Minicom Advanced Systems – a manufacturer of distribution and extensions solutions for digital signage system networks – has completed a major white paper comparing the advantages and repercussions of different locations for media players in digital signage Last Mile applications. The paper is entitled "Cost Ramifications of Player Placement in Digital Signage Networks."
While both media "player in back room" and "player at screen" topologies are popular choices for digital signage networks, there are significant differences between the two, which have major repercussions on Total Cost of Ownership.
Maximizing Return On Investment (ROI) from digital signage networks necessitates optimizing screen placement to ensure the largest number of people are exposed to the greatest amount of content. A screen which can not be properly seen by the public renders the entire digital signage network investment useless. In contrast to display devices, media players apparently have a wide choice of placement options. A closer look, however, reveals that media players have their own set of placement requirements that are at least as rigorous as those governing screens.
As intricate PC-based IT devices, media players are susceptible to numerous dangers which can significantly affect their Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Situating your players at screen in the public area makes them difficult to service and exposes them to multiple environmental hazards, thus lowering their Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF). Using extension technology to safely store your media players in a back room ensures your IT investment is protected in an environmentally controlled setting which maintains their MTBF and places them in a location where they can easily be serviced and maintained.
This report looks at the challenges, benefits and considerations of different media player placements, and outlines Minicom's DS Vision 3000 Extension and Distribution System solution.
For more information: www.minicom.com.
