Microsoft Remote Desktop

The first tool is the built in Microsoft Remote Desktop. This needs to be enabled in your Operating System by going to Control Panel – System – Remote Tab and click “Allow Connections from Computers running any version of Remote Desktop” for less secure connections or “Allow Connections only from computer running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication” for more secure connections.

We generally use this tool on the server. The advantages of using this is that it’s slightly faster than the second tool. There is also an option to connect your local drives to your remote pc which is great for transferring files.

VNC

There are several flavours of VNC (http://www.realvnc.com/) This software tool provides remote control of your digital signage player and basically allows you to see and interact with your digital signage software across any network. The one we use is called tightvnc (http://www.tightvnc.com/) and it is free for personal and commercial use. For managing the players, we recommend using this tool rather than remote desktop since it does not lock the remote PC.

For both tools, you’ll need to make sure you have the relevant ports enabled on your firewall.

With VNC there seems to be a limit to 8 characters for the password but either way both tools are highly recommended.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: Authentication, Basic Tools, Control Digital, Control Panel, Control System, digital signage player, Digital Signage Software, Firewall, Flavours, Free Tools, microsoft, Microsoft Player, Microsoft Remote Desktop, Microsoft Windows Operating System, Nbsp, Pc Tools, Playes, ports, Pros And Cons, Remote Control, Remote Desktop, Signage Solution, Software Tool, Tool, Transferring Files, Two Tools, Vnc, Windows Operating System, Windows Player

Now if you had the Wake On LAN feature enabled on your players you may be able to switch them back on using this feature but what happens if your using wireless? Wireless doesn’t have this feature. One alternative is to use the PowerOn Function Feature “Restore on AC Power Loss” in the BIOS. This feature basically turns on the player when it detects there is power.

Obviously your digital signage player needs to support this feature in the BIOS. If it does, follow these instructions to turn the feature on:

1. Turn on the player and press the DELETE button (or the relevant button to get into the BIOS) and go to the Advanced Tab.

2. Select Power Management Configuration

3. Enable the PowerOn Function

4. Select Retore on AC Power Loss

5. Make sure the Restore on AC Power Loss is selected to Power On

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2011. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Ac Power Loss, Bios, digital signage player, Management Features, Network Feature, Power Management, Power Outage, Power Player, Relevant Button, Running, screens, Wake On Lan, Waste Of Time

1. You’ve installed a digital signage player and want to remotely manage the unit

2. You don’t want to install a telephone or ADSL line because the costs are too high

3. You only need the Internet connection for a short perid of time i.e. 1-2 months

4. You don’t care about the speeds and bandwidth

5. You need the player to connect to the Internet

After months of researching I have found the solution in Australia….. (drum roll) Virgin 3G prepaid modem  – YES can you believe it Virgin!!! is the only provider that allows Internet inbound connections. Most other providers only allow you to do this if you’re on a contract (post pay). There are several items or checklists to consider before purchasing any 3G modem and these are:

1. Is your digital signage hardware compatible and be able to support the 3G modem?

2. Is there coverage in the location where you intend to use the 3G modem?

3. Does your player have the ability to automatically connect to the Internet in the event of coverage dropouts? If not, we would recommend you use a 3G Modem router that has the ability to automatically connect to the Internet.

The APN information that you will need to use is Virgin.Internet

Good luck and let us know if you find any other prepaid providers that uses a Public IP Address and allows inbound connections from the Internet.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 4 comments |
Post tags: 3g, australia, Bandwidth, Checklists, digital signage, digital signage player, Dropouts, Drum Roll, good luck, hardware, Inbound Connection, Inbound Connections, Internet 2, Internet 6, Internet Connection, Internet Connections, Internet Providers, Ip Address, Isp Providers, Modem, Modem Router, Nbsp, Perid, Period Of Time, Public Ip, Purchasing, Short Period, Virgin

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 3 comments |
Post tags: digital signage, East Exit, Electronic Sign, Glare, Shop Window, Techies, Window Screens

There are a number of ways to connect your digital signage player to the Internet and to your local network. The most basic method of connecting your digital signage player to the network is via a Network Interface Card on the player.  But what happens when you don’t have a local network setup or when there is no CAT5/6 cabling in place for your digital signage player?

