In the center of Washington, D.C.’s bustling Chinatown sits Capital One Arena, a popular 20,000-seat venue that has greeted over 47 million guests since 2007. Home to the Washington Wizards and Capitals, the arena hosts an average of 220 events per year. When it originally opened, Capital One Arena had technology and amenities that were state-of-the-art. Over time, technology has evolved, and the expectations of fans have changed.

To stay relevant, executives knew they had to revisit every corner of the D.C. fan experience. The arena needed a modern flair, and the technology offerings required a significant upgrade.

In 2018, The arena kicked off a $40-million renovation project to address these needs. A substantial investment focused on transforming the food and beverage experience for guests. Each concession area needed to be flexible enough to keep up with the high demands of such a busy arena. With events hosted daily, the stadium needed to change menus quickly to satisfy the many needs of patrons.Ping HD, A full-service digital signage solutions company partnered with Capital One Arena to help solve these problems.

Working closely with the onsite concessionaire, Ping HD installed more than 200 displays within the dining areas of the arena. These new digital signage displays give the venue the power to target digital content to guests in new and exciting ways. Within each concession area, multiple digital menu boards were installed. Digital content was designed for each display to educate and inform patrons and help speed up the ordering process.

The arena needed to manage and change their new menus quickly. EngagePHD digital signage software was chosen as the CMS solution for the project because staff can manage all 200 displays within a single cloud-based interface.

Video wall ribbons were installed above concession stands to serve as dynamic branded headers. These digital headers give the concessionaire the ability to change product offerings and rebrand the stand at any time. The high impact content and animations shown on the displays help grab the attention of patrons as they walk through the concourse.

Installation of the displays started in August 2018. To date, 180 have been installed. The project is scheduled to wrap up by the close of 2018.

Christie, for the third year running, played a key role at the Fiesta de la Luz in Quito (Ecuador), Latin America’s biggest light festival. Fifteen Christie Roadster WU20K-J projectors were the driving force behind three mapping projections on the facades of the city’s cathedral and the churches of Santo Domingo and San Francisco.

Organised by the Quito City Council, this is the third year of the light festival whose mission is to artistically light up the city’s main historic buildings. This year coincided with the 40th anniversary of the declaration of Quito as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the event attracted 2.5 million people who strolled through the streets of the old quarters of the city over the course of five nights.

The Ecuadorian rental and staging company 3Laser was commissioned with organizing the festival’s mapping projections thanks to its reputation as the country’s leading name for the production of large-scale projections.

Ángel Cuesta, director of 3Laser, explained some of the peculiarities of Quito when it comes to staging open-air projections: “Unlike other cities in Ecuador where we have done mappings before, the altitude of Quito, at a height of 2,800 meters above sea level, coupled with the high contamination, creates very specific conditions.

“We carried out tests using projectors from other brands with 18,000 lumens and WUXGA resolution, and the lamps only lasted half the length because they didn’t have the proper filters required; all they had were optical filters. That means that the pollution goes straight to the lamp bulb which produces a kind of black veil over the glass, and deposits dust on the reflector,” said Questa.

He added: “In addition, at an altitude of 2,800 meters, the ventilators spin faster and the air is thinner, and that makes the sensors of those projectors mistakenly indicate that the optical filter is covered. So, in order to work, you have to take off the filter and that has the knock-on effect of reducing the lens life because of dust.”

“But none of that happens with Christie,” Cuesta continued. “Its projectors finish one show and they are immediately ready for the next, time and time again. All we have to do is change the air filter. In the 156 mappings we have done with Christie projectors, they have always operated as if they were brand new. And some of them have already clocked up over 4,000 hours of use. Over the last eighteen years we have used projectors from all brands, but Christie beats them all hands down in that regard.”

The director of 3Laser also spoke about the features he likes best about Christie 3DLP projectors: “Their weight and size are perfect for fitting them into awkward places, and then there is the added bonus that they can operate in portrait mode. At the same time, the image and the color remain stable over time. On top of that, they are really quick and easy to set up.”

The projections during the Fiesta de la Luz were a resounding success and were highly acclaimed by both public and press alike. “There is no margin of any kind of post-production in live events. They either work or they don’t, there is no middle ground. And, in this case, once again, the Christie projectors performed extraordinarily well and enabled us to exceed our client’s expectations,” concluded Cuesta.

The Red Rocks Amphitheatre, located in Morrison, Colorado, is situated within the Red Rocks Park, surrounded by 738 acres of geological wonders. Originally built in 1936, the large, outdoor concert venue has celebrated over 75 years in use. The theatre can hold nearly 10,000 people and has hosted some of the very best musicians, including The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, U2, and more.

Like many busy venues, Red Rocks Amphitheatre’s crowds and varying event types made it crucial to be able to quickly and efficiently provide updated information to patrons, especially in the concession areas, which regularly receive heavy foot traffic as guests purchase food and drinks as well as travel through to reach different areas of the theatre. To keep information current, the venue was consistently printing and manually replacing static signage at each individual stand, a task that had long proven to be far too taxing of an undertaking.

Red Rocks decided to seek out a digital signage option that would best showcase the venue’s various menu offerings and streamline the ordering process. In October 2017, Red Rocks approached Ping HD, an end-to-end digital media company, for a solution.

Together they determined the hardware needed to revamp the concession stands, in addition to software that would allow menu changes to be scheduled in advance and change automatically. In sum, the team set out to install 33 total Samsung outdoor displays, 19 of which would be located outside. All displays would utilize EngagePHD digital signage software, ensuring content could be adjusted as needed and the possibility of downtime would be minimized.

The key challenge for the project was finding the correct mount for the Samsung displays that were selected. Relying on Ping HD’s advice, the Red Rocks Amphitheatre chose Peerless-AV to provide mounts for the project. The durability and functionality of Peerless-AV’s mounts were the primary contributors for selecting Peerless-AV mounting solutions. In addition, at the time, Peerless-AV was the only approved option available, industry-wide, that would fit the Samsung displays being used – another contributing factor for the decision to move forward with the company.

Peerless-AV’s EW Series offers outdoor mounting solutions designed exclusively for Samsung’s OHF Series SMART Signage displays. Peerless-AV’s Outdoor Tilt Wall Mount in Landscape (EWL-OH46F), selected for the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, includes features such as a custom design specifically engineered for outdoor use and constructed from weatherproof materials, adaptors that hook onto the wall plate that simplify the install, air baffles that help separate exhaust from intake air, crucial for the lifespan of the Samsung display, and a tilt forward from 0 to 10 degrees when in landscape orientation and 0 to 4 degrees when in portrait orientation.

Installation began in April 2018 as Red Rocks Amphitheatre was nearing the opening of concert season, which put the entire team in a time crunch. At times, installation occurred in tandem with bands setting up.

The location on the side of a mountain also posed a challenge, as access can only occur from the bottom (where parking is) or at the top, where the carts and concessions are and the integrations were spread across a few acres.

Working together, the team mastered the installation in just two to three weeks. Since installing, customers have noted the enhanced aesthetics and ease of locating the concession stands. Further, the venue has seen increases in guests getting in line for concessions, as they are now more engaging and easier to notice at night.

"After the installation, the venue felt completely different,” said Marcus Byrd of Ping HD. “The enhancement of digital signage has elevated Red Rocks Amphitheater to a whole new level.”

Almo Professional A/V has entered a distribution partnership with Mimo Monitors, manufacturer of small touchscreen monitors, displays and tablets. As part of the new relationship, Mimo Monitors has joined the Almo E4 AV Tour, which heads to Nashville on October 25 and 26.

According to Brian Rhatigan, director of business development for Almo Professional A/V, “As the first Pro AV distributor for Mimo Monitors, we look forward to showing our partners how these products are intuitive and easy to incorporate into essentially any digital signage, huddle space or conference room installation.“ He continued, “Having Mimo Monitors on the E4 AV Tour gives so many of our attending partners the ability to learn more about the company and to see the products in live demonstrations.”

“Almo is a well-respected commercial AV distributor and this distribution relationship gives resellers and integrators greatly expanded access to our small touchscreen niche products,” said Mike Campagna, chief marketing officer for Mimo Monitors. “Participating in the E4 AV Tour is a highly efficient and effective way to get our products in front of the resellers and integrators who buy from Almo. Our products are sleek, intuitive and easy-to-use so we wanted to give attendees the opportunity to see them first-hand.”

During the fall E4 tour, Mimo Monitors will showcase its new 10.1-inch Vue P-Cap Tour open frame display with BrightSign Built-In. This open frame display provides a fully encompassing, all-in-one digital signage solution that harnesses the power of the Mimo Vue technology and integrates the BrightSign platform.

Scripps Networks Interactive went all out with a lobby upgrade at the company’s Knoxville, Tennessee, headquarters. Leaning into their status a media provider, Scripps called on video collaboration company, Whitlock, to transform the lobby with a state-of-the-art multi-panel video wall.

A lobby space is the first area of a headquarters building that any entrant will see, so it was important for the company to make sure their employees, clients, and guests are met with an experience that leaves a positive, relevant, and lasting impression.

“As a space where employees, guests and clients pass through every day, the Scripps Networks headquarters lobby should represent the hip and forward-thinking culture of the media company,” said Erica Fox, account executive at Whitlock.

Scripps was determined to revamp their space with state-of-the-art visual tech that would introduce a “wow” factor long since eroded from the multi-panel video wall that adorned the lobby for the past decade. The first complication in this endeavor was the nature of the lobby itself; as a ground floor space with towering two-story windows, natural light was sure to pose serious competition to any display.

Another challenge? Scripps wanted their new display feature to remain cutting-edge for the next 10 years, a tall task for technology that typically evolves rapidly.

Deadset on introducing a vibrant display feature into their lobby, Fox and the Whitlock team partnered with NanoLumens to install a NanoLumens Nixel Series display measuring 15.5 feet wide by 8 feet tall with a narrow pixel pitch of 1.2 millimeters. The display was built to be front-serviceable for ease of maintenance and Whitlock networked the display with a control system from Crestron that allows Scripps to straightforwardly operate the display for a wide range of purposes.

Using the Crestron interface, Scripps can deliver live video presentations synced with in-wall audio systems, stream up to 10 live television channels onto the display simultaneously, and program diverse styles of content to engage and delight audiences. The display installation is safeguarded for Scripps by NanoLumens’ six-year warranty and their US-based team of support experts located not far from Knoxville in Atlanta, Georgia.

“We strive to give every client a robust solution that can do everything they want, and more that they may not even have considered,” said Fox. “NanoLumens helped us do that for Scripps Networks Interactive.”

Bolstering the case for NanoLumens was the brightness capabilities of their display technology, which held particular relevance in a lobby space that often found itself bathed in sunlight. Furthermore, while Scripps began the project quite budget-conscious, they came to appreciate the long-term value of investing in top-end solutions once Greg Moore, their director of facilities project management, visited the NanoLumens headquarters.

“In this case the discussion was what pixel pitch to pursue,” Fox said. “The 1.2mm made a noticeable difference for this specific application and the environment they wanted to create.”

Equipped with a Crestron display management system as well as programmed presets, Scripps can control the display’s operation from a wide variety of devices and platforms, including a virtual “X panel” designed and installed by Whitlock

The 2017/2018 Digital Signage Best Practices Guide brings together an A-list of industry experts to cut through the clutter of messages about the "future" of digital signage and DOOH—and provides a guide to success now, in today's market, with today's tools.

Download your free copy today.

The Guide is a market roadmap from the industry's most successful providers and analysts, including topics such as:

• New Generation Display Solutions
• The Boom in Direct View LED
• AV/IP and Digital Signage
• The Existential Crisis of Retail and The Digital Solutions
  
• The New Generations of Tailored Messaging
  
• and much more!

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Growth in the global LED display market accelerated strongly in 2017, to reach a sales value of $5.3 billion. The Americas region reached a key milestone in its development, surpassing $1 billion for the first time, according to a new report issued by market research firm Futuresource Consulting.

The LED display industry is riding on the crest of an exciting wave of technological innovation, with kaleidoscopic channel and competitive dynamics.

This latest Futuresource report provides strategic supply chain intelligence by covering the full range of LED display options as well as technological, competitive and channel related forces that have not only played an important role in today’s LED market place, but also shows what one can expect over the coming years.

Technological Milestones

“The introduction of MicroLED by Sony in 2016 caused a great stir of excitement in the industry, but it was thought to be a measure of what was possible, not what was viable in the near term,” said Chris McIntyre-Brown, Associate Director at Futuresource Consulting. “However, this year has seen far more buzz around new chip-on-boards (COB) solutions, MiniLED and glue-on-board. All offer different benefits, but it is really the potential of MiniLED that has the industry excited. Troublingly though, are the lack of standards around MiniLED, MicroLED and indeed the LED industry as a whole. This is creating confusion – and that certainly needs to be addressed.”

