AV Technology - Technology Manager's Guide to High Impact Displays - November 2022

Editor’s Note 04

Macy O’Hearn shares how a digital signage experience was a welcomed respite from reality.

AV/IT Teams

A state-of-the-art LCD upgrade helps Legato Security analysts stay ahead of the latest network threats. | From café to the classroom—students at the University at Buffalo campus experience the latest in LED displays.

Thought Leaders

Whether it’s choosing the right display for the use case and environment, un derstanding a content workflow, or having the best media delivery system, each piece needs to come together. We asked 28 AV industry thought leaders to share trends and best practices to help deliver a high-impact experience. Case-in-Point

Photo: Neoti

Photo: Haivision

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CONTENT

VP/Content Creation Anthony Savona

Brand and Content Director Cindy Davis, cindy.davis@futurenet.com

Contributing Writer, Macy O’Hearn

Managing Design Director Nicole Cobban

Design Director Sam Richwood

Production Managers Heather Tatrow, Nicole Schilling

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VP/Market Expert, AV/Consumer Electronics & Pro Audio Adam Goldstein, adam.goldstein@futurenet.com, 212-378-0465

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Debbie Rosenthal, debbie.rosenthal@futurenet.com, 212-378-0473

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MANAGEMENT

Senior Vice President Group, B2B Elizabeth Deeming CRO, B2B, Walt Phillips

Vice President, B2B Tech Group Carmel King Vice President, Sales, B2B Tech Group Adam Goldstein Head of Production US & UK Mark Constance Head of Design Rodney Dive

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EDITOR’S NOTE ALMOST BETTER THAN REALITY

by Macy O’Hearn

I’M A BIG FAN of my hometown WNBA team, the Connecticut Sun. Something I’m not a fan of? Loud, startling noises like balloons, fireworks, et cetera.

And so when the Sun started incorporating exploding pyrotechnics into the beginning of each game this past season, I found myself headed out to the concession stand while my favorite players were being introduced.

Sometime in the middle of the season, however, a shift occurred. Instead of blinding, balcony-level indoor fireworks, a brilliant explosion displayed on the arena’s four centerhung LED screens—in perfect time with the music—conveyed the drama of the moment. The team logo appeared, the crowd was hyped up, and the game began.

And I got to stay in my seat. It was a win for everyone.

In any environment, the right digital signage display with engaging content that is mindful of its audience can be just as good as (and in my case, better than) the real thing.

From a glittering panorama of NYC in a corporate lobby to large-scale LED artwork suspended over a museum courtyard—the projects completed by this issue’s contributors display that same considered approach, with an eye toward aesthetic pleasure and an impactful experience.

During and immediately after the pandemic, many of the most important digital signage installations we saw rolled out were focused almost exclusively on function; content helped with social distancing, wayfinding, and

disseminating vital public safety information. Storytelling was, largely, put on the backburner; we needed to keep people moving, after all.

Since people have started fully engaging with public spaces again, however, there has been a renewed emphasis on form—with digital signage content offering total immersion in beautiful, thoughtfully planned experiences and limited only by the imagination.

This month, even where information is being conveyed—as in the case of a massive dvLED video wall used for marketing in a Swedish grocery store—the execution is such that the viewer still leaves with a sense of awe and entertainment.

Time and again, our contributors and their collaborators prove the endless versatility of digital signage—that it can be not only practical, but beautiful and (just maybe) an upgrade to reality. Another win for everyone.

WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

By illuminating the stories of AV/IT managers and technology stakeholders, as well as exploring the innovations of our industry’s manufacturers and solution providers, we hope the AV Technology Manager’s Guides become your go-to resource throughout the year.

AV Technology is your forum. Please drop me a line at cindy.davis@futurenet.com and tell me about your latest AV/IT project. Nominate a tech manager for a profile.

Let’s share best practices and keep the momentum going.

AV/IT TEAM

Visualizing Enterprise Cybersecurity

A state-of-the-art LCD upgrade helps Legato Security analysts stay ahead of the latest network threats.

By AV Technology Staff

A six-by-two Haivision LCD array serves as the focal point for Legato’s Security Operations Center, powered by CineNet management software, an Alpha FX Edge processor, CineLink Encoder, and two CineAgent Servers.

Legato Security, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a security services firm that provides comprehensive cybersecurity expertise and managed security services. From political campaigns and local governments to small businesses and Fortune 100 companies—Legato Security extends and augments clients’ existing security operations to help them tailor an effective security approach and achieve a responsible security posture.

Jesse Stoltz, Security Operations Center (SOC) manager at Legato Security, and his team of experienced security analysts ensure 24/7/365 monitoring for their clients. The SOC acts as a hub for overseeing client data and network traffic, and if needed, for actively mitigating security events.

The team at Legato recently came to the realization that their company’s legacy AV system was no longer meeting their high standards for performance. “Prior to implementing a Haivision video wall solution, the Legato SOC utilized a series of independent monitors mounted to the wall,” explained Stoltz. “It was frustratingly slow and tedious to display the needed information. We were less able to work on behalf of our customers quickly and actively.”

CUSTOMIZED AND COMPREHENSIVE

Plagued by visual monitoring delays and lack of transparency needed to address threats to client data, Legato Security could not risk the negative impact on their delivery of services and client satisfaction. Recognizing the critical need for an advanced visual collaboration solution, Legato Security chose Haivision to customize and install a video wall system that would fit their SOC needs, scale as the company grows, and enhance information security monitoring for their clients.

“We communicated the dimensions of our space and worked with Haivision in an iterative process to understand and evaluate our needs until we collectively landed on a tailored solution,” said Tom Boyden, co-founder and CEO of Legato Security.

The focal point of the SOC is a Haivision six-by-two video wall which includes 12 55-inch LCD monitors powered by CineNet video wall management software, an Alpha FX Edge processor, CineLink Encoder, and

two CineAgent Servers. This combination of software and hardware is fully integrated with Legato Security’s Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platforms and web/ URL sources to facilitate the capture, selection, control, and display of content. The result is situational awareness, real-time monitoring, and analysis of remote and on-premises security events for Legato Security clients.

Stoltz emphasized that the video wall has been an absolute game-changer for alleviating clients’ cybersecurity concerns. “The Haivision MCS video wall system addressed challenges around immediacy and transparency of critical data and events,” he said. “Simply put, we are better equipped to deliver a better service to our customers.”

With regards to situational awareness in particular, Stoltz elaborated that the complete Haivision solution allows them respond to

The Security Operations Center at Legato maintains a 24/7/365 network-monitoring presence for their clients.

Jesse Stoltz is the Security Operations Center manager at Legato Security.

Photos Courtesy Haivision

The video wall system addressed challenges around immediacy and transparency of critical data and events.

—Jesse Stoltz, Security Operations Center manager at Legato Security

emerging security threats at a moment’s notice. “We can receive and act on notifications much more quickly,” said Stoltz. “This has accelerated our delivery of security products and services.”

EASE OF USE AND ADVANCED CONTROL

Haivision solutions have helped Legato Security standardize its security operations and foster collaboration by collating a variety of data inputs for visualization on a single technology platform. With CineNet’s intuitive browserbased user interface, SOC analysts value the ability to quickly customize the display in response to dynamic security needs and setup alerts for tracking of security events. The ability of off-site analysts to monitor network activity is another key feature of the Haivision installation, according to Stoltz: “This allows remote workers to manipulate what is visible on the video, which enables collaboration

between local and offsite teams.”

Ease of use also eliminates the need for programming or extensive training and creates a smooth onboarding process for new analysts. As an added benefit, GuardianCare is available 24/7 to provide expert support for their system if the need arises.

After his overwhelmingly positive experience installing Haivision displays in the Legato SOC, Stoltz had a few words of wisdom for those looking to install video wall solutions: “Peers in our sector should look for video wall technologies with robust, approachable management software. It's important the tools do not get in the way of the product itself,” he said. “Quality of hardware is also very important. Given the large format of many of these solutions, it's important that brightness, resolution, and viewing angle do not negatively impact the solution's effectiveness."

—Jesse Stoltz, Security Operations Center manager at Legato Security

Stoltz and his team chose a Haivision solution for its robust, easy-to-use management software, as well as its ability to scale to the evolving needs of their company.

It's important that brightness, resolution, and viewing angle do not negatively impact the solution's effectiveness.

Old School Techniques, New School Technology

From café to classroom—students on the University at Buffalo campus experience the latest in LED displays.

By AV Technology Staff

As one of the largest and most comprehensive universities in New York state, the University at Buffalo is a premier educational institution. The flagship university of the SUNY system, this researchintensive university hosts a wide variety of sought-after programs for its 32,000 students. An esteemed reputation in both academic and student life offerings means the university’s standard for quality is quite high.

And so when the campus needed to enhance their high-level classroom and campus dining display technology, Brice Bible, UB vice president and chief information officer and his team chose Radiance LED to create highly effective and engaging learning environments. Requiring an innovative AV specialist for the Radiance LED installation, Bible reached out to Audio-Video Corporation, headquartered in Albany, NY.

INNOVATION IN INSTRUCTION

Audio-Video Corporation was initially approached by the university with a request to update the display technology being used in large lecture halls. After discussion and demonstrations of direct-view LED technology, the decision was made to deploy in the Natural Sciences Complex’s phase one renovation.

Housing some of the largest lecture halls on campus and many core undergraduate STEM classes, the Natural Sciences Complex is an important part of the university. The two largest spaces in the complex, NSC 201 and NSC 225, have seating for more than 350 individuals. With such a large space, the university needed a visually impactful solution that allowed students to have a clear view of the instructional materials from every location.

Chris Clune, director of IT Customer Service, explained, “We wanted to create a more

Brice Bible is the vice president and chief information officer at the University at Buffalo.

innovative way of instruction. Chalkboards and dry-erase boards were a big factor to how our faculty liked to teach, so we needed a way to incorporate them into some of the more modern aspects of instruction.”

Bible expanded on this sentiment in saying, “We also wanted to create a learning experience in which sight lines were not an issue and could easily be synchronous with our distance learning initiatives.”

When all was finished, the staff, faculty, and students were enamored with the new Radiance LED VX Series displays. The massive 32-bynine-foot central display in NSC 225 showcases course content in amazing detail from every seat in the lecture hall. Complementing this space, the 28-by-eight-foot display in NSC 201 displays live, in-class notes from the professor, as well as supplementary sources with incredible clarity and vibrant colors. Complete with student microphone installations, both have the ability to show dual content sources and create an environment that allows a constant focus on student success.

MIXING THE OLD AND NEW Bible described the new setup, saying, “The new displays really allow us to make the most effective use of our instructional technology resources. These new instructional design capabilities have provided a really effective tool for faculty.”

Clune agreed, stating, “These new spaces are truly dynamic learning environments, complete with the ability to display document cameras, PowerPoints, content sharing from personal devices, et cetera. With the faculty’s chalkboard content on the screen, the clarity makes it as if a student in the back row were at the front of the class. Thanks to the Radiance LED walls, we’ve mixed the old school with the new.”

The rooms’ large displays allow remote students to feel more integrated into the in-person class. Remote students are also more easily seen by students in the room. Microphones placed at the tabletop allow for in-person students to be clearly heard by the remote audience.

