providers specialize in providing all-in-one content or templates that can be tailored to your specific needs.
5. Installation & Support
It is critical you find an installer that offers care and maintenance for the digital signage products that you install. Support through a help desk and network of local installation technicians is important to have at your fingertips should you need it. Quality installation work and managing the manufacturers’ warranty fulfillment, as needed, will be crucial for the digital hardware. An installation is not only a commitment to ensure that your digital signage solution performs to specifications, but also delivers an exceptional ROI.
Post-deployment of your digital signage is a continuing process to keep a close eye on. Your signage installer/integrator/partner should continuously provide IT-related technical support and training to the digital signage end user.
It is often expected that the customer will eventually be held responsible for coordinating with the appropriate tech support teams for device management, so a lot of hand-holding is needed in order to walk before you run with your application.
Choosing the best digital signage solution and getting it to work properly is all about understanding the needs. The days of digital signage only being available to a few are now over. With Keyser, we can assist you with picking the right hardware and get it up and running.
We look forward to seeing what decision you make and are here to help you on the way. If you are looking for some help or advice on anything you read here or want to discuss in more detail, you can reach us at [email protected]
It’s a good thing for sure and tying it in with the Bar show is even better. On its own, with Exponation running it the show was losing ground at the end of its run. The usual attempt to fix that is to enlarge the tent. Having a separate vertical in tandem might work.
Press Release
Questex Enlists Brad Gleeson, Digital Signage Magazine and DSE Founder, as Industry Advisor and Executive Producer; Advisory Board Unveiled
NEW YORK, July 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Questex today announces that DSE will take place March 21-23, 2022 in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center. In support of Questex’s strategy to expand the DSE concept and end-user audience, the conference and expo will take place concurrently with the Bar & Restaurant Expo (formerly Nightclub & Bar Show).
DSE has been the leading event for the digital signage industry for 15 years before Questex acquired the assets in early 2021. Questex will build on that legacy as the preeminent event and digital platform for the digital signage industry, showcasing innovations in technology, market applications and creative educational content. Questex will combine its capabilities and experience as the leading information and events company focused on the experience economy with input from the industry including past sponsors, exhibitors and attendees to deliver an updated and renewed event for the industry going forward.
DSE also builds on Questex’s other audiences and platforms in Hotels, Hospitality, Travel, Healthcare, Entertainment, Education, Sensors and communications Technology – key end user markets for digital solutions and experiences.
Marian Sandberg, VP & Market Leader, DSE said, “Our research shows that the industry strongly desires an event that brings digital signage suppliers and solution providers together with designers, buyers and stakeholders in a wide range of adjacent and vertical markets. The conference program will be designed to attract and engage a broader audience, focused on innovative applications and outcomes, while the exhibitor list will expand beyond digital signage equipment providers to those who use digital technology to design and implement experiences that attract, inform, educate and entertain. Our goal is to design an event that becomes the foundation for a digital community platform and calendar of events that encompass the interests and goals of a broad community interested in how digital media technology can enhance lives and experiences in the physical world.”
Questex will be drawing from the expertise of digital signage industry veteran, Brad Gleeson, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of TargetPath to relaunch the event. Gleeson is a veteran of the technology-based business start-up world and has a distinguished career establishing effective go-to-market strategies. He was founder of Digital Signage Magazine, the DIGI awards, the first digital signage tradeshow now DSE, and other initiatives that helped build the foundation of the digital signage industry.
DSE Advisory Board
Today, DSE also officially unveils its Advisory Board. The mission of the board is to share expertise and insights about technology, digital-out-of-home and experiential events. The Advisory Board is a mix of industry veterans and new industry influencers in digital signage, digital-out-of-home and digital media experiences.
The Advisory Board includes:
Rich Ventura, VP, Sony B2B
Rick Robinson, Chief Strategy Office, Billups
Dorothy DiStefano, Director of Research, Immersive Art, Digital Placemaking Institute
Marcos Terenzio, VP, Creative & Strategy, iGotcha Media
Laura Davis-Taylor, Chief Strategy Officer, InReality
Nick Belcore, EVP, Peerless-AV
Jeff Hastings, CEO, BrightSign
Jackie Walker, Digital Signage Subject Matter Expert and Strategy Lead, Publicis Sapient
Stephanie Gutnik, Global Head of DOOH, Verizon
Sandra Richter, CEO, Soofa
Cherian Thomas, CEO, Octopus Interactive
Brad Gleeson, Managing Partner, TargetPath
Check back here for additional details regarding the conference schedule and registration in the coming months.
About Questex
Questex brings people together in the markets that help people live better: travel, hospitality and wellness; the industries that help people live longer: life science and healthcare; and the technologies that enable and fuel these new experiences. We live in the experience economy – connecting our ecosystem through live events, surrounded by data insights and digital communities. We deliver experience and real results. It happens here.
In today’s modern airports, digital signage plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall passenger experience and maximizing the benefits for both travelers and airport operators.
In today’s modern airports, digital signage plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall passenger experience and maximizing the benefits for both travelers and airport operators. Understanding the importance of digital signage in airports is essential to fully capitalize on its potential.
Understanding the Importance of Digital Signage in Airports
Modern airports are vast and complex spaces, bustling with activity and constantly evolving. With countless passengers navigating through terminals, it is crucial to provide clear and concise information to ensure a smooth and efficient travel experience.
Digital signage serves as a dynamic communication tool that can disseminate real-time information and guide passengers in a clear, engaging, and visually appealing manner.
When it comes to the role of digital signage in modern airports, its impact goes beyond just displaying information. It acts as a virtual concierge, offering wayfinding and directional assistance to travelers. With its ability to display maps, highlight key areas, and provide step-by-step instructions to various amenities, such as baggage claim, security checkpoints, and boarding gates, digital signage becomes an indispensable tool in helping passengers navigate the complex airport environment.
Moreover, digital signage plays a crucial role in keeping passengers informed. It can display important announcements, updates on flight schedules, and any changes or delays, ensuring passengers stay up-to-date and reducing confusion or frustration. This real-time communication helps create a seamless travel experience and enhances overall passenger satisfaction.
One of the primary benefits of airport digital signage is its ability to enhance passenger experience. The engaging visuals, coupled with interactive features, captivate and assist travelers, alleviating stress and uncertainty during their journey. Imagine a passenger glancing at a digital signage display and finding not only the information they need but also interactive elements that allow them to explore the airport’s facilities, services, and even local attractions. This level of engagement creates a positive impression and fosters a perception of efficiency and attentiveness from the airport authority.
Additionally, digital signage can also be used as a platform for advertising and revenue generation. Airports can partner with brands and businesses to display targeted advertisements, promotions, and offers on digital signage screens. This not only helps generate additional revenue for the airport but also provides valuable information and opportunities for passengers. These DOOH platforms can integrate with third-party ad networks like Clearchannel to automatically pull advertising inventory.
In conclusion, digital signage has become an essential tool in modern airports. Its ability to provide real-time information, assist with wayfinding, enhance the passenger experience, and even generate revenue makes it a valuable asset for both passengers and airport authorities. As airports continue to grow and evolve, digital signage will play an increasingly important role in ensuring a seamless and enjoyable travel experience for all.
Key Features of Effective Airport Digital Signage
While recognizing the importance of digital signage, it is essential to understand the key features that contribute to its effectiveness in airports. These features include:
Interactive Maps and Wayfinding
Interactive maps incorporated within digital signage allow passengers to navigate through the airport efficiently. By providing intuitive directions and highlighting essential areas, digital signage empowers travelers to find their way seamlessly.
Whether it’s locating restrooms, dining options, or duty-free shops, interactive maps help passengers make informed decisions, saving time and reducing stress.
Imagine a weary traveler arriving at a bustling airport, unsure of where to go. With airport digital signage, they can simply look up at the screens strategically placed throughout the terminal and find their way with ease. The interactive maps not only provide clear directions but also offer additional information about nearby amenities, such as the distance to the nearest coffee shop or the estimated walking time to the gate.
