So what are these differences:

• Reliability was a significant issue with some commentators questioning how this was validated. Also in this context it was pointed out repeatedly that the warranty on consumer models does not support commercial use.
• Power supplies were identified as a primary issue affecting reliability. Indeed in the Integre we use over spec’d high quality power supplies with the option of dual supplies with power balancing and fail-over protection.
• Inputs & connectors: There is no question that many consumer models have a reduced number of video signal inputs, this is the sort of restriction that affects complete system design so it is quite understandable that a good choice of signal inputs was identified as important.
• Temperature and Air-flow management: Consumer TV’s are designed to be used in landscape mode for a limited number of hours a day at ‘room temperature’. The expectations of commercial display systems usually go well beyond this.
• RS-232: It was interesting to note that this was raised as an issue, see our earlier blog re RS-232 lives on.
• Remote monitoring and control: This is not a possibility with consumer models that stop a long way short of what is possible with commercial units, for example control and monitoring of fans, backlight, runtime, on/off and a myriad of other diagnostics.
• Panel options: Many commercial applications require high bright panels, something that is simply not an option on consumer models.
• Quality of electronics in the sub-assemblies: We can vouch for the fact that components vary greatly in their specification which in turn will affect their reliability and longevity.

Furthermore with the introduction of 3D (with glasses) and connectivity increasingly focused on other consumer devices the chances are that the differences between consumer and commercial models may grow rather than reduce.

So if for example the requirement is to make a menu board for a restaurant there is a huge selection of relevant video clips available, this is quickly apparent with a search of a couple of sites using the word ‘food’: Artbeats gave 1,601 clips as a result and iStockPhoto gave 11,401. A purchased clip can be used to create a video background with either a fixed or changing menu display in the foreground – this is an easy exercise in video editing software.

There are certainly many topics covered by stock video, for example searches for video on topics such as dinosaurs or 17th century gave a respectable number of results for each.

One final point – always check the usage license. Even royalty free video is likely to have usage conditions.

Here at Digital View we have made great use of RS-232 over the years and continue to do so with standardized command sets and various utilities, for example:

- All our media players can be fully controlled by RS-232 commands and can equally send out RS-232 to other devices. This can be data or instructions and allows for remote device monitoring and control. In addition powerful and innovative interactive systems can be created.

- The DV LCD interface controller range has a significant RS-232 command set giving access to the extensive range of functions available.

It can sometimes be hard to explain the possible benefits to users, it is a bit like the rather unhelpful ‘your imagination is the limit’ promotional line – indeed, that is the challenge. One of the more common uses we see is to make custom button sets so a single button executes a number of commands. Another is for communication of monitoring data and our own DisplayMark digital signage display and temperature monitor is a good example.

At times it has looked like RS-232 was going away, certainly seeing it vanish from the consumer market was ominous. It is reassuring the professionals still understand and seek the benefits.

Was the restaurant to warm/cold/just right? Should there be more accessories available? Was the waiting time too long? Are the facilities clean? Will you return?

Enable customer feedback – the VideoFlyer is an incredibly cost effective way to poll customers and can combine both information gathering and digital signage type promotion in a single easy to use package. Five straightforward steps:

1) Using any touch screen VideoFlyer (10″ or 15″ display size) or add a button bar to a standard VideoFlyer (10″, 15″ or 21″).

2) Create appropriate videos or still images and organize using DV Studio.

3) Deploy in-store.

4) Collect data.

5) Analyze and report.

Looking at each of these in more detail…

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1) VideoFlyer…

The 10″ unit is compact using very little counter-top space but is large enough to be both noticeable and usable as an interactive touch device for collecting customer opinions. For something with a bit more presence the 15″ is an excellent alternative.

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2) Content…

A consistent structure is usually best as it allows for easier changes – indeed it is easy enough to try different question sets. So for a example questions with 3 answer options will be both quick and easy for user to respond to and will allow for standardized response analysis.

DV Studio is the Digital View application (both Mac and PC versions available for free on the website) to set both the playlist and Q&A response structure.

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3) Deploy…

With the still/video files and the playlist transferred to the VideoFlyers they are now ready to be installed in the chosen locations.

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4) Data…

Collecting the data is as easy as posting new content – in fact both can be done at the same time.