Photos Courtesy University at Buffalo and Audio-Video Corporation

traditional chalkboard—with modern presentation capabilities.

A HIGHLY VISIBLE “FRONT DOOR”

As part of this project, the nearby One World Café was also in need of an engaging display solution. Integrating a visual messaging system that delivered pertinent student information was high on the university’s priority list. Designed with the vision of creating a highly visible “front door” to the campus, this active student hub is a central point for meeting and studying, along with a rich tapestry of international food options.

The new 16-by-nine-foot display at One World Café has become very popular for all visitors. Set in an open space, the LED wall displays important announcements to students with top-quality visuals for university programs, sports games, special events, and messages from the president.

SHOWPIECE INSTALLATIONS

The University at Buffalo digital projection video walls were featured in a presentation at the Annual Consortium of College and University Media Centers in October 2022 in Orlando, Florida. The presentation focused on how the video walls are more than simply advanced technology; they are an instructional technology tool, improving on the standard projection technology in a lecture hall.

Bible emphasized the impact of the new Radiance LED displays, saying, “These displays are showpiece installations for the university and are a key stop for prospective student tours. The reaction from those prospective students and parents is always, ‘Wow, that is awesome!’ It’s really great to be able to showcase the quality education we offer here at the University at Buffalo in front of these impressive video walls."

—Brice Bible,

president and CIO at the University at Buffalo

With the help of Digital Projection display technology, Bible and his team infused professors’ preferred way of teaching—the

Photos Courtesy University at Buffalo and Audio-Video Corporation

These displays are showpiece installations for the university and are a key stop for prospective student tours.

vice

THOUGHT LEADERS PERFECT PITCH

By Cindy Davis and Macy O’Hearn

From the perspective of the viewer, a video wall display is only as good as the content delivered. Whether it’s choosing the right “digital signage” display for the use case and environment, understanding a content workflow, or having the best media delivery system, each piece needs to come together.

We asked 28 AV industry thought leaders to share trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience.

JOE DRURY Manager, Business Management, B2B Professional Display

Sony

Electronics

Displays have evolved over the last few years to become more powerful and integrated, and the use cases have progressed to adapt to new ways of working and learning. Throughout all of this, flexibility remains key. More and more, this is being achieved through the integration of control and access systems; adoption of System on a Chip (SoC) platforms; as well as cloud capabilities and accommodations for remote, hybrid, and in-person environments. In order to best address these new forms of flexibility and provide customers with options, strategic alignment with other significant players in the industry is critical. By leveraging the strengths of our community and partnering with other leaders in the space, we’re in a place to offer robust, smart, interconnected ecosystems, as opposed to a singular piece of technology. This customer-first and integrator-minded approach focuses on users’ needs and the benefits are apparent. Flexible solutions are enabling users to accomplish their goals— often with more ease, productivity, unification, and for less cost. The resulting solutions offer immense value to customers and address many of the concerns that users and integrators have faced in the past.

Another critical component to take advantage of is the abundance of data collected by digital signage and CMS systems, which allow us to learn, grow, and be more purpose driven. Data contributes to informed business decisions that help drive meaningful outcomes, which benefit all parties. There’s so much important and impactful knowledge that can be obtained from the data users can extract from their systems, which enables the ability to affect change, promote flexibility, and analyze efficiency.

MEGAN ZELLER Senior Director of Business Development

Peerless-AV

Direct-view LED (dvLED) video wall installations make up a significant portion of integrators’ total business, bringing high-quality content to life and engaging consumers in new, interesting ways. With that comes high expectations to create memorable, impactful first impressions and seamless configuration. Whether it’s a hotel lobby, conference room, retail store, restaurant, museum, or entertainment venue, it’s important to keep best practices in mind to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your installation while prioritizing safety and efficiency.

Your video wall might serve one or many purposes. For example, a museum installation might present exhibit information or wayfinding. In general, video walls are a large canvas for messages or stories and it’s important to make sure your content is making an impact. If you employ a large video wall, don’t overdo it with content. Busy screens with too many images or scrolling feeds can easily overwhelm viewers and distract them from your overall message. If you plan to install a video wall that serves as a directory in a hotel lobby, ensure that the text sizes are readable and that any scrolling provides enough time for viewers to get information as needed.

When it comes to installing these displays, our team always recommends defaulting to professionals from the beginning. Taking accurate measurements is paramount when it comes to installing a dvLED video wall. Peerless-AV has an experienced team of highly trained professionals who have overcome a variety of hurdles and can accurately troubleshoot any situation. Through PeerlessAV’s SEAMLESS Integration Program, partners and installers benefit from expert engineering, custom project managers, full installation services, and dedicated dvLED mounting solutions to assure a safe, efficient, and effortless installation.

ROBERT DETWILER Director of LED Products Planar

When it comes to pairing content with display technology, keep in mind that not every display features a 16:9 form factor, yet viewers will expect content in native resolution. This also applies to all devices in the system such as the media player and processors. Without native resolution on an LED display, you run the risk of content looking stretched or squashed. Higher resolutions and finer pixel pitch can also help improve the quality of content, especially in cases when text and media are combined.

More customers are deploying displays in public spaces. Whether it’s a single display installed as a center piece or several throughout the entire facility, the distance from which audiences will be observing the content, along with the type of content they’ll be viewing, should be key considerations. Will they be close or far? Are they observing text, video, or both? This can also be a driving factor in choosing the display. If the display is intended to run continuously, rotating content that moves and changes color over time will keep viewers engaged and content fresh. The same can be said for changing content based on the time of day to better connect with audiences and adapt to changing lighting conditions. For example, content showcasing a lot of black can be impacted by nearby sunlight coming through windows or reflectivity of the display, and should also factor in the black levels of the display. Added structures or protective layers can also influence a display’s contrast, reflection, and brightness.

We’re also seeing a stronger focus on displays being designed to match a building’s structure or construction. This results in more corner installations and video walls with facets, curves, or flexibility to conform to spaces such as doorways and stairs. Choosing content that’s as eye catching as the installation itself will help foster more memorable experiences for viewers.

LUKE WESTIN Senior Product Manager,

Chief The first thing to think about when planning a display or content is the experience you want to deliver: Is it collaboration, wayfinding, branding, interaction, or decoration? All of that feeds into the system in different ways. An interactive experience, for example, should have a mounting solution stable enough for the touch screen to perform at its full potential. One must-have item in every situation is installing the right cable to handle the tough requirements of digital signage.

Second, you want to look at the space—indoor versus outdoor, audience size, viewing distance, ambient light, and so on. When it comes to content being delivered outside, there are more outdoorrated displays than outdoor-rated media players. If some of the equipment isn’t outdoor rated, you want to be sure to have an IP-rated enclosure to safeguard that equipment.

And finally, an often-overlooked advantage of dvLED for digital signage is the large amount of customization you can do with the configuration. You can tailor the content to a particular shape to really catch attention. Look for a modular mounting system that can support the most creative dvLED configurations.

DEREK MYERS CEO and President Neoti

The old saying goes: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Well, the same can be said for effective content.

Therefore, while planning and operating digital displays or signage, the top priorities should be the beholder, objective, and goal— from aimless artistic reflection meant to fuel elements of the human condition, to targeted calls to action focused on driving consumer habits.

How do these priorities relate to the type of display being used, whether or not it’s connected to the internet, or the type of software being used to play the content?

The different types of displays available provide a wide range of visual perspectives, and are important to how your beholder is influenced. Direct-view LED displays are bright, nonreflective, and can be made for the indoors or outdoors at nearly any size. LCD displays are high resolution, providing deep contrast and more intimate experiences. Projection displays have the ability to do image mapping onto buildings or objects and also can be made at varying sizes. All these displays should be selected with the beholder in mind, which will maximize the intended objective and goal in mind.

How often the message changes, as well as the location of the displays, will drive the decision of connectivity. The question of which software to use is complicated. The answer is not only related to message changes and location, but also how dynamic the content will be and whether real-time variables will change the content.

There are currently very few, if any, industry standards in digital signage, and therefore keeping the beholder, objective, and goal at the forefront during planning and operation will certainly aid success.

JOHN HENKEL Director of SMB Product Marketing

NETGEAR

It’s easy for companies to get caught up on the front-end result of their displays—the flashy images and/or interactive content— when mapping out digital signage systems. However, it’s just as important to think about the plumbing. Successful digital signage implementations are a result of numerous software and hardware components that work together to maintain image quality and thoughtful design. Specifically, multicast video requires a special network configuration to ensure the video traffic gets to where it needs to go, without any hiccups and without flooding the network. Companies looking to deliver amazing AV experiences via digital signage benefit from partnering with technology providers like NETGEAR AV that specialize in the back-end management of digital display systems. A quality partner like NETGEAR also has a professional AV engineering team to help select the right equipment, design the network, and support the network switches that provide content—and sometimes even power—to displays.

CHUCK LEWIS Vice President

Palmer Digital Group

Every business vertical today requires something different from their digital signage content. Enterprise end users want content that establishes corporate culture through messaging, and retail end users want automated content that will appeal to specific demographics and convert browsers into buyers. No matter the vertical, it’s not one slice of the ecosystem that matters most; every component must come together to bring true value to the business.

In the QSR and fast casual space, this means supplying systems that increase customer receipts. The diversification of digital menu boards in size and scale accentuates the importance of understanding how the entire ecosystem comes together to add value. For example, Palmer Digital Group regularly builds digital menu board systems with 100 menu items spread over single, double, and triple displays. This means working with content specialists like Spectrio who understand how to develop dynamic content for today’s digital menu boards.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach in the QSR and fast casual world. Font size, glare, and viewing distance must be taken into account, and one must understand how to position menu items and ads across one or more displays.

Companies like Spectrio are instrumental for customizing systems to each business’ specifications. On the display design side, we work together to make the content shine by ensuring clear visualization in direct sunlight, for example. But true content and software specialists extend the business value not only by working with us to ensure content presents well, but also by providing content that will influence purchasing decisions. That means flexible software to address menu changes throughout the day; creating playlist-driven videos in specific screen zones across one or more displays; and enabling integration with point-of-sale systems that automatically update pricing changes. Working together to specify the right hardware and software solution is what ultimately drives end-user satisfaction and bigger customer receipts.

JOE DA SILVA Vice President of Marketing Extron

There is a saying in digital signage that content is king—but distribution is the queen, and she wears the pants. The ability to distribute, switch, and manage digital signage content is essential, and streaming audio and video over IP is the most flexible, scalable, and efficient method to distribute and switch content. Streaming AV over IP enhances system capabilities by extending the range of video and audio communication beyond a room or building to any destination. It also enables nearly limitless scalability in AV distribution systems, simplifies the cable infrastructure and management, distributes control and data along with audio and video, and delivers Power over Ethernet. Each of these advantages can increase the operating efficiency, decrease the capital expenditure, improve the user experience, and reduce the operating expense for digital signage installations.

NAV Pro AV over IP can be used to efficiently distribute breathtaking 4K content with 4:4:4 chroma sampling to any number of displays over standard IP network equipment. NAV utilizes the purpose-built Extron PURE3 codec to deliver visually lossless video over 1-Gig IP networks while PURE3 Intelligent Selective Streaming (ISS) minimizes bandwidth required by capitalizing on periods of low motion.