Furthermore, these interactive maps can be customized based on the passenger’s preferences and needs. For example, families traveling with young children can select a map that highlights family-friendly facilities like play areas or nursing rooms. Business travelers, on the other hand, can choose a map that focuses on business lounges and conference facilities. Interactive maps can also extend across to touch-screen kiosks to allow passengers to scan their boarding pass to find real-time flight information and directions to their gate.
Real-Time Flight Information
Keeping travelers updated about flight schedules, gate changes, or delays is crucial. Digital signage provides real-time flight information, enabling passengers to be well-informed and make necessary adjustments to their travel plans.
Displaying flight status, arrival and departure times, and even estimated wait times at security checkpoints contribute to a smoother travel experience for passengers.
Picture this: a passenger is rushing to catch a connecting flight but is unsure if it has been delayed. With airport digital signage, they can quickly glance at the screens scattered throughout the terminal and find up-to-date information about their flight. This real-time flight information allows them to plan accordingly, whether it means hurrying to the gate or taking a moment to grab a bite to eat.
Furthermore, airport digital signage can also provide additional information related to flights, such as weather conditions at the destination or any important announcements from the airline. This ensures that passengers are well-prepared and have all the necessary information at their fingertips.
Advertising and Promotional Content
Another key feature of effective airport digital signage is its ability to display advertising and promotional content. This not only generates revenue for the airport but also provides relevant information to passengers about current offers, services, and local attractions.
By strategically placing promotional content throughout the airport, digital signage can influence passenger behavior and encourage engagement with various concessions and amenities.
Imagine a passenger waiting at the gate, looking for something to do during their layover. With airport digital signage, they are presented with enticing advertisements for local attractions, such as museums, tours, or shopping centers. This not only helps promote the local economy but also enhances the overall travel experience for passengers.
In addition to promoting external businesses, airport digital signage can also be used to showcase the airport’s own services and facilities. For example, it can highlight the airport’s VIP lounges, spa services, or even exclusive shopping experiences. By effectively utilizing digital signage for advertising and promotional purposes, airports can create a vibrant and engaging environment for their passengers.
Strategies to Maximize the Benefits of Digital Signage
Implementing digital signage is just the beginning; to truly maximize its benefits, certain strategies need to be adopted:
Utilizing High-Quality, Engaging Content
The success of digital signage relies on the quality and relevance of the content displayed. Captivating visuals, clear messaging, and engaging multimedia can capture the attention of passengers, ensuring they absorb the information being shared.
Imagine walking through an airport and being greeted by a vibrant digital display showcasing stunning images of exotic destinations. The vivid colors and breathtaking scenery immediately transport you to another world, igniting your desire to explore new places. As you continue your journey, you come across another digital sign that showcases mouthwatering images of delicious food options available at the airport’s restaurants. The carefully curated content leaves you salivating and eagerly anticipating your next meal.
Collaborating with professionals in graphic design and content creation can provide the expertise needed to create visually stunning and impactful displays. These experts can help craft compelling narratives that resonate with passengers, ensuring that the digital signage becomes a memorable part of their travel experience.
Ensuring Clear and Readable Information Display
Digital signage should prioritize clarity and readability. Utilizing appropriate font sizes, contrasting colors, and concise wording is essential for conveying information effectively, particularly in environments with varying lighting conditions.
Imagine finding yourself in a bustling airport terminal, surrounded by a sea of people and a cacophony of sounds. In such a chaotic environment, it becomes crucial for digital signage to cut through the noise and deliver information clearly and efficiently. By using bold, easily readable fonts and contrasting colors, the signage becomes a beacon of clarity amidst the chaos.
Regular maintenance and testing of the displays are also crucial to ensure optimal performance and readability throughout the airport. Technicians diligently monitor the screens, adjusting brightness levels, and resolving any issues that may hinder the readability of the content. This meticulous attention to detail guarantees that passengers can always rely on digital signage to provide them with the information they need.
Incorporating User-Friendly Interactive Features
Intuitive user interfaces and interactive features contribute to enhanced usability and a positive passenger experience. Incorporating touchscreens, gesture recognition, or even voice commands can make it easier for travelers to navigate digital signage and access relevant information quickly.
Imagine approaching a digital sign that not only displays flight information but also allows you to interact with it. With a simple touch on the screen, you can access real-time updates about your flight, including gate changes and delays. The user-friendly interface guides you effortlessly through the options, ensuring a seamless experience.
Furthermore, providing multilingual options and clear instructions on how to interact with the displays can accommodate a diverse range of passengers. Travelers from all over the world can easily navigate digital signage, regardless of their language proficiency. Clear icons and intuitive gestures eliminate language barriers, ensuring that everyone can benefit from the information presented.
Future Trends in Airport Digital Signage
As technology continues to evolve, digital signage in airports is expected to embrace new trends and innovations. Some of the future trends to look out for include:
Integration with Mobile Applications – Increasing integration between digital signage and mobile applications will allow passengers to personalize their travel experience further. This could include features such as syncing flight information directly to smartphones or enabling interactive maps with real-time tracking capabilities.
Use of Augmented Reality in Digital Signage – Augmented Reality (AR) has the potential to transform the way passengers interact with digital signage. By overlaying relevant information in the real environment, AR can provide contextual guidance, showcase vital features or services within the airport, and offer a more immersive experience for travelers.
Personalized Content Delivery through AI and Machine Learning – The future of digital signage lies in utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to deliver personalized content to passengers. By analyzing user behavior and preferences, digital signage can offer tailored recommendations, targeted advertising, and even real-time assistance based on individual needs.
This level of personalization enhances customer engagement and satisfaction, ultimately maximizing the benefits of airport digital signage.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the importance of airport digital signage cannot be overstated. By effectively utilizing interactive maps, real-time flight information, and captivating advertising, airports can enhance the overall travel experience.
Through strategies such as engaging content creation, clarity in information display, and user-friendly interactive features, airports can maximize the benefits of digital signage and ensure that passengers are well-informed, engaged, and satisfied throughout their journey.
Keep an eye on future trends, such as integration with mobile applications, the use of augmented reality, and personalized content delivery through AI and machine learning, to stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of airport digital signage.
January 25, 2022 –Fifteen new 55-inch real-time display monitors were recently installed at the STA Plaza. The monitors are designed for long-term commercial use and offer bright and vibrant imagery with enhanced visibility.
Spokane Transit partnered with Spokane-based Zipline Interactive to custom build displays that show departure times and the status of each bus. Another vendor, Nanonation, provided the software and media players needed to display and manage content on the new screens.
“Combining these advanced software technologies with the new monitors has allowed us to create an enhanced user experience for our customers here at the Plaza and throughout the bus system,” said Chris Tohm, STA’s Web Services Manager.
In addition to the Plaza, the new digital information displays have been installed at West Plains Transit Center, Spokane Community College Transit Center, Spokane Falls Station, Mirabeau Park & Ride, South Hill Park & Ride, Five Mile Park & Ride, and Eastern Washington University in Cheney.
“The new monitors make it very easy to find departure information for your buses,” Tohm said. “We’re looking forward to the next phase of installations, which will be at stations within the high-performance transit network, including City Line.”
About Nanonation
Experience Driven Software for Digital Signage & Kiosks Nanonation’s software creates powerful ways to interact with customers. With flexible online tools to schedule, manage, and measure multimedia-marketing initiatives, you now have the technology to deliver more information, to more customers with more impact. Visit https://www.nanonation.net for more information
First noted on Sixteen:Nine — The solution is as much or more about things like big displays for control rooms and ops centers, but more conventional workplace digital signage would be another type of endpoint.
Editors Note: Generally, AV-over-IP is the long version of PoE. Big deal in thinclient world. Advantages are: Cat5 already in place, much greater distance than traditional baseband, really no limit on devices that can be connected. Only requirements are Cat5/6 and a modern router.
LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill., Jan. 31, 2022 – LG Business Solutions USA and Canadian software company Userful are introducing an end-to-end, software-defined AV-over-IP solution that combines Userful’s Visual Networking Platform and LG’s webOS Signage™ platform to optimize display networks for control rooms, digital signage networks, corporate signage and video walls. This announcement is the latest in LG’s continued efforts to build strong relationships within its partner ecosystem to deliver next generation solutions for the customer.
As a result of the Userful-LG collaboration, digitally-integrated enterprises in key markets around the world can now deploy IT-managed services from virtually any source to webOS displays with advanced streaming capabilities, flexibility in deployment and NIST-caliber security. Whether it’s providing immediate video and data through real-time streaming protocols (RTSP) for control rooms or managing 8K content across hundreds of displays, integrators and end-users can expect to enjoy a powerful, streamlined display network management experience with the Userful platform and LG displays.
According to Gianni Restaino, LG Business Solutions USA’s vice president of engineering, the alliance will deliver the future of display network management just in time to help integrators and enterprise businesses capitalize on the exponential growth forecasted for AV-over-IP in the next five years. “Together, LG and Userful have created a digital display network management platform that can both simplify and empower LG installations to enable security, content delivery speed, and flexibility in content delivery and display deployment,” he said.
“With the acceleration of new services and digital transformation, there is a clear need for a centralized platform to manage visual services in combination with data, IoT and AI,” Restaino added. “Userful’s software-defined platform uniquely integrates all of these, and delivers them through private/public cloud servers to webOS signage displays optimized for the network, enabling AV services across an entire organization.”
The companies jointly recognized the growth potential of AV-over-IP in 2019 and began developing a custom, lightweight software solution that runs on top of LG’s webOS Signage platform for flat-panel and direct-view LED displays, focusing on simplicity, reliability, flexibility and security. According to Userful, the resulting platform is expected to deliver significant hardware and energy cost savings while helping to reduce carbon footprints.
The potential market growth is enormous, with applications ranging from mission critical displays and enterprise-wide digital signage networks to corporate lobby video walls and large conference room displays. In fact, according to Maia Research, the AV-over-IP market is poised to grow from $3 billion today to $51 billion in 2027, with 85 percent of growth expected in the corporate, government and education sectors, positioning the LG-Userful solution to meet the demand for display network improvements and enhanced capabilities.
Userful CEO John Marshall praised the hard work of both companies and noted that other display manufacturers have been unable to match LG’s level of software integration, making this alliance even more valuable and unique.
“The industry underestimates the difficulty of optimizing traditional AV products for an IT environment, especially with network distribution challenges and demanding enterprise applications,” Marshall said. “The AV industry has historically worked with NAB codecs and AV standards, focusing on the highest-quality AV over cabled HDMI technology – the addition of multi-protocol-driven networks is an entirely new challenge. That LG was able to integrate such IT protocols into its core firmware, at the very heart of its media pipeline, is beyond impressive. Simply put, this solution simplifies the job of IT and can reduce installation and maintenance complexity.”
In addition to LG, Userful worked with other display manufacturers “who proceeded to fail at such sophisticated integration of IT standards in their firmware,” Marshall said. “Such developments highlighted the difference between low-cost display manufacturers and modernized IT-ready displays that suit the needs of the modern enterprise. We’re proud to work together to lead the way forward for the industry and deliver new solutions to improve enterprise business operations.”
About Userful
Userful is a leading platform-as-a-service provider in the Enterprise AV-over-IP market—the fastest-growing segment of the IT industry. Userful’s Visual Networking Platform is disrupting the market with a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) model that allows customers to choose from a suite of highly-integrated AV applications (SaaS offerings, secure, SSO, integrated UI) to support modern service needs across the enterprise. From corporate signage to control room solutions to streaming platforms and data metrics, Userful’s solutions enable modernized business operations for IT leaders and the functional departments they support. Userful helps organizations advance the way they work, learn and govern with secure, scalable and centrally managed solutions for employee and customer engagement worldwide.
About LG Business Solutions USA
The LG Electronics USA Business Solutions division serves commercial display customers in the U.S. digital signage, lodging and hospitality, systems integration, healthcare, education, government and industrial markets. Based in Lincolnshire, Ill., with its dedicated engineering and customer support team, LG Business Solutions USA delivers business-to-business technology solutions tailored to the particular needs of business environments. LG Electronics USA is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics Inc., a $56 billion global force in consumer electronics, home appliances and air solutions. www.LGSolutions.com.
For further press information, media assets or to schedule interviews, please contact:
Danielle Alfaro, PR & Communications Manager
Userful Corporation
E: [email protected]
Moxy and AC Hotels Downtown Los Angeles Unveils 15,000-sq-ft LED Mega-Spectacular
LOS ANGELES—Installation of a massive exterior video display in the heart of downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) was recently completed at the intersection of S Figueroa St. and W Pico Blvd. The continuous LED video façade at Moxy and AC Hotel Downtown Los Angeles is located across from the LA Convention Center, L.A. LIVE, and Crypto.com Arena and extends about the length of a football field.
Premier out-of-home media company Branded Cities owns exclusive rights to market and sell premium advertising on the curved video screen, which will be marketed as “The Moxy” and is now the largest continuous digital canvas in the highly coveted DTLA neighborhood.
The new LED mega-spectacular is a 15,000-square-foot video wall built from SNA Displays’ EMPIRE™ Exterior line of LED display technology and boasts a resolution of 1,890 x 11,480 pixels. The mammoth screen, about 50 feet tall, extends along S Figueroa and wraps the corner of a six-level parking structure at W Pico, providing extended viewing and long read times for pedestrian and auto traffic.
Consumer Experience Group (CEG), a Los Angeles-based consultancy for experiential display projects, managed the large development’s digital and static signage elements on behalf of property owner Lightstone, a New York-based real estate investment firm.
“Finally going live with the one of the largest signage developments the LA area has ever seen has been extremely rewarding,” said Jeremy Kolieb, principal at CEG, which managed the project from design and placement to vendor selection to entitlements with the City of LA. “We’ve worked with wonderful partners for the better part of six years on this development, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve accomplished. Give the size and placement, the signage is instantly iconic and impacts all of downtown LA.”
SNA Displays engineered custom LED cabinets to accommodate a seamless turn of 82.5 degrees. The digital display employs 8.0 mm pixel pitch technology, tighter than other large-format exterior LED installations in Los Angeles, giving the video screen almost 22 million pixels.
“With the sheer size and complexity, this has been an incredible project,” said Rasool Sayed, a Los Angeles-based senior project manager for SNA Displays. “These massive, new-development projects have become a specialty for us—coordinating multiple partners and trades, engineering and fabricating custom technology to meet strict guidelines, and performing extremely intricate planning. The Moxy and AC mega-spectacular is another great installation for SNA Displays and our partners.”
With two unique experiences under one roof, Moxy Downtown Los Angeles and AC Hotel Downtown Los Angeles is the city’s new destination for visitors and locals alike. The dual-branded hotel offers 727 guestrooms; 12 restaurants, bars, and lounges; four large outdoor terraces including a Miami-meets-Copacabana pool deck; and 10,000 square feet of flexible meeting and social events space.
YESCO fabricated and installed more than 225,000 pounds of structural steel for the LED mega-spectacular and provided over 7,200 square feet of static signage for the project.
About SNA Displays
SNA Displays brings creative visions to life by building high-end digital displays as vivid and dynamic as the imagination. SNA Displays employs a team of SNAPros™—engineers, skilled project managers, systems experts, installation managers, and support staff—whose mission is total project satisfaction.
SNA Displays is headquartered in Times Square and has worked with clients to design and build some of the largest and most recognizable digital spectaculars in the world. Discover how Dreams Live Digitally® at snadisplays.com.
About Branded Cities
Branded Cities is the premier global out-of-home advertising company specializing in iconic media in iconic destinations that connects brands with people through Out-of-Home advertising media and services. To learn more, visit brandedcities.com.
About YESCO
Since 1920, YESCO has produced custom signs, lighting, and other display systems for businesses of all types and sizes. For more information, visit yesco.com.