Competitive Landscape

In this report, Futuresource has ranked and categorised vendors into distinct groups based on their strengths including brand awareness, product portfolio, and how they behave in this quickly evolving market. Futuresource states that most vendors enjoyed growth in 2017 but with varying degrees of success. There are a myriad of factors dictating the degree of success across the competitive landscape, but for those few that have been particularly impressive, the capacity and pressure to fulfill large production seems to underpin their momentum.

The LED market has also witnessed strong merger and acquisition activity in recent years, with display vendors looking to access new technologies, increase their geographical footprint or diversify their customer bases. Futuresource expects to see this activity continue in the coming years as the market matures.

“An area to watch will be the new entrants launching LED products, typically coming from other areas of the visual display market. Indeed, it is increasingly rare to find a professional display vendor without LED in its range – although there are still a number of heavyweights in adjacent display areas yet to enter,” added McIntyre-Brown. Futuresource also expects service, support and localization to become more important with established international display brands expected to grow in stature.

What comes next?

The LED industry is full of promise with Futuresource maintaining its aggressive growth forecasting out to 2022. It is now almost impossible to find a vertical market or end application where LED displays haven’t been optimised for both indoor and outdoor applications and this is for good reason. “The industry is poised to take the next step in technological advancement and with that we see the LED display community beginning to wonder just how much share it can take from the giant that is the LCD industry.”

LG Electronics USA Business Solutions is taking its show on the road. This week, the 2018 “LG TechTour” comes to the Windy City where business-to-business customers will experience first-hand LG’s broad portfolio of digital signage displays, renewable energy systems, enterprise mobile solutions and more.

The coast-to-coast LG TechTour, designed to educate partners, resellers, installers and end-users about B2B technologies and trends, kicked off last week in Los Angeles and continues on to New York after this week’s stop in Chicago. This Thursday, LG is taking over the American Airlines Conference Center adjacent to Wrigley Field. In addition to experiencing LG B2B innovations, customers will have private tours of the historic ballpark, home of the Chicago Cubs.

The LG TechTour features the industry’s broadest portfolio of commercial displays, led by the unique LG OLED and Ultra Stretch digital signage monitors. Also on display will be advanced LG video walls, impactful direct-view LED screens and groundbreaking transparent color LED film displays, as well as desktop monitors and other innovative B2B IT solutions including the new all-in-one 38-inch UltraWide thin client.

New on the LG TechTour this year are LG’s high-efficiency solar panels, led by the flagship 60- and 72-cell LG NeON2 models. Backed with a 25-year product and performance warranty, LG’s award-winning solar modules are designed to deliver higher efficiency and energy generation. In 2018, LG is the number one producer of solar modules for the U.S. commercial market, according to GTM Research.

Enterprise mobile solutions highlighted in the LG TechTour bring LG smartphone advances to B2B customers. Unlocked commercial versions of the popular LG V30+, LG V35 ThinQ and the brand new LG G7 ThinQ come equipped with the same incredible features as LG’s consumer phones while offering business customers greater flexibility, performance and cost savings.

“We get as much out of the LG TechTour as our customers do, receiving valuable customer feedback,” said Garry Wicka, head of marketing for LG Electronics USA Business Solutions. “While demonstrating advances in digital signage, renewable energy and enterprise mobile solutions, the TechTour also gives us an opportunity to celebrate the channel partners, resellers, integrators and end users who bring B2B applications to life in Chicago and across the country.”

Featured technology and service partners at the LG TechTours (which vary by location) include Agosto Skikit, Blackbox, BrightSign, Datapath, Hoylu, Hughes, Intuiface, Milestone/Chief, Omnivex, Peerless, PingHD, TSItouch, 22Miles and Userful. Systems integrators, custom installers and other business partners may register at https://www.lg.com/us/business/commercial-display/resources/our-events/roadshows/TechTour-CHICAGO-2018.

Leyard and Planar are expanding their U.S. sales force with the addition of Tim DeLaere. As the newest account manager for the SE region, Tim will oversee Leyard and Planar’s sales efforts in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Tim brings more than 20 years of experience in the proAV and display industry, including a background in integration, processing/switching, AV/IT and display design. He joins the companies with a talent for advancing customer initiatives through technology, with ROI as the ultimate goal.

Tim is based in Atlanta and will report to Bill Hildebrand, VP of Sales for the Eastern USA.

AV distributor Almo Professional A/V, is showcasing dozens of the industry’s newest products on the E4 AV Tour, coming to the Boston Newton Marriott on September 21.

“It’s been two years since the tour last stopped in Boston and local attendees will soon discover how much the E4 program has grown and evolved since then—it’s basically an entirely new experience,” explained Melody Craigmyle, vice president of marketing & communications, Almo Corporation.

Craigmyle added, “One piece of feedback we always get from E4 attendees is that you can really get one-on-one with top manufacturers and talk about the projects you are working on. E4 is small enough to get that exclusive time but also large enough to have all the newest industry products that perhaps were launched at InfoComm but haven’t begun shipping until now. This exhibit hall is also ideal for those who didn’t make it out to InfoComm in June.”

“We encourage our integrators to bring their end user clients to the exhibit hall portion of the event, which features new products from more than 40 manufacturers, and use it as a local showroom,” noted Craigmyle. “This gives them the ability to show some of the complete AV solutions that are available through Almo.”

Some of the newest products on display during the Boston leg of the E4 AV Tour include: AVOCOR F2 Series AVF-6550 touchscreen displays, BrightSign Series 4 XD and XT players, Epson Lightscene EV-10 Digital Signage Projector, NEC V864Q 86-Inch 4k Panel Display with RPi, Peerless-AV Xtreme High Bright 492, and much more.

E4 Boston is on September 21 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Boston Newton Marriott. The event is complimentary, including parking, for Almo Pro A/V’s reseller, integrator and consultant partners.

To register, go to http://shows.e4avtour.com/boston18/venue/. Registration has also opened for the final E4 event of the year, taking place in Nashville on October 25 and 26.

The ‘Australian Outback Spectacular’ is an immersive experience that retells the Battle of Beersheba during World War I while charting a journey into Australia’s high country. Taking place on the Gold Coast of the continent, the production opened in 2006 but has recently begun to show signs of decline in image quality, prompting a technology refresh of the challenging, sand-based experience.

Thanks to integration partner Customised Technical Solutions and Christie in Australia, the show is better than ever with brighter, clearer images and flawless content management provided by Christie Boxer and Christie Pandoras Box.

The environment is extremely dusty, hot and humid so CTS required a rugged and dependable projection system that could tolerate the harsh environment. The Christie Boxer 2K30 was the clear choice not only for its affordability, but its many features and benefits – including 4K upgradability. The main backdrop is a 35 by 9-meter high projection surface.

To overcome high ambient light levels and the audience’s close proximity to the screen, the team needed an exceptional projection system. Working with CTS and Christie, they installed an array of four Christie Boxer projectors, stacked in pairs, with a center blend. The projectors are housed in sealed environmental enclosures on individual sliding drawers, allowing them to slide out for easy maintenance.

Managing the content is Christie Pandoras Box; giving the technical team complete control over the entire workflow and giving the audience what it wanted and more. The result is an immersive experience depicting the beauty, spirit, and grandeur of Australia and its larger than life characters.

Several years ago, Best Buy Canada anticipated the growing need to provide consumers with increased interactivity and design in a physical retail experience. To that end, the company embarked on a multi-year effort to enhance approximately 30 of its premier experience store locations across Canada with new interactive digital signage.

“Our goal is to help customers enrich their lives through technology with a rewarding shopping experience, both online and in-store,” said Sean Wilson, Vice President of Store Design for Best Buy Canada. “To deliver on this promise, we invested heavily in the latest interactive digital signage to make it easy for our in-store customers to enjoy an immersive shopping experience unmatched by our competitors.”

Best Buy Canada’s state-of-the-art experience stores feature several new zones, each designed to enhance the shopping experience with interactive displays that enable customers to learn about and even demo the products they’re considering. An “endless aisle” concept is central to the redesign – using interactive displays to deliver near-limitless information about products on the retail floor, as well as other products that can be ordered online and delivered to customers’ homes.

A Dolby ATMOS Experience invites customers to enjoy the comfort of a home theater setting and use a touchscreen controller to immerse themselves in an ATMOS-powered sight and sound environment. By selecting featured videos and toggling between ATMOS, Stereo and Soundbar audio options, customers appreciate the potential of revolutionary home entertainment technology available at Best Buy Canada.

Smart Home is a new frontier for many customers who are learning how these products can improve and secure their homes. At Best Buy Canada, customers are attracted to displays broadcasting the benefits of each product and then can interact to learn more by scrolling through available options and read reviews from other customers. Switching between a variety of products, customers can choose what would fit best within their home and budget while delving into a world of new possibilities.

Traditional areas of the store, like Appliances and Computing Solutions, are also offering customers more information and options than ever before. Interactive kiosks speed customers to the appliance option they are looking for, complete with detailed features and real-time pricing. An interactive “ink finder” enables customers to quickly identify replacement ink cartridges for their particular printer. All told, Best Buy Canada’s experience stores contain more than a dozen interactive experiences with a variety of triggers and touch options.

Behind the programming and development of these solutions is Convergent Media Systems, which is focused on building innovative interactive experiences on the industry-leading BrightSign platform. Convergent integrated with Best Buy Canada’s API and developed much of the back-end content flow using BrightSign’s BrightAuthor software platform. BrightSign’s XD1033 digital signage media players drive content on the various displays, enabling the interactive customer experiences and triggering product demos when selected by the customer.

“This high-visibility project demanded the very best hardware to ensure flawless operation,” said John Campbell, Convergent’s SVP, Technology and Operations. “BrightSign’s players deliver the reliability we needed, along with the flexibility to create and manage content exactly as Best Buy envisioned, and deliver a superior customer experience.”

As of March 2018, approximately 30 Best Buy stores in Canada had been retrofitted with the new interactive signage, with more to come. Strategy Online recently named Best Buy the Retail Innovator of the Year based on the success of their new experience store format.

The Digital Signage Federation (DSF) has appointed its 2018-19 leadership of the DSF Global Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Council, an affiliate organization with a worldwide purview specifically to support the needs of companies involved in the intersection between out-of-home advertising and the digital signage industry.

The primary objective of the DSF Global DOOH Council is to provide a resource for DSF members to build their capacity to support out-of-home advertising companies, agencies, and brands. Much of this capacity will be developed through conformity of analytics, ad buying, and technology deployment. The group will work on achievable goals in 2018-19, including:

• Identifying gaps in the commercial relations between out of home advertisers and digital signage networks and plan for ways to bridge these gaps using the platform of the DSF.
• Adoption of existing industry standards and practices, all of which will be communicated to DSF members.
• Creating professional development resources for the digital signage industry to provide a broad understanding of ad buying practices; this will include the development of the DOOH Summit before DSE in March 2019.
• Working with related industry associations to collaborate on aligning the goals of signage technology and out of home advertisers.
• Creating an environment where qualified digital signage suppliers and networks can support the business interests of advertisers.

The 2018-2019 Council Members are:

Global Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Council Co-Chairs

• Sheldon Silverman, CEO and founder, SmartBomb Media Group
• Kym Frank, president, Geopath
• Michael Cooper, global president and CEO, Rapport Worldwide

Council Members

• Matthew Hurwitz, manager, international creative advertising, Sony Pictures
• David Krupp, president and COO, Billups
• Susan Danaher, founder, The Danaher Group
• Jeffrey Martin, president and CEO, Right Media Solutions
• Travis Macionsky, VP, director, Horizon Media
• Joel Braswell, sr. manager, connections planning, Coca-Cola
• Michael Provenzano, founder and CEO, Vistar Media
• Chad Stolle, EVP, global chief innovation officer, UM Worlwide
• Paula Fernandez, global head of data and technology, Kinetic
• Guillermo De Lella, Groupo Alsur
• Fernando Mayorga, chief technology officer, livedooh GmbH
• Ichiro T. Jinnai, director, out-of-home media services division, Dentsu
• Joe Copley, director, strategic partnerships, Seedooh

Chairman's Advisor to the Global DOOH Council

• Philip Cohen, president, CMN Holdings and former DSF Chairman

“The shared insight of this group is necessary to grow opportunities for all parties involved in out-of-home advertising," said Rich Ventura, vice president of strategic management, NEC Display Solutions, and DSF chairman. "The DSF membership will rely on this council for leadership and knowledge in the global DOOH ecosystem.”

The DSF Global DOOHCouncil leadership may call on the DSF membership for input and direction. Other members may be added to the council throughout the year.

The new Circa development in downtown Los Angeles is a traffic stopper. The twin 35-story luxury residential towers, on the corner of Figueroa and 12th Streets, are wrapped with three giant LED screens covering an eight-story parking structure used by patrons of the adjacent L.A. Live and STAPLES Center.