If you’re in this situation then most likely you’ll either use a wireless network card or a 3G modem. In this post I want to focus on providing basic steps in setting up your digital signage player with a 3G modem. I will be assuming that your player does not have a SIM slot and does not support 3G modems so your only option would be to use a 3G modem router. You will need the following items:

• digital signage player
• USB 3G Modem – we used a pre-paid Vodafone modem
• 3G modem router – there are many brands and manufacturers but the one we used was a TP-LINK 3G/3.75G Wireless N router (Model TL-MR3420)

The first thing to do is setup the network settings on your digital signage player to use DHCP. This means that when it is connected to the network it will obtain a Dynamic IP address. If it’s a new digital signage player, it will most likely already be configured for DHCP but if not then simply change it’s network settings. Once you physically connect the digital signage player to the router via a standard network cable, it will automatically assign an IP address.

Now, before buying a 3G modem router you need to make sure it supports the actual 3G modem you’re planning to use. If it does, then once it’s plugged in the router, it will automatically use the correct modem drivers. If not either change the router or constantly check the manufacturer website to see whether the drivers has been released.

On the 3G modem router, you will need to setup the APN and Dial Number. An example is below:

Generally, the 3G Modem router will have preselected ISP settings but for us we spent a few hours trying to figure out why our Vodafone USB 3G modem would not connect to the Internet. After  researching and troubleshooting for almost 1 hour, we found the cause of the problem.  The 3G Modem router has predefined Mobile ISP settings e.g Vodafone (Australia) configured, but what we discovered was that since we were using a Vodafone Prepaid modem we actually needed to use vfprepaymbb as the APN value rather than using the standard value of vfinternet. After changing that value the router immediately connected to the Internet. That’s a gotcha!! So be careful with this. Once connected you should see something like this:

The best way to test to see if your digital signage player is connected to the network is to simply add a URL to your playlist item and display a website. That’s it, your digital signage player is now connected to the Internet  via 3G. One issue that I found is the inability to connect to the digital signage player from the Internet. I was not able to do so because either the ISP has a firewall and is blocking inbound connections or the ISP is using a proxy server for browsing. If someone has figured out a way to overcome this please let us know.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | One comment |
Post tags: 3g, 3g Wireless, apn, cabling, Cat5, Correct Modem, Dhcp, Dial Number, Digital Modem, digital signage player, Drivers Modem, Dynamic Ip Address, Focus, Gotcha, Hurdle, Isp Settings, Local Network, Manufacturer Website, Modem Check, Modem Drivers, Modem Router, Modems, Network Cable, Network Interface Card, Network Modem, Network Settings, Sim Slot, Tl, Tp Link, Usb Modem, vodafone, Vodafone Australia, Vodafone Connect, Wireless Network Card

Here, we will look at 3 ways of splitting up the VGA signal (assuming you just want to split 1 video signal to 2 screens):

For implementations of more than 2 screens then you will need to get a splitter that caters for more video output ports, there are many brands and model in the market but just make sure you test it before installing it at your clients sites.

Are there any other methods people have used to split the VGA signal?

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: 3 Ways, Additional Power, Aspect Ratio, Challenges, digital signage player, Distances, Dual Output, Extension Cable, Fuzzy Lines, Implementations, Output Ports, Port Vga, Radeon X300, Signal One, Vga Cable, Vga Signal, Video Card, Video Configuration, Video Content, video input, Video Output, Video Quality, Video Screens, Video Signal, Video Source

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Install Windows, Os Patches, Player Poll, Poll Id, Windows Os, Windows Patches, Windows Player

Do you void your warranty if you use are residential screen in a corporate environment?

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Corporate Environment, Warranty

So my question to those techies out there is, do you need to use a UPS for digital signage? Are any companies out there using a UPS for their digital signage players or screens?

Feel free to submit your answer as a comment.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Business Disruption, Computers, digital signage, Electrical Equipment, Emergency Power Source, Handy, Minutes Of Power, operating system, Power Disruption, Power Supply, screens, Serious Business, Techies, Unexpected Power, Ups, Ups Battery, Ups Power

Does the hot zone depend on the type of content that is being displayed on the screen?