NAV scaling decoders with Vector 4K scaling technology enable a mix of full-screen and image magnification across multiple displays. NAV WindoWall technology supports a wide range of applications, from knowledge walls to digital signage, with presets that provide a quick and easy way to manipulate the canvas between different image arrangements.

da Silva Vice President of Marketing Extron

The NAV system is fully integrated with Extron Pro Series control systems, providing a powerful, secure method to switch any source to any or all displays instantaneously. These capabilities make streaming AV over IP a powerful, efficient, and effective choice for digital signage distribution.

“There is no one-size-fits-all approach in the QSR and fast casual world.”

—Chuck Lewis, Vice President Palmer Digital Group “Streaming AV over IP enhances system capabilities by extending the range of video and audio communication beyond a room or building to any destination.”

—Joe

ANDREW LUDKE Senior Director, Product Management Crestron

Today’s dynamic world requires solutions that provide flexibility. More and more spaces serve multiple purposes, and the technology in those spaces has to follow suit. For example, cafeterias become event spaces, and open workspaces support private work while also inviting collaboration. Choosing technology solutions that are designed for the dynamics of the modern workspace empowers businesses to make more out of their real estate investments while supercharging their employees’ productivity.

Ambient computing is often described as a ubiquitous technology that seamlessly and effortlessly supports us through a natural integration with our day-to-day lives. As more and more spaces are outfitted with a variety of technologies like displays, signage, streaming, and collaboration solutions—ensuring they meet this need for flexibility and natural integration with how we live, learn, work, and play will be critical to ensuring that technology delivers on this promise.

CLÉMENT

PLOMBIN Product Marketing Manager Jupiter

Content being displayed at the wrong resolution, stretched, or at a low quality does more harm than good, and catches the eye for only the wrong reasons! The key to success in a digital installation is to balance this part of the equation—of using the proper content with the proper signage display. A perfect balance and communication synchronization of all three parts will make any signage stand out from the common: who is ordering content, who creates it, and who is doing the deployment.

Content development and testing must be completed before any digital signage installations go live. Most often, the AV integrator is not providing the content and is not thinking about what is on the screen(s) when they make the sale or do an installation. Having a solid relationship between the AV integrator, customer, and display manufacturer account manager is critical. Sharing specs and requirements about how the content will be delivered; what the hardware and transport protocols will be; and what the limits are in terms of display resolution, viewing angle limit, and brightness will all impact the end result.

On the other hand, if the project is content driven since its genesis, then that discussion needs to happen even earlier for the AV integrator to source, test, and validate the proper receptacle for king content. After all, now more than ever, the choices available in the marketplace can be overwhelming—selecting the proper quantity of video processors, IP players, and image/ video transport of all kinds with appropriate management, security, and supervision layers, et cetera.

The last time you walked on a high street, at an airport, or in a shopping mall and got your eyes glued on some signage even for a few seconds—this simply means the project was a success, thanks to good coordination and communication harmony.

RAMZI SHAKRA Senior Product Manager, Large Venue Projectors Epson America

In recent years, we’ve seen a shift in how consumers engage with content, resulting in changes around how displays are designed and content is delivered. As integrators, business owners, and technology professionals focus on high-impact displays, it’s crucial that current media delivery systems cut through the noise of a saturated market.

At Epson, we’ve seen display technology rapidly innovate to meet today’s demand for bigger, more elaborate displays. It’s important to understand where the audience will be in relation to the display. Up-close viewing, especially for highly detailed content, will benefit from a high-resolution display. Projection can create large, cost-effective displays, while panel-shifting technology such as Epson’s 4K enhancement can provide on-screen resolution beyond HD video. To take advantage of high-resolution displays, source content should be at, or near, 4K resolution. While the benefit of high-pixelresolution content is clear, it can be impacted by not tracking video compression during the production workflow; excessive compression on stills or moving video can lead to visible artifacts and negate the benefits of a highresolution display.

Creating high-impact displays that are clear, easy to consume, and engaging involves a complete display ecosystem. This includes pairing the right content with the right delivery system. Helpful features included in select commercial projectors and other display solutions are remote network management and built-in media playback for easier content loading and playlist control—simplifying installation and minimizing possible points of failure.

The demand for high-impact displays is poised for growth as consumers crave more experiential moments, and projector advancements aren’t slowing down in this everchanging market. In an industry which often involves easily distracted audiences, projectors offer novel experiences that drive higher engagement, such as wayfinding on floors, mapping 3D objects, and illuminating existing walls across environments.

MARTIN WAVERLEY Senior Director of Sales, Americas Christie

To create a highimpact display, start by determining which display technology works best for your environment, how it will be used, and your budget. LCD displays are a great solution for public spaces, lounges, and applications including digital signage; and LCD displays have a much lower initial investment compared to LED. LED is optimal for creating large canvases where visual acuity is of utmost importance. LEDs, at a premium price, are best suited for applications including critical viewing, control room, and premium corporate spaces. Now, and in the not-so-distant future, as we watch direct-view LED prices drop, you will see this technology being used and designed into more applications as they are becoming more palatable to the overall budget and ROI. Next, think about how content will be delivered to the display, whether it’s through a computer or a media server. Look for displays

that provide flexible and built-in image processing, which will allow you to visualize and manage content directly on the display. For larger, more advanced displays, including video walls, or for content that has different resolutions or formats—choosing a content management system or image processing solution that is flexible, integrated into the display, and that has a broad feature set is key to ensuring impeccable-looking content. Networking and distribution is another key aspect of the display to consider, as the

infrastructure can become very complex quickly, especially in venues that have multiple displays or video walls that show synchronized or layered content. SDVoE systems, like Christie Terra, allow for the design of simple, flexible, and scalable system architectures based on off-the-shelf 10G Ethernet components for uncompressed, zero-frame-latency content. Displays that support software for installation and servicing, and are compatible with a control system, are adaptable to the widest variety of applications.

“To create a high-impact display, start by determining which display technology works best for your environment, how it will be used, and your budget.”

—Martin Waverley, Senior Director of Sales, Americas,Christie

DANA COREY Senior Vice President Avocor

An interactive display forms part of an ecosystem: It requires high-performance speakers, cameras, and software to optimize the experience. It’s a bit like trying to drive a car without a steering wheel, wherein each element works together to make it work at its best.

The popularity of hybrid working has made team collaboration the foundation of ongoing business success. Having a meeting room equipped to deliver a great experience for remote and in-person attendees is essential for full participant engagement.

At Avocor, we take a collaborative approach to providing the best solutions. We are excellent at what we do, and that’s making interactive displays. So, we team up with partners that are equally excellent at what they do.

For example, our new CollabTouch solution combines the power of Avocor’s interactive displays with the collaborative strength of highly popular Logitech meeting room solutions such as the Rally Bar and Rally Bar Mini. It’s an out-of-the-box solution that means customers can get up and running with highquality meetings right away.

This should be a new best practice for AV companies. Our success has been built on a strategic partnership program, working with leading collaboration brands including Logitech, HP/Poly, T1V, Miro, and Lenovo to create a comprehensive ecosystem that seamlessly integrates Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, or RingCentral into meetings.

AARON LEIKER Vice President, Operation Centers Haivision

As video walls gain popularity due to their visual storytelling abilities, more organizations are recognizing the value of digital signage and display technology. With so many different options, it can be difficult to navigate the various choices and understand which display system will best fit the needs of projects. But before making any big purchases, it’s important to first develop a content strategy.

Knowing what content will be displayed will help in identifying which technology solution will fit the project. Choosing the display system first can leave organizations in a situation where content and creativity is limited to the capabilities of the technology. It’s also crucial to have an update cadence in place. Without a plan to periodically update the content on display, the digital signage can quickly become outdated and irrelevant.

Once a content strategy is established, decision makers should consider what environment the display will live in and how it’s meant to be consumed. Display environments can single-handedly eliminate certain technology if the environment demands a large amount of space or an unobstructed line of sight. For example, LCD and LED video walls are quite slim, whereas a projection system is larger and requires more room for the display. The environment will also have an impact on the way the display is consumed. If the display is operating at nighttime or in a dark setting, brightness will be a key factor. Brightness is also essential for displays meant to be seen from a distance, while signage that needs to be read up close must prioritize resolution.

Understanding these key factors and the different features of each potential display system will enable decision makers to choose the best video wall or digital signage for their organization.

“An out-of-thebox solution that means customers can get up and running with high-quality meetings right away.”

—Dana Corey, Senior Vice President Avocor

“Knowing what content will be displayed will help in identifying which technology solution will fit the project. ”

—Aaron Leiker Vice President, Operation Centers Haivision

JORDAN FEIL Director of Marketing Navori Labs

As an industry, we often become fixated on the visual when we discuss how to create high-impact displays. We focus on resolution, pixel pitch, and similar technical elements. I would argue that display placement is equally important. The impact of digital signage is more often than not tied directly to display locations. Inside a shopping mall, for example, we suggest installing displays that invite consistent dwell times, such as within a food court, on an escalator, or inside an elevator. There is little benefit in creating content of exceptional quality if your audiences don’t have an opportunity to consume it.

Make no mistake, however: Users still need to create and deliver high-quality content. Content teams can take full advantage of the latest visual technologies in high-resolution LED screens, multi-display video walls, and other widescreen displays by producing 4K or even 8K content. It makes little sense to invest in the latest high-

—Jordan Feil Director of Marketing Navori Labs

resolution display technology if the quality and resolution of your content is still created in 1080i or 1080p.

Content curation is another important component, as emphasizing personalized content based on audience demographics and behaviors will only strengthen overall impact. Navori’s Aquaji marketing analytics platform is one option that can help content teams enhance content personalization and relevance.

Display manufacturers continue to bring more technologically advanced products to market with clearer and cleaner pictures. There are also some downsides, and that includes balancing the power consumption of modern displays with escalating energy costs. This is where choosing the right digital signage software can bring added benefits, such as creating a daily schedule that automates on-off functions. Whether driven by an organization’s green initiative or compliance with local energysaving regulations, the digital signage software responsible for bringing high-impact content to your displays can also make a strong impact on reducing energy consumption across your display network.

“The impact of digital signage is more often than not tied directly to display locations.”

TAFT STRICKLIN Sales Team Manager

Just Add Power

When it comes to display technology today, the challenge is content delivery. What we are seeing is that delivering the best-quality content at the highest resolution is what the end user expects. One of the biggest hurdles is how to do this without blowing up the current network if there isn’t a budget to invest in new infrastructure. An effective solution is an AV-over-IP deployment that can provide the bestquality resolution and will work with existing equipment, or minimal investment in new cable runs and switches. Another arising priority is energy consumption. Decision makers want to keep energy consumption in check so projects don’t break out of the green building certification that they may be aiming to achieve. Using PoE devices with low power consumption and few outboard power supplies have been trending upwards since low power usage and power supplies are another failure point and are hard to reach once they’re installed behind displays.

TOMER MANN Chief Revenue Officer 22Miles

We’ve all heard that “content is king,” but kings require massive investments of time, money, and service for their upkeep. Content should be your servant—always immediately available to accomplish new goals with a few simple instructions and ready to make your life easier instead of creating work for you.

Creating engaging, interactive digital signage content doesn’t require special skills or dedicated staff with a modern content management system (CMS). With little to no coding, you can automate your signage design and connect your CMS to sources including calendars, directory databases, room management systems, and social media channels to populate your signs with dynamic content.