While LED screens of similar size have been seen in Times Square, the Circa screens mark the debut of the LED display “spectacular” market in L.A. Circa’s screens comprise more than 18,000 square feet of exterior LEDs from SNA Displays; the convex and concave design of the screens mirrors the unique curvature of Circa’s architecture. The displays feature a 10 mm pixel pitch and contains over 17 million pixels.

The massive LED screens went live with a dynamic NIKE commercial featuring tennis great Serena Williams. But they are intended to generate more than advertising revenue: The screens are designed to create visual excitement and energize downtown LA’s South Park District.

SNA Displays chose Christie Terra as the switching, scaling and signal extension solution for the LEDs’ 4K content. Terra consists of a lineup of transmitters, receivers and a controller, which represent an all-new AV solution for the transport, processing and control of audiovisual content, including 4K@60Hz video formats, over 10G Ethernet networks. Built on standardized SDVoE (Software Defined Video over Ethernet) technology, Christie Terra provides unprecedented performance capabilities including the delivery of zero-frame latency, artifact-free video over readily available and affordable 10G components.

“The Circa screens will display a diverse array of content 20 hours a day,” said Stewart Ives, Director of Systems at SNA Displays. “Located downtown across from the Staples Center, the screens are definitely high-profile. They just have to work, and Terra gives us the confidence that it will deliver screen content hour after hour on a daily basis.”

SNA Displays had been considering another solution to handle the screens’ three 4K feeds, but that other technology required the use of two duplex fiber cables per device, Ives recalled. “The Terra units only required one duplex fiber cable so we could use the second cable for a confidence feed to a rack in the field,” he explains.

“Terra also has virtually zero latency for video source transmission – a big differentiator in the marketplace,” said Ives. “That means we’re able to display content in real-time. StandardVision, LLC, which operates the display, can do a live shoot on the street and see it in real-time on the LED screens with no delay.”

“Terra gives a lot of flexibility to the ownership group for activation,” said Pat Green, Senior Director of Systems at SNA Displays.

The Circa screens use a Terra Transmitter and Terra Receiver for each of the three screens plus one Terra Controller for the system. The control room is located four floors up from the content distribution room on the lower level of the parking deck. Utility 1G network ports on the Terra receivers are also being used to supply local control connections. This avoids the need for another network cable to be run to each endpoint.

Terra also offers flexible control of the displays from other than the centralized location. “Using the Terra Controller, I can remote in and pass over the built-in content management system and take over the three screens,” noted Ives. “The screens can be remotely operated from the street or from any other network drop or location a Terra device is located.”

“What makes Terra special is the Controller and Terra Manager Control interface. It allows us to quickly and easily prepare customized system layouts that we can quickly recall, and we can also change what each device does on the fly,” said Green. “We can display one event and quickly switch to another event – it’s easy to do. The Terra Controller certainly stands out in this regard.”

Christie is a founding member of the SDVoE Alliance, a group of companies leading in the transition of the AV industry to IP-based solutions. The alliance brings companies together around a standardized hardware and software platform. SDVoE network architecture is based on off-the-shelf Ethernet switches, which offer cost savings and greater system flexibility and scalability compared to traditional approaches.

“SDVoE’s standardized infrastructure and 10G Ethernet is part of our road map,” said Green. “Although the Circa screens are displaying only 4K content now Terra will be accepting of other displays and networks natively as time goes by.”

The Circa development is symbolic of downtown L.A.’s resurgence. With concerts, conventions and other well-attended venues in the area, the neighborhood around the Circa property draws more than six million visitors annually.

Created to bring the high-energy of Lucha Libre professional wrestling to the United States, the sports and entertainment media firm Aro Lucha produces a number of exciting live events and television productions. Led by founders who have already achieved success in the professional wrestling industry, the production team understands they must create a dynamic environment that can match both the passion of the fans and the wrestlers taking the ring. Working with their partners at UNO Branding, Aro Lucha decided to enhance the impact of their design even further with the addition of a high-resolution video wall using a FLEXCurtain HD 6.25mm LED video solution from PixelFLEX.

“This is a relatively new production design as we only started the company in late 2017,” said Jason Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Aro Lucha. “When we decided to launch the promotion, we wanted to focus specifically on Lucha Libre and its popularity in the United States. To do this, we needed to create the same sense of excitement that our fans grew up seeing in Mexico. With our backgrounds in professional wrestling production, we have always relied heavily on LED video, so it was a natural choice for us to bring the FLEXCurtain HD into our design.”

The FLEXCurtain HD is a lightweight and flexible LED video screen ideal for high resolution video playback and video effects for indoor and outdoor applications. Its hi-res LED video can be driven by any DVI output, and the multi-directional, flexible design of the FLEXCurtain HD makes it easy to store and transport. FLEXCurtain HD is 60-90% lighter than the competition, and using the quick-lock system, 500 square feet of FLEXCurtain HD can be setup and broken-down in under 15 minutes.

“To give our fans an authentic taste of home, we needed a bright, colorful environment filled with action, music and entertainment, all rooted in the Hispanic and Latino culture,” continued Brown. “Our two founders, Ron and Don Harris, had both worked with PixelFLEX in a live event environment, and we were familiar with their work in the touring industry as well. We have always felt that we needed to surround ourselves with experts, and the team at PixelFLEX was no exception.”

Ready to implement the new LED video wall into the high-energy environment, the production would now be able to create an even deeper level of intrigue for the fans. In a world where the characters are the true stars, the FLEXCurtain HD system would clearly showcase the Luche Libre story.

"At our events, we set up the FLEXCurtain LED wall behind the entrance staging elements, so as a wrestler is announced and comes on stage, they are standing in front of the high-definition video,” said Brown. “During this time, it is typically playing their entrance visuals, and then we also use it for our own show storylines and content. At the end of the day, we are storytellers and there is simply no better visual than a large, high-definition LED video screen.”

As with many sports and entertainment productions, corporate sponsorships are a key component to the success of the program. By implementing the FLEXCurtain HD LED video wall into their event design, Aro Lucha is now able to offer their partners a dynamic, visual medium to heighten consumer interest and engagement.

“We do rely on the FLEXCurtain HD to assist with our internal branding, as well as integration into our sponsorship programs,” added Brown. “To be able to play their graphics and branding assets on the HD screen really gives them a significant presence at our live events to reach our audience. With so many advertisers looking to interact with the Latino and Hispanic community, this is a great way for us to create an impact for their brand in front of our ticket-buyers.”

Previous iterations of the Young Living event relied on projection mapping with LED accents to bring an arena stage to life. In 2018, its production company ditched the projectors in favor of a custom, visually stunning and all-LED buildout.

A worldwide marketer of life-changing products infused with the benefits of essential oils, Young Living in 2018 brought together more than 30,000 passionate members from around the world for what has become its annual high-energy and dynamic celebration filled with inspirational speakers and live entertainment.

Needing a show foundation that could deliver a one-of-a-kind attendee experience, Young Living’s events team once again collaborated with the design specialists at Cornerstone Technologies, who created a custom LED stage floor, with video supplied by Elite Multimedia Productions.

“We’ve worked with Young Living on their International Conference for the last 10 years consecutively and we have been involved with their organization for almost 13 years in total,” said Chad Fraughton, Cornerstone co-founder and executive producer for the Young Living event. “In years prior at [Salt Lake City’s] Vivint Smart Home Arena, we had always relied on projection mapping for the stage with LED video elements complementing the design. This year, rather than do a hybrid of image mapping and LED, we wanted to develop a completely custom and cutting-edge design worthy of the production.”

Knowing they wanted to take the event design in a new direction for the 2018 convention, Fraughton and the team at Cornerstone began to conceptualize how this could be done. In a production with a multitude of different video elements, providing a unique system to display crisp and clear imagery was a high priority.

“We really wanted to start the design with strong imagery on the stage floor so that attendees could have a more intimate feeling in the arena setting and be more connected to the media and the presenters,” continued Fraughton. “The idea for the LED video floor started around some of the more hybrid designs that we had done in years past, and with just under 3,000 unique video looks in the show, we needed strong visual content that would allow the messaging to drive the design.”

With the idea of placing LED video directly onto the stage floor now moving forward, the physical layout of the video surfaces needed to be finalized. Remaining dedicated to providing a design that was truly one-of-a-kind, Cornerstone developed a series of circular video surfaces which would be placed across the stage.

“The main stage was comprised of a 50-foot LED video circle and then the surrounding areas included 30-foot, 20-foot, 15-foot, and 10-foot video circles as well,” explained Fraughton. “To do this, we created circular stages that provided the foundation and once we had the foundation in place, our scenic department built square frames used to attach the LED video panels. We then we did a white marley cut-out that masked each of the video areas, which allowed us to illuminate the stage from above.”

When it came time to actually install the design, Cornerstone knew that a smooth and efficient load-in would be crucial to the event’s success. With time not on its side, the team at Cornerstone took a bit of inspiration from the concert touring industry so that it could quickly install and begin programming for the show.

“We basically had 72 hours to load-in, tech the design, and be ready for show,” said Fraughton. “It was pretty fast and furious, so we had a lot of our systems built around the idea of a touring design and ready to be a plug-and-play solution. Creatively, we treated the design mask as one giant image and then programmed the circular images within the mask. With the aggressive nature of the content we were trying to display, this really gave us a greater ability to manage the time and resources to be more effective with what we were looking to deliver.”

It was imperative for all of the technical solutions Cornerstone employed to work in concert for a cohesive result. With the video being placed directly on the stage floor, the performance of the LED panels provided by Elite Multimedia Productions were put to the test.

“LED video was definitely the right choice for this application as it was able to stand up to the 125 3000K moving lights that we had flown in the rig,” added Fraughton. “Being in an arena setting also meant there was also a lot of ambient light. The power of the FLEXLite Plus provided the ability to place the video elements into the stage floor and still give us the visual impact we originally envisioned.”

As the 2018 Young Living International Convention kicked off with a split general session for approximately 30,000 attendees, Fraughton was eager to gauge the audience response to the LED stage design. Knowing the amount of work it took from everyone involved on the project, he was happy to hear the glowing responses from both attendees and technicians.

“The comments that were most overwhelming from the attendees and the technical support staff were that this was one of the most elegant stage designs they’d ever seen,” concluded Fraughton. “It was beautiful and polished, and almost looked like it was on an acrylic extrusion with beautiful lines. When you look at big shows like this, and you understand the dynamic of what all is involved, having reliable products and technicians like those at Elite Multimedia Productions is critical to the demands of the show, and the final product was truly beautiful and refined.”

HighStreet Collective launched its first quarterly report that measures the top 12 technologies used in brick and mortar retail.

“In-store tech should no longer be measured solely on up-time and functionality. It should be measured on shopper adoption of the technologies,” said Ed King, co-founder and shopper behavior expert at HighStreet. “What good is technology if shoppers don’t use it, or if it doesn’t help move the needle?”

The 19-page report, to be published quarterly, was designed to help guide retailers and brands in the right direction by showing living retail examples—both good and bad—by identifying insights regarding evolving shopper behaviors and by rating shoppers’ technology expectations inside the store using an easy to understand one to 10 scale.

Fellow contributor and HighStreet co-founder Laura Davis-Taylor thinks the time is right to raise the bar when it comes to retail.

“Retail has lagged behind the technology curve for years, and it’s no wonder legacy retailers are losing ground to Amazon and other online-native retailers who are now opening brick and mortars,” added Davis-Taylor. “Today’s shopper has evolved, and they bring with them heightened expectations when they shop…they expect the in-store experience to be authentic, friction-free, and story-driven. These are all things that in-store technologies can help.”

Sanjay Gidwani, the third contributor to the report, and HighStreet’s global strategist was once the founder and CEO of a retail chain in Australia, and has worked for global powerhouses Harrod’s of London and Prada.

“As a fellow retailer, I understand there’s an allure to use ‘cool tech’ to modernize the store. But using tech for tech’s sake is the biggest mistake retailers are making today,” concluded Gidwani. “This report can really help directors, VPs, and the C-suite in all sectors of retail become smart at in-store tech without learning the tech-speak that usually goes with it. We created it for retail minds, not the pocket protector group, and the one to 10 scale is easy to get your head around.”

Readers can download the report for free and sign up for future reports at www.HighStreetX.com/radar.

At the grand opening of their 338,000-square foot, $166 million Athletes Village, the University of Minnesota has ushered in a new chapter in the history of their Athletics program. Consisting of three new buildings, the University wanted to create a memorable experience for their recruits, fans and their 700 student-athletes. Looking for a dynamic visual environment, which included the creation of their Letterwinner tribute, the University called upon the experiential design specialists at Advent who installed an immersive LED video display using 3.9mm FLEXLite NXG from PixelFLEX.

“The overall vision was to create a unique digital experience inside the new University of Minnesota Athletes Village with slightly different approaches in a few key locations,” said John Downie, VP of Experience, Advent. “For the Football Hall of Fame area, we used the LED video in a very targeted way to create a custom and highly impactful display using the FLEXLite NXG technology which recognizes all Letterwinner student athletes in the football program.”