Feel free to submit your answer as a comment.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments |
Post tags: Digital Id, digital signage, Golden Triangle, Google, Google Search, Hot Zone, Hot Zones, Screen Caption, Search Page

Some of the maintenance tasks that I could think of are:

Digital Signage Players

• Rebooting the digital signage players so that memory and running system files are flushed – this should be performed at least once a day to ensure smooth operation of the players. Some players can be scheduled to perform this task automatically at a predefined schedule. However, make sure you at least monitor the players to ensure they are still operating after a reboot
• Depending on the location of the digital signage players you should also physically wipe down any dust or clean the fans once a year. If it’s located in a rack with adequate ventilation then you won’t probably need to do this that often but it would be good to check.
• Sometimes we forget to delete old content that we store on these players, so depending on the size of your storage space then you should at least once a week just go through and delete any old content that you may no longer use. The only thing you should be careful with is not to delete any content that may be used reused in the future. There are several tools that can be used to manage the content better by setting expiration periods.

Display Screens

• The instruction manuals that are packaged with these screens have quite detailed information about how to maintain the screens. Sometimes we forget to realise  how important it is to ensure screens are operating and maintained for full optimum usage especially if your viewers are looking at these.
• Some of the tasks would be to physically clean the screens, who likes to look at a dirty screen and this may potentially will reflect back on your company.
• To remove or reduce screen burns try to avoid using bright colours and run some of the functions built in to the screen.

Can you think of any other tasks?

Feel free to submit your answer as a comment.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: Adequate Ventilation, Bright Colours, Burns, Critical Task, digital signage, Instruction Manuals, Maintenance Tasks, Memory, Optimum Usage, Periods, Reboot, Routine Maintenance, Running, screens, Signage System, Smooth Operation, Storage Space, System Maintenance

So as an example, we have a digital signage player or PC that has a DVI port ONLY. We plug a DVI to VGA extender, so the output is VGA. We then use a pair of VGA to CAT5E or CAT6 extenders and connect the other end to the monitor that is VGA. Does this work?

We would like to hear other techies out there what the result would be or whether this is technically possible.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments |
Post tags: Cat5e, Cat6, digital signage player, Dvi To Vga, Dvi To Vga Converter, Dvi To Vga Convertor, Poll Id, Techies, Vga Extender

This is a questions for all those techies out there: How does the operating temperature effect the digital signage player and what is the recommended operating temperature?

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Digital Id, digital signage player, Fans, Techies, Temperature Effect, Temperature Effects

Now, all you have to do is click on several buttons and you’ll be connected to the Internet via the Blackberry Desktop Manager – you just have to make sure your blackberry is connected to your laptop or pc. Great stuff guys! Here’s some screenshots:

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Blackberry Desktop Manager, Fun, Great Stuff, Laptop, Modem, Modem Window, rim, Tethered Modem, Window Caption

Let’s clear a few things up first.

Native resolution is the fixed number of pixels on the screen. For example, if your screen has a native resolution of 1280×720 pixels, this means your screen is physically made up of 1280 pixels wide and 720 pixels high.

Maximum resolution is the highest resolution that the screen is capbable to display.

When an incoming signal to the screen does not match the native resolution, that signal must be converted (or scaled) to be displayed correctly on the screen. So lets use the same screen above, it has a native resolution of 1280×720. If an incoming signal is 1920×1080, the screen will scale this resolution down so that it can fit on the physical dimensions of 1280×720. Likewise if an incoming signal is 1024×768, then the screen will up-scale this resolution to fit 1280×720.

This process is possible because the screen has been programmed to recognise different input signals and to convert them as such. More often than not you will have a list of all the supported input signal resolution sizes, and the highest supported resolution is your Maximum resolution.

Now that we have that out of the way, lets talk about how important is screen resolution in digital signage?

In all my digital signage years until now, I have not had to focus on optimising the quality of the display in regards to picture sharpness and contrast ratio. The general technology of the Plasma/LCD screen makes up for this. What comes out of the digital signage player is just right for the display quality. The general conversation would be on how to most effectively capture consumers attention with the type of content and how it is designed.

However recently in Australia, digital broadcasting of TV networks have become more prominent and consumers are now well aware of terms like HDTV. This presence of high definition television has entered many homes and now the retail store fronts want to show this off also. Because consumers are already aware of such technology, there is an expectation on store owners to provide this service to them.

The question comes back to client requirements. Do most clients have the proper knowledge to determine what screens they want based on what they know or what they have been told? Is it important to match the right resolution of what is coming from the digital receiver into the digital signage player, and out to the screen?