Today’s advanced CMS systems can instantly skin their templates with your organization’s logo and branding, simplifying template selection and formatting. Adding interactivity should be just as fast and user friendly. In our latest CMS, you can add interactive widgets from connected platforms, like room booking software, via a simple drag-and-drop.

Crucially, with the right CMS, you don’t have to wait for hardware upgrades to roll out new content. If your CMS allows mobile control and experiences, you can offer dynamic, interactive visual experiences without a touchscreen. Users can control interactive signage from their mobile devices, or even scan an onscreen or static sign QR code and access the whole experience as an HTML5 or native app.

To put all this content at your beck and call, look for a CMS that can serve as a truly universal backend—able to send content to any sign, mobile device, video wall, or desktop. Working from a single system like this keeps your content unified and updated while letting you reach your audience through a myriad of channels. Whatever you need—even as your use cases, goals, and audiences evolve—the system will be at your service.

BOB WUDECK Senior Director of Business Development

BenQ America Corp.

Traditionally, digital signage displays have been thought of as an oasis unto themselves, dedicated strictly to meeting signage needs and only signage needs. However, as digital signage becomes a sure-fire way to communicate advertising, wayfinding, and more informative and entertaining content, every screen needs to be thought of as a potential canvas with dynamic content requirements. Organizations should tap into comprehensive software and display solutions that allow them to not only create content but also deliver that content to the display of their choosing and manage it easily—even automatically—alongside their other AV and IT assets. In schools, this might be the ability to issue school news or emergency alerts to interactive, cloud-based displays in classrooms; update the cafeteria display with the lunch menu or student-contributed art; spotlight newly released books in the library; or share game scores in the gym. In corporations, conference room screens can pull double duty, becoming a dynamic vehicle for delivering up-to-the-minute company and HR news. Solutions that allow any organization to broadly and dynamically deliver their content, and those that can be adjusted to different scenarios throughout a facility, are key.

JIM VASGAARD National Sales Manager, AV Sales Channel Daktronics

High-impact displays are something everyone is looking for today, but the deployment of such an impactful system starts with planning and preparation. As a display owner, you need to define the product and impact you desire along with the budget and space you have available. Are you looking for one large display or multiple smaller displays at many locations?

After this step, you need to determine your content management system and plans for personnel. Having someone with the time, skills, and technical savvy is crucial to making your audiovisual presentation successful. You don’t want to end up with a large screen saver on your wall. Get the right pieces in place to make an impact and optimize your presentation.

The trend we’re seeing today includes businesses of all different types exploring

—Jim Vasgaard National Sales Manager, AV Sales Channel Daktronics

how they can change the vibe or feeling of their venue, whether it’s in the lobby, gathering areas, or meeting rooms. Let’s face it, people today are extremely accustomed to smart phones and tablets that deliver cool graphics, as well as intuitive presentations that entertain and inform; that’s what we have come to expect from a digital display experience. Corporate environments are catering to today’s culture that craves digital engagement as the norm, and not as the exception.

As such, more and more venues are using digital signage as art that can be changed quickly and updated easily. This content can also catch peoples’ eyes with movement and depth. Many businesses are looking to implement this type of ambiance—an environment that engages with people and leverages the versatility of digital signage to deliver this experience. To make it all happen, future display owners should partner with a company whose skills align with their vision, and then they can collaborate for a successful presentation.

“As a display owner, you need to define the product and impact you desire along with the budget and space you have available.”

PHONG PHANEL Senior Marketing Manager ViewSonic

There are many choices out in the marketplace for great digital signage displays to fit any environment. ProAV installers make daily recommendations to ensure that the right display fits their client’s business. After that, it’s up to the client to create the content that will be on the screen.

What can make a digital signage display stand out and be “high impact?” Content. Content plays a vital role in messaging and communications, whether wayfinding or promotional materials. This is when the desktop work monitor comes in.

For the content creator, a premium desktop monitor is the starting point. These monitors should be calibrated for a variety of color spaces, including sRGB for standard broadcast and web distribution, Adobe RGB for commercial art and print, and DCI-P3 for digital cinema and video editing work. The resolution of the digital signage display and the monitor should match to ensure consistency in the content.

It’s also important for the content creator to be able to visualize the message and context of what they want on the display. They need to translate the information into a real image and understand how it will be articulated on a digital signage display. If any colors are off or the brightness doesn’t work, it can mean that the viewer may not experience the message as it was intended.

Many digital signage displays are available with HDR support, and the communications and messaging images/visuals will want to take advantage of this. Almost all images and video will have more image data than what is on screen. With HDR displays, these details can be captured and saved, even if it’s not shown on the screen. Such details can be transferred to when video is captured and shown later, whether printed or on another medium.

BEN HARDY Senior Product Manager, Large Format Displays

Sharp/NEC

The focus for decision makers here should be to hone in on the customer’s unique needs before choosing the right digital signage display—whether projection, LCD, or dvLED technologies. Choosing the correct display system is going to be dependent on the needs and goals of the customer and the environment that the product is going to be functioning in.

Here are some key questions to ask beforehand—all of which will help identify what type of display technology will suffice: Does the environment require 24/7 run times? Will the display be placed in a high-ambientlight environment? Are there plans to control the displays via some type of third-party control system? What will be the viewing distance? What is the budget? Are there any other installation conditions that come into play when choosing the correct display for a digital signage project? (Keep in mind that this is not necessarily restricted to just LCD panels).

Once you have established the unique needs of the customer, we can then use this information to offer the correct display for the application in order to ensure that all needs are being met.

AMANDA FLYNN Vice President Customer Relations and Business Development

USSI Global

Direct-view LED walls, or dvLEDs, are essential to the fabric of conversation as it relates to today’s high-impact displays. dvLED walls have become the display of choice in high-profile retail stores, sports bars, and public locations with high foot traffic volume, such as New York City’s Times Square. These bezel-free panels offer seamless viewing experiences that adapt to nearly any indoor or outdoor area.

As these grandiose displays prove reliable and valuable while gradually reducing in price, more businesses and advertisers view dvLEDs as the next-generation, out-of-home platform to deliver a truly exceptional visual experience to consumers that clearly gets the message across. dvLEDs greatly enhance the visual experience due to varied pixel pitch configurations, detailed color matching, and superior image quality, among other benefits. It won’t be long before dvLEDs are virtually everywhere, including stadiums and arenas; airports and transportation centers.

The reasons to invest go beyond the presentation of breathtaking images. These multi-functional walls offer a true multi-zone approach to video wall programming. dvLEDs walls are built with a modular architecture, meaning that businesses can seamlessly split and change content without affecting clarity or distorting images. The modular flexibility provides a very large and creative canvas on which to display informative content.

The modular build also extends the lifespan, up to five times that of other displays, while offering a simple, hot-swap approach to maintenance. Working with a trusted partner, time and costs are further reduced through streamlined repair and replacement services. All of this means that the value proposition for dvLED screens is strengthened through improved total cost of ownership, further justifying the level of investment required.

PARRISH CHAPMAN Director, Enterprise Retail Sales Key Accounts Samsung Electronics America

In retail, it is critical to deliver timely and relevant content on dynamic displays. Today, the online and in-store shopping experiences must be cohesive; retailers should treat their brick-andmortar stores like their website, and vice versa. This is where retailers can lean into outdoor LED displays and a variety of digital tools such as LED signage, self-service kiosks, and on-shelf displays—underpinned by a robust content management system (CMS).

The first consideration I regularly share with customers is that a variety of digital tools such as LED signage, self-service kiosks, and interactive displays can be tremendously beneficial to retailers looking to provide a unique customer journey—but it is the CMS that takes these tools to the next level.

Second, a CMS can make or break a business’ ability to fully benefit from its digital signage

investments. An effective CMS allows users to develop, organize, target, schedule, and distribute content more quickly and easily. This information is a key component of creating an interactive journey.

Third, in addition to photos, slideshows, and playlists, a cloud-based CMS can pull in content from social media, providing powerful, in-themoment testimonials as customers shop inside a brick-and-mortar store.

Fourth, automation and AI can help guide content management even further. For example, Panico Salon—a full-service salon and medical spa in Ridgewood, New Jersey—uses heat

mapping to track foot traffic. This data is used to help management determine how and when to deliver content that keeps customers engaged as they move throughout the salon.

And finally, avoid being too targeted with data or sending too many marketing messages, as they can make customers wary of interacting with a brand.

The use cases are myriad: We see QSRs, the hospitality industry, and many more embracing content and digital displays to deliver better customer experiences and increased engagement.

“Avoid being too targeted with data or sending too many messages, as they can make customers wary of interacting with a brand.”

—Parrish Chapman, Director, Enterprise Retail Sales Key Accounts, Samsung Electronics America

VINNIE ANASTASI Business Development Manager

SAVI Controls

Creating high-impact displays has become an urgent priority for businesses looking to leave their customers with an unforgettable experience. Challenges arise, however, when you must match the correct display with the right video distribution solution that can deliver curated content to your audience. Each of these elements must cooperate seamlessly for impactful digital signage.

First, you need to make sure you’re utilizing the correct display for your desired outcome. Standard consumer displays won’t work for a large entertainment venue that requires content to run on screen for ten-plus hours. With less than a one percent failure rate annually, a commercial display would be the correct route, engineered with enough power to run for the entire day while playing a constant rotation of content.

Understanding how to fit the needs of the physical hardware itself is crucial to ensuring you’re reducing the rate of failure and eliminating the need for maintenance. This requires planning your content workflow, one of the most important aspects. Start by determining your end message; what do you want to get across to your audience?

Now is the time to find a media delivery system that will tie everything together and accomplish these goals. Find a system with built-in capabilities such as dividing displays into layouts, uploading custom content, scheduling ads, and options for slideshows— without having to add platforms, services, and hardware to your project.

The last element you need to focus on is ease of use for management and staff. Employ a system that requires little to no training, and is intuitive enough to manage with ease so you can quickly deploy content from your phone, tablet, or computer. A solution that is simple to use and integrated with your entire AV system means your staff can spend less time trying to manage or deploy content and more time focusing on the customer.

EMILY WEBSTER Creative Leader

ESI Design for Barco

The art of transforming the workplace into a “wow” experience that draws employees back, showcases the company story, and engages guests and partners requires design and planning that fuse form with function; a space that is human centric and can evolve to meet changing needs. It utilizes physical space as well as technology to allow the workforce to connect, engage with, and inspire each other, creating a culturedriven workplace.

Our starting point when working on any project is to consider the audience first. How will audiences use and interact in the space? Clients desire culture-driven workplaces that value culture, connection, and interactive experiences between people over technology or optimizing floor plates with cubicles. Then, balance that with the stories the audience will want to see. Thoughtfully designed spaces tell a company’s story through their brand, mission, and unique culture.

It’s important for the human experience that media content has a clear purpose, otherwise it quickly becomes advertising. Companies want the office experience to look current, feel innovative, and for the environment itself to speak with an authentic voice that’s not too overpowering. What makes your company unique? Why is the work important? How is it inspiring? Expressing stories like these helps to differentiate a company in the minds of employees, clients, and communities.