With fully front-serviceable video panels, plus seamless right-angle corner capabilities, FLEXLite NXG is available in 2.6-6.25mm pitch options, plus a 6.25mm full outdoor IP65 version as well. The FLEXLite NXG 500mm x 500mm video tiles are calibrated directly out of the box to ensure perfect color and brightness to help realize the full potential of any LED video design.

“We wanted to immerse the visitors in the story by creating it in an unexpected way that honored these individuals and fit into the modern look and feel of the space,” said Downie. “To do this, we decided to create an angled LED wall that would transition the visitors from a passive observer of the story, into something that was much more dynamic as we enveloped them in the LED video experience.”

Having worked with a number of Universities to enhance the energy around their Athletics programs, Advent understands the need to give each design its own unique, visual impact. By incorporating both the brand identity the story behind the program, the Advent team is able to capture those moments through the use of the latest technologies available.

“We really try to inject a sense of action and energy into the environment and we always try to do things in ways that are unexpected,” said Downie. “This was a completely custom-design where we started by understanding exactly what the story should be, and then how we can express that story in a way that is both meaningful and faithful to the University brand. We then have to look at what is viable in terms of technology in order to express that story, and the PixelFLEX technology really helped us realize this idea.”

Ready to begin the installation of the Letterwinner tribute, Downie needed to find a way to create a seamless, digital display which could fly over the heads of the visitors. Using both the die-cast aluminum frame of the FLEXLite NXG, along with a Unistrut framing system, the design was able to come together in a free-flowing visual design.

“To create the angled display, we used Unistrut which was locked onto a plywood backer on both the ceiling and on the wall,” explained Downie. “On the ceiling portion, we used a top row of angled Unistrut brackets and two rows of turnbuckles to lower down the second half of the ceiling-mounted panels. This allowed us to get a perfect joint between the two sections of the LED video wall and it looks great.”

With the installation drawing to a close, the University prepared to begin populating the display with the names of those to be honored. In a program where the number of Letterwinners is expected to continue to grow, the University also implemented the custom Content Management System created by Advent.

“For control of these types of digital environments, we offer a very advanced digital signage scheduling package that gives the client a single point of content management, with technical support and maintenance monitoring,” added Downie. “Through our system, they have complete control over the content they wish to display, and it allows them to simply update any athlete names needed as they add more content.”

Now complete, the University of Minnesota unveiled their new Athletes Village, ready to heighten the experience behind being both a Golden Gopher student-athlete and fan. In a world where the dependence and expectations of digital elements are increasing, Downie is conscious to also remain focused on the University’s return on experience, to guide the continued success of the design.

“In a space that is public-facing, digital video gives the design a ‘wow’ factor, and when implemented well, should be able to provide meaningful statistics on the success of the displays through their interactive digital points,” said Downie. “The power to real-time measure the experience and implementation of the digital elements allows us to monitor the usage so that we can more effectively control the conversation around what is the return on experience. There is great value in being able to better understand how a diverse audience interacts with a space, and digital video gives a University the ability to create a moment that is truly memorable; especially when talking to younger audiences who expect digital touch points.”

Digital Signage Federation (DSF) now offers a unique way for members to invest in their professional development through a self-paced online course which teaches the fundamentals of digital signage.

The course, called DSF Foundations, includes a base level of knowledge. It is divided into four chapters with quizzes and comprehensive assessment at the end of the course. Completing the course provides a DSF Foundations digital credential. This course compliments the Digital Signage Expert Group certification program, offering members a suite of professional development and recognition programs.

The course is designed to take approximately 2-3 hours and is targeted at professionals newer to digital signage or those looking to bolster their basic knowledge level of digital signage.

The course includes the following chapters:

1. Introduction to Digital Signage
2. Hardware for Digital Signage
3. Software for Digital Signage
4. Content Design for Digital Signage

The DSF is offering this course complimentary to one person from any current DSF member company. Non-members may also purchase the course. Additional course licenses may be purchased for those wishing to enroll more employees or customers. Please contact Brian Gorg at bgorg@digitalsignagefederation.org if you would like to enroll more than one person or purchase additional licenses.

When you’re booking first class acts, you want a first class theater box office that galvanizes the attention of potential concert-goers and gets them excited to see the acts perform. The Pearl, Las Vegas’ premier concert theater, recently debuted its full remodel complete with deluxe VIP box accommodations.

As part of this renovation program, the Palm’s Pearl Theater lobby and ticket area received a new LED display to promote upcoming entertainers. H Waldman of National Technology Associates (NTA) knew just who to turn to for a solution that would stop show-goers in their tracks. He turned to NanoLumens for a solution that would accomplish everything owner Station Casinos wanted to achieve while providing the theater’s tech team with a reliable, easy to operate display solution.

Read more about LED displays in the Integration Guide to Video Walls.

“I knew NanoLumens would respond with a state-of-the-art solution that would address the resort’s needs and provide great responsive tech support as well,” Waldman said. “NanoLumens created a 12.6’ X 6.3’ 2.5mm NanoLumens ENGAGE Series display that fit the space above the box office area perfectly. It just looked like it belonged there all along—an integral part of the overall design of the theater.”

In a town with as competitive an event schedule as Las Vegas, when a casino books a big-name performer or a heavily hyped title bout, effectively promoting the event to hotel/casino guests is critical. “NanoLumens displays deliver the perfect combination of brilliant image quality while giving the theater staff that ease of operation they need,” Waldman said. “The displays are so eye-popping they immediately galvanize the attention of the guests and draw them to the theater and the schedule of upcoming events.”

Dave Merlino, NanoLumens VP sales, U.S. West, cited the importance NanoLumens places on its strong, ongoing relationship with Station Casinos. “Station Casinos and NTA have been long time repeat NanoLumens customers and our partnerships with both organizations have produced amazing new displays that better engage customers,” Merlino said. “The Palm’s Pearl Theater project further strengthens these relationships, adding to our track record of success.”

Monitoring remote railways in multiple locations can be a challenge. When Calgary’s Command Centre required remote monitoring at the busy transportation hub they called in Evolution Presentation Technologies to integrated sixteen 55-inch displays stacked in an 8x2 configuration to achieve a bird’s eye view of train locations with the ability to zoom in anywhere when needed.

“It’s like a mini-NASA in there now,” said Evolution Presentation Technologies’ Account Manager, Chris Meaney, who oversaw the system integration. “The video wall spans the entire wall so it’s ultimately very effective for the operators to keep their eyes on the areas they need to monitor daily.”

Cameras are installed alongside MuxLab’s processing equipment to transmit live video over IP to all video wall displays for 24/7 access. MuxLab’s Video Wall 4K over IP PoE Extender Kits (model 500759) connect many HDMI sources to many displays via a 1Gig Ethernet Switch. With this solution, 4K video can be delivered long-range to create a video wall of nearly any user configurable size. Each source connects to a transmitter, which delivers 4K through the switch to the receiver connected to a display. Ethernet connectivity enables anytime/anywhere viewing free from traditional cabling constraints.

By electing to use an IP-based solution, the entire installation was more cost-effective and easier to implement, Meaney noted. Evolution Presentation Technologies’ team was able to avoid traditional cable-based solutions for transmitting 4K HDMI such as fiber, which can be costly to implement. The biggest challenge was finding the correct Ethernet Switch.

“We went to a 48-port managed PoE switch because if you use a more cost-effective switch, your performance can suer. You can’t go low-end in this kind of mission-critical installation. We needed a heavy, reliable system and that’s what we went with,” added Meaney. “MuxLab’s AV over IP solutions have proven to be exceedingly reliable; they’re not only easier to install but they’re also ultimately more cost-effective.”

It is a pleasure to kick off this last month of summer as the new content director for Digital Signage magazine, part of the AV Network family of pro AV titles covering every aspect of the global technology scene. Having started my AV journalism career covering digital signage and commercial integration in London for Installation Europe way back in the mid-2000s, I am coming full circle after making enriching stops along way with other pro AV titles under the Future umbrella, including Residential Systems and Sound & Video Contractor.

What I have learned on this journey so far is that the best stories, whether covering new innovative products, an outstanding integration project, or a current high-profile appointee, is that information is best delivered with an emphasis on accuracy and fun.

It’s with that spirit that I delve back into the world of digital signage, which is not only changing the way we get around but also how we interact with our rapidly evolving, tech-driven world. We haven’t yet hit Blade Runner or Altered Carbon levels of sensory engagement, but in the practical, fantastical, and creative ways that digital signage is used today, the expanded visual and technical vocabulary of the sector is undeniable. This evolution speaks to how quickly technology has become an integral part of our everyday experience—as well as how it is reshaping our connection to each other and our shared environments.

As content director for Digital Signage magazine, I welcome our readers, integrator and tech partners to be in touch with me directly—e-mail me at pllanor@gmail.com. Tell me your integration stories, what you are working on now, how you see the sector evolving, what you would like to see more (or less of) from the sector and our editorial team. My door is open.

Feel free to connect with me via Twitter: @llanordsm and @DigiSignMag.

Digital Signage Expo (DSE) is now accepting nominations for its 15th Annual APEX Awards.

The DSE APEX Awards, presented by the Digital Signage Federation, recognize and honor achievement in the creation and installation of compelling viewer content and interactive technology. Since its inception, the program has honored hundreds of companies for innovative projects that have met and/or exceeded project goals while providing meaningful ROI and ROO for clients, thereby advancing the digital signage industry.

“The most exciting part about DSE is seeing the advancements in Digital Signage technology,” said DSE show director Andrea Varrone. “The APEX Awards showcase the very best installations that continue to come to life around the globe.”

The APEX Awards will be presented to three outstanding entries—Gold, Silver and Bronze—in a total of 12 categories. Additionally, one entry will win the APEX Installation of the Year and one entry will win the APEX Content of the Year. New in 2019 will be a third overall award, Integrator of the Year, which will honor the company that had the most successful overall year with multiple project installations that achieved goals based on the criteria of challenge, creativity, ROI, and ROO.

The 2019 awards program will be held in the Pavilion Ballroom on Wednesday, March 27, from 5-7 p.m. at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino.

Online entries are being accepted until December 21: https://www.digitalsignageexpo.net/apex-awards-submissions

UniversusDX and Reflect announced a strategic alliance that combines the power of strategic automotive content creation with a provider of place-based digital media programs.

The goal is to help automotive OEMs, dealership groups, and individual dealerships transform the in-store customer experience for their new and used vehicle shoppers and service customers to a digital, interactive and integrated one.

Automotive shoppers start their car-buying journey online and interact with a host of powerful digital tools, video and marketing messages. When they arrive at dealerships, however, they experience very little digital content.

“This alliance makes it much easier for dealerships to bring a broad range of digital media into their stores, and for automotive manufacturers to incorporate digital content into dealerships to provide a true omni-channel experience,” said Niel Hiscox, president of UniversusDX. “Our approach to enhancing the in-store customer experience always starts with strategy, and measuring business outcomes, and that aligns perfectly with the approach that Reflect takes with their customers.”

“Consumers are increasingly digital-savvy. Businesses are now leveraging digital signage and interactive applications to engage customers, build better experiences, and increase loyalty,” said Lee Summers, CEO, Reflect. “UniversusDX has a strong track record producing automotive video and digital content, and they manage digital signage networks for mainstream and luxury automotive brands. By joining forces we will be able to serve the Canadian and United States markets and provide incredible digital experiences for dealerships at scale.”

“While the alliance extends beyond the automotive retail industry, that’s the focus for the first stage of the alliance since there is so much untapped opportunity,” concluded Summers.

The new Four Winds Casino in South Bend, IN recently upgraded some of its internal wayfinding signage with two 360-degree NanoLumens Nixel Series LED curved displays atop slot machines on the casino floor. According to Musa Balogun, the casino’s director of gaming maintenance, the new curved displays are clearly visible from far away in most directions, making them the ideal solution to inform guests of ATM locations and assist in wayfinding.

“Fast, simple transactions are the lifeblood of a casino,” Balogun said. “When management recognized that guests sometimes had trouble finding ATMs or bill breaking machines, they knew we needed a solution that would replace the old static signage with a bright, large, eye-catching feature that is viewable from nearly all angles at all times.”

For maximum visibility, effectiveness and value, that meant using NanoLumens truly curved displays. The secret to NanoLumens’ display technology is the Nixel, the company’s patented flexible building block that comprises all NanoLumens Nixel Series displays. NanoLumens Nixels actually bends and flexes to create both convex and concave curved displays. This makes the displays 100-percent seamless and provides superior aesthetics from 360 degrees, even viewed up close, according to the company.