About Lightstone
Lightstone, founded by David Lichtenstein, is one of the most diversified privately held real estate companies in the United States. Headquartered in New York City, Lightstone is active in 25 states across the country, developing, managing and investing in all sectors of the real estate market, including residential, hospitality, commercial, and retail. With 168 existing properties, Lightstone’s over $7.5 billion portfolio currently includes over 7.5 million square feet of industrial, logistics, life sciences, and commercial properties, over 23,000 residential units, and over 4,100 hotel keys. Lightstone’s development portfolio includes over $3.5 billion currently under development in the residential and hospitality sectors spread across New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami. Learn more at lightstonegroup.com.
About Moxy Downtown Los Angeles
Reflecting the bold, adventurous spirit of California, Moxy Downtown Los Angeles is a haven for modern nomads in LA’s creative epicenter. Brought to life by an all-star team of top architecture and interior design firms, including Gensler, Yabu Pushelberg, and Basile Studio, the 380-room hotel channels the neighborhood’s forward-thinking energy and multicultural heritage, providing fun-hunting travelers with experiences around every corner: 13 restaurants, bars, and clubs; four outdoor terraces and a pool deck overlooking the LA skyline; and flexible, tech-centric spaces for coworking, meeting, and large social events. Floor-to-ceiling windows light up the smartly designed and affordable guestrooms, and a playful, cheeky attitude fuels the imagination. www.moxydtla.com.
About AC Hotel Downtown Los Angeles
AC Hotel Downtown Los Angeles is a sanctuary providing discerning travelers with the freedom and versatility they crave amid the dynamic streets of Downtown LA. Blending the AC brand’s timeless Spanish heritage with DTLA’s artistic soul, designers Yabu Pushelberg have created an elegant atelier for thinkers and doers. With ample space and floor-to-ceiling windows, the 347 ethereal guest rooms provide a streamlined, serene place to live, work, create, and recharge. A warm, light-filled bar and lounge is joined by the intimate library and the 34th-floor rooftop garden with sweeping views of LA. Guests can easily dial up the fun factor, thanks to 11 additional restaurants, bars, and clubs, three additional outdoor terraces, and a pool at Moxy Downtown Los Angeles— all just an elevator ride away. www.achoteldtla.com.
About Consumer Experience Group
Consumer Experience Group is focused on enhancing the consumer experience by providing clients with the know-how to determine how and what technology to integrate into their projects, including shopping centers, retailers, commercial properties, hotels, theme parks and much more. Learn more at consumerexperiencegroup.com.
Sixteen Nine –YESCO fabricated and installed more than 225,000 pounds of structural steel for the LED mega-spectacular, and provided more than 7,200 square feet of static signage for the project. The board is on the side of a complex that has two hotels under one roof: Moxy Downtown Los Angeles and AC Hotel Downtown Los Angeles. Any bets on how long it takes before a forced perspective/anamorphic illusion spot appears on this thing?
Video Technology Refresh Underway at Lucas Oil Stadium
Capital Improvement Board Awards SNA Displays Contract
In total, the new Lucas Oil Stadium LED display network will include more than 19,500 square feet of LED displays and 21.3 million pixels.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN—SNA Displays has been awarded a contract to upgrade video boards throughout Lucas Oil Stadium, home to the National Football League’s Indianapolis Colts, by the Capital Improvement Board of Managers of Marion County (CIB). The CIB operates the stadium, which also hosts the Big Ten Football Championship game, concerts, conventions, and other public and private events. Lucas Oil Stadium will host the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for swimming, making it the first football stadium to do so. Work on display installation has already begun and is expected to be complete in July for Big Ten Football Media Days.
The overhaul is the first display technology refresh since the stadium was completed in 2008 and includes the replacement of more than 50 LED displays. In total, the new Lucas Oil Stadium LED display network will include more than 19,500 square feet of LED displays and 21.3 million pixels.
“Our broadcast engineering staff have done an impressive job of extending the useful life of the existing video displays well beyond the typical life expectancy of seven – 10 years,” said Andy Mallon, Executive Director of the Indiana Convention Center/Lucas Oil Stadium (ICCLOS). “The original video display, which was state-of-the-art when it was installed upon completion of the stadium, gave us 14 years of great service, but replacement parts have become obsolete or very difficult to find and technology has evolved to allow for even higher quality visuals. We want to give our guests the high-quality video experience they expect and deserve, which is what SNA Displays provides, and we can’t wait to have the new displays up and running.”
As part of its scope of work, SNA Displays is recycling all demolished signage material through a local recycling company.
Highlights of the refresh include two 53-foot-high by 97-foot-wide main LED video boards in the stadium‘s northwest and southeast corners and more than 2,000 linear feet of LED ribbon displays. The main video screens will employ a 10 mm pixel pitch, a 417% improvement of clarity compared with the previous 16 mm and 23 mm screens.
Members of the press are invited to view the new video displays prior to final installation.
Date: Tuesday, June 28
Time: 3pm EST
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium (entrance information provided following RSVP)
RSVP: [email protected]
Because of construction and other work in the stadium, interested parties must RSVP in order to be granted entrance.
Representatives of Lucas Oil Stadium and SNA Displays will be on hand to answer questions regarding the refresh. For context, photos of the video boards may be found on page three.
WJHW, which designed the stadium’s original video and acoustic infrastructure, is providing consulting and design services for the project on behalf of the CIB.
SNA Displays brings creative visions to life by building high-end digital displays as vivid and dynamic as the imagination. SNA Displays employs a team of SNAPros™—engineers, skilled project managers, systems experts, installation managers, and support staff—whose mission is total project satisfaction.
The 50 LED displays that will be installed in Lucas Oil Stadium are all built from SNA Displays’ EMPIRE™ Exterior and BOLD™ Interior product series.
SNA Displays is headquartered in Times Square and has worked with clients to design and build some of the largest and most recognizable digital spectaculars in the world. Discover how Dreams Live Digitally® at https://snadisplays.com.
About WJHW
Wright, Johnson, Haddon & Williams, Inc. (WJHW) offers consulting and design services for acoustics and noise control, video and scoring displays, broadcast provisions and production, theatre planning, lighting and rigging, and other technical services on a diverse range of project types, including professional sporting arenas and stadia, performance arts, theatre and entertainment spaces, hospitality, health care facilities, data centers, and more. Visit https://www.wjhw.com for more information.
About the Capitol Improvement Board
The Capital Improvement Board of Managers of Marion County (CIB) is responsible for the marketing, leasing and operation of Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center. The CIB was created in 1965 by the Indiana General Assembly and empowered to finance and manage capital improvements. Visit ICCLOS.com for more information.
Collaborating alongside AV integrator Solutionz, Inc and dvLED supplier Unilumin, Peerless-AV® was tasked with installing an enormous custom video wall for the Mohegan Sun FanDuel Sportsbook at Mohegan’s flagship casino and entertainment destination in Connecticut, Mohegan Sun. In June 2021, Mohegan Sun commissioned AV integrator Solutionz to manage the project, which was no straightforward installation due to its size and scale.
Mohegan Sun wanted to create an innovative and exciting addition to their facility. Working together with FanDuel, the concept of this visually stunning video wall came to life. This impactful display would serve sports betters with access to a world-class selection of live sports competitions from across the world with restaurant, bar and gaming offerings. This is what led them to contact Solutionz and the installation began in November 2021.
The Challenge
The location for the Mohegan Sun FanDuel Sportsbook had existing AV equipment that needed improvements to deliver a more impressive experience for guests. Mohegan Sun collaborated with FanDuel to conceptualize an enormous video wall that would be the center focus of the room.
Solutionz specified a custom manufactured mount from the Peerless-AV team who would design, engineer, and deliver a unique SEAMLESS Bespoke Mounting System to support this triple XL curved video wall. The team carefully arranged Unilumin Uslim dvLED displays to create three individual video walls, including one main wall and two wing walls to form a concave appearance.
