In today’s distraction-filled digital world, bright pictures and colorful graphics aren’t enough to command attention. From eye-catching signage in unique form factors, to kiosks that operate like giant tablets, the following are a selection of some new products that are changing the way digital signage is done.
BrightSign Media Players
BrightSign’s media players enable interactive digital signage that attracts and engages viewers. Interactive signage is commonly used to give virtual product demonstrations, deliver point-of-purchase coupons, and provide on-demand pricing to customers. The players can trigger playback from virtually any type of interactive device using interactive playlists in BrightAuthor or HTML5 including touchscreens, barcode scans, motion sensors, RFID, UDP controls, GPIO and USB button controls, IR remote controls, serial devices, keyboards, mice, and much more. UDP or serial controls are used to power and manage media playback, control AV devices such as projectors, lighting, and audio systems, and they integrate with other third-party show controllers from a range of companies.
LG’s Dual-View Curved Tiling OLED Display
LG’s Dual-View Curved Tiling OLED display offers an innovative curved design using slim tiles to form customizable displays that link two, three, or four tiles together. As part of the industry’s first-ever line of commercial OLED display, the 65-inch portrait display boasts a paper-thin and an eye-catching dual-sided view to offer customers a multimedia experience while providing retailers a way to utilize their space efficiently. Additionally, each screen tile features 4K Ultra HD (3840x2160) resolution, showcasing a more lifelike viewing experience to capture consumer attention. High-performance system-on-a-chip (SoC) coupled with a 128GB internal memory capacity enable the display to deliver perfect UHD-synched playback without the need for PCs or a media player, further increasing retailers’ flexibility in installation and presentation.
Peerless-AV Custom Kiosks
Designed to fit the needs of any application, from retail and restaurants to hospitality and transportation, Peerless-AV’s custom kiosks are interactive solutions serving as digital signage. These kiosks are available in on-wall, in-wall, and floor-standing portrait and landscape orientations that can be placed both indoors and outdoors. With features such as media players, touch capabilities, card readers, printers, stereo speakers with an amplifier, Wi-Fi, NFC devices, proximity sensors, and tempered glass of Lexan surfaces with anti-glare treatment, Peerless-AV’s custom kiosks offer numerous interactive functions to service customers, including wayfinding, payment processing, entertainment, and general inquiries. To help further customize solutions, Peerless-AV offers its KioskBuilder, an option for end users that are looking to put a personal, signature touch on each interactive solution.
tvONE CORIOmaster
tvONE’s CORIOmaster is designed to provide the “missing component” in digital signage applications: the creative video wall. This modular system provides an “anything-in to anything-out” platform and rotation in increments of 1 to 360 degrees. Later this year, tvONE will add streaming and media playback to the input options. Available in a 4RU and 1RU chassis, the CORIOmaster multi-window processor is well suited for a variety of digital signage challenges.
Planar Clarity Matrix
For large, interactive displays in public spaces or collaboration environments, Planar’s Clarity Matrix MultiTouch Video Wall System provides an ultra-slim profile, high-impact interactive video wall. This system utilizes a touch sensor frame around the edge of the video wall allowing multiple users to touch and use gestures to interact with content. The modular design of the Clarity Matrix with ERO provides a near seamless touch surface while ensuring ease of installation and serviceability, less parallax error, and superior optical properties. Clarity Matrix MultiTouch features an ultra-slim profile with Planar’s EasyAxis Mounting System, which enables fine adjustments to achieve perfect panel-to-panel alignment, creating a continuous touch surface.
Chief Fusion Mounts
Fusion Dynamic Height Adjustable Mounts are well suited for interactive applications. Height adjustment creates better accessibility to interactive technology displays that are taking an ever-increasing role digital signage. The height-adjustable box allows up to 15.75 inches of vertical adjustment instantly—much faster than electric display mounts. This height adjustable solution is available in cart, floor-supported, and wall-mounted options. The starting height with the cart and floor support options can be set at 3-inch intervals over a span of 12 inches. Fusion features include ControlZone for post-installation fine-tuning of height and leveling, as well as ClickConnect for an audible click when the screen safely engages with the mount. A full line of accessories can be installed with the mount and the entire unit can be adjusted together.