From business development to project installation, buildings are multi-use platforms that should adapt over time as needs change. Technology plays a huge part in this, especially in today’s work environment where the boundaries between virtual and in-real-life continue to blur. Ever-changing content and the technology used to display it need to work well together—be seamlessly integrated, intelligent, and inspirational. After all, things that aren’t the same all the time are simply more interesting.

DEBBIE DEWITT Marketing Communications Manager

Visix

No one considers PowerPoint an IT job, but clients often concentrate on the hardware size because it’s networked. Just like PowerPoint, digital signage is about the presentation—not what it’s presented on.

Let’s consider the fundamentals. There first needs to be an understanding of the audience that will consume the content, including demographics and interests. That base knowledge will help the user create and deliver relevant content that drives audience engagement. The ability to target content to different groups across many locations takes that effectiveness to the next level. Users can then create effective schedules that rotate specific messages during certain time slots. Dayparting will give people time to view, absorb, and react to a reasonable number of messages. We suggest rotating seven to ten key messages a day to optimize effectiveness. High-impact displays are of course reliant on compelling design. Digital signage is a visual medium that benefits from users who understand design principles, necessitating effective graphic design skills that bring compelling visuals, graphics, and videos to the screen. Speaking of screens, the content should match the specific display. Understand what themes and visuals best work across the mix of end points on your network, from interactive touchscreens and kiosks to large, immersive video walls

Users will find that matching content to displays is far easier with a powerful CMS that lacks complication. Few businesses and organizations have the resources for dedicated design experts assigned to digital signage. Make sure the CMS you choose is easy to learn for multiple contributors, able to pull in data from external sources, and capable of advanced applications. That includes leveraging analytics within the CMS to keep tabs on what content plays where and when, who is contributing content, and who might need additional inspiration and training to ensure displays remain impactful and bring value to your communications strategy.

AMBER WARD Director of Marketing Carousel Digital Signage

Before you begin your digital signage journey, the first question to ask yourself is: “What content will I share?” If you don’t know the answer to this question, then you shouldn’t be installing digital signage. It is easy to get excited about technology, but people tend to let that excitement overtake the reality, which is that content matters most. To communicate effectively, you must know your target audience, and the message you are trying to communicate. This is where many digital signage systems fail—emphasizing technology and excitement over effective use and messaging.

After you have determined your target audience, you can start thinking about where that audience congregates. In which locations will your digital signage perform best? The break room is a great place to put innovation and success on display for all employees to see; the conference room is a wonderful space to remind teams of upcoming events; and the lobby works wonders for interactive displays that help visitors navigate your building.

We have always said that updating signage needs to be easier than sending an email. If everyone can create and contribute content with ease of use, the likelihood of success vastly improves. With an expanded team of content creators, a broader team can collaborate on messaging to ensure your digital signage network is populated with diverse, fresh content that offers different perspectives. Be sure your system allows for easy collaboration with content approval.

Choose a system that integrates with other data sources so that the information is automatically updated without manual intervention. This means your content is always fresh. For example, lunch menus and event calendars are probably already being entered somewhere else; grab that information and display it. This is simply an extension of collaboration. If you want displays that pack a punch, start here and your journey will prove successful.

of Marketing Carousel Digital Signage

TZAHI MADGAR President HDBaseT Alliance

Regardless of use case, AV and IT decision makers would be best served by considering the need for resolution when planning their next digital signage installations. As installations—particularly those in public spaces—continue to incorporate larger displays like those from Samsung, LG, Optoma, and more, the need for high-quality, high-resolution picture is becoming more important than ever. Eliminating compression and preserving as much data as possible in the transmission of signal is the single most effective way to ensure that the best possible video quality ultimately makes it to the screen. HDBaseT 3.0 is the first and only technology with the ability to extend fully uncompressed 4K@60Hz 4:4:4 up to 100 meters/328 feet over a standard, fieldterminated, Category cable.

Additionally, its ability to be daisy chained means the same uncompromised picture quality travels from point, to point, to point, and beyond without any degradation and nearly zero latency. In contrast, converting to IP can result in a loss of data by up to a factor of ten. Plus, with an ecosystem of over a thousand interoperable HDBaseT products, including dozens of transceivers, matrixes, switchers, extenders, and even hybrid bridge solutions supporting the latest Spec 3.0, the flexibility for integrators and installers when it comes to choosing equipment is virtually limitless.

“If everyone can create and contribute content with ease of use, the likelihood of success vastly improves.”

—Amber Ward Director

“AV and IT decision makers would be best served by considering the need for resolution when planning their next digital signage installations.”

—Tzahi Madgar President HDBaseT Alliance

CASE IN POINT

TIMES SQUARE EXCITEMENT IN DAZZLING DVLED

New York City’s Times Square has long captured the imaginations of travelers with its seemingly endless array of neon signs, bright lights, and today, building-sized digital displays. In this hyper-digitized environment, expert systems integrator LG Fulfillment, powered by MDM Commercial, helped the New York Marriott Marquis bring the neighborhood’s larger-than-life experience inside the hotel with two enormous 50-by-eight-foot direct-view LED (dvLED) displays from LG Business Solutions USA.

“LG has provided Host Hotels & Resorts with cuttingedge display technologies for properties all over the country, but these two are the largest displays, by far,” said Jake Benner, LG director of Sales for Hospitality, Cruise, and Fitness. “When they asked what options existed to provide a huge digital canvas on both ends of a split-floor walkway that’s visible from both above and below, we connected them with the expert integrators at LG Fulfillment to provide assistance in product selection, system design, and installation.”

When Host Hotels & Resorts, the hotel’s owner, first approached LG Fulfillment, they described the desired outcome as four or five large video displays mounted side by side—each showing an individual channel or piece of content, or combined to show one ultra-wide image.

“Of course, we could have put up a standard type of video wall with multiple panels and visible bezels between screens, but we knew that wasn’t bold enough for the Times Square location, and a dvLED display would blow away a multi-panel installation in terms of wow factor and usage flexibility,” said Cheryl McGinty Weiland, vice president of Hospitality for LG Fulfillment.

With no bezels and virtually unlimited flexibility, the finished dvLED displays have given the property two impossible-to-miss advertising platforms that they can market as digital real estate for event hosts and local businesses.

The content delivery system includes a media player for digital advertisements, a video resolution processor that scales content to fit the displays’ unique aspect ratios, and a media player connected to Blackdove’s digital art subscription service. Using a tablet, staff can quickly make adjustments to the display setup and alternate between live TV, artwork, and promotional content.

The identical displays feature a 1.8mm pixel pitch and 800 nits of brightness, making them excellent for viewing up close or from 100 feet away.

“Another benefit for the property is that we didn’t use any proprietary content management software, so they can use any platform they choose,” McGinty Weiland said. “This way they aren’t locked into

something that only we can operate or service, and ensures they can stay flexible as their needs change, or as digital media continues to evolve.”

LG and Host Hotels & Resorts also collaborated to create immersive and captivating anamorphic content specifically suited to the unique aspect ratio of these displays. It begins with the Invitation to the Space of Light, which shows a shimmering golden banner flowing freely to fill the 3D space. That leads into the City Dream and Fantasy, a golden-colored space that transforms to reflect the unique elements of New York City. Finally, the experience culminates in World Full of Glitters, which mixes the city skyline with fanciful animations including a glittering virtual character that appears through a hole in the ceiling.

“This eye-catching content leverages the distinct shape of the dvLED displays to present visitors with an unforgettable visual experience that’s unique to this spectacular hotel,” said Benner. “That’s the promise of custom dvLED displays. Requiring no standard format or aspect ratio, displays of this type enable owners and creatives to reimagine what visual content can convey.”

Photos Courtesy LG

70 MILLION PIXELS GET THE BALL ROLLING

Vivint Arena is home to the NBA’s Utah Jazz, and the title contenders have pressed their home advantage to start the season ablaze with as much resolution as its arena’s new interior display upgrade.

LED display manufacturer, Absen, and the company’s long-standing Utah-based partner, Revel Media Group, have partnered with Salt Lake City’s Vivint Arena to install new Absen LED displays ahead of the 2022/2023 National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season.

The installation encompasses upper and lower ribbons affixed to the seating gallery; the centerhung display including sideline and baseline boards, trapezoid corners, and underbelly displays; as well as auxiliary boards serving courtside. Absen supplied the N4 Plus Series LED product that was specified throughout for installation.

Central to the viewing experience for Utah Jazz fans is the vast center-hung display system with its two approximately 40-by-24-foot sideline video displays and two end zone displays measuring 25.5 feet by 20 feet. The screen experience is maximized with four additional trapezoid-shaped corner displays, and four underbelly display boards—each measuring approximately 17 feet by 10 feet. The upper and lower ribbons also create a wow factor for the audience. At over 820 feet long and featuring 1,733 panels, they amount to the equivalent of three football fields around the entire arena.

With content ranging from live game play and instant replays to sponsorship messages and game statistics,

fans are afforded the superior visual performance of seamless 4mm pixel pitch display on every visual surface, from the ribbon displays to the four 825-square-foot corner displays.

Visual excellence also extends to the smaller courtside and entry way displays, where the light and thin design of Absen’s noise-free N4Plus modules create a sleek finish with a depth of just 54mm.

In addition to the excellent visual performance of the N4Plus, the smart modules individually store, amongst a host of other important data, the calibration detail, which is read automatically when any module is replaced. The smart nature of the modules adds to the ease and speed of maintenance which can be approached by front or rear.

Revel Media Group—specialists in digital signage, LED installation, and a cloud-based content creation and delivery system—completed the installation on time and within budget. The Group’s co-founder, Brian Fitzpatrick, said the installation, which incorporates over 70 million pixels is, “…truly one of a kind and will be the first in any American stadium.”

Absen’s director of sales engineer, US western region, Kobe Xiao commented, “Absen is delighted to be involved with such a dramatic and historic sporting installation, where Absen products add so much to the game experience with more pixels than any other stadium has yet seen in the U.S.”

Photos Courtesy Absen

DIGITAL ART FROM ABOVE

During a recent major renovation, the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields had an idea to completely reimagine an indoor courtyard to include a large, impressive art display that would make the space feel like an outdoor courtyard. The area needed to feel as if it was intentionally part of the museum, connecting the other art galleries while also serving as an attractive venue for other applications.

The Indianapolis Museum of Art is one of the premier museums in the Midwest. Known for encouraging and embracing new media and techniques, the museum administrators were looking for new ways to engage a wider audience and create a multi-use gathering point that connects with the rest of the museum.

The museum engaged in discussions with integrator, AVI Systems, and Blockhouse Studios, a leader in mixed media technologies. The unique space had some difficult technical challenges.

Through months of concepts and testing, it was determined that typical projection mapping was not the right technology for what they wanted to accomplish. The image quality wouldn’t match their expectations or vision.

To get the brightness, color accuracy, and durability expected for a long-term installation, direct-view LED was the right choice. Neoti was brought in as a consultative partner to determine the appropriate pixel pitch and

The first time I was able to come into the courtyard and see the ceiling was just remarkable.“

— Tascha Horowitz, Newfields’ director of Interpretation, Media, and Publishing

infrastructure of the suspended video ceiling. With LED industry expertise and partnerships, Neoti provided engineering support so that a special truss system could be designed to suspend the LED panels safely above visitors.