Not only was the size, weight, and curvature of this video wall a challenge, but there were also adjustments along the way that allowed the teams’ adaptability and innovation to be showcased and still meet the deadline. The original installation plans included the colossal video wall to be mounted on the floor. However, the visible posts were not favorable by Mohegan Sun management. The team then revised plans to create a mounting system that suspended the 20,000lb curved video wall’s total weight from the ceiling and attached to the wall.
The Solution
Peerless-AV analyzed the room for any challenges or considerations by conducting an in-depth site survey. All parties collaborated on the perfect solution to where the mount would attach in the space.
Known for its flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and superior customer service, SEAMLESS by Peerless-AV, the company’s dvLED Video Wall Integration Program, ensured start-to-finish project support – from the designing and manufacturing of custom Bespoke Series Mounting Systems to testing, project management, on-site installation consultation and commissioning.
I am a huge advocate of Peerless-AV, having worked with their custom dvLED team on other complex, large scale and high-profile projects such as the ilani Casino Resort, operated by both Mohegan and the Cowlitz Tribe in Washington,” said Kevin Reilly, Corporate Entertainment Technical Manager, Sports & Entertainment for Mohegan. “Peerless-AV was the obvious choice for this project, as there was no doubt that they had incredible product reliability, a great reputation, as well as quality servicing and support.”
Findings from the investigation conducted by Peerless-AV resulted in the removal of the existing non-structural wall of 20g light-gauge framing and sheetrock, exposing the building structure. This would allow Peerless-AV to mount the video wall using a stable structure with supplemental steel to support and prevent issues of sagging or deflection from improper mounting. This steel was designed to handle accumulated snow and ice by flexing with the building. This stability started with the base building structure and was subsequently carried to the displays with the SEAMLESS Bespoke Mounting System framework. In addition to these structural benefits, it would also allow the team to push the dvLED video wall as far back as possible to maximize the common area and limit the protrusion of the video wall.
The team at Mohegan Sun understood the risks of this installation and assisted greatly by providing load and deflection values so that the structural team could develop proper building attach points. This excellent teamwork was crucial to the eventual success of the installation.
The Installation
After the steel structure was in place, the SEAMLESS Bespoke Mounting System was installed, and the displays were mounted row by row so the whole video wall came together easily and flawlessly. The team included a half-inch vertical expansion gap between each of the sections to account for a potential difference between snow loading deflection that could impact the side sections of the curved video wall differently than the main wall.
The main video wall featured a uniform yet gentle curve with a 179.8-degree angle between any two adjacent displays. The right and left sections each had a greater curve than the center, with a 176.7-degree angle between any two adjacent displays.
Designed for visitors of the sportsbook to be able to view the display from any angle of the space, the total viewable surface of the dvLED video wall is 139ft W x 14.7ft H and 2,034 sq ft. 420 Unilumin Uslim dvLED displays were used for the enormous wall. The panels were arranged in an 84-wide by 5-high configuration. The bottom four rows contained 500 W x 1,000 H displays, totaling 336 cabinets, while the top row contained 500 W x 500 H displays, totaling 84 cabinets. In order to create a desired viewable size that is maximized to fit the space, this custom design had to accommodate these different cabinet sizes.
“This was our first large scale project with Solutionz and Peerless-AV together,” said Patrick Dunn, EVP of Operations for Unilumin. “The entire team worked well together and never lost sight of our customer first approach. We look forward to many successful deployments in the future together.”
Peerless-AV also developed a perforated custom rear cover for the side array located over an opened space to hide the back of the display. This cover blends in with the ceiling structure but allows for proper airflow, creating an aesthetically pleasing view from all angles, while still being practical and soundly designed.
The Results
The incredibly large video wall installation was an amazing success. As a result of the well-coordinated and dedicated efforts of all parties working on this project as one expert team, the installation went smoothly and the video wall is up and running with reliable performance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
“Mohegan Sun FanDuel sportsbook is a wonderful leisure and entertainment installation, and we are immensely honored to be part of it,” said Jim Miner, Vice President at Solutionz. “When we changed the design from three individual walls to a single large curved front video wall it demanded the best from our staff and our partners at FanDuel, Mohegan Sun, Peerless-AV and Unilumin. There were so many structural challenges that we needed a premium mount partner that could provide the support to the extent that was required. From start to finish, Peerless-AV was the right choice for this project.”
Now the home to the largest video wall on the East Coast of North America, The Mohegan Sun FanDuel Sportsbook sets a high standard for the leisure and entertainment space. The Mohegan Sun and FanDuel teams were elated with the installation that brought their vision to life.
“This installation at Mohegan Sun is a complex feat of engineering and is a success not only because of the technology but also because of team that delivered it,” said Reilly. “Everyone worked together in dedicated fashion, to deliver according to the immediacy of the set timescale.”
The same sentiment about the final installation was shared at FanDuel.
“As one of our marquee locations, the Mohegan Sun FanDuel Sportsbook had to be equipped with nothing but the best,” said Juan Torres, FanDuel Director of Design and Construction. “The partnership with Solutionz assured us a superb sports viewing experience, and Unilumin and Peerless-AV’s displays and mounting solutions took this project to the next level. The entire video wall aids in the creation of an energetic space that keeps the customer engaged and excited to be a part of the FanDuel brand.”
Once the project was complete and all parties were satisfied with the incredible results, the teams had a moment to reflect on the hard work put into this installation.
“I am so proud of this project,” said Megan Zeller, Senior Director, Business Development at Peerless-AV. “Not only have I seen the finished video wall for myself and been amazed but I was there with my dvLED install team to see the installation progress and the result is fantastic. The size of this sportsbook video wall competes with the best of the best in Vegas but what makes this most unique is the engineering aspect of the project and all the structural considerations that had to be resolved.”
The result of the dedicated work between Solutionz, Unilumin, and Peerless-AV is a masterpiece that roused great excitement and created a captivating, immersive experience for sports betters. Peerless-AV is proud to have been part of the creation of this stimulating, high-tech environment for the Mohegan Sun FanDuel Sportsbook and all the visitors to come.
No longer the realm of outdoor or indoor mass display, moving into corporate, banking and retail spaces
98 inches is the topmost “common” benchmark
RLCD displays making inroads in outdoor (no backlight needed)
Large displays in drive-thru and menuboards for restaurants increasing
Fine pitch LCD becoming option of choice
Although the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be on the decline, many of the changes will be with us for the long term. An increase in the number of workers doing their jobs from home, services such as curbside pickup at retail stores, continued social distancing recommendations and contactless payment at the point of sale are among the ways of doing business that will likely be a part of our lives for the foreseeable future.
And as face-to-face interaction becomes less of a priority in the marketplace, organizations of all types are reconsidering the ways they communicate with their customers. In many cases, they’re incorporating large-format displays to accomplish the task.
“Previously, large-format displays most commonly were used for immersion and “wow factor” in experience centers or lobbies,” said John Steinhauer, vice president entertainment sales, Americas at global technology company Barco. “Now, these technologies are becoming more common for practicality in board rooms and large meeting spaces as workplaces accommodate both employee distancing rules and remote workers.”
With a trillion dollar-plus infrastructure budget being proposed by the federal government, experts say we’ll see much more digital spread through the community, not just for advertising but for information dissemination and other uses as well. Large-format displays will be at the center of those efforts.
“Since COVID seems to be on the decline, there has been a large spike in people traveling and participating in outdoor activities,” said Nick Lee, chief technology officer with global digital signage company Keyser.
“Digital doesn’t need to be the typical advertising or information,” Lee said. “It can be engaging the public. For instance, two strangers can utilize a 10′ LED pylon to play Pong for 30 seconds to win a free drink at an amusement park. They shouldn’t be treated as technology eyesores but created as artistic features that combines grace, beauty and technology into one.”
A matter of size
digital signage solution Keyser
Before getting into a discussion of the role large-format displays will play in a pandemic-aware world, it’s helpful to get a sense of the various types of displays on the market.