We’d like to hear your point of view on this topic. There is no right or wrong answer, as each requirements are different, but we would like to hear your thoughts.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Consumers, Contrast Ratio, Conversion, Decisions, Designers, digital signage, digital signage player, Dilemma, Fit, General Technology, Incoming Signal, Input Signal, Input Signals, Large Scale, lcd screen, marketing, Match, Maximum Resolution, Native Resolution, Physical Dimensions, pixels, plasma, Plasma Lcd, plasma screen, Screen Resolution, screens, Sharpness, Signal Resolution

The results vary quite largely and this is an issue that still bothers me every time. Although having said that, I have not tried many digital signage players, so it could be an isolated issue. But I won’t be surprised if it isn’t.

Video signals going into a screen can vary in all sorts of resolution sizes, and each screen is required to convert (or scale) that signal into something it can display (I will talk more about native resolution in my next post).

One of the most bizarre cases that I have come across is a 1366×768 resolution size from a player was being scaled to 1600×1200 on a Samsung LCD. So what resolution do you design your templates at?

Is this a common issue?
If it is, what are people doing to address it?
If not, is your digital signage a customised or generic solution?

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: compatibility, digital signage, digital signage player, display, Native Resolution, Samsung, Samsung Lcd, template, video

Yes, we want to know what makes a digital signage solution reliable…

What makes a digital signage solution reliable?

Feel free to submit your answer as a comment.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | One comment |
Post tags: equipment, feedback, power, reliable, screens, solution

The current hot topics are:

• Player & Screen resolution compatib…
  I’ve got a player that outputs (via dsub) resolution at most widescreen ratios ie. 1280×720, 1360×768, etc.

  My issue is with most, if not all, LCD TVs nowadays their tech sheets don’t support most widescreen ratios, with a lot of them displaying only 1360×768.

  What will happen if the designers create their templates for 1280×720?
  Will the TV crop it, show scroll bars, flicker?…

• Has anyone used Digital Signage SaaS?
  I was wondering whether anyone has used or is currently using Digital Signage SaaS? Could you please let share your experiences of what you’ve encountered when using this type of a solution…
  
  
• Directional Speakers
  Has anyone integrated directional speakers with their digital signage technology. We are interested to know how these systems work and whether they are worthwhile and cost effective equipment to include in a digital signage solution.

  What are the most common industries using directional speakers?

• Using Blue Ray technology
  Has anyone come across digital signage players with Blue Ray technology?

  Are storage size and HD quality the only advantages of using Blue Ray technology?
  
  

• Wayfinding KIOSKs
  Wayfinding KIOSKs are becoming more popular in shopping centers. Today, I was walking around a major shopping centre and noticed how wayfinding was integrated with digital signage… or is it the other way around?

If you have the time, or is able to help some of the other members with their questions then head over to the digital signage portal forum and start posting (registration is required)!! We hope more members of the digital signage community is able to participate in various discussions and contribute towards helping others.

Have you registered on the digital signage portal? It’s FREE. Click here to register.

Feel free to submit your answer as a comment.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: blue ray, forum, kiosks, player, portal, resolution, SaaS, screen, speakers, wayfinding

To do so simply follow these instructions:

1. Login to your digital signage portal account
2. In the User Menu click My Details
3. Move your mouse over the EDIT button just above your profile page
4. Click Update your profile
5. Click the myTwitter tab
6. Enter your twitter account name and twitter account number. The account number is the same number as your RSS feed on your twitter page

or watch this short video.

Have you registered on the digital signage portal? It’s FREE. Click here to register.

Feel free to submit your answer as a comment.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: details, portal, profile, twitter

So here’s an interesting question for those techies out there who may be able to shed some light into this question. Moving forward, if black does use less power, the content providers should focus on using this black rather than the others bright colours and screen manufacturers should develop a technology to disable pixels use based on colour.

Does black pixels on an LCD screen use less power than white?