Black Box iCOMPEL
Black Box’s iCOMPEL is a high-quality digital signage content playback solution, including both hardware and software. Accompanied with powerful, feature-rich software that’s easy enough for novice users, yet powerful enough for more tech-savvy individuals, Black Box’s iCOMPEL digital signage solution allows users to create fullscreen or multi-zone content channels. The web-based UI allows users to easily create interactive displays, as well: simply connect the iCOMPEL to a touchscreen display, plug in the USB, and create the functionality desired. Interactive displays are great for college campuses, event centers, shopping complexes, transportation hubs, and even restaurants. From wayfinding to interactive menu boards, iCOMPEL enables users to create their own experience through interactivity.
ViewSonic EP5520T
The ViewSonic EP5520T is a 55-inch ePoster digital kiosk. An all-in-one, freestanding interactive display with a slim form factor, this display delivers dynamic messaging. Designed with a scratchproof tempered-glass faceplate for durability in high-traffic areas, the EP5520T ePoster is equipped with 10-point multi-touch functionality for interactivity. It features 1080p resolution, 178/178-degree wide-angle viewing, 350 nits of brightness, and dual stereo speakers. It also comes with an integrated media player and 16GB of internal memory, so multimedia photos, images, and video messaging can be easily displayed on the screen. The variety of connectivity options including dual HDMI, RGB, USB, and LAN allow for additional content to be loaded from a PC or networkable media player, or directly from a USB drive.
NEC Raspberry Pi Integration
NEC is now sharing an open-platform modular approach with Raspberry Pi, enabling integration of Raspberry Pi’s devices with NEC’s displays. NEC’s wide product range of display solutions matches well with the Raspberry Pi, which develops the award-winning range of low-cost, high-performance computers. The latest Raspberry Pi 3 computer module boasts significant performance and networking capabilities, making it well suited for NEC’s displays. With a quad-core 1.2GHz processor, the board is a reliable intelligent device. In addition to the standard Raspberry Pi 3 computer module, NEC also will offer a customized model to meet the specific performance demands of the display industry. As part of NEC’s Open Modular Intelligence (OMI) platform, Raspberry Pi 3 embeds with NEC’s new range of professional P and V Series large format displays. The new displays enable internet connectivity for digital signage as well as presentation use.
Exterity ArtioSign
Designed for businesses that want to enhance their unified communications, Exterity ArtioSign is a feature-rich, fully configurable and scalable digital signage application. It integrates with Exterity’s IP video system, enabling organizations to enhance signage graphics and messaging with TV, video, and live-scrolling news. With ArtioSign, organizations can turn any connected screen into a digital signage display, schedule tailored content to different audiences, create uniquely branded designs, and update signage on the go via mobile devices. The added ability to incorporate advertising helps maximize revenue, and the flexibility to override existing content quickly with urgent messages increases efficiency. All functions are centrally managed from within Exterity’s AvediaServer. ArtioSign is also built into Exterity AvediaStream Receiver set-top boxes, which enables organizations to instantly publish digital signage content to any connected display and switch seamlessly between TV and signage mode.
Samsung M55E Mirror Display
Samsung’s retail-oriented ML55E Mirror Display technology elevates the shopping environment into a more convenient, informed, and customized experience that allows retailers to interact and further drive point-of-purchase shopping. “If you think of how people are shopping, the mobile device has become the center of activity, particularly in retail, and the mirror display is a nice extension,” said Ron Gazzola, vice president of product marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “You can experience fashion and products differently, whether that’s showing alternative colors and accessories or a different experience for the consumer.”
Samsung recently partnered with FTL Moda at New York Fashion Week to build an installation with Samsung’s mirror displays and video wall technology to create a completely immersive interaction. “Combining the Samsung Mirror Displays with an electronic backdrop like the Samsung video wall created a complete experience for the public, designers, guests, and celebrities,” said Ilaria Niccolini, president, FTL Moda.