Twenty years ago, a 42-inch LCD display was considered massive, while today those displays are available in sizes as big as 98 inches or more. LCD displays leverage the light-modulating properties of liquid crystals combined with polarizers to create an image. The liquid crystals do not emit light directly, instead using a backlight or reflector to create an image. A resolution of 4K is becoming common, with 8k displays beginning to come down in price.
It’s unlikely displays in sizes much greater than 98 inches will be in common use, simply because of the price jump.
“You can build panels that are higher than that, but there’s going to be a very large jump in price,” said Ben Hardy, Senior Product Manager at Sharp NEC Display Solutions of America. “There are 8k 120s that are absolutely massive and beautiful, but the price jump from a 98 is at least four or five times.
In addition, there’s the difficulty in transporting such displays. A pothole on the interstate could potentially send a $10,000 display back to the factory for repairs, if not to the trash heap. Instead, a similar effect can be created via a video wall comprised of multiple 42-inch displays.
“I think large-format LCD is about as big as it will get, as the Korean and Chinese display manufacturers are not investing in billion-dollar manufacturing plants that would be necessary to make even larger LCD display mother glass,” said Dave Haynes, founder and editor of the digital signage news and information site Sixteen:Nine
Variations on the LCD concept include the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. Because the pixels in an OLED display emit visible light, there’s no need for a backlight. That allows OLED displays to be extremely thin, and in some cases, flexible. Although visually appealing, OLED displays are still relatively pricey compared to their LCD counterparts.
Transparent LCD displays are based on the same technology as typical LCD displays, except for the backlight being eliminated. Instead, transparent LCD displays depend on ambient lighting to create a visible image. That makes them suitable for applications such as the door of a food or drink case in a grocery store. Images on the door are made visible by the lighting in the case.
Another format making inroads is reflective LCD, or RLCD. Reflective LCD displays depend on ambient light to illuminate the image and don’t require a backlight. Because of that power consumption is low and the displays can be extremely thin. RLCD displays are a good solution for outdoor applications, although they’ll need additional lighting to be seen in the dark.
“While RLCD panels themselves may not be 84 inches for more now, you can tile them side by side to create larger displays,” said Mike Casper, co-founder and CEO of display technology company Azumo. “And the bezel is thin enough to where it won’t be noticeable from a distance.”
And making a strong showing in the large-format domain are LED displays. Such displays use the same technology behind those time-and-temperature signs that were once a feature on the side of the local bank. The difference is that pixel pitch, or the distance between individual pixels, continues to shrink, with some displays boasting a pixel pitch of 0.9 mm or even smaller. What that means is that the viewing distance, or the distance from the display the viewer needs to be to perceive a quality image, continues to fall as well. There are a variety of ways to calculate optimum viewing distance, but one common method is to multiply every 1 mm of pixel pitch by 10 to get the viewing distance in feet. So if the display features a 0.9 mm pixel pitch, viewers should be at least 9 feet away from the screen for the best effect.
Advantages of LED displays include the ability to manufacture them in virtually any shape or size. In addition, those screens can be shipped to the deployment and assembled on site. If a panel fails, it can be easily replaced. They’re much brighter than LCD displays, making them great for outdoor and/or high ambient light situations. Brightness can be easily adjusted depending on conditions.
“Large footprint video walls are already being supplanted by LED video walls, despite costs that can be three times or more the capital cost of LCD for the same physical footprint,” Haynes said. “The people who spec big video walls also like the absence of seams, longer operating life and easier maintenance.”
On the downside, LED displays can be expensive and power consumption is higher than an LCD display of comparable size, although both of those issues are being addressed as the technology improves.
First, let’s take a look at where large-format LCD displays are likely to be prominent:
Restaurants
The restaurant industry was among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the National Restaurant Association estimating that more than 110,000 eating and drinking places closed either temporarily or for good in 2020.
Still, one of the restaurant verticals that fared reasonably well during the pandemic (when they could find workers) was the quick-serve segment. Thanks to existing drive-thrus, they could serve customers in a close-to-contactless manner. The challenge, though, was to speed up drive-thru service for the lack of dine-in revenue. Many accomplished that by trimming their menus, eliminating items that took longer to prepare and spotlighting higher-margin offerings.
In addition, some took the opportunity to incorporate digital menu boards at the drive-thru to speed up service. A study conducted by Atlanta-based research firm SeeLevel HX found that the use of pre-sell menu boards that display menu highlights before the customer reached the speaker cut service times at the drive-thru by an average of 13.2 seconds. Those with digital menu boards were also able to update their menus easily, avoiding the printing costs associated with static signage. The SeeLevel HX study found that those with digital menu boards reduced service times by an additional 12.3 seconds, while digital “order confirmation” boards not only increased order accuracy but sped up service times as well, by an average of 17.4 seconds. Incorporating presell boards, digital menu boards and order confirmation boards as part of a complete drive-thru solution can lower service times by as much as 42 seconds or more, critical when revenue depends on serving customers as quickly as possible.
And because the viewing distance from the customer to the board is likely to be relatively short, LCD displays will likely continue to dominate the QSR space.
Education
The pressure is on to reinstate in-person instruction, but social distancing remains a concern. One of the ways schools can address social distancing concerns while still delivering face-to-face instructions is via the use of large-format displays in lecture halls. Instructors can supplement lectures with PowerPoint presentations and/or videos, displaying those images on a screen large enough for those in the back of the hall to see clearly.
“In recent years, schools have dipped their toes into the waters of digital presentation technology—digital whiteboards, short-throw projection systems, etc.,” wrote Victoria Sanville, National Sales Manager, Public Sector Vertical at LG Business Solutions USA, in an article appearing on the education site spaces4learning.com.
“But the future isn’t about presentations; it’s not defined by teachers showing on a screen what students need to learn,” Sanville wrote. “It’s about students and teachers actively and easily engaging with what’s on a screen—manipulating it, collaborating over it, even determining what ‘it’ is.”
Modern display technology allows for this classroom engagement, Sanville wrote.
“Interactive digital boards (or Interactive whiteboards)—that is, large-format displays with integrated touch functionality—serve two important purposes,” she wrote. “Touchscreen technology allows elementary school students to interact with learning material, while boards with screen-sharing capabilities allow upper classes to see the work that a single student performs on her personal computing device—she’s able to wirelessly share what’s on her screen via the interactive whiteboard.”
Of course, cost remains a concern. Lecture halls with large-format displays may be a way to have a single professor teach in multiple locations at once. Wayfinding and sports presentations will be a factor as well.
Retail
The enclosed shopping mall is on the way out, retail industry insiders stay. A 2020 report from retail intelligence firm Coresight Research predicts that as many as 25 percent of the roughly 1,000 shopping malls in the United States will close in the next five years, with the pandemic speeding up a trend that had been gaining steam over the past decade. In the ultimate irony, many of those vacant malls are being bought up by the company that contributed to their demise: Amazon. The online retailer has converted about 25 shopping malls into fulfillment centers over the past five years.
Replacing the enclosed shopping mall is the open-air retail center. Advantages of the open-air concept compared with enclosed malls include lower operating costs, increased visibility for individual stores and a sense of increased safety when it comes to social distancing.
The challenge for store operators is to capture the attention of shoppers either from their cars or from the sidewalk. Large-format displays at the street, in windows and on sidewalk kiosks will be part of meeting that challenge.
And of course, once the customers are inside the store the same rules regarding digital signage apply. Video walls and other in-store signage will continue to deliver messaging to shoppers. More and more, though, deployers will incorporate IoT devices such as temperature sensors and Bluetooth beacons to deliver more targeted and personalized content.
Transportation and smart city efforts
Lockdowns pressed the pause button on many smart city initiatives, but they are likely to be picking up shortly. Kiosks and large-format displays are a part of those efforts. Some cities are realizing that the pandemic spotlighted the need for smart city technology.
According to a recent survey of senior officials from 167 cities across 82 countries, sponsored by technology company Oracle, 65 percent of city leaders noted the biggest lesson learned during the pandemic was just how crucial smart city programs were for their future. In addition, 37 percent of city leaders said COVID-19 highlighted the need to invest more in upgrading core infrastructure.
