Signage Insights
First digital signage standards to be introduced
Oct 11, 2005 5:24 PM, Digital Signage Update e-newsletter
The first draft of industry standards for digital signage is slated for release to the broad signage marketplace this month. These initial standards — non-technical definitions of common industry terminology and processes — were developed by the Digital Signage Standards Working Group, one of five Digital Signage Group committees formed early this year by the not-for-profit Point-of-Purchase Advertising International (POPAI) organization.
Non-technical nomenclature standards were deemed the most appropriate starting point because they will help establish a common lingo for the other digital signage groups at POPAI – and for the maturing signage industry at large – according to Matt Nelson, director of strategic business at Avocent, who was recently named chairman of the standards working group. His committee, which meets via conference call every two weeks, is charged with fostering both non-technical and technical standards to enable compatibility and interoperability among digital signage technologies and signage-related business processes.
Nelson said the standards group examined glossaries provided by companies in the industry to develop its initial list of top terms, as well as a reference system that describes a typical digital signage network.
The digital signage group completed its draft standards in late September. After a brief review and comment by other signage industry participants at POPAI, the draft standards will be released later in October to the broader marketplace. Many digital signage companies have agreed to post the draft nomenclature standards to their Web sites, Nelson said, noting that his committee welcomes feedback from the marketplace.
More than 60 companies and more than 100 individuals from the digital signage industry already participate in the efforts of the five digital signage working groups at POPAI, according to Joe Finizio, vice president of member services at POPAI.
For more information, visit www.popai.com.
Signage technology must ‘engage, inform and educate consumers at retail’
Oct 12, 2005 10:10 AM, ENG Update e-newsletter
Digital signage systems, self-checkout kiosks, plasma screens and other equipment have transformed the retail landscape. But brands and brand managers, as well as retailers, must truly understand the new technology in today’s retail environment and harness it more effectively, Benjamin S. Weshler, president and CEO of The DSI Group, told a group at the HBA Health & Beauty America show in New York.
In-store merchandising has grown over the past 40 years with the proliferation of brands, but until now has not been recognized as an essential part of the media mix because it couldn’t be measured and it wasn’t as “sexy” as network TV, Weshler said.
Now the marketplace is recognizing this newfound religion of in-store, because traditional mass marketing is less effective at reaching consumers who are now more knowledgeable, more demanding and more savvy in their product choices – and certainly more pressed for time, he said.
For more information, visit www.thedsigroup.net.
Finding right balance is a challenge for digital signage partnerships
Oct 12, 2005 10:16 AM, Digital Signage Update e-newsletter
It’s not surprising to see digital signage proliferating at retail, where it is relatively easy to delineate the linkage between signage and sales lift. Figuring out the payback for other applications can be more challenging, though still worthwhile, said industry veteran Brad Gleeson. This is the second part of Digital Signage Update’s interview with ActiveLight’s president and COO, who also helped found the Digital Signage Group Gleeson co-chairs at the not-for-profit Point-Of-Purchase Advertising International (POPAI).
Digital Signage Update: How valuable are partnerships proving to be in driving growth of digital signage beyond the retail setting, such as at airports?
Brad Gleeson: There’s certainly an interest in public-private partnerships to rationalize the capital expense of signage networks. It can be a challenge to balance the profitability versus the requirements of the real estate owner. In transportation applications, for instance, the requirements of the transit authority often are so progressive, grandiose even. They want real-time information, current events, weather – and the amount of time that’s left for advertisers to generate revenues is cut in half. Folks will tell you they’re not making money in those applications. It may be a struggle to get to the ideal public-private partnership.
DSU: If the signage application must generate revenue, what makes it successful?
Gleeson: The money is at the media. You have to have the ad sales model to make it work. That’s why the Liberty Medias and Viacoms and ClearChannels are saying we need to stake our claim because this is our business – we sell public space advertising. The ad sales guys really have the business model to make that advertising-based revenue model work. There’s great complexity and cost in selling those ads – the renewals, the residuals, that’s tricky. But the beauty of digital signage is it’s a heck of a lot closer to the transaction than just about any other media you can think of. So if you can deploy signage effectively, you ought to be able to see the needle move.
DSU: You hear a lot about linking signage content to consumer behavior and triggering displays based on certain conditions. How important is this?
Gleeson: The risk of our industry right now is over-promising and under-delivering. For years people have promised the linkage of point-of-sale and signage and inventory — advertising shorts and cold beer on a sunny day and putting out coats and galoshes on a cold day. I try to get people to slow down, back up, and ask “is that what you’re doing it for?” It’s great to advertise the McDonalds closest to the subway station, and that’s not rocket science. But I think we need it to be more routine — it shouldn’t be big news when a supermarket decides to invest in digital signage.
DSU: Where are the growth opportunities for digital signage over the next year or two?