KGM Gaming, manufacturer and supplier of products within the gaming industry, was tasked with designing, building, and installing the new display structures. After considering all digital display options, including using four LCD monitors at each site, it became clear that brightness, visibility, longevity, reliability, and eye-catching nature of a 360-degree NanoLumens true-curved LED display made the product an ideal fit for this installation.

According to Jack McNamara, VP pperations for signage and millwork, KGM Gaming, the result of the installation at Four Winds South Bend is pure eye candy that draws guests’ attention and ensures they are always aware of the nearest ATM location.

“In the casino world, it’s pretty much understood that bigger and brighter is better at attracting guests and ensuring a fun, enjoyable gaming experience,” McNamara said. “For projects like these, NanoLumens has become our go-to vendor because of the build quality, customer support, and ability to create unique, architectural designs that other display types and manufacturers simply can’t provide.”

McNamara said they mocked up several designs, including one that would have used four traditional LCD panels at each of the four ATM locations, but they didn’t provide true 360-degree visibility and couldn’t display the same kind of enticing visual that a circular display is capable of. KGM designed architectural signs that extend nearly to the ceiling, with the curved NanoLumens displays taking center stage and providing the casino owners a dynamic, exciting way to communicate with their guests. Each 5mm pixel pitch NanoLumens display is 1.5 feet tall with a diameter of 3.5 feet, making them the most clearly visible signs on the entire floor.

In addition to the attractiveness and wide visibility, NanoLumens LED displays also eliminate the need for bezels and grid lines that interrupt content and distract viewers. Because NanoLumens technology is lightweight, low power, low heat, and warrantied down to the pixel for six full years, it works well for high-traffic, always-on environments like casino floors.

“The response from management and guests has been extremely positive,” Balogun added. “It’s now easier than ever to navigate the floor, get cash when you need to, and have a point of reference for getting around. Basically, it’s the next evolution of technology aiding casino floor management and traffic flow.”

The Digital Signage Federation (DSF) and the Digital Signage Federation Europe (DSF Europe) have announced the newly elected leadership for the European Affiliate.

Dirk Huelsermann, managing director of STRATACACHE Capital, is the founder and chairman emeritus of DSF Europe. Huelsermann, who has chaired the association since its inception more than nine years ago, said, “With this announcement, the aim is to help rejuvenate DSF Europe and continue to build a solid foundation that works on behalf of our members. The affiliation with the DSF will allow us to offer our members additional educational and professional development opportunities.”

Huelsermann also announced the two newly elected officers of DSF Europe. The new president of DSF Europe will be Simon Jackson, vice president, strategic and vertical sales EMEA, NEC Display Solutions. The new vice president of DSF Europe will be Leif Liljebrunn, president and CEO of ZetaDisplay AB.

Jackson said “I would like to thank Mr. Huelsermann for his work on growing this organization. Soon we will be announcing our programming plan for the remainder of 2018 and encourage our members, and potential members, to connect with us at an upcoming event.”

Although supported and endorsed by the DSF, the European affiliate operates independently. Their members focus on issues within a specific European context but receive certain benefits from the shared membership. These benefits include access to information and discounts for professional development.

On the eve of the CinemaCon trade show, opening today in Las Vegas, Samsung Electronics America orchestrated the first ever public direct view LED cinema screenings in the U.S., at Pacific Theatres Winnetka in Chatsworth, CA, over the weekend. And Samsung held a private screening for trade press Friday April 20th at the same theater and a tour of a major post house in Santa Monica– Roundabout– that’s using the DCI-compliant LED screen from Samsung to master movie content for theatrical, broadcast, home entertainment and streaming release.

The result was impressive– kicking off a direct view LED cinema experience for the public, and offering the industry a glimpse of Samsung’s plans to leverage their technical and market strength on three fronts: HDR (for consumer displays mainly–until today), cinema (drawing on their Harman division’s strength in that market), and commercial AV/large palette digital signage where a lot of the R&D for large-format LED is being done. It all came together today, with the official launch of the new Samsung product, Onyx, at CinemaCon. Billed as “the industry’s first Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI)-certified High Dynamic Range theater display,” the Samsung Onyx, creates, according to Samsung, “a next-generation viewing experience.”

During the presentation Friday for members of the press at the Pacific Theatres Winnetka in Chatsworth, we were shown a feature movie, Ready Player One, in SDR (from a standard DCP). The showing was impressive– even in SDR the image on the screen came much closer to an HDR experience because of the deep black levels that the emissive LED technology achieves. But the HDR samples were stunning, including HDR trailers for Black Panther and A Wrinkle in Time. Perhaps the most impressive clip was from a promo produced by ARRI– the makers of digital cinema cameras– that showed close-ups of human faces, no CGI, just faces up close, allowing a good look at the reproduction of different skin tones, dynamic range, and more. The ARRI imagery, 4K and HDR, was impressive– from the deep blacks to the full 300 NIT peak whites. 300 nits is about the same as 80 fl– compare that to the DCI standard of 14fl (peak white) for theatrical (about 48 nits).

The Onyx, is not always that bright (300 nits)– because unlike with projection some pixels are 100% off some times, i.e when that part of the image is black. 300 nits is peak white. Samsung says they settled on 300 for peak white– what they thought content providers, and studios were comfortable with– but they could have done 500 nits.

The configuration installed at the Pacific Theatres Winnetka in Chatsworth measures 33.8ft wide and 17.7ft in height, and using 2.5mm pixel pitch LED, and features nearly 9 million pixels. That configuration is 4K. But the product is also available in a 2K resolution configuration (also 2.5mm) 8.9ft high x 16.7ft wide.

The IMB (Integrated Media Block) at the theater is provided by GDC. (And Samsung said that GDC will be creating an optional 3D package with active glasses for the screen.)

The screen installed at the Pacific Theatres Winnetka is 4K. It’s made up 96 cabinets. Each cabinet consists of 24 modules, with each module being 6 X 6 inches and containing 3,840 LED/pixels (each pixel has one R,G,and B diode). Importantly, if one of the modules is damaged, or needs replacement, the theater just replaces a 6x6 inch module–that is rear serviceable so easy to access– with a back-up they have on site. So you just replace the module, and recalibrate the screen. No soldering, etc, on site. The company PrismView did the mounting for the Pacific Theatres Winnetka. The whole screen is rear-serviceable, with 3 catwalks in back for access.

Samsung says that in Q4 2018 a 4K 26ft high x 49.5ft wide will be available. That configuration will be 3.3mm pixel pitch. Why the different pixel pitch? In direct view LED, unlike projection, resolution is simple math: you can do 2K, 4K, 8K, 16K, etc, all with the same pixel pitch LED, depending on how big you make the screen, right? Yes and no. Yes, that math works in other applications. But DCI cinema is different– to conform to DCI’s pixel-to-pixel requirement for achieving resolution– in this case 4K–with no scaling, Samsung can’t use the same 2.5mm LED for the larger screen and meet DCI. It has to go to 3.3mm for a 4K, 26ft high x 49.5ft wide size.

Samsung’s LED cinema screen appears to take full advantage of everything Samsung has learned from its emissive direct view LED product evolution for the high end of the public display/digital signage and DOOH market. It’s a 2.5mm pixel pitch configuration in most settings, and even as Samsung (as well as other manufacturers) have now achieved even finer pixel pitches, even below 1mm, for large palette LED, 2.5mm has emerged as something of a sweet spot that achieves a pixel pitch small enough for high res in larger spaces yet not so expensive as to put it out of budget range for many applications. (Exact pricing on the Samsung Onyx has not been publicly disclosed as of this writing.)

But where Samsung is leveraging even greater experience and resources is by using Harman– that Samsung acquired in late 2016– for its vast business network in the cinema market. Harman has long been one of dominant providers of audio systems to movie theaters, and in fact the new Samsung Onyx will be sold through that Harman channel, in a “sight and sound” package including mounting services and JBL loudspeakers that Dan Saenz, Harman Solutions Manager, Cinema, described at the press event Friday.

If you follow the latest developments in displays, you know about HDR. High Dynamic Range. HDR is more than just higher contrast. And HDR is more than the display. It does indeed seek to achieve better contrast and dynamic range in the display. But it’s also important on the content creation side– staring with giving the same power that cinematographers have to capture stories using 14-15 stops of light to the post process as well, giving post houses like Roundabout and all the good post houses the ability to master for all formats, DCI-P3 standard, or full HDR or anything in-between.

HDR, cinema, and consumer display issues have overlapping dynamics, all coloring this new product launch.

“The compromises that were necessary 20 years ago to make digital cinema happen, are not necessary now,” said Nick Conti, senior business development manager for cinema at Samsung Electronics America, at the press event Friday. “HDR is a closer step to REC 2020– the standard that attempts to replicate all the values seen by the human eye.”

The Samsung Onyx demos in HDR were stunning. But remember that as of today here is no such thing as a cinema standard for HDR. DCI only tests for low contrast SDR.

HDR is happening most quickly, where? In the world of high end consumer TV’s. And what companies are strong there? Samsung of course, along with others–including Dolby, Sony, LG. But Samsung’s purchase of Harman has given them added leverage in the broader cinema market. And that leverage, coupled with this new Onyx direct view LED cinema screen, could portend some interesting developments. In addition to the obvious HDR and brightness advantages, other benefits of Samsung’s offering are: no ambient light problems in the theater; no projection booth needed (so a lot of cost savings on new construction); no line of sight issues; and you can get more seats, closer to the screen (better off-axis viewing).

And that’s not even starting the content discussion– the discussion about what content is going to what commercial cinema screens. If you’ve followed the digital transition of commercial movie theaters, you know that when the theaters had to go to digital projection, and a bit later upgrade to better digital projection systems that could do 3D for the big Avatar and Lord of the Rings launches, the theater owners had some help financing those new projection systems from “VPF”–Virtual Print Fee– programs. VPF’s were essentially an elaborate financing plan where the big Hollywood movie studios who were poised to benefit more (than the theater owners) from the reduced distribution costs associated with digital distribution compared to shipping around film platters, shared some of that savings by giving back some “print fee” savings to theater owners to help them buy new gen projectors. One kicker there was: when theater chain took the money, they agreed to give preferential screen time/treatment to the major studios’ films. Nothing really odd there– that content was all those Hollywood tent pole franchises the public wanted to see– can you say Fast and Furious 6, 7, 8? But fast forward furiously to today– and those VPF agreements are gone, or expiring.

Food for thought: Will Samsung’s strength in the consumer TV world (and smartphone world?)– not just on the hardware but on the content packaging side– allow them to do some content deals in the cinema exhibition world? Stay tuned, in HDR, on direct view LED– whatever screen you follow– as the story unfolds.

The Digital Signage Expo starts next Wednesday, and a lot of eyes will be on LED– not on the strip in vegas but in the booths on the show floor. As the industry looks for a better way of getting millions of pixels of content to all the fabulous direct view LED going up and in everywhere, D3 has made a name for itself. In the field, and at trade shows. At last summer’s InfoComm, they made an impressive showing (see that story here). At the DSE next week, you can look for more from them– including some new developments I was just briefed on today that should cause a whole new crop of AV integrators and high level LED end users to take notice. Because even for a company that’s caused a stir the past year, their new offerings at DSE next week will surprise.

The background, and the story to date from D3 is: large-palette LED video solutions represent a huge and growing opportunity for integrators who can provide turnkey and/or custom solutions. But out in the field, we are now seeing so many different LED pixel pitch configurations in so many different sizes, shapes and resolutions, it can be a puzzle to figure out the best way to get content to all those screens. Many integrators end up cobbling together a patchwork of scalers, media servers and other content delivery tools that create synchronization issues and increase cost. Enter D3, that does not just ship LED modules but also provides installation, commissioning and in-the-field backup and service; offers turnkey options that avoid assembling LED screens, mounts, video processors, switchers and media servers from different vendors; and does not leave you on your own to “get the content to the pixels” but instead offers a complete and integrated media solution that can efficiently deliver native resolution content to 100 million pixels from a single device.

If all that is not enough, next week D3 will be showing something intriguing: an extension of that device, D3’s powerful AEP IMS– the Advanced Element Processor and Integrated Media System, i.e. their industrial strength scalable digital media control system that provides massive processing capacity with gigabit per second data delivery. D3 will be showing in their booth (1351) their new controller, a “universal remote” or “master control” that is, according to D3, “an extension of the AEP, in your hand.” I’ve seen the AEP in action, and that is an ambitious feat. D3 says that they will have a iPad interface at their booth that lets the user control content– content at the highest pixel count level you can imagine– with an ease of use we’ve never seen (again, think tens of millions of pixels of content, over different pixel pitch/resolution screens).

“We will be showing, at DSE,” said Jason Barak of D3, “one simple interface, a customizable iPad interface, that does what no controller in this arena has ever done: act as a ‘universal remote’ so to speak, to manipulate and direct complex content to screens, play with transparency layers, choose backgrounds and foregrounds, and different feeds including live feeds.”