Kevin Winkler of Blockhouse Studios said, “Working with Neoti was great; Neoti worked closely with us every step of the way to create a one-of-a-kind screen that far surpassed our and the clients’ expectations.”

A scaffolding was constructed with a false floor so teams could easily work on both sides of the ceiling panels. Over 500 panels were connected and calibrated in a three-week period. The truss system holds over 11,000 lbs of 2.5mm Neoti UHD panels.

A media server and remote-control system was installed to handle media playout. Blockhouse created a

stunning 60-minute artistic video loop featuring backlit gels, foils, and liquids, mixed with a variety of drone aerials around the Newfields grounds.

Tascha Horowitz, Newfields’ director of Interpretation, Media, and Publishing, said, “The first time I was able to come into the courtyard and see the ceiling was just remarkable. I was really struck by the way the light and the subtle color bathed the architecture of the courtyard, and the quality was so sharp and so clear—it was just really, really stunning. Beyond any of my expectations.”

Clowes Pavilion “Reimagined” opened to rave reviews as an outstanding example of the blending of art, design, and technology. The easily adjustable content and open-air feeling of the space will make it a versatile and unique attraction for museum patrons and rental event customers for years to come.

Photos Courtesy Neoti

SPORTS BETTING AT ITS BEST

Collaborating alongside AV integrator Solutionz, 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 Uncasville, Connecticut.

Mohegan Sun wanted to create an impactful display that would provide sports betters with access to a worldclass selection of live sports competitions from across the world—a complement to its restaurant, bar, and gaming offerings. This is what led them to contact AV integrator Solutionz, and the installation began in November 2021.

Solutionz specified a custom-manufactured SEAMLESS Bespoke Mounting System from Peerless-AV to support a massive, 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.

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 designing and manufacturing the custom mounting systems to testing, project management, on-site installation consultation, and commissioning.

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. The original installation plans included the colossal video wall to be mounted on the floor. The visible posts, however, were not favorable by Mohegan Sun management. The team’s revised plans included a mounting system that suspended the 20,000lb curved video wall’s total weight from the ceiling and attached to the wall.

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 flawlessly. 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 to be able to view the display from any angle of the space, the total viewable surface of the dvLED video wall is 139 feet wide by 14.7 feet high—2,034 square feet in total. 420 Unilumin Uslim dvLED displays were used for the enormous wall. The panels were arranged in an 84-by-five configuration, comprising 336 cabinets on the bottom row and 84 on

top row. To create a viewable size that is maximized to fit the space, this custom design had to accommodate these different cabinet sizes.

Peerless-AV also developed a perforated custom rear cover for the side array to hide the back of the display. This cover blends in with the ceiling structure but allows for proper airflow.

“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.”

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, and both the Mohegan Sun and FanDuel teams were elated with their vision brought to life.

Kevin Reilly, Corporate Entertainment technical manager, Sports and Entertainment for Mohegan said, “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.”

“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.”

Photos Courtesy Peerless-AV

Located in the central business district in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, KPMG Center is a boutique, 28-story LEED-Platinum certified building that includes over 600,000 square feet of Class-A office space. KPMG Center owners Morgan Stanley and LBA Realty recently partnered with global design and architecture firm Gensler on renovations to the building’s two-story lobby, tenant lounge, conference center, and outdoor terrace.

The updated lobby features several design improvements including a new coffee kiosk, elegant seating areas, and new interior landscaping. The grand centerpiece is a massive digital art canvas covering one of the walls. Measuring nearly 74 feet wide and 11 feet high, the installation is a Planar TVF Series LED video wall with a 2.5mm pixel pitch (TVF2.5) in a 37-by-10 configuration.

Digital signage agency Grandview Digital designed the LED video wall and will be managing, creating, and curating content for the display. For assistance with the project, Grandview partnered with MediaCentric for the

— James Ravenel, founder, LBA Realty Snyder Langston Grandview

CORPORATE LOBBY BEAUTIFIED BY LED CANVAS

The intention of the LED canvas is to create an immersive, calming atmosphere— a place that will draw people to come and unwind.“

installation, commissioning, and programming.

LBA Realty Snyder Langston Grandview founder James Ravenel was initially approached by LBA Reality during the design phase, when the project team became interested in supplementing the lobby with a digital experience— something that would work well with the architecture and support their vision for the reimagined space. “Over a two-year period, we worked closely with Gensler and the owners on the concept and design and developed several versions,” Ravenel explained. “Ultimately, we settled on a giant panoramic canvas.”

The biggest challenge to the project involved installing such a massive LED display across an irregular wall surface marked by three elevator foyer openings. “Most video walls are built from the bottom up, but in this case, we had to take a custom approach to cope with the three elevator walkways,” said MediaCentric president and CEO David Lopez.

“We had to uniquely build up, over, and down each opening, and then level every row across the gaps.”

“For a video wall this big, the design flexibility of the Planar TVF Series modules was a useful feature,” said Eric Broyles, regional manager and technical specialist with MediaCentric. “Adjustments on the cabinet

corners made it easy to fine tune as we went along to ensure that no seams were visible and that the video wall was completely straight.”

Content for the large Planar TVF Series LED video wall has been carefully selected and will include a combination of thematic scenery and custom digital artwork. “It’s a beautiful, breathtaking lobby and the intention of the LED canvas is to create an immersive, calming atmosphere—a place that will draw people to come and unwind,” Ravenel said.

For sourcing artistic content, local artists will be engaged to create digital murals specifically tailored to the LED video wall. “We will add after-effect animation to the murals to give them movement,” Ravenel said. “Integrating animation into a digital landscape is something you can only do with LED. It’s a very interesting way to embrace digital art in a physical environment.”

To keep content fresh, Grandview will make bimonthly updates, bringing in new scenes from new curated playlists and showcasing work from different artists. “What’s really exciting is that the LED video wall is not used to push a brand or sell a product,” Ravenel said. “Rather, it’s about using technology to create something meaningful.”

Photos Courtesy Planar

THE LONGEST VIDEO WALL IN SCANDINAVIA

PPDS, the exclusive global provider of Philips professional displays, teamed up with Sweden’s biggest and most popular supermarket chain, Maxi ICA, to bring a highly engaging shopping experience to customers in its flagship store, the colossal Maxi ICA Stormarknad Universitetet in Örebro. The installation includes 23 digital signage displays, and the spectacular 16m- (52-foot-) wide direct-view LED video wall is the largest of its kind in Scandinavia.

The store’s owners wanted to create a more modern in-store environment for their customers, while bringing new benefits to the store’s day-to-day operations and driving new and existing revenue opportunities. Key to its plans was the replacement of its traditional, static, and quickly outdated paper-based messaging with a digital

alternative for maximum visibility and less waste.

Working closely with PPDS and LTG Display, Sweden’s leading supplier of signage software, digital signage, and store communications, a strategic plan was developed to transition the store from traditional media into the digital world.

Completed in just a few days, nearly all printed signage was replaced with Philips D-Line digital displays measuring 75 by 86 inches, allowing the store to bring its branding and messaging content to life in up to 4K picture quality. Linked seamlessly to LTG Display’s sophisticated POS system, the store is now able to instantly and remotely update content.

In addition, the installation of Philips digital signage removes concerns around outdated promotions being

Photo Courtesy Philips

displayed, ensures staff are able to focus on their job rather than on changing posters on a daily basis, and eliminates unnecessary paper waste.

The centerpiece of the store, undoubtedly, is the colossal 16-by-1.73m Philips L-Line 7000 Series directview LED wall.

Hailed as Scandinavia’s longest supermarket dvLED display, this unmissable installation is visible from anywhere in the store, providing opportunities to wow visitors upon entering, while also creating an immersive experience that continues throughout their store journey.

Designed for retail, the Philips 7000 Series provides the store with bright, crystal-clear images and color quality, while its low energy consumption helps Maxi ICA keep running costs to a minimum without impacting performance. All the Philips displays feature the benefits of Dynamic and Black screen power-saving features, automatically and intelligently powering down when

not in use. This helps to further reduce the total cost of ownership, while extending the life of each dvLED panel for a greater ROI. FailOver also ensures Philips displays never go blank, even in the event of an outage.

“The result of this collaboration set a new benchmark in the shopping experience, with clear and seamless customer navigation and endless opportunities in content creation related to each department,” said Roeland Scholten, sales director for Benelux and Nordics at PPDS. “We’re delighted to have supported Maxi ICA in bringing their ambitions to life in this unique, forward-thinking store, where the customer experience really does come first.”

Erik Svedmark, store manager at Maxi ICA Stormarknad Universitetet, added, “Our goal is to be the number one choice for a customer when it comes to purchasing food, which means that we have to provide them with a different experience.”

A LASTING IMPRESSION

It is said that a picture paints a thousand words, but what about a video wall? Making its debut at the Pabellón de la Navegación (Navigation Pavilion) in Seville, the touring media exhibition “Impressionists” left viewers speechless as the works of Renoir, Van Gogh, and others illuminated a stunning floor-to-ceiling digital masterpiece. With Matrox QuadHead2Go multi-monitor controllers’ ability to deliver flawless image quality across a sprawling canvas, Ukrainian multimedia company Front Pictures was able to provide a mesmerizing, 21st century take on the works of Europe’s most renowned Impressionist masters.

For Front Pictures, bringing some of the most distinguished modern paintings to life required a flexible and reliable video wall solution. What the company had in mind was a plug-and-play, standalone appliance that would be capable of driving multiple pristine-quality full-HD displays, as well as be compact enough to be quickly disassembled and reassembled to meet the travel needs of the digital exhibition. Having had years’ worth of successful experience with Matrox video wall products, Front Pictures’ choice to acquire QuadHead2Go devices was easy.

“Matrox has provided our go-to video wall technologies for some time now,” said Yuri Kostenko, Front Pictures CEO. “We have used the Matrox TripleHead2Go triple-display appliance for many years now, and when Matrox released the QuadHead2Go, it was perfect timing. We had been looking for a higher-density-output device to support more displays from a small footprint, and we knew that Matrox’s multi-screen technology

would perfectly suit our demanding installations.”

The Matrox PowerWall software included with QuadHead2Go allows Front Pictures to easily install and customize configurations, making deployment simple. The installation behind the Impressionists exhibition comprises 14 screens—each 4.4m in height—and spanning 116m in total. Content for the exhibition created by Front Pictures is hosted on the company’s Screenberry media server. From there, the content is routed to six QuadHead2Go Q155 appliances—each capturing an HDMI video signal from the media server for display across four HDMI-equipped projectors.

QuadHead2Go devices connect to a total of 21 BenQ TH671ST projectors that cast the ultra-high-quality video onto the screens across 40,320 by 1,080 pixels, for a total resolution of 43.5 megapixels. When set to music, the moving paintings delivered by the QuadHead2Go video controllers and Screenberry media server transport viewers to the imaginations of Impressionist virtuosos.

With QuadHead2Go, Front Pictures sacrifices neither form nor function. According to Kostenko, QuadHead2Go has enabled the company to push the boundaries of what a visual experience can be with the convenience of a flexible, easy-to-deploy, multi-screen appliance. “With its ability to capture and display superior-quality video content, Matrox QuadHead2Go video wall controllers have enabled us to deliver a truly sublime art viewing experience,” he said. “Furthermore, the compact, low-power appliance takes up very little space, is easy to transport and re-install, and keeps hardware and maintenance costs low.”