Gleeson: Retail is really important. That’s where the money will be made, so for the most part, that’s where the most attention and money will go. But what’s also interesting to me is to find the stuff in the gaps. Government and public information-based applications are interesting opportunities. On the corporate communications side, companies can use displays to communicate to non-desk workers in factories and other environments. This will grow because companies increasingly recognize the importance of getting critical information out to their workforces.
I’m also intrigued by digital signage in temporary situations. Yahoo! installed touch-screen plasma displays in bus stations to advertise local mapping and information services. They measured results based on how many national news stations picked up the story. We really haven’t yet scratched the surface of all the ways we can deploy this technology to accomplish some uniform information communication. There are lots of new ways and wrinkles, so it will be interesting to see what sticks around as opposed to what turns out to be a novelty.
To read Part I of this interview, check out Signage proliferating at all levels.
Narrowcasting News & Events
Dolphins Stadium to install two new HD LED displays
Oct 12, 2005 10:29 AM, Digital Signage Update e-newsletter
 The Daktronics HD LED screens will exceed the resolution and aspect ratio of HDTV, enabling panoramic and multi-image views. |
Each display’s physical pixel resolution will exceed the 720p x 1280p HDTV standard and will incorporate an even wider aspect ratio than the 9:16 ratio of HDTV, providing wide panoramas and enabling the stadium to show multiple HD images simultaneously.
Both displays will utilize the existing scoreboard structure. The larger display, located behind the east end zone, will measure approximately 50ft x 137ft with a 736p x 2112p resolution. Full-screen images shown on this display will be comprised of more than 1.5 million pixels, made from more than 4.6 million red, green and blue LEDs. The smaller display, to be installed behind the west end zone, will measure approximately 50ft x 99ft.
The project is scheduled to be completed in time for the Florida Marlins’ 2006 baseball season.
For more information, visit www.daktronics.com.
Media server replaces tape on Brooks & Dunn concert tour
Oct 12, 2005 11:17 AM, Digital Signage Update e-newsletter
 The 48ft video wall at Brooks & Dunn concerts now will be powered by a 360 Systems server. |
Media Visions, a video equipment and crew provider, is replacing tape-based video presentations and projections on the Brooks & Dunn concert tour.
The company will use the Image Server 2000 from 360 Systems to recall and project graphics, live camera shots, and pre-produced B-roll footage on the musicians’ 12ft x 48ft video wall comprised of three LED screens.
The digital media server allows Media Visions to replace bulkier, slower tape-based systems.
For more information, visit www.360systems.com.
UCLA improves campus communications with narrowcasting
Oct 12, 2005 11:46 AM, Digital Signage Update e-newsletter
 Students watch a mix of campus information and ad content via the on-campus narrowcasting network. |
The display system, provided and supported by The University Network, was installed in January 2003 to give UCLA recreation administrators a better way to communicate with students. The InFocus TD40 LCD display has proven to be an effective venue for students to learn about campus and recreational events and programs. Consequently, UCLA plans to devote greater resources to managing its content creation.
Currently, a five-person staff of coordinators and students uses InDesign and Photoshop to design still images. The images and accompanying text then are sent to The University Network, where they are combined with stock footage to create UCLA's custom content.
Within the next several months, the university plans to produce at least one third of the video content on-site using Adobe Premiere. Additionally, student groups create videos promoting events such as a recent campus blood drive.
InFocus provides custom proprietary scheduling software used to program the blend of UCLA content and advertising, which is delivered to the networked display through a wired, high-speed Internet connection.
For more information, visit www.theuniversitynetwork.net.
Travel agencies eliminate printed, manual signage with dynamic displays
Oct 12, 2005 11:55 AM, Digital Signage Update e-newsletter
 Digital displays replace printed and hand-produced signage in travel agency storefronts. |
The digital system is intended to reduce the money that travel agencies spend on posters and other window signage and provide an easier way to update the agency’s most important sign — the airfare board, which displays the latest relevant airfares. Traditionally, these airfare boards are updated manually by staff using whiteboard markers.
PDT’s centrally controlled digital signage solution uses Scala’s InfoChannel Designer, Network Manager and Player software to power the travel agency’s displays. Using the system, expiration times can be set for limited duration specials while airfares can be updated on digital displays directly from a rates database, allowing special short term airfares to be placed on screens almost immediately. Moreover, the centrally generated network content serves multiple locations while allowing promotions and content to be tailored for each agency retail location.
PDT has been using the Scala system in the travel industry for about 18 months.The company estimates that its travel agency solution costs roughly the same as printing two posters per month and updating the airfare board once a week.
For more information, visit www.pdtsa.co.za or www.scala.com.