The pandemic highlighted several issues facing cities, including transit and mobility and Internet connectivity for digital services, teleworking and remote learning. The pandemic also shone a spotlight on the role of data and technology in delivering citizen services and making informed government decisions. And as a sense of normalcy begins to return to cities, some are incorporating technology as a way to boost efficiency.
“Pre-pandemic, cities were in relatively good shape,” Steven Goldsmith, who directs the Innovations in American Government Program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, told the news site Govtech.com. “Then you wake up one day and you’ve gone from 4 percent unemployment to 20 percent unemployment. Your revenues have gone from a surplus to a really bad negative. And you’ve got a lot of ill people in your community straining your resources. These are disruptions like never before in the modern U.S. city.”
Large-format displays have long had a place in transportation, and they’ll continue to do so, albeit with some enhancements. In addition to displaying arrival/departure information at transportation hubs, large format displays are being incorporated into ticketing and wayfinding kiosks.
“Large format signage is where the kiosk industry has moved to and vice-versa,” said Neil Farr, managing director of Boston-based Acquire Digital. The 22-year-old company is a global leader in innovative digital signage software and interactive experiences.
“No matter what the format of display, ‘smart’ information can be shown – this includes messages like the best place to stand on a train platform for a less-crowded carriage, which airport security queue is shorter, and which area of the parking garage to park to get the best location,” Farr said. “In our case, we are just about to roll out our ‘smart signage’ integration of our wayfinder and DOOH advertising platform, so that adverts in the airport are only shown for retailers who are open and nearby automatically, with distance and direction automatically added, and issues such as flight delays and cancellations trigger and advise to visit a restaurant or bar if open.”
In addition, Acquire is enhancing its smart city and ticketing solutions with cameras, as with its Video Link Ticket Machines, to allow users to connect with a remote agent for assistance with issues such as buying tickets or journey planning information.
The other side of the coin
These are just some of the situations where large-format LCD displays will play a role going forward. Let’s take a look at LED displays.
Although fine-pitch LED has just begun to make inroads into the indoor market, it’s becoming the display of choice for outdoor applications. About 75% of the LED market is outdoor displays. Fine-pitch LEDs no longer limit the end user on the standard 16:9 aspect ratio of LCD.
“There are lots of applications for LED displays in outdoor settings such as sports stadiums, the side of buildings, digital billboards and so forth,” said Keyser president Kim Keyser-Clisham. “It’s easy to create a configuration of any size or shape.
Fine pitch LED is slowly encroaching on the large-format LCD display market, although the price point is not yet competitive with LCDs. Still, this doesn’t mean that within the next 5-10 years we won’t see significant growth in the market for indoor and outdoor LED displays.
Here’s where LED displays are likely to shine going forward:
Entertainment
Click for full size — LVCC LED digital signage (22Miles software)
Large-format LED displays were playing a role in entertainment long before the pandemic. In 2014, for example, Panasonic unveiled a $12 million LED “Big Board” In Louisville, Ky., at Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby. At the time, it was the largest 4K video board in the world at 52 meters wide and 27.5 meters tall. Content included multiple split-screen presentations of video, images, data and live and recorded programming The board offered fans in the 55,638 clubhouse and grandstand seats and the thousands of fans in the track’s 26-acre infield a clear view of the action.
“We’re very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Churchill Downs and deliver a 15,224-square-foot board to an icon of the sports world,” said Jim Doyle, President of Panasonic Eco Solutions North America in a press release announcing the effort. “4K content is truly the wave of the future and we are excited to bring avid racing fans this technology that gives them the ability to view content on a big screen as if they were up close and personal with the racetrack.”
In 2018, Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters incorporated a 64.5m wide x 12m high LED display supplied by Shenzhen, China-based INFiLED as the backdrop of his Us + Them concert tour. At 21.8 million pixels and a 5.9 mm pixel pitch, the display was the highest-resolution touring LED screen in the world to date.
“As always with our displays, and events of this nature, content is key,” said infiLED Head of Engineering Si Jones in a release. “We were blown away by the whole production and the way the show captured the crowd. The music and atmosphere, supported by incredible content on such a significant display screen, just created an amazing all-round experience.”
And Disney’s Star Wars-based series The Mandalorian substitutes LED displays for green screens. According to the film industry publication American Cinematographer, the filming set, known as The Volume, consists of a curved, 6-meter-high-by-55-meter-wide LED video wall comprised of 1,326 individual LED screens with a 2.84mm pixel pitch. Topping that was an LED video ceiling, set directly onto the LED wall.
“The Volume allows us to bring many different environments under one roof,” Visual effects supervisor Richard Bluff of visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic told the publication. “We could be shooting on the lava flats of Nevarro in the morning and in the deserts of Tatooine in the afternoon. Of course, there are practical considerations to switching over environments, but we [typically did] two environments in one day.”
Background scenes were displayed on the LED wall during filming. The wall offered several advantages compared with a green screen, including eliminating the cost of adding those effects in post-production and making it easier for actors to immerse themselves into the scene.
Advertising
Most of us have seen LED billboards along the country’s highways and byways, and anyone who’s been to New York’s Times Square has been inundated with ads from countless LED displays.
“We’ve seen a rush to continued higher resolution, and the price point continues to come down as there’s more scale and more product,” said Kyle Dines, VP Sports and Indoor at Danville, Ill.-based Watchfire Signs.
Watchfire has about 65,000 LED displays operating across four distinct markets: out-of-home, on-premise, indoor and sports.
“The other big thing is just the overall flexibility of design of LED,” Dines said. “We’re seeing architectural uses, things besides just as a flat screen on the wall, and really odd-shaped applications.”
Watchfire is the company behind the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas, the largest single video screen in the world. The quarter-mile-long canopy display consists of more than 49 million LEDs. suspended 90 feet in the air.
Other innovative applications include the Coca-Cola sign in Times Square. The sign has been updated many times since it was installed in 1920, but it’s the one unveiled in 2017 that demonstrated the potential for new opportunities in digital displays.
Recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s first 3D robotic billboard, the sign measures 210.2 square meters and is made up of more than 1,700 moving LED cubes and 245 static cubes. The moving cubes can be programmed to create effects ranging from a wave rolling across the screen to flowing liquid to that of a flag waving in the breeze, and many more.
LED displays are being used to create 3D effects, such as in a digital signage art installation in Seoul, South Korea, manufactured by Samsung. The curved 80m x 20m display, called “the world’s largest 3D wave,” shows what appears to be a giant wall of water crashing inside a huge aquarium. The display is comprised of 31,000 LED panels installed at the Coex Artium in K-Pop Square in the city’s Gangnam district.
Other scenarios displayed on the screen include a rain forest, a giant whale and flowing 3D animation.
Or consider the signage wrapping around the sales center of real estate developer Kaisa Prosperity on the Guangzhou Baiyun Kaisa City Plaza in Guangdong province, China. The 275 sq m trapezoid-shaped LED wall displays everything from underwater scenes to robots. Inside the building, LED panels mounted on the ceiling show scenes of the galaxy.
“While in the short to medium-term, there’s no doubt in my mind that LCD will continue to reign supreme as the best manufacturer choice for large format displays, there’s been a strong R&D shift observable from LFD leaders like South Korea, Japan, and Europe to move focus away from LCD towards both LED subsets like MLED and other emerging light-emission techniques,” said Kaelum Ross, founder of technology site What in Tech and Project Manager at Fujitsu in the UK and Ireland.
“While this may be led by the mainstream market, I fully expect the focused research in this space to indirectly contribute towards the shift to non-LCD technology, similar to how the push of smartphone technology, due to its striking demand, has indirectly impacted manufacturing technology for PCs, laptops and VR,” Ross said.
A place for interactivity
Interactivity was a growing trend in digital signage before the COVID-19 pandemic, blurring the line between digital signage and self-service kiosks. But with consumers today hesitant to touch displays for fear of contracting COVID, what will be the place of interactive signage in a health-conscious world?