Photo Courtesy Matrox

— Yuri Kostenko, Front Pictures CEO

SCOUTS GET 21ST-CENTURY PRESENTATION CAPABILITIES

Founded in 1915, the Greater Los Angeles Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America is dedicated to preparing young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes. At the Greater Los Angeles Area Council building, the main training space was in clear need of an upgrade. Dating back to the building’s grand opening in 2008, the wiring was becoming glitchy and the presentation technology was more than outdated.

“We were making do with screens and projectors that were already old when they were donated,” said Charlie Wilson, the Council’s director of Finance and Performance Management, who noted that as thrifty Scouts, they rely heavily on donations. “By the time we were thinking about upgrading, it was a very old system. The wiring was going bad. The colors were going bad. The mic wasn’t working. It was, to put it simply, a disaster.”

The disaster cleanup plan called for an up-to-date mobile solution that could be used throughout the facility. “We wanted to achieve an upgrade that would meet our needs now and for a long time coming,” said Kevin Burton, the Council’s IT analyst. “At minimum, we needed a new screen and a new sound system, so we looked to a third party for help.”

Wilson, Burton, and the Council’s director of Support Service, Steve Smith, reached out to AV expert and Eagle Scout, John Brown, to provide that assistance. “John is a big fan of Scouting and he’s CEO of The Showpros, an AV company that’s donated a lot of work to our Council,” said Burton. “It turned out that he’s also a big fan of ViewSonic and their products, and with his connections we were able to receive two donated ViewSonic ViewBoard displays and mobile carts.”

Since the fast and easy deployment of the new displays, the Council has used them for every training, staff meeting, and board of directors meeting. “The 4K images are beautiful and the ViewSonic ViewBoard displays are so easy to use,” said Burton. “They’re great for hybrid as well as in-person meetings, when some participants can’t be there in the room with us.”

Flexibility, the Council team agreed, is another valuable feature of the new presentation equipment. “Not only can we deliver outstanding meetings and presentations, but these displays

are also terrific when used like a whiteboard,” said Burton. “For example, the Board members like to put a PowerPoint presentation on one screen and take notes on the other screen.”

Beyond the flexibility of features inherent to the ViewBoard displays, the mobile carts enable the Council to use the displays in a number of ways, extending the value of the resource.

“We can use one in each of the main training rooms, or use them together as mentioned,” said Burton. “Then, when they’re needed in another space in our facilities, it’s simple to move them there as well. It’s also handy to be able to reposition them within a room, depending on the seating arrangement and goals of the meeting. We could even use them outside in our pocket park.”

The capabilities of their new presentation system outshine anything any of them have seen at other regional Council meetings. “These presentation capabilities are a first for the Scouts,” said Smith. “I’ve worked at several Councils and have been to many Scout meetings. This is the first one to have this level of AV equipment available to its staff and volunteers.”

Photos Courtesy ViewSonic

LCDS ELEVATE REAL ESTATE SHOWROOM

Parque Global, the largest real estate development in Latin America, located in São Paulo, Brazil, recently opened a spectacular showroom featuring a unique mosaic of 34 Christie LCD panels to give visitors an exclusive experience.

Parque Global is a megaproject with five high-rise residential towers containing a total of 672 luxury condominiums, a shopping area, children’s playgrounds, sports facilities, and a fitness center in a landscaped green space covering 53 acres.

To show the project to potential clients, the developers Bueno Netto have built a spectacular 37,000-square-foot showroom next to the development and commissioned the production company Not So Impossible to create audio-visual experiences that convey a wow factor to visitors.

Not So Impossible looked after the design, content, and management of suppliers and clients. In turn, it also brought on board the image technology company On Projecoes for the development, installation, and technological rollout of the AV. “What the client

wanted from this project was to give visitors an impression of modernism, technology, and a fantastic sensorial experience in the showroom,” explained Marcos Boromello from On Projecoes.

When visitors walk into the showroom, they enter an amazing space with 34 interconnected Christie LCD video wall panels. The displays tell the story of the development and the different companies involved, including the architects, designers, and other professionals who provided input into the project. The screens are arranged in an art gallery format that engages and moves visitors from the moment they step into the showroom.

A total of 34 videos were created specifically for the project in full-HD format. The video signals are distributed individually and synchronized by means of three servers and multimedia control software.

The 34 panels are Christie FHD492-XB, a model made and available exclusively in Brazil. This 49-inch LCD video wall panel features fullHD resolution, 450 nits, an ultra-narrow bezel, and portrait or landscape orientation—all at a very competitive price.

“Given that it was going to be in operation 24/7, we opted for these LCD panels because of their high quality and the proven reliability of Christie products,” explained Boromello.

The showroom also includes other areas with different audio-visual experiences, like a 750-square-foot scale model with video mapping, in addition to projections.

“The truth is that the showroom is completely different to any other sales booth for a real estate development. In fact, the experience is more akin to an art exhibition or an interactive museum, underscoring the spectacular quality of Latin America’s largest mixed-use development,” concluded Boromello.

Photos Courtesy Christie

PRODUCTS THAT MATTER

THE PRODUCTS THAT DELIVER AN IMPACTFUL IMAGE

1

1 DirectLight Ultra Series

Planar’s DirectLight Ultra Series line of micro-LED video wall displays delivers always-on, high-performance, highresolution display experiences with the finest pixel pitches from 0.6mm to 0.9mm for mission-critical and refined applications. Planar DirectLight Ultra Series presents several display technology advancements that, in combination, deliver big performance with micro-LED technology, off-board power supply, proprietary alignment technology, and the powerful Planar WallDirector Video Controller and corresponding video wall management software. The U.S. TAAcompliant displays are also covered by the Planar EverCare Lifetime Limited Warranty, providing complete product coverage from controller to sub-pixel and everything in between.

planar.com

2 4 Impact Outdoor Kiosk Philips S-Line

Chief’s Impact Outdoor Kiosk adds another level of flexibility to the digital signage enclosure market. This new sleek, yet robust, design features outdoor-rated paint, is wind tested up to 140 mph, and has convenient AV device storage that is IP54 rated to endure harsh outdoor conditions. Ample storage areas include a Lever Lock panel, compatible with Forward AV Mounting clips for fast and easy device mounting. A fan and active cooling vents keep components at stable temperatures and functioning optimally with Middle Atlantic accessories including R-LINK power management and UPS devices.

legrandav.com

3 BRAVIA 4K HDR Professional Displays

Sony’s BRAVIA 4K HDR Professional Displays range in size from 32 to 100 inches and are designed for today’s connected AV environments. They feature an Android system-on-a-chip (SoC) platform and incorporate seamless integration, smart customization, and security features. The displays also support Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast for content sharing, Crestron XiO Cloud management, as well as open APIs to leverage the top software platforms and bring a higher level of functionality to deployments. BRAVIA Pro models incorporate Sony’s cutting-edge display technologies to bring amazing color, contrast, and clarity to content in corporate, education, retail, and public spaces.

sony.com

PPDS’ Philips S-Line is a brand new series of 37-inch, ultra-wide digital signage displays featuring an eye-catching 32:9 aspect ratio. Built for 24/7 operation and offering uncompromising reliability, the lightweight, portrait- or landscape-mountable Philips S-Line is the ideal solution for a variety of industries and uses, including public venues, transportation, restaurants, and retail. Running on Android 8, Philips S-Line is optimized for native Android apps, with users able to install their desired apps directly to the display. Featuring an integrated media player, content can be created and easily scheduled, helping to ensure displays remain active even in the event of a network outage.

ppds.com

5 WP Digital Wallpaper Series

INFiLED’s WP Digital Wallpaper Series is an ultra-thin, lightweight, high-definition 16:9 tile LED display that delivers impressive visual experiences by combining a slim design with extremely easy installation. Front installation, front maintenance, and an optional built-in media player offer easy operation for a simple and neat environment. With its 16:9 panel ratio and availability from 0.9 up to 3.1mm pixel pitch, it is designed to support native full-HD, 4K, and 8K resolutions. This product can be utilized in a wide range of vertical markets, such as command and control centers, broadcast, conference rooms, retail, education, and more.

infiled.com

Opticis’ DPOC-14N DisplayPort 1.4 Active Optical Cable enables transmission up to 8K (7,680 by 4,320) at 60Hz. These are critical display applications that demand perfect DisplayPort 1.4 signal integrity and provide transparent signal transmission over Plenum graded, LSZH, or TPU. It supports plug-andplay features since it requires no external power to operate. DPOC-14N is available in popular lengths, from 10m up to 100m (32 feet up to 328 feet).

opticisusa.com

7 SEAMLESS dvLED Mounting Systems

Peerless-AV’s SEAMLESS dvLED Mounting Systems are an ideal solution for even the most complex design and technology integration challenges. With Kitted and Bespoke options, SEAMLESS offers slim, space-saving mounts that are easily adaptable to support various dvLED display sizes and brands. The dedicated Kitted Series solutions are precisely engineered to fit major panel manufacturers’ specs and adapt to standard flat video walls. When a standard solution is unsuitable, Peerless-AV provides custom, Bespoke solutions, bringing unique flat, corner, or curved configurations to life.

peerless-av.com

Nanolumens’ CLRVU Mesh technology can be used indoors or outdoors to seamlessly blend into the architecture of your building. One main differentiator for CLRVU is that it allows for the customization of the display’s resolution, power consumption, and transparency. Making a brilliant statement effortlessly is easy with this durable and long-lasting LED display. It’s designed and assembled in the US and built totally to specification in pixel pitches ranging from 10mm to 25mm.

nanolumens.com

Zoom Kiosks now support both virtual receptionists and Zoom’s Workspace Reservation product, resulting in a highimpact display with the power to manage desk-sharing, room booking, and other standard receptionist interactions. Placing a Zoom Kiosk with Workspace Reservation at floor entrances invites interaction by letting incomers view floor maps, find an optimal space, and reserve it. Administrators get access to a data-rich dashboard that illuminates office usage patterns. Plus, users can call up the virtual receptionist for assistance or a welcoming voice, making it an excellent entry point for remote employees and customers visiting the office for the first time.

explore.zoom.us

Extron’s NAV Pro AV over IP delivers perfect, 4K/60 video with 4:4:4 chroma sampling and ultra-low latency along with powerful Vector 4K scaling and NAV WindoWall video wall technology. WindoWall technology supports a wide range of applications, from knowledge walls to digital signage. Sources can be distributed over standard IP networks to an unlimited number of displays.