And it’s not a demo tool, it’s a real control tool. And can also be programmed to not just control content on the screens (any screen BTW, not just LED) but to display monitoring info like heat of the screens etc.

There’s more– but I’m looking forward to seeing it all work in real time in their booth at the DSE show next week.

For more on D3 click here.

• DPAA, the global organization for everything digital out-of-home, has announced that BevTV has joined the association. BevTV is a beverage-focused ad channel enabling brands to target their audience with engaging and interactive content in beverage store aisles, right at the point of decision. BevTV is the largest digital ad network in the beverage industry, with access to over 1,000+ devices across US and Canada with an engaged and attentive targeted audience. The ads will display on shelves at eye level, using interactive displays to deliver content right at the point of decision. This technology enables brands to target their audience in a very granular way by category, aisle, demographics, and more.
• Barry Frey, President & CEO of DPAA, said, "BevTV offers retailers a largely turn-key solution for interacting with customers and boosting sales. Their network of devices is a tremendous source of product information that helps turn browsers into buyers, and also serves as an effective vehicle for out-of-home messaging."
• Bruce van Zyl, President of BevTV, said, "We appreciate the job that Barry and his team have done at DPAA to advance the cause of digital out-of-home, and we are proud to now be part of this organization."
• DPAA is a global, digital out-of-home marketing association that has created a strong community environment where members drive and promote their digital capabilities.
• To deliver on their promise of “Digital Out of Home Everything," DPAA functions as a business accelerator and concierge/consultant for members. Membership in the DPAA community brings many benefits, including admission to quarterly "mini summit" meetings with ad industry and DOOH leaders; access to curated VIP tours and meetings at CES and Cannes Lions; an extensive database of research, best practices and case studies; tools for planning, training and forecasting; social media amplification; publication discounts; an opportunity to participate in media partnerships; insights on software and hardware solutions; further integration into the advertising ecosystem as part of the video everywhere conversation and marketing campaign; and more.

• DCBolt Productions assisted in the design, implementation, software and content development of the video system for 55 Water’s LED lobby wall installation in New York City. The installation is visible at 55 Water Street in NYC and the lobby is open to the public for viewing 24/7.

DCBolt built a custom windows-based media server to handle the approx 8K pixel space and utilizes Signagelive CMS to manage 5x scheduled layouts. The display includes over 50x assets of custom content that range from ambient branding to perspective illusions.

DCBolt designed a multi-windowed infotainment layout for the high-traffic hours of the morning, afternoon and evening rush periods which display a variety of content feeds, including live stock tickers, transit, weather, news, sports and social media.

The greatest challenge DCBolt faced with this project was network related. It required heavy bandwidth to dynamically pull and display multiple data feeds and content sources at the same time. Another challenge came from the custom stock ticker. The requirement was a custom program that integrated high-resolution logo assets and variable speed adjustments to account for the size and resolution of the canvas.

The digital signage network technical requirements included 2 20’x8’ Christie Digital LED screens in main lobby at 55 Water Street NYC, Crestron Control system, RGB Spectrum Multi-Window processor, live input capability & 24/7 operation, custom built media server for signage content running Signagelive software, over 12 hours of custom content built specifically to raster graphics and continued ongoing content development, management and scheduling provided by DCBolt.

Article originally posted on Signagelive.com

• DENEVA announced the addition of Viola Roseby to its Sales and Marketing team. Roseby will serve as the Business Development Manager for DENEVA Digital Signage Solution to manage key markets in North and Latin America.

Roseby comes to her new role with over 20 years of experience in digital signage. Having served various sales roles supporting technology solutions partners throughout North and South America. Her past experience in developing strategic partnerships, expanding brand awareness and loyalty in new and underdevelopment markets through indirect channel partners will be an asset to DENEVA’s expansion into the Americas. She also held sales leadership positions at Scala, Sharp USA and Appspace. Roseby also holds a B.S. from Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA.

"I am thrilled to be part of the DENEVA Digital Signage Solution team to lead their Business Development in North and Latin America” said Roseby. “The greater part of my career has been spent in the digital signage and I look forward to working among a dedicated group of people and DENEVA brand, serving their current and future partners and customers."

Roseby is passionate about partner relationships and understands the role strategic partnerships play into the success of a manufacturer. She is committed to developing strong alliances, cultivating partner relationships, and identifying new markets.

“We are excited to start the new year with the addition of Viola to our Sales and Marketing team”, said Enrique Hornos, CEO of DENEVA. “With her extensive industry experience and proven sales performance, we are confident she will help lead the expansion of our business in Digital Signage market”.

• DPAA announced that Toronto-based Media City has joined the association.

"Media City is aptly named, as they offer impactful, targeted ad opportunities on digital screens in Canada's major cities," said Barry Frey, President & CEO of DPAA. "We are delighted to welcome this fast-growing company to our membership ranks and look forward to helping to pave the way for additional growth opportunities in the future."

Sylvio Deluca, CEO, Media City. , said,

"We were the first company in Canada to start selling Outdoor Digital, almost 20 years ago," said Sylvio Deluca, CEO, Media City. "Joining DPAA, Barry and his team feels like coming home again. We’re thrilled to be part of this organization."

• Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America introduced its first stand-alone signage solution with the flexibility to support various applications and usage styles.

The new 40" Class (39.5" diagonal) PN-B401 and 50" Class (49.5" diagonal) PN-B501 professional LCD displays deliver digital signage solutions from all types of content providers without having to rely on external media players such as PCs. Each PN-B series display features a powerful, Android-based built-in SoC (System on a Chip) controller driven by the Arm Cortex-A17 quad core processor (max. 1.8 GHz) with 2 GB memory and 8 GB storage. The embedded SoC provides for unique reliability, convenience and power, reducing cabling and allowing for easier content deployment.

"The PN-B401 and PN-B501 are excellent smart digital signage solutions with significant benefits for both our channel network and end users," said Gary Bailer, director of product management, Information Display Products, Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America. "By implementing SoC technology, we eliminate the need for a separate media player or PC, thus lowering the cost of entry. This strategy helps us to simplify digital signage for our customers, making it more accessible for companies and organizations of all sizes."

Content can be displayed on the PN-B series of displays in a number of simple ways. For example, web-based digital signage content can be displayed simply by entering a URL in the embedded HTML5 Browser, while videos and still images can be routed through the pre-installed media player. For those requiring additional functionality and content management, the PN-B Series also embeds Sharp's new e-Signage S Player.

The PN-B series is Sharp's first professional display series to feature the SHARP Open Architecture Platform for digital signage, which offers end users easy ways to download, store and play content directly from the display. The Platform is a combination of Sharp technology and alliances with leading third-party digital signage software providers. In addition, both displays offer an expansion slot compatible with the Intel Mini Open Pluggable Specification (Mini OPS), which supports the addition of advanced optional wireless (PN-ZB03W), computing (PN-ZB03AO), or HDBaseT receiver boards (PN-ZB03H), giving the display a unique, open platform flexibility.

Multiple PN-B series displays can be set up in a daisy chain configuration, offering customers an economic, scalable digital signage solution resulting in a 2x2 video wall with the equivalent of 4K Ultra-HD (3,840 × 2,160-pixel) resolution. The displays also offer several installation options, whether in a landscape or portrait orientation, installed face-up, face-down, or tilted forward or backward at an angle of up to 90 degrees. Designed for easy hanging installation, they can be suspended with wires from the four corners of the rear housing.

• Chicago area resellers and their customers who want to take a long hard look at the future of digital signage will have that opportunity on March 8, 2018 when Stampede takes the Samsung Demo Room to the Lincolnshire, Illinois as part of its 2018 Big Book of AV Tour & Conference Series. The day-long event will be held at the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort (10 Marriott Dr. Lincolnshire, Illinois 60069) from 9:00 AM-2:00 PM. Attendee registration is still open.

“Ranked as one of the largest and fastest-growing tech markets in the country, the greater Chicago area is an important stop on our 2018 Big Book of AV Tour,” Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly said today. “The Chicago technology community has seen a major boost over the last three to five years, as a result of its diverse community, stable living environment and its anchor resource in the major universities in the area. These recent developments provide us with the ideal platform to engage with the tech community in the area and provide resellers and customers with the opportunity to meet one-on-one with manufacturers showcasing their newest products and technologies.”

Headlining the tour stop is The Samsung Experience Demo Room, which is designed to ask the question we all ask each and every day: What does the future look like? Samsung Electronics understands that the future holds endless potential and exciting possibilities. At Samsung, the future is now, and it comes to life through a range of innovative display solutions. Displays tell our stories, amplify ideas and improve life. We have the power to turn vision into reality, showcase a world of action and shape the future. Guided tours will begin at 10:00AM and will occur every 30 minutes for the duration of the event.

The day will begin at 9:00 AM with a dealer panel discussion, followed by the Tech Showcase Exhibit where attendees and manufacturers will meet one-on-one to discuss the latest products, systems and services. A complimentary breakfast will also be served during the showcase.

The day will also feature a series of on-site presentations that include: Overview of the Drone/UAS Industry and Business Potential and Drone Video Systems: A New AV Category for a New Age of Opportunities, both of which will be led by Dean of the School of Flight Training at Unmanned Vehicle University, Paul Dragos. Additional presentations include: NEC 10 Steps to a Successful Video Wall, Samsung All-in-One e-Board Solutions, Understanding the Benefits of 4L Projection-Optoma and Video Wall Solutions from Planar/Leyard.

• Empire State Realty Trust recently renovated its commercial office building lobby at 250 West 57th Street in mid-town Manhattan. The new Gensler-designed lobby features an 80 x 8-foot art installation in the form of a High Definition LED screen on the lobby ceiling. The unique installation completes the transformation of the repositioned building lobby, which also includes a new entrance canopy, street frontage and new elevator cabs modernized for the 21st century.

The massive screen creates generative, customizable images and was composed by lighting artist Marc Brickman and award-winning video artist Lindsay Scoggins. The truly immersive experience evolves over a 24-hour cycle and is comprised of abstract art, live news feeds, galaxy depictions and extreme weather. The technology utilized ensures that the same image will never reveal itself more than once.

The uniqueness of the screen comes from behind-the-scenes algorithms that provide information in real time. Online sources, such as weather, hashtags and trending topics, allow the video artwork's appearance to adjust daily. For example, if the screen is displaying sunrise the algorithms will correspond that image with real-time weather in New York City. As this input changes daily, the look of the video artwork will reflect those changes.

VER partnered with Electrosonic to program the AV and control systems. The project demonstrated Electrosonic's comprehensive approach and intramural teamwork with AV system engineering done by its Orlando office, fabrication by the Burbank office, and testing and installation support by the New York City office.

"The lobby of this almost 100 year-old building had had some facelifts, but we learned that this was its first full renovation," says Joe Viola, Business Development Manager at VER. "ESRT wanted to blend art and technology in an elegant way, which can be hard to do especially in a classic, century-old building." ESRT owns, manages, operates, acquires and repositions office and retail properties in Manhattan and the greater New York metropolitan area, including the iconic Empire State Building.

"The project involved a lot of coordination, but with Electrosonic's partnership integration talent in key technical areas combined with their supportive approach to business made things much easier," Viola reports. “With Elecrosonic's focused and outstanding project management and their wide base of technical expertise we had an incredible team to navigate the course and to do it at a very high level."

Driven by custom high-end media server PCs, Electrosonic's AV system provides razor-sharp UHD60 resolution images with VER's M8 Distribution Platform to 308 LED ceiling tiles each with 2.88mm pixel pitch. "The M8 is an exceptional product and very easy to work with," says Fred Davidowitz, Electrosonic Project Manager.

A QSC Q-SYS Core digital signal processor, amplifier and 16 speakers above the display supply audio throughout the lobby. DMX control cues from the media servers change the colors of lighting fixtures around the display to coordinate with the content.

A Creston control system, with custom GUI, was programmed by Davidowitz to provide flexible scheduling, override functions, health indicators and emergency notifications for the AV devices.

A Microsoft Surface Pro, displayed like a plaque at the front of the lobby, gives information about the installation and the artists.

"Fred Davidowitz and Thursby Pierce at Electrosonic had a great deal of patience in helping us deal with the obstacles presented by the renovation of a high-traffic building, which was only accessible at night," says Viola. "Their cohesive team worked well together from coast to coast and was key for us being able to negotiate all facets of the project. Partnering with Electrosonic on this job was an amazing experience: Their professionalism, people and technical depth in supporting our LED display systems allowed for a very successful one-of-a-kind project."

• RMG Networks, announced today that it has enlisted LED technology expert Simon Deary to join its leadership team as the Director of RMG MAX.

Deary has extensive experience in the digital LED solutions sector, running LED industry pioneer group LED Poison and most recently holding the position of Director of Specialist Products and Technology at infiLED EM International Limited, whilst also running his own design, events and visual consultancy company, Son et Lumiere.

