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.

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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

• Hardware rental of the LCD Screen, Stand and Digital Signage player
• Transportation of the goods to and from the exhibition hall
• Installation of the system and removal at the end of the event
• Template Design
• Management and Monitoring of the digital signage solution – we were able to monitor the system remotely and make the relevant changes if required

During this exhibition, we introduced an innovative way for the exhibitor to manually switch content with a push of a button. The idea was that on quiet periods, the exhibitor will push a button and the screen will display specials to draw more attention to their booth.

In addition, we also integrated Social Media (Facebook) with digital signage. The company’s Facebook page with the number of Fans was displayed.

We know how stressful attending and participating in exhibitions are, so let us take care of your digital signage needs whilst you take care of more the important taks.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: Design Management, Digital Integration, digital signage, digital signage player, Exhibition Booth, Exhibition Booths, Exhibition Hall, Exhibition Halls, exhibitions, Exhibitor, Facebook, Hardware Rental, lcd screen, Nbsp, Quiet Periods, Relevant Changes, Signage Solution, Solution Integration, Taks, Template Design

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

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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.

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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

In this particular example, we’re upgrading the Cayin player model WEB4 from version 1.0 to 1.5 (U11436). This new firmware version introduces several new features such as the ability to disable the annoying scroll bars for html templates, abitility to add HTML/flash regions in the skin editor templates, upgrades some of the built in software packages and also the support of 3G and GPS.

However, with any major upgrade sometimes it does introduce new problems and we’ve already experienced this. This patch has an issue with image transitions and some of the backend logic which causes the background to appear during the transitions (1-2 seconds). Cayin are currently working on a fix. But in any case this tutorial was created before we discovered the issue and it’s just meant to demonstrate how to upgrade the player and here’s the link:

http://www.digitalsignageblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/cayin web4 firmware update.htm

We’ll provide an update when we hear from the manufacturer.

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Post tags: 05 Swf, 3g, Background, Cayin, digital signage player, Firmware, Firmware Update, Firmware Version, Html Templates, Image Transitions, Logic, New Features, Player Model, Scroll Bars, Skin Editor, Software Packages, Swfobject, Web4

On a serious note, we did notice that temperature had an impact on CPU performance on a FANLESS embedded player so although there are some advantages of using a fanless system you may want to check whether CPU performance is more important for your requirements.

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Post tags: Cpu Performance, digital signage player, embedded, External Fan, Just For Laughs, Laughs

Digital Signage player 1	Digital Signage Player 2

As you can see from the picture, these players have the same components as a computer – basically it is a computer. It has a CPU, Motherboard, PSU (Power Supply Unit), Graphics chip, HHD, Memory, Storage Drive and heat sinks/FANs.

Most of the digital signage players that we have seen have an Intel Central Processor Unit chip. The CPU requirements will depend on type of content and software you intent to use the player for. For example, if you just intent to display images and text an Intel ATOM CPU will suffice but if you need to display High Definition videos with flash and images, then a Dual Core CPU will be required.

In addition, the Graphics chip is also a crucial component when determining what digital signage player is required. In particular, there are different types of Graphics chips and cards that has many useful features e.g multiple video outputs (HDMI, VGA, DVI), extended or clone video (the ability to duplicate or extend the content to multiple screens)

If you intent to display lots of Videos as content, then the bigger the HHD the better. SATA is generally faster than IDE. These days, HD Videos can take up as much as Gigabytes of storage, and given that storage is quite affordable then why not have the large storage space.

RAM (Random Access Memory) is temporary storage that loads much faster than a HHD. Memory is also cheap, so the bigger the memory the better. Obviously, costs is always a deciding factor when purchasing any type of product but before you do decide to make that final purchasing decision, make sure you thoroughly review and test the unit.

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Post tags: Central Processor Unit, Cpu Motherboard, Cpu Requirements, digital signage player, Dual Core Cpu, Gigabytes, Graphics Chips, Heat Sinks, Intel, Intel Chip, Intel Cpu, Memory Storage, Nbsp, Peek, Player 1, Power Supply Unit, Random Access Memory, Sata, Storage Drive, Storage Space, Temporary Storage, Unit Graphics, Vga, Video Outputs

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: digital signage player, Dual Core, Hd

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Post tags: advertisers, Advertising Company, Audience Measurement, digital signage, digital signage player, marketing, Measurement Tools, Measurements, Poll Id, Raw Data, Screen Server, screens, Server Digital, Signage Solution, Software Tool, Webcam

One of the main advantages of using digital signage is the fact that if you own multiple stores at different locations, you can centrally manage all of these from the head office.