Calendar
DSU Calendar
Feb 10, 2006 8:00 AM, Digital Signage Update e-newsletter
National Religious Broadcasters Convention & Expo
Feb. 17-22, Dallas-Ft. Worth
http://content.nrb.org/convention-files/NRB2005/home.htm
Digital Signage for Venues & Public Spaces
Feb. 28 - March 1, Washington, DC
www.strategyinstitute.com
NSCA Systems Integration Expo
March 16-18, Las Vegas
www.nsca.org
DisplaySearch US FPD Conference
March 21-23, San Diego, CA
www.displaysearch.com
GlobalShop 2006
March 26-28, Orlando
www.globalshop.org
Second Annual World Digital Signage Summit
April 4-5, New York City
www.strategyinstitute.com/040406_digisign_ny/dsp_digisign_world.php
KioskCom 2006
April 10-12, Las Vegas
www.kioskcom.com
NAB
April 22-27, Las Vegas
www.nabshow.com
AD:Tech San Francisco
April 26-28, 2006, San Francisco
www.ad-tech.com/sf.asp
Digital Signage Products
VertigoXmedia receives patent for template-based graphics
Oct 12, 2005 4:54 PM, Digital Signage Update e-newsletter
VertigoXmedia has been granted a patent by the U.S. Patent Office that covers the use of templates to create and edit data-driven graphics and play them out to TVs and digital displays. These features are part of the core functionality of the company’s Xmedia Suite centralized asset management system.
The Xmedia Suite provides a platform to create, edit, and control 2-D and 3-D digital assets. When users design graphical templates and link them to the data feeds, the system automatically produces up-to-date graphics with any standard character generator.
For more information, visit www.vertigoxmedia.com.
Stratos introduces high-density media converters for digital video transport
Oct 12, 2005 4:59 PM, Digital Signage Update e-newsletter
 Stratos mini-VMCs convert signals between coax and fiber optic cabling. |
The media converters enable use of fiber transport in HD production. Transmitters and receivers are compliant with SMPTE protocols and support data rates from 19.4Mb/s to 1.485Gb/s. The electro-optical performance meets or exceeds all SMPTE specifications. Options include CWDM and DFB transmitters.
Included in the mini-VMC is a digital diagnostics monitoring interface (DDMI) for real-time access to critical operating parameters such as module temperature, module supply voltage, received optical power (receiver only), transmitted optical power and laser bias current (transmitter only). DDMI also provides alarm flags to warn when specific operating parameters have been exceeded. This data is accessed via a 4-pin XLR-type connector that also provides DC power to the device. A multi-color LED indicator serves as a quick visual indication of Go/No-Go link status and DDMI alarms and warnings.
For more information, visit www.stratoslightwave.com.
CTX debuts LCD displays for government and education applications
Oct 12, 2005 5:16 PM, Digital Signage Update e-newsletter
CTX is shipping its first Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS)-compliant 17in S791A and S792A monitors in advance of the regulatory deadline imposed by the European Parliament and Council of the European Union. RoHS requires that manufacturers reduce the usage of hazardous substances including lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl in electrical and electronic equipment by July 2006. As of that date, companies whose products are not RoHS-compliant will not be permitted for sale throughout Europe and eventually in parts of Asia.
The S791A and S792A monitors feature a contrast ratio of 400:1 and brightness of 280cd/m˛, 12ms response time for conferencing and other video applications, and enhanced native resolution. Viewing angles are 140 degrees from side-to-side and 120 degrees from top-to-bottom. The monitors also include built-in stereo speakers, are compatible with VESA wall-mounting standards, and are TCO’03 certified.
For more information, visit www.ctxtec.com.
Noventri to show HD signage software
Oct 12, 2005 5:18 PM, Digital Signage Update e-newsletter
At the Government Video & Technology Expo 2005 Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, Noventri will demonstrate the HD option and other features of its SignFlash digital signage software platform in the event’s digital signage pavilion. SignFlash can drive content both horizontally or vertically on HD and SD displays.
The SignFlash system provides regions of video, animations, live video feed, stills, text rolls and text crawls that can be updated dynamically and remotely. This multi-region layout allows all regions to run simultaneously and overlap each other.
For more information, visit www.noventri.com or www.spec-comm.com.
Resources
ActiveLight releases latest edition of digital signage resource directory
Oct 12, 2005 5:20 PM, Digital Signage Update e-newsletter
Activelight has released the fourth edition of its annual digital signage resource directory.
This year’s directory includes an expanded listing of companies involved in all aspects of digital signage, including displays, software and content. It also provides new product listings, market analysis from research firms, and digital signage installation case studies.
The directory, now issued as part of Digital Signage Quarterly, is available online and can be ordered for free at www.digitalsignagequarterly.com.
Clarity Visual offers digital visual messaging white paper
Oct 12, 2005 5:24 PM, Digital Signage Update e-newsletter
Clarity Visual is offering a white paper on “Digital Visual Messaging: An Evolutionary Medium for Out-of-Home Communications.”
According to the white paper, affordable new display products coupled with today's ubiquitous digital media, IT and communications infrastructures are creating an evolutionary opportunity for digital visual messaging – the dynamic display of information and marketing content to out-of-home audiences.
The white paper is available at www.clarityvisual.com/news/whitepapers.