Many restaurants and other establishments shut down on-premises operations, during the pandemic, making the use of kiosks a moot point. But as those places reopen, the role of interactivity remains unclear.
Antimicrobial coatings for kiosks and other touchscreen displays had long been promoted as a solution for screens located in health care facilities, and interest in such solutions increased throughout 2020. Still, a report from New York-based Lux Research cautioned against making health claims regarding such coatings.
“COVID-19 has driven substantial interest in antimicrobial coatings this year and is proving to be a catalyst for antimicrobial research and funding,” Tiffany Hua, research associate at Lux Research, said in a news release.
“When considering the wide range of solutions used as preventive measures against COVID-19, it is important to understand the limitations of these technologies,” Hua said. “Metallic antimicrobial agents like silver and copper can be effective against both bacteria and viruses, but ensuring their effectiveness when dispersed in coating matrices still poses challenges.”
Editors Note: the most touted is antimicrobial coatings. These do not “kill” microbes, they inhibit bacteria growth once bacteria deposited. It takes time and operationally a touchscreen is repeatedly touched throughout the business cycle. The inhibit function never gets a chance. Example — If a touchscreen could go 72 hours post touch without any touching, then that original bacteria may have “starved” and died. The original recommendation to wipe down the screens periodically, if only with basic soap and water is still the best advice by far.
Antimicrobial coatings lack certainty and documentation around performance while still struggling to prove that their incorporation leads to better health outcomes, Hua said.
“Regulatory approval is another challenge, as new disinfectant and antimicrobial solutions must have EPA and FDA approval to make effectiveness claims. There are also health and environmental concerns that need to be addressed and have increased regulation and oversight. With a surge in research and funding, there will be less concern over performance and regulation.”
Others are exploring gesture controls as a way to incorporate touchless interactivity, leveraging cameras to detect hand motions and manipulate content on a display. Research firm CB Insights found more than 500 references to either hand gestures or gesture recognition in patent documents filed from 2016 through 1Q21, with the entertainment, health care, auto and retail industries poised to be the top beneficiaries of such applications. In addition, media mentions of “gesture recognition” or “gesture control” shot up dramatically during the second half of 2020, the firm said.
And while many are cautious about touching screens in public spaces, there’s one screen with which they have no trouble interacting: their smartphone display. That comfort level has spawned the development of applications that allow users to control the content on a digital display via their mobile device.
Several of these solutions incorporate a QR code on the screen that users can scan with their mobile device. They’re then connected to the display via the Internet and can manipulate content via the browser on their mobile device. There’s no Wi-Fi connection, and the user doesn’t need to download an application to connect. In addition to allowing users to interact with kiosks and other touchscreen displays without actually touching the screen, these solutions allow interactivity to be added to displays behind retail store windows, projected content and LED displays.
The final word
The world is slowly regaining a sense of normalcy, but it’s a safe bet that the way we interact and conduct business in the future will be much different than it was before 2020. We might be dispensing with masks and businesses may be reopening, but going forward we’ll likely be a bit more cognizant of social distancing, and many of us will be working remotely even after the pandemic is a distant memory. Organizations of all types are struggling to attract w
But to quote Albert Einstein, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” Communication will continue to be the lifeblood of the world, and while the events of the past year have been tragic, they present a tremendous opportunity for kiosks, digital signage, and particularly, large format displays.
InfoComm 2023 Interactive with Moment Factory and Nanolumens
The Interactive Experience created by Moment Factory powered by Nanolumens (booth 361) will showcase examples of “innovative” opportunities available in digital signage, with a wow factor. Showcased upon a pair of 16 by 9-foot Nanolumens Engage Series 2.5mm LED walls by integrating Kinect, scanning, and tracking technologies.
This installation features a range of interactive displays that respond to the movements and gestures of visitors, creating a truly personalized experience. Over the course of three days, visitors can control and manipulate the content in a variety of ways, exploring the limits of creative expression and innovation.
InfoComm Partners with Moment Factory and Nanolumens to Present an Interactive Booth Experience at the June Show
FAIRFAX, Va., April 21, 2023 — InfoComm for the first time ever is partnering with one of the world’s leading multimedia entertainment studios, Moment Factory and Atlanta based, LED design and manufacturer Nanolumens to bring three days of dazzling interactive experiences to the show this June 14-16 in Orlando, Florida.
The Interactive Experience created by Moment Factory powered by Nanolumens (booth 361) will showcase a selection of distinct visual systems that demonstrates the innovative opportunities available in digital signage that provide a sense of awe with the audience. This activation will be showcased upon a pair of 16 by 9-foot Nanolumens Engage Series 2.5mm LED walls through the integration of Kinect, scanning, and tracking technologies.
The Interactive Experience booth, created by Moment Factory, is a one-of-a-kind fusion of art and technology that is sure to dazzle visitors. Kicking off on Wednesday, June 14, this installation features a range of interactive displays that respond to the movements and gestures of visitors, creating a truly personalized experience. Over the course of three days, visitors can control and manipulate the content in a variety of ways, exploring the limits of creative expression and innovation.
In addition, the Technology Innovation Stage will welcome Jamie Reilly, General Manager of Moment Factory Events and USA, on Wednesday, June 14 at 9:30 a.m. Dorothy Di Stefano, Founder/Director of Molten Immersive Art, will interview Reilly about the studio’s vision about creating immersive experiences.
“We’re thrilled to collaborate on this interactive experience with Moment Factory and Nanolumens and can’t wait to unveil it at InfoComm 2023,” said Rochelle Richardson, CEM, Senior Vice President of Expositions and Events, AVIXA, producer of InfoComm. “This activation will embody how content, space, and technology are used to create incredible experiences.”
InfoComm 2023 is sponsored by Strategic Partners Blackmagic Design and Creston and Supporting Partner Shure Incorporated.
For ongoing conversations and news about InfoComm 2023, visit the InfoComm room on AVIXA Xchange, a unique community for the AV industry designed to connect thought leaders, industry-leading solution providers, and innovative manufacturers with AV solution seekers.
About InfoComm
InfoComm is the largest technology exhibition and conference in North America focused on the pro AV industry. The exhibition is produced by the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA) and currently ranks as the 28th largest trade show in the United States by Trade Show Executive. In addition, AVIXA and its partners produce a global portfolio of trade shows and conferences, including InfoComm China, Beijing; InfoComm India; InfoComm Southeast Asia; Integrate; and Integrated Systems Europe.
About AVIXA
AVIXA is the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association, producer of InfoComm trade shows around the world, co-owner of Integrated Systems Europe, and the international trade association representing the audiovisual industry. Established in 1939, AVIXA has more than 20,000 enterprise and individual members, including manufacturers, systems integrators, dealers and distributors, consultants, programmers, live events companies, technology managers, content producers, and multimedia professionals from more than 80 countries. AVIXA members create integrated AV experiences that deliver outcomes for end users. AVIXA is a hub for professional collaboration, information, and community, and is the leading resource for AV standards, certification, training, market intelligence, and thought leadership. Visit avixa.org.
About Moment Factory
Moment Factory is a multimedia studio with a full range of production expertise under one roof. Our team combines specializations in video, lighting, architecture, sound and special effects to create remarkable experiences. Headquartered in Montreal, the studio also has other addresses in Tokyo, Paris, New York City and Singapore. Since its inception in 2001, Moment Factory has created more than 525 unique projects worldwide, including the Lumina Night Walk series. Productions span the globe and include such clients as Changi Airport, Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal, Disney, Arcade Fire, Microsoft, Sony, Boston Museum of Science, Madonna, Cipriani, Universal Studios, the Toronto Zoo and the Reims Cathedral.
About Nanolumens
Nanolumens is a US-Based LED design and manufacturer headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. NanoLumens offers world-class screens across multiple market segments adding wonder to physical spaces. We’re pioneers of the true curve™ technology and are committed to being better. With a bold and visionary team of experts we will take your project, in all shapes and sizes, from concept to reality. We bring your creative visions to life, leaving a first and lasting impression. We are LED!