“It is a pleasure to bring new technology developments to RMG’s MAX LEDsolutions," said Deary. "I have been working with the team in the UK and we have some incredible new IP to bring to market with MAX. RMG really understands technology and the direction of the industry, the team has been ahead of the curve for years. I have always been aware of the work they do and thought it’s somewhere I would like to work — and now I do!”

RMG recently showcased MAX at the world’s largest AV systems integration show, ISE 2018. The company’s all-in-one MAX solutions include 4G/5G, remote access, remote diagnostic, power management and Korby™ on board — meaning content and install with MAX is simple to implement, cost effective and can be tailored to the individual user’s requirements.

• Submissions for proposals of technical papers is open for the SMPTE 2018 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition, which will be held at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in downtown Los Angeles.

Held annually by SMPTE, the technical conference is a forum for the exploration of media and entertainment technology. Attendees are among the industry’s elite technology decision makers and thought leaders.

Proposed papers must be informational and must address technical theory, research, innovation, application, or practice specific to any of the evolving technologies associated with the media and entertainment industry. Benefits for authors of manuscript proposals that are selected include an opportunity to present at SMPTE 2018, a published manuscript in the SMPTE Digital Library and peer review for potential publication in the SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal.

Initial abstracts must be submitted online no later than Monday, 28 May 2018. Click here for the submission form.

• QICGRE utilized NanoLumens LED displays at two of its Australian locations with the help of Digital Place Solutions’ digital display integrators.
• According to DPS Director Stephen Rubie, installations such as these are breathing new life into the in-person shopping experience and allowing owners to capitalize on every possible advertising location — even the open air above shoppers’ heads.
• “Large, innovative digital display installations excite customers and provide new revenue streams for retail location owners,” said Rubie. “With NanoLumens’ lightweight and easy-to-install LED displays, we can mount them virtually anywhere a client wants. Our two latest installations at QICGRE’s Canberra Centre and Westpoint Shopping Centre show exactly how versatile the technology is, with each double-sided vertical display hanging from the ceiling without any additional infrastructure support. These installations would simply not be possible with any other display technology.”
• The display at Canberra Centre, measuring 11’ by 19’ and weighing 2,100 pounds, and the display at Westpoint Shopping Centre, measuring 9’ by 16’ and weighing 1,540 pounds, provide bright, large, crisp imagery with their 4mm pixel pitch designs. Freed from the constraints of heavy, unwieldy multi-panel video walls, DPS was able to suspend the NanoLumens displays from each location’s glass atrium high above shoppers, requiring no major construction or support infrastructure.
• “We are thrilled with Digital Place Solutions’ installation of the NanoLumens displays,” said QICGRE’s Head of Commercial Dennis Michael. “The vibrant, oversized double-sided displays are a new point of interest for shoppers that allow us to utilize space that previously was impossible to monetize. Think about it: with DPS able to hang huge NanoLumens displays above busy foot traffic corridors, we are basically creating marketing solutions for retailers and brands out of thin air. Additionally, the DPS team was exemplary in their conduct and professionalism, and worked closely with our mall operations team to deliver an outstanding product without impacting the mall’s day-to-day operations. We would be delighted to work with Digital Place Solutions on further deployments.“
• DPS knew right away that, to deliver what QICGRE requested, NanoLumens was the only choice. As is common in large shopping centers, both locations are subject to strong sunlight, so the displays needed to be incredibly bright in order to be visible in all conditions. They also needed to be lightweight enough to safely hang from the ceiling without requiring customer interruptions and heavy construction.
• “As the principal contractor overseeing all of these projects, Digital Place Solutions is proud to have delivered them all on time and on budget,“ said DPS Director Gerry Thorley. “Our team has the expertise to deploy displays without bulky cables or any adding any additional structure to the mall. The result is a super thin display that appears to float in the space and enhances the environment that mall owners are delivering to consumers. Digital Place Solutions understands the operating requirements of retail space and despite complicated access and installation environments we were able to seamlessly deploy these magnificent displays in just a few shifts.”
• QICGRE also required a certain level of performance guarantee, which NanoLumens delivered with its unrivaled six-year, down-to-the-pixel warranty. Between the warranty and the innovative Nixel-based design, by which the display is comprised of small individual LED panels that snap together seamlessly, any future repairs can be done quickly without impacting the mall’s operation.

“Working with NanoLumens display technology has allowed us to deliver 100 percent satisfaction to retail mall owners through unique, eye-popping installations,” said Thorley. “Whether used to create revenue with advertising or provide information and announcements, the displays demand the attention of every shopper. It’s a great feeling to be able to listen to what our clients want, no matter how bold, and tell them ‘yes, we can do that.’ With NanoLumens, we can.”

Commenting on the installations and the success of the relationship with both DPS and QICGRE, NanoLumens Vice President of Sales East-US and International Almir DeCarvalho stressed the values shared by each partner.

• Daktronics will design, manufacture and install a new LED video display for as well as two LED video displays at the Western Kentucky University. The installation will begin this spring to have the displays up and running for events in 2018.

“The new video boards at both of our venues will bring the most updated technology to our fans,” said Craig Biggs, WKU’s associate athletic director of facilities and administration. “We strive to bring the fans the best in-game experience and these upgrades will do that. We have had an over 25-year working partnership with Daktronics and they are the best in the business with their products and service. We look forward to continuing that partnership on this project and more in the future.”

The new end zone display for football will measure 32.5 feet high by 70 feet wide featuring a 15HD pixel layout. The new corner displays for basketball will measure 18 feet high by 44 feet wide featuring 10-millimeter line spacing. They will bring crisp, clear imagery with wide-angle visibility to fans in every seat at each venue.

These displays will feature variable content zoning allowing each to show one large image or to be divided into multiple windows to show all of the content fans crave, including live video, instant replays, up-to-the-minute statistics, graphics and animations, and sponsorship messages.

"The new displays for WKU will bring their fan experience to the next level," said Kyle Adams, Daktronics regional manager. "The upgrade at football, basketball and soccer with LED technology and new audio system will give flexibility and 'wow factor' to all Hilltoppers events."

Diddle Arena will receive a custom audio system from Daktronics. The audio system will be integrated with the video and scoring system to provide full-range sound reproduction while delivering clear and intelligible speech. This powerful system will combine with the displays to provide a dynamic audiovisual experience for Hilltopper fans.

Daktronics will include its powerful Show Control System with this installation. This industry-leading system provides a combination of display control software, world-class video processing, data integration and playback hardware that forms a user-friendly production solution.

In addition to the equipment installation, WKU will also receive a bank of hours for the creation of digital content to be produced and delivered by Daktronics Creative Services at the request of the university.

• At Digital Signage Expo, Carousel Digital Signage by Tightrope Media Systems will unveil new enhancements to its software that will tighten integration with BrightSign media players. The updates will, according to Tightrope, “reduce ongoing costs and labor for customers that enjoy the combined reliability and interoperability of Carousel and BrightSign across digital signage networks – a boost for systems integrators, network operators and users that aim to streamline the commissioning, deployment and management processes.”
• Carousel customers will now benefit from new auto-provisioning features that eliminate the needs to write SD cards for each player. This zero-touch approach greatly reduces the time associated with initial player deployments; settings are instead entered into the central Carousel server to enable automatic configuration of all media players on the network. With player settings securely housed on the Carousel server, network operators and end users can remotely adjust settings and manage firmware updates – by player, by specific groups or network-wide in bulk – and centralize troubleshooting.
• “These enhancements offer enormous benefits to the integrator that wants to deploy any number of players in a bulk configuration with common settings, and make adjustments by recalling the serial number at later dates,” said Eric Henry, President, Carousel Digital Signage. “And since player grouping is managed within the Carousel user interface, it’s far easier to manage multiple players at once across larger networks. Furthermore, the systems integrator or technology manager in charge of installations and field service can operate from their office or mobile device. We’re removing the need to ever roll a truck again, so long as BrightSign media players are delivering the content for your Carousel network.”
• Henry adds that the new firmware management features are especially helpful for customers concerned with automatic updates that may interrupt content playout.
• “Users can lock their BrightSign players from automatic firmware updates, which allows our customers to manage their signage content and networks more effectively,” he said. “Players can also be restarted remotely, eliminating yet another traditional field service job.”
• Carousel Digital Signage will exhibit in booth 1336 at the Digital Signage Expo, taking place March 28-29 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

• Bazaarvoice is a network that connects brands and retailers to the authentic voices of people where they shop. Each month, more than 700 million shopper devices view and share authentic opinions, questions and experiences about tens of millions of products in the Bazaarvoice network. In order to meet the evolving needs of their Austin, Texas headquarter’s high volume of employees, clients and VIP visitors, Bazaarvoice challenged itself to identify and utilize a digital signage solution that would give real-time updates of crucial information. As an extension of this, the displays would need to possess the ability to accurately and clearly display the rich colors and vivid details necessary for exhibiting graphs and data sets, as well as attention-grabbing wayfinding information, updates and news, even to those who might be positioned at a distance. Even more so, the displays would need to seamlessly connect to one another for a quick, simple installation that would stay within the projected timing of the larger lobby construction, and would be easy to use afterwards.

Bazaarvoice’s technology platform amplifies shopper voices into the places that influence purchase decisions. Network analytics help marketers and advertisers provide more engaging experiences that drive brand awareness, consideration, sales and loyalty. They were seeking a digital signage solution that complements their own advanced technology and branding expertise.

In a traditional lobby environment, the guest experience is often hindered by dated equipment in uninspiring forms. To avoid this, the Bazaarvoice team was determined to use a large, eye-catching display that would provide clear, bright visuals with vibrant colors. “We were attracted to the ability to balance color the LG 55-inch video wall displays, the thinness of the bezels and, of course, the ease in which content can be managed through the displays,” said Lionel Felix, president of Felix Media Solutions Inc.

By employing a back-end computer with full resolution outputs to ensure the visuals are not scaled, Bazaarvoice is now able to use the LG video wall displays to project pixel-accurate images for an incredibly sharp picture.

Cost efficiency was also a key factor for this project. The Bazaarvoice team knew that in order to install the 3x3 video wall desired, they’d need to purchase nine sleek 55-inch class panels in addition to employing an integration team to assist with the installation. Felix Media Solutions was able to not only assist with the end user’s research and select a cost-effective solution that met all of the project’s needs, but they also worked tirelessly to ensure the installation was completed in a timely and efficient manner.

After doing extensive research on the digital signage competitive landscape, the Felix team noticed that LG was able to provide a digital signage solution that fit the needs of the project at a price nearly 25 percent less than leading competitors. When the team shared this with Bazaarvoice, the decision became obvious. Being able to provide engaging and prominent visuals in the building’s most high-trafficked area by leveraging industry-leading display technology at an extremely cost effective price ultimately sealed the deal for Bazaarvoice.

Managing an installation in the main entryway of the building required special care and consideration, as the integrators would need to work while employees and visitors continued to use a portion of the space—and they would need to do so quickly. Leveraging the expertise of Felix Media Solutions and LG technology, Bazaarvoice implemented a 3x3 LG video wall, which uniquely fit the installation environment in the main lobby. The team successfully completed the installation on time thanks to the displays’ effortless connectivity.

Using a nine-headed computer to run a signal to each display, the entire video wall easily synced during installation, and would only require minimal control afterwards by Bazaarvoice staff.

• In a bid to drive awareness of advanced cyber crime and the threat to small businesses, Hiscox insurance launched a Digital Out of Home campaign displaying real-time cyber crime in a tactical execution which will run nationwide across key city and roadside locations from the 19th – 26th February.

The campaign works by pulling data from a purpose-built honeypot system typical of any standard small business server set-up. The honeypot monitors live hacks and the poster creative responds with a real-time pulsing “Cybercrime” headline and a ticker showing passers-by the cumulative amount of attacks to have hit the honeypot that day. Based on initial trials, the number of attempted attacks each day is averaging 23,000. As the breaches build, so too does the headline, with each poster evolving and reacting throughout the course of the day.

The campaign was created by AMV, with production and tech build by Grand Visual. Dynamic content is managed and delivered by QDOT, using the AdTech platform OpenLoop to analyse real-time data and distribute to multiple screen formats and networks across the UK. Media planning and buying is by Goodstuff and Talon and supports a broader campaign.

Hiscox CyberLive is about making small businesses more aware of the very real threat that cybercrime poses and challenging the belief that cyber criminals only target larger organizations," said Olivia Hendrick, Head of Marketing and Partnerships at Hiscox UK & Ireland. "We were genuinely astounded by the number of attacks, especially up to 60,000 in one day, and hope this disruptive campaign serves as a reminder to all of the importance of cyber security.”

“Clever use of data and technology means this digital OOH campaign delivers a hard-hitting message and a compelling call to action for Hiscox Small Business Insurance," said Dan Dawson, Chief Creative Technology Officer, Grand Visual. "The threat is real, the proof is here, and the figures speak for themselves."