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5) Report…

Now comes the really interesting part, seeing the results. This can be done in Microsoft Excel or for more sophisticated systems a custom reporting is relatively straightforward – Digital View even offer this as a service.

As an added bonus the raw data collected can be analyzed to show a profile of usage indicating busy and quiet periods.

For more details contact Digital View – California, London, Hongkong

The Digital View recommendation is that when creating or encoding video, eg for digital signage, choose progressive. So choose 720p rather than 720i, 1080p rather than 1080i. As mentioned above, interlaced can be used if necessary and Digital View products all do a really excellent job with interlaced video but it is legacy technology support.

As a final note there are considerations for filming in progressive mode that require an understanding of the appropriate techniques, for example panning needs to be either very slow or fast otherwise jerking or image shear can appear. Alternatively tracking an object while panning can be fine as any artifacts in the background will be less noticeable. Filming at 50 or 60fps will likely be better than at lower frame rates. A bit of trial and error quickly illustrates the point.

Taking place today in New York is the Screen’s first ‘breakfast briefing’ in the USA with 5 well known speakers sharing their views on the prospects for DOOH (Digital Out Of Home) in transport. Details of the event can be seen here (the invite) and about the Screen itself here. The Screen is based in London and has been holding breakfast briefings for some years now with the objective of informing and educating the industry on specific topics selected for each event. Sometimes the events are innovative in themselves such as the visit to the Ogilvy Digital Labs in Canary Wharf, London, later this month (details here).

During Screen Expo held in London in April 2010 the Screen launched the Green Screen supported by a number of key sponsors. This is a major long term initiative promoting environmental responsiblity within the digital signage industry and will be developed together with members of the industry.

Digital View was one of the founders of the Screen in 2004 and is proud to remain a key sponsor.

The SVH-1920 enables professional broadcast monitor applications to be built using selected LCD displays up to WUXGA resolution. With features such as image expansion, optional HD-SDI for HD video, on-screen PIP functions and more, Digital View LCD Controllers and accessories enable display designers to build professional broadcast solutions. Find out more about LCD Controllers here.

This can be a great way to start a documentary clip for a museum exhibit or other digital signage project such as a promotional video in a travel agency and it is very easy to create. While a couple of software packages such as Road Trip Effects (Mac/PC) from Sol Robots provide dedicated tools the latest version of iMovie (Mac) includes a very simple and intuitive function that was used to create the example above.

To access it in iMovie simply select the Maps and Background browser in the iMovie main page as indicated in the picture here. Select a map style and drag it to the project window. A dialog box may open otherwise double click on the video in the Project window, this will allow you to set the duration and other settings.

Note: Digital View does not endorse, support or guarantee any 3rd party products mentioned on its blog.

• Many video editing software packages include a ‘pan and scan’ function or as Apple call it the ‘Ken Burns Effect’ (it is available in iMovie). This creates a video showing a portion of the still image, moving around it and zooming in or out. It is easy to implement and used quite extensively, the results can be excellent.
• Another very simple approach is to add scrolling text over a still image background. Most video editing packages enable this as a very straightforward function, often referred to as Titles.
• Some software packages and online services are focused on turning still images into creative videos. An example that seeks to address the professional market is Animoto, a web based SaaS service that also enables the inclusion of a soundtrack. Dedicated software packages include PhotoPresenter (Mac) and FotoMagico (Mac) from Boinx and Pulp Motion (for Mac) from Aquafadas that create animated slide shows that can be exported to video. Update: Of course there is also Apple’s iPhoto and Aperture.
• Finally, presentation software such as Keynote for Mac can be used to import still images, add text and effects then export to video.

Then of course there are a considerable number of professional tools such as Adobe CS5, Apple Final Cut Pro and various plug-ins generally requiring a specialist level of expertise and budget.

Note: Digital View does not endorse, support or guarantee any 3rd party products mentioned on its blog.

Integre at SID

At SID last week we put the new Integre chassis on display. This is designed for 32″ to 80″ LCD panels and can be used in landscape or portrait modes. As shown here it brings together a number of Digital View ingredients:

• SVX-1920 LCD interface controller
• RM-DN5 solid-state media player
• Power balancing with fail-over.
• Thermal management
• Airflow management

And what cannot be seen is the monitoring and reporting that is built into all of this enabling remote management and reporting.

All this adds up to a very easy to use package for display system integrators in the digital signage and AV display markets.