Feel free to submit your answer as a comment.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments |
Post tags: black, colour, content, envrionment, green, pixels, power, question, reduce, techie, white

I guess this is something businesses operating a digital signage network should think about. In the past, experiencing a hard-drive failure can be quite devasting and often quite expensive if you count the number of hours it would take to reproduce the same content. From the top of my head, I could only come up with several ways of backing up the content and these are:

1. Centralise and store the content onto a dedicated server with RAID configuration harddrives. In addition to this, have the files scheduled to be copied to an external storage such as a USB external HHD.
2. If you cannot afford a dedicated server, have the harddrives on the digital signage player set up in a RAID configuration – most operating systems are able to have this function but it will mean have at least two physical hard drives. Otherwise you could always copy the files onto an external medium (CD, DVD, Memory card, HHD, etc).
3. Have files distributed across multiple servers or across an external site (e.g. data center)

For those techies out there, what is the best backup strategy?

Feel free to submit your answer as a comment.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments |
Post tags: cd, content, dvd, hard disk, hard drive, king, medium, memory card, operating system

1. Avoid using the default ports for common application protocols such as FTP (port 21) or web (80). Change these to something unusual for example port 2122 or 8089. Basically make it harder for hackers to guess what ports you are using for certain applications.
2. Avoid using common passwords such as “password” and “test”. Increase your “password strength” by using at least 7 characters with at least 1 uppercase letter and 1 number. Case sensitive passwords are harder for Brute Force password software tools to break and hack.
3. Rename or disable common login accounts. For example, in the Windows environment rename the “administrator” and “guest” accounts. For Unix, rename the “root” account.
4. Enable or Install Firewall Software. Having some sort of protection (the built in Microsoft Windows Firewall suffice) is better than not having anything at all. When creating firewall rules, make sure you only allow IP addresses that require access to the device. Don’t get into a habit of just allowing everything through – only use this for testing or special circumstances. If you have a digital signage appliance and cannot install any firewall software, invest in purchasing a hardware Firewall.
5. Enable or Install Antivirus Software. This will prevent viruses and Trojans from getting into your digital signage network.
6. Ensure your Operating System, whether it’s Unix or Microsoft Windows has the latest software updates. There is a considerable amount of security vulnerabilities out there – just make sure that you backup your operating system before installing any new patches.
7. Physically locate your devices in a secure environment e.g. in a rack or a communications cabinet or use a kensigton lock if it’s in a public location.
8. For wireless connectivity to your network, disable the wireless SSID and use the latest encryption methods such as WPA.
9. Don’t just use HTTP to manage or transmit files – this is an unsecured protocol and the login and password is transmitted using clear text. Use HTTPS, with at least 128 bit encryption.
10. If you have to manage multiple sites, don’t purely connect the digital signage players to the Internet, but instead setup VPNs (Virtual Private Network). With the right equipment you can easily setup a VPN tunnel in no time.
11. If using the unit in standalone mode i.e not connected to the network, then disable the interface cards (wireless or physical)
12. If using a web based player or SaaS, ensure that the web browser is using 128 bit encryption and SSL (basically you will see HTTPS at the front of the URL). We cannot stress enough that using HTTP is not secure as the login and password is sent in clear text, meaning that someone can easily capture your login and password credentials.
13. Install the latest Operating System Service Packs ie. if using Windows XP, then install SP3.
14. Disable any SNMP services (Simple Network Management Protocols). By doing so you will avoid hackers using SNMP tools to remotely manage your devices. Also avoid using the standard community strings “public” and “private”. If you do intend to use SNMP then use at least SNMP v3 as it is more secure.
15. Disable any remote management tools (remote desktop, VNC, Dameware, PCAnywhere, telnet, SSH) unless it’s required for managing the network.
16. Disconnect keyboard or mouses from the digital signage device unless required.
17. Screen lock – make sure your software actually locks the player window so that the public is not able to access or change settings on the player without a password.

So there you go, thats our Security checklist. Have a look at your current digital signage solution and check to see whether it meets all or any of the above items. Now having worked for large corporate organisations, most of the above security requirements are mandatory in any IT department.  So if you’re serious about winning those large tenders or contracts then make sure you consider validating your digital signage equipment against this Security Checklist before you submit your next proposal.

Protect your investment and review your digital signage solution to see whether it passes items listed in the above Security Checklist.

Are there any other Security aspects that we’ve missed? Please let us know.