NAV scaling decoders support video wall applications, enabling a mix of full-screen and image magnification across multiple displays. WindoWall presets provide a quick and easy way to manipulate the canvas between different image arrangements.

extron.com

8 CLRVU Mesh

9 10 Zoom Kiosk

NAV Pro AV over IP

Poly Studio P21

Poly’s Studio P21 personal meeting display supercharges your video calls. This all-in-one display is a plug-and-play USBconnected device that includes everything you need for a pro-grade video experience, including camera, speakers, microphone, and adjustable built-in lighting. Not only that, but it works with the cloud-based video app of your choice. A brilliant 21-inch display and built-in high-definition camera provide top-tier image clarity, brightness, and vibrant colors. It provides more monitor space, serving as a secondary display or dual desktop space. The adjustable ambient lighting helps you look your best, while the high-fidelity stereo speakers and microphone deliver assurance that you’ll always be heard loud and clear.

poly.com

ST8602 86-inch

4K Smart Signage Display

BenQ’s ST8602 86-inch 4K Smart Signage Display provides all-in-one smart signage with ultra-thin bezels for easy integration into a wide range of environments. View vivid images on a 4K UHD anti-glare display. Featuring a built-in Android OS, this display is ready to use right out of the box and supports OPS slot-in computers for even greater flexibility. Easily create content using custom X-Sign templates and remotely manage your display with DMS.

benq.com

Avocor’s CollabTouch fuses the interactive power of Avocor E and G Series displays with the collaborative strength of Logitech Rally Bar and Rally Bar Mini. Logitech’s all-in-one video bars easily connect to the Avocor display via a proprietary, unified cable, including HDMI, USB, and Ethernet connectivity, and mount to the CollabTouch display. The solution supports all popular UC platforms.

The result is an all-in-one technology solution that delivers equitable, interactive, virtual meeting experiences regardless of room size. And, because CollabTouch is powered by a single cable, the solution can be easily deployed in a wide range of spaces.

avocor.com

CollabTouch

XD5

BrightSign’s XD5 powers state-of-the-art digital signage experiences with enhanced 4K video and motion graphics performance. Designed to exceed enterprise digital signage needs for applications that emphasize portrait 4K video and high-performance motion graphics now and into the future, the new player’s hardware-accelerated 4K video rotation streamlines the presentation authoring process by automatically rotating content, which eliminates developing in portrait orientations. BrightSign XD5 delivers optimized motion graphics performance with fast load times; smooth animations; highly responsive interactions of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript content at 60fps frame rates; Power over Ethernet (PoE+); a thinner design; and simplified Wi-Fi and SSD installation.

brightsign.biz

Pana 105

Jupiter’s Pana 105 with 21:9 ultra-wide 5K native resolution brings a refreshing, headturning form factor to the conventional display market, with eight feet of visually stunning real estate. A more spacious display ensures more pertinent information gets placed in our panoramic visual sweet spot, increasing our comprehension and productivity.

Create the impact your content deserves with Jupiter’s Pana 105 21:9 ultra-wide 5K displays, shipping now worldwide in touch and non-touch versions.

jupiter.com

MaxColor 4K60 Series

Just Add Power’s MaxColor 4K60 Series transmitters and receivers natively support 4K@60Hz in and out, allowing end users to play ultra-HD video from 4K sources and devices. With the MaxColor 4K60 Series, video at 36-bit color and 4:4:4 chroma can be distributed over existing Cat 5/Cat 6 cable. The series delivers instant, seamless switching, 4K up and downscaling, and HDR management while supporting all lossless audio formats and HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision for the best viewing experience. It also includes Just Add Power’s standard troubleshooting and diagnostic features, including image pop, push, and pull, as well as integrated control.

justaddpower.com

Epson’s EB-PU2220B is the world’s smallest and lightest 20,000-lumen projector, producing ultra-bright, true-to-life images with full-HD WUXGA resolution, 4K Enhancement, and 3-chip 3LCD technology. This premium projector is optimized for live events with 3G-SDI input and output to accommodate daisy-chaining, plus a mechanical shutter for laser light show protection. The EB-PU2220B is also compatible with a range of Epson lenses and Epson’s new PixAlign external camera, bringing more versatility and flexibility to end users.

epson.com

Navori Labs’ IPR Software accelerates performance rendering for digital signage. Insane Performance Rendering (IPR) can drive 8K video walls or four clusters of 4K digital signage displays from a single media player, resulting in dramatic cost savings. IPR adds value by only using 20 percent of the CPU when displaying 8K content due to efficient processing power. IPR can frameaccurately synchronize with any content type, including HTML5 and tickers, since the entire workflow is centralized on one workstation. Systems integrators save on hardware, software licensing, and labor through a reduced installation footprint and technology that is simple to configure and maintain.

navori.com

Haivision’s Command 360 is a revolutionary next-generation visual collaboration platform for operation and command centers that enables real-time critical decision-making and collaboration for defense, government, enterprise, and public safety organizations. Designed to effortlessly scale from a central operations center to support remote or portable systems, the platform centralizes all video, data, communication, and visualization sources into a fully secure, multi-site video wall solution, with no impact on performance. Once operational, Command 360 delivers the advanced functionality needed to coordinate and manage an entire operations center through its easy-to-use, secure, browser-based user interface.

cinemassive.com

IPR Software

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EMCEE200 Multiview Presentation Switcher

Hall Technologies’ EMCEE200 Multiview Presentation Switcher is perfect for streaming content on high-impact displays. Ideal for collaboration-type projects in the corporate, hospitality, house of worship, and education sectors that require a robust presentation product—EMCEE200 gives users the ability to customize their onscreen content layout in various multi-view formats. They can customize the visual hierarchy of content based on the content’s size and position on screen, giving their audience a visually seamless experience that is unique to them. This product is in-stock and shipping now around the globe.

halltechav.com

ODPK55 Outdoor Portrait Kiosk

Palmer Digital Group’s ODPK55 Outdoor Portrait Kiosk is built for digital signage presentation using Samsung’s OH55A or LG’s 55-inch XE4F display. Its applications are diverse, making it suitable for a variety of retail and hospitality environments. The company’s careful design strategy takes outdoor environments into account. Built with high-impact steel for longevity, its specifications address environmental concerns such as solar loads and extreme temperatures. Display brightness of 3,500 nits ensures clear visualization in direct sunlight. Its operating temperature of minus 40 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit provides reliability in virtually any location. Options include support for cameras, media players, routers and speakers, which invites integration with analytics, audio, and streaming applications.

palmerdigitalgroup.com

Black Box’s Radian Flex is a fully softwarebased video wall processing platform that delivers future-proof flexibility and scalability for digital signage, corporate, education, and mission-critical visualization applications. Software from Black Box makes it easy to display high-quality content from multiple sources across multiscreen display walls in any configuration. User-made changes on the Radian Flex interface are reflected in real time. Radian Flex supports an unlimited number of inputs, screens, and endpoints. Integrated SmartFrame technology ensures perfectpicture quality and automates optimal placement of content with minimal setup. The platform’s robust video engine supports video up to a resolution of more than 1 billion pixels, paving the way for 8K resolution and beyond.

blackbox.com

NOVEMBER 2022 | avnetwork.com

SAVI Controls’ STREAM.One video encoder is engineered to deliver a new level of innovation to a project staple, dramatically streamlining system design, cabling, and installation by providing advanced audiovideo distribution to individual displays or complex video walls, all with just one cable. Featuring SAVI Canvas, the STREAM. One provides seamless over-the-network content distribution and makes any video source available, greatly simplifying system expansion. STREAM.One is the perfect product for content delivery throughout large stadiums, but simple enough to use in any size project. The modular, scalable design means you don’t have to pay for inputs you don’t need.

savicontrols.com

Content Manager V7

22Miles’ Content Manager V7 lets you create and deploy content for any screen from a unified portal. Its Smart Template Center features 1,000-plus templates in categories ranging from menu boards to room booking. The exclusive 22Miles Template AI with data mapping technology learns as you use it to produce design recommendations and a seamless editing experience. Add dynamic content and interactive features easily with one-click widgets for activities like space reservation. Content Manager V7’s integrated remote digital signage player control—with optional hierarchical account features—makes it easy to build and operate signage networks of any size.

22miles.com

AxisTV Signage Suite v1.62

Visix’s AxisTV Signage Suite v1.62 digital signage software has new and improved design widgets, calendar options, interactive features, and cloud analytics to enhance user experiences for content managers and facility owners. With the new Web Image widget, on-screen web graphics can auto-refresh by pointing to a URL. Content creation is accelerated through improved visibility and speed for workflows. This includes the software’s HTML5 viewer, which publishes message playlists to webpages for remote workers. v1.62 also builds in touch and voice interaction for wayfinding and other touchscreen applications, while cloud-based analytics answer questions about system adoption, user workflows, and content management.

visix.com

SAVI STREAM.One

ColorPro VP16-OLED Portable Monitor

Carousel Digital Signage’s Carousel Cloud is a subscription-based SaaS platform that leverages a lightweight, software-defined architecture centralized within an off-site IT infrastructure. The highly scalable, enterprise-wide digital signage platform keeps the focus on content development and audience engagement, and eliminates the expense and maintenance of traditional hardware servers. Carousel Cloud is natively supported in AppleTV devices, and deployable through BrightSign’s BSNcloud network management platform. Carousel Cloud software also now integrates with Power BI, Microsoft’s AI-powered data visualization toolset for enterprise businesses. This allows Carousel Cloud users to create and share important business information across corporate digital signage networks.

carouselsignage.com

ViewSonic’s ColorPro VP16-OLED Portable Monitor delivers superior color performance with advanced OLED technology. The 15.6inch VP16-OLED features native 1080p resolution, and is Pantone validated and factory calibrated to deliver rich color uniformity, accuracy, and enhanced details— meeting the demands of professional content creators.

The VP16-OLED is designed with its mainboard in the stand, making it one of the thinnest CNC aluminum-framed OLED panels on a portable monitor. At 2.2 pounds, it comes with an adjustable stand, built-in hood, and cover. It offers 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage, 400 nits of brightness, a 1ms response time, and a 60Hz refresh rate. Connectivity includes USB Type-C and miniHDMI.

viewsonic.com

Ultra High Speed HDMI Active Optical Cable

Pure Fi’s Ultra High Speed HDMI Active Optical Cable (AOC) enables ultra-highresolution video transmission over extended runs with near-zero latency or EMI interference. Capable of supporting HDMI 2.1a features, including up to 10K video content at 60Hz over extended runs, this new AOC is designed for professional AV use. The new Pure Fi AOC comes in 15-, 25-, and 50-foot lengths, with custom lengths of 300-plus feet available upon request. Pure Fi designs, engineers, and manufactures its proprietary chipsets and systems in-house, enabling the company to deliver smarter connected solutions for the professional AV market.

pure-fi.com

Carousel Cloud

NX Series

Aetria

Absen’s NX Series includes the Nebula X or NX direct-view LED panel. This 43-inch diagonal panel is 16x9 formatted for easy matching of 2K, 4K, and 8K applications. This panel features the new A5c+ color calibration, making colors more uniform and vibrant. These panels can be wall mounted, flown, or ground supported, and are available in 1.5mm, 1.8mm, 2.5mm, and 3.7mm. This series also features a small transitional panel with pre-cut 45 degrees in the side channel, allowing for beautiful curves and seamless corners. With 800 nits standard, a high-brightness 1,500-nit version, and 4,000:1 contrast ratio, this is the go-to choice for the corporate digital signage space.

absen.com

Datapath’s Aetria represents groundbreaking advances in video distribution— allowing anything, anywhere to be displayed, regardless of high resolution or network issues.

Camera feed, web page, satellite feed, news, and data software information needs to be shared effortlessly between suitable users not only within the control room, but also to other rooms, buildings, or even external locations. Aetria not only allows these systems to be designed, controlled, managed, and monitored from a single interface, but also has the technology to cope with near zero-latency demands, seamless and secure KVM control, and the ultimate in user flexibility for those operating in multi-source, multi-end-point video environments.

datapath.co.uk

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