“This campaign showcases the real potential of digital OOH and how for the right client you can steer the message using real time context and data to match a real issue to the Hiscox brand strategy,” said
James Brunton, Client Director at Talon.

• Southside Baptist partnered with PixelFLEX to upgrade their antiquated LCD video system in a move to pave the way for a heightened worship experience.

“In our previous design, we had an array of twenty-four 65-inch LCD TV’s, with a 2-inch bezel around each unit, so you can only imagine our challenges and frustrations,” said Chris Clark, Southside Baptist Director of Media. “With the LCD display, it was impossible to create a seamless image, and it looked a bit clunky and cheap. Since I go to a lot of sporting events, I knew LED video would be an ideal solution, and we couldn’t be happier with our new high-definition, video system from PixelFLEX.”

PixelFLEX installed a high-resolution FLEXTour 2.8mm LED video display. A robust, high-definition and curve-able LED video display, FLEXTour is designed specifically for the rigorous demands of live entertainment productions. With its rigging capabilities that allow for traditional and off-set configurations, each 500mmx1000mm tile is fully front-serviceable and its integrated climbing ladder allows for quick access to displays flown high overhead. Built with the highest standard in components including the new NovaStar A8s receiving card, FLEXTour is completely flicker-free.

“During our initial research, we also thought about the possibility of using a projection system, but it’s simply not as bright as LED video, and you have to worry about regularly changing bulbs," said Clark. "LED video is just better all-around, from both a maintenance and performance perspective, and after meeting with PixelFLEX, I knew that no matter what LED product we chose, it would be a PixelFLEX solution because working with them is like working with a friend.”

Getting started on the initial design, Clark knew that the size of the screen might present a small challenge. With a custom configuration needed to fit into the worship design, Clark also wanted to make sure that the image quality was something that no one in the congregation would forget.

“Physically speaking, we have a pretty odd shaped area where the video display hangs that is a little wider than a standard 16:9 format, roughly 29-feet wide and 11.5-feet tall,” said Clark. “Since we didn’t want to change anything else about our worship design, I gave PixelFLEX our dimensions to see what they thought. We didn’t necessarily have a particular pixel pitch in mind either, but we really wanted something that was going to be colorful, bright, and completely clear. After that, they gave me a few options, and we chose the FLEXTour 2.8mm, which is insanely good.”

Now that the design was ready to move forward with a FLEXTour solution, it was time to mount the new system. Using the existing truss structure that was already in place for the old LCD displays, the team was able to quickly assemble the new LED video wall and get it ready for content.

“I am the full-time video technician at Southside Baptist and then we also have a volunteer crew that assists as well,” said Clark. “During the installation, the FLEXTour system went together very easily, and as far as control, we come straight out of a computer running ProPresenter, into the PixelFLEX sending unit, and then to the LED screen in a very simple process. We are now using it for just about everything that you can think of, and it’s completely changed the experience for our congregation.”

In a digital world where people are engaging with dynamic content in all phases of their lives, LED video is continuing to show how drastically it can enhance any worship experience. Behind the screen, Clark is quick to explain that LED video not only enhances the viewers experience, but it also simplifies that of the technician.

• Datapath is now shipping their Wall Designer software for the MacOS platform. After listening to customer feedback - especially from the creative industries – the software has been completely recreated for the MacOS platform taking advantage of Apple’s modern Mac 64bit architecture and multi core processing. The software is available as a free download for Datapath’s customers.

"Datapath has developed Wall Designer for MacOS after listening to its customers and their requirement to run Wall Designer on the same computers they are creating their videos on," said Mark Rogers, Datapath’s product manager for software. "This is a high percentage of Apple hardware, so we have developed the software to take advantage of the modern Mac’s architecture and processors, but retaining the look, feel and features that the PC version has to offer. This will provide seamless usability across platforms for our creative users.”

Since Photoshop was launched in 1990, the Mac platform has become the de facto platform for the creative industry. This was further cemented by Apple’s release of its video editing software, Final Cut Pro in 1999 and Garage Band in 2004. According to Trendwatch, in the creative industries MacOS is used by up to 80% of professionals.

Wall Designer works to provide an easy and intuitive visual interface for the Fx4, Fx4-SDI and Hx4 multi-screen display wall controllers offering an advanced video wall design and Implementation suite. It enables users to place projects across a virtual canvas. Adjusting the input resolution ensures the project matches the content, with Wall Designer automatically arranging the capture regions or adjusting each region to suit.

Wall Designer automatically adds one of Datapath’s award winning range of multi-display controllers, projects and assigning each output to a monitor. Connecting a number of wall controllers to your Mac and Wall Designer will allow users to assign the wall controller to monitor and program them. Full monitor EDID management is available for timing adjustments.

One of the benefits of the Wall Designer software is the information it provides to enable easy configuration, such as screen dimensions - in pixels and millimetres, bezel sizes and refresh rates. The ability to choose from a list of previously used monitors as well as adding other monitors and even bespoke RGB LED configurations has created software which makes display wall configuration and implementation a joy, rather than a chore.

Datapath has added to its display controller range with the introduction of the stand-alone Hx4. Capable of running a single 4K HDMI source across four HD outputs in ultra-high definition, the Hx4 is now shipping, delivering power and creativity for any digital display configuration.

Joining the Datapath controller portfolio alongside their Fx4, the Hx4 features a single HDMI1.4 input and four HDMI1.3 outputs, allowing infinite creative possibilities and the ability to rotate crop, upscale and mirror content. Each output monitor can take its input from any region of the output image as all of the cropping, scaling, rotation and frame rate conversion is handled by the Hx4 hardware.

With the ability to splice and overlap these regions, this allows any mix of monitor orientations, giving users the freedom to create an unlimited multi-monitor display canvas. When used with Datapath’s powerful Wall Designer applications software, the Hx4 can represent any arrangement or configuration of the source image. Mark Rogers explains: “Our hugely popular multi-screen design tool has been updated to work seamlessly with Hx4. Wall Designer allows users to add displays from the ever-expanding database of monitors, visualise their content by adding inputs and adjusting display regions, and then instantly programme their Hx4s either via USB o r the network ports.”

Datapath’s Hx4 has a single Ethernet connection, which can be used for status monitoring and complete control of the hardware. A flexible REST application programme interface is also supported to allow third party software integration.

Supplied with a three-year warranty, Datapath’s Hx4 is available now.

• The Society for Information Display (SID) will host its 55th International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition (Display Week 2018) at the Los Angeles Convention Center from Sunday, May 20 to Friday, May 25, 2018. Display Week 2018 promises first-looks at the latest display technologies and applications in growing areas, including augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous vehicles, wearables and more.
• "The burgeoning electronic display industry continues to outpace the economy at a 7.5% CAGR according to many experts, and Display Week brings together today's key players that are helping spearhead the advancement, commercialization and growth of the dynamic electronic display technology market," notes Sri Peruvemba, chair of marketing for SID. "In fact, Display Week is widely considered the crystal ball for the future of emerging electronic display technology that's changing the way we live, work and play-providing many first looks at some of the hottest innovations that will enable the exciting products of tomorrow. There's no doubt that this is a hotbed industry and this annual event serves as the conduit for communicating the very advancements underway around the globe-and, opening the doors for further collaboration among today's brightest technologists and inventors, academic professionals, industry pioneers and business leaders. It really is a must-see event, both literally and figuratively."
• Highlights to expect from this year's Display Week 2018 include:
• The Symposium: Display Week's much-lauded technical symposium includes Sunday short courses and Monday seminars, together with more than 70 technical sessions consisting of more than400 oral and poster presentations throughout the week.
• The Solutions Exhibition: More than 200 leading display technology exhibitors will showcase their latest display achievements, up-and-coming technologies, devices, components, materials, systems and capabilities. Attendees will get to see first-hand demonstrations of emerging and entrenched technologies, source suppliers, and get one-on-one problem-solving support for their display related engineering projects from technical experts.
• The Business Track: In partnership with Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) for the second year in a row, this highly attended track comprises several day-long state-of-the-industry events: the Business Conference for insights on the display market outlook; the Investor's Conference for what private equity and venture capital executives are looking for in 2018; the Automotive Display Market Focus Conference for how autonomous vehicles will impact the display market; and the Immersive Experience Market Focus Conference on how the concept of immersion alters the way we interact with absolutely everything.
• The Innovation Zone (I-Zone): This unique and popular exhibit is exclusive to Display Week, and provides a first-look at the industry's newest products and inventions not yet available to the public. I-Zone exhibit slots are awarded to start-ups, small companies, universities, government labs and independent research labs.
• The Women in Tech (WiT) Panel: Returning this year following a successful introduction at Display Week 2017, this year's WiT panel will once again feature an impressive list of women professionals in every sector of the technology industry, including some of today's movers and shakers across corporate, industry consortia and academic sectors.
• The CEO Forum: This special session will focus on the unique business strategy perspective faced in the technology industry by today's CEOs. Attendees will hear from a handful of top executives on lessons learned over the years-from how best to navigate disruption cycles, to the ongoing challenges faced by small- and medium-sized businesses-and even stories from being in the trenches of this rapidly evolving electronic display industry.
• More information on all of this and other exciting new events coming to Display Week 2018, together with the soon-to-be announced keynote lineup and full program agenda, can be found at www.displayweek.org

• Store No 8 has acquired Spatialand, a VR platform and content studio.

"We are thrilled to announce our acquisition, which will create the foundation of Store No 8’s third portfolio company," said Katie Finnegan, Principal and Founder of Store No 8. "The team will develop and explore new products and uses of VR through immersive retail environments that can be incorporated by all facets of Walmart, online and offline."

The new venture will operate in stealth with Kim Cooper and Jeremy Welt at the helm as co-founders.

Cooper is a two-time Emmy nominee and creative executive in design and entertainment utilizing VR / AR / MR techniques. Under her leadership, Spatialand’s VR platform has created immersive content destinations in projects with Oculus, Intel, Reebok and Linkin Park.

Welt has spent the last 3 years as a VR strategy and product advisor. During his career, Jeremy has played key roles from helping launch YouTube’s first-ever commercial deal to working on the Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of Maker Studios. Most recently, he has dedicated himself to consulting, advising and investing in immersive media, including work with award-winning companies like Splash and Mindshow, named “Most Innovative VR Experience” in Upload VR’s Best of 2017.

• Digital Signage Expo announced that Tom Jones, Technology Consultant for Ingram Micro, will present a session at DSE 2018 titled, “How to Create Excellent RFIs and RFPs.”

This general conference session is part the Digital Signage Fundamentals Seminar Program at DSE 2018 designed specifically for End Users, AV Professionals, Systems Integrators or anyone considering creating a digital communications network.

This session will be presented Thursday, March 29 at 2 p.m. and explore the RFI/RFP process, including steps in the process and steps that should be taken before you enter into an RFP. It is important that you find a vendor that will fit into your company and not one that you have to change your company to fit into. The session will also cover the end of the RFP, company selection and contract.

Attendees will learn what steps to take to prepare for an RFP, the basic parts of an RFP and how to tailor the RFP to fit their needs.

Registration for DSE’s Thursday, March 29 Fundamentals session, “How to Create Excellent RFIs and RFPs,” or any of the DSE 2018 educational conference seminars, which are sponsored by Broadsign and are eligible for Digital Signage Expert Group (DSEG) certification renewal credits, is available online at www.dse2018.com.

• Matrox has announced that its Matrox Mura capture, encode, decode, and display cards are now compatible with the complete range of control systems from Neets. Enabled through a dedicated Neets device driver that is automatically accessible within the Neets software, system integrators and AV builders now have a simple, centralized, and cost-effective option to access and manage Matrox Mura-based video walls within AV-control environments.
• The Matrox video wall portfolio features multi-functional, single-slot boards, and when paired with Neets’ industry-renowned control systems, offers a platform that drastically simplifies the integration process. Leveraging the Neets device driver, system integrators can now support installations featuring seamless, real-time video wall communications from a Neets touch panel and control system to a Matrox-based video wall controller via RS-232. Users can then effortlessly manage baseband and IP sources on local or networked video walls—alongside full room, light, and audio control—for truly smart operations.
• “Users of AV equipment will benefit greatly from a collaboration where advanced products like Matrox Mura cards are combined with a user-friendly interface such as a Neets Control System,” says Steen V. Larsen, head of support at Neets. “With easy and intuitive control, users can experience an innovative AV system that will help them focus on their work and collaboration with others, instead of spending time struggling with how an AV system works.”
• “Every AV project will always pose a unique set of installation challenges, but the Matrox/Neets cooperation is designed to conveniently ‘automate’ the video wall and AV control portion of the implementation,” says Fadhl Al-Bayaty, business development manager, Matrox Graphics Inc. “This solution will widen project opportunities for integrators, who can now readily address the increasing demand of video walls that are fast-becoming an integral part of every AV ecosystem.’’
• The Neets device driver is now included in the extensive device driver library that is part of the Neets software.