Feel free to submit your answer as a comment.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | One comment |
Post tags: accounts, digital signage solution, ftp, hackers, IT department, lock, login, microsoft, network management, operating systems, password, player, ports, security, unix, web, wireless

To start off the ranks, here’s the definition from advertise me:

Everybody knows the conventional method of using posters to deliver messages, whether it is to sell a product or service or to inform the audience.

Using a digital signage player, Digital Signage takes this traditional approach of delivering messages and allows for the greater control and flexibility over how the message is delivered on a digital screen.

Digital Signage is the use of digital technology such as a digital screen, digital signage players and software to deliver content such as information, advertisements and entertainment to a captive audience…

Source: http://www.advertiseme.com.au/content/DigitalSignage.Home.asp

Digital signage is a form of electronic display that is installed in public spaces. Digital signs are typically used to entertain, inform or advertise (together known as “adfotainment”). Major benefits of digital signs over traditional static signs are that the content can be exchanged more easily, animations can be shown and the signs can adapt to the context and audience, even interactively…

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_signage

Digital signage, also called dynamic signage, is a specialized form of slivercasting in which video or multimedia content is displayed in public places for informational or advertising purposes. A digital sign usually consists of a computer or playback device connected to a large, bright digital screen such as an LCD or plasma display…

Source: http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid11_gci1197791,00.html#

Digital Signage, by definition, is an electronic billboard system, used to present dynamic information electronically, on flat panel displays such as LCD, Plasma or DLP Projectors. Wherever you need to advertise, educate or inform customers, consumers, staff, students or partners, digital signage is a fast, reliable and simple way to get your message heard…

Source: http://www.nec.com.au/74c02936e97b44d8bf739b99ab4b75c7.htm

Digital signage is remotely controlled distribution and playback of digital content across networks of displays. It is used for delivering visual messages at point-of-purchase, or at any other public venue…

Source: http://www.broadsign.com/digital-signage/digital-signage.html

A most simplistic definition of digital signage is that of a “remotely managed digital display, typically tied in with sales, marketing and advertising.”

Source: Page 2 of the Digital Signage Book by Jimmy Schaeffler.

Digital signage refers to electronically controlled signs that you can update on-the-fly, without having to touch the physical sign itself. You can change the content quickly and inexpensively, and deliver targeted messages to hundreds or thousands of displays at once. These dynamic displays are often used to present a custom-tailored mix of informational and advertising content, including product promotions, timely news, and upcoming events…

Source: http://www.wirespring.com/Solutions/digital_signage.html

There may be more definitions but we couldn’t obviously put them all here in this post. What we found common amongst most of the above definitions is that some are refeering to digital signage as being able to “remotely manage” or located in “public locations” - I don’t necessarily think this is the case. Standalone units which can have the content updated via a media card would not fall under this definition. There are also several businesses that use digital signage for internal communications and don’t necessarily have the display screens located in public locations. So maybe lets all collaborate and redefine this term.

What is your definition of digital signage?

Feel free to submit your answer as a comment.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: advertising, definition, digital signage books, display screens, marketing, players, remote manage, what is digital signage

Below is the updated list:

1.  digital signage blog

2. digital

3. digital signage

4. signage blog

5. digital signage blogs

6. blog digital signage

7. cellular digital signage

8. how does digital signage work

9. signage

10. what is rs232

The most noticeable difference is that more people are actually searching for blogs relating to digital signage. The great thing about our site is that its generally on the first page of google for the search term digital signage blog.

Now this is also a great opportunity to start another poll and we want to ask our readers whether their business has a blog website.

If you do have one feel free to share it with the online community by posting a comment.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2008. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: cellular digital signage, digital signage blog, how does digital signage work, signage, what is rs232

1. You’re able to connect to your Local Area Network with faster and more reliable speeds than wireless

2. It will be more secure than wireless

3. Cheaper to install the cabling before the walls go up

4. You’re able to use the network cabling to extend video and sound

Now, whilst we were talking about point 4, we ended up having a heated debate whether you degrade video quality when extending a DIGITAL video signal. One my friends raised a good question which was ”If you send 0 & 1′s down the ethernet cable, you would expect those 0 & 1′s to come out the other end. So why would you loose video quality if it’s digital?” – that was a really good question and I was quite reluctant to answer because I didn’t have an answer.

So for those techies out there, how would you have responded to this question?

Feel free to respond to this question by adding a comment.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 4 comments |
Post tags: cabling, network, quality, techie, video, video extenders