Traditionally, one of the most time consuming component of a menu board is changing the prices and images of the food items. With a digital menu board this task has become so much easier. For some digital signage solutions, all you need to do is update the prices in an image editing tool or edit a text file.

For those of you who are interested in a digital menu board visit advertise me – they are offering a packaged digital menu board solution which includes the following (click here to view their offerings and pricing):

• 40″ Commercial Grade LCD FHD display screen
• (Other screen sizes also available)
• Built-in Digital Signage player
• Creation and design of your menu board (preview some of our designs)
• 1 Year Commercial Warranty
• Operations/Training Manual
• Installation Guide
• Delivery

So take the step now and GO DIGITAL and contact Advertise Me to discuss your digital menu board solution.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 3 comments |
Post tags: advertise, Board Solution, Commercial Warranty, Contact, digital signage player, Digital Signage Solutions, Food Items, Food Outlets, Greatest Marketing, Image Editing, Images, Marketing Tool, Menu Board, Menu Boards, Multiple Stores, Offerings, Player Creation, restaurants, Time Schedules, Warranty

Sherwood Ridge Public School opened its doors to students for the first time on 28 January 2004. At this time the school had 8 mainstream classes between Kindergarten and Year 6 and 2 support classes.

The founding Principal of Sherwood Ridge is Mrs Jan Marshall.

In the weeks following the school’s inception, students, parents and teachers came together to give birth to: four sporting houses – Air, Fire, Earth and Water; three core values – community, respect and learning; and the school motto “From Each Their Best”.

Requirements

The requirements for this project was quite straight forward and these were:

• Installation of 50” commercial grade screen in the Administration foyer
• A digital signage player to display a range of content types including images, videos and text
• The installation and configuration of  the screen, bracket, cabling and digital signage player
• Audio Speakers in the Administration foyer
• Initial template creation
• Onsite Training
• Technical Support

The Solution

The solution we provided the school consisted of the following:

• Dell PC with dual VGA output
• PADS Digital Signage Software
• Panasonic 50″ Plasma screen
• Venturi wall bracket
• 2-Port USB KVM to control two PC’s by using the same keyboard, mouse  and monitor
• Logitec Speakers
• VGA extension cable

We provided the school with a standalone solution that enabled them to use the same PC to control, schedule and display the content and at the same time share the keyboard,mouse and monitor. Since the PC had two VGA outputs, one was connected to the local screen (used for managing and scheduling content) and the extended second output to the Panasonic screen (display the content). This setup is quite complex because the video configuration of the second output was setup as an  extended screen. This meant that the PADS Viewer (a component of the PADS software) which displays content had to automatically launch on this extended screen. How did we do this? It was simple, the PADS application allows you to enter the X and Y co-ordinates of where the viewer will be launched. Here’s an example, the horizontal position of the viewer screen is 1440 (since the horizontal size of the primary screen is 1440) :

As a result, the digital signage solution was used as a tool to communicate messages with kids, teachers and parents through images and information. Below is a few pictures of the install:

Digital Signage in the Education sector in Australia is now becoming more popular and more affordable so why not talk to us so we can show you how you can achieve your digital signage goals.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | One comment |
Post tags: 28 January, Air Fire, Audio Speakers, Community Respect, Content Types, Core Values, Dell Pc, digital signage, digital signage player, Digital Signage Software, Digital Speakers, Doors, High Schools, Inception, Initial Template, Jan Marshall, Keyboard Mouse, Kindergarten, Logitec Speakers, Mainstream Classes, Pads Software, Panasonic 50 Plasma, Parents And Teachers, plasma screen, School Motto, Sherwood, Sherwood Ridge, Signage Project, Signage Solution, Software Panasonic, Sporting Houses, Standalone Solution, Technical Support, Template Creation, Video Configuration, Year 6

I guess the main reason why anyone would develop their own system would be for flexability and satisfaction. By developing your own custom application you can design and build it the way you want it and eventually customise parts that need improvements. There’s also the satisfaction factor, knowing people are using your application gives you joy and satisfaction. Below is the job that was advertised on the elance website:

Network Distributed Media Player

The SIGNWAVE DIGITAL MEDIA PLAYER will be able to playback full screen 1920 x 1080 compressed video in the .MOV/M4V format. The user-friendly playlists can be managed by any web browser on the network. The playlist duration will be 24 hours. Scheduled spots will have the ability to playback at pre-defined times within the 24 hour schedule. All playlists are based on a 1 hour schedule. For instance if a specific spot needs to play back at 9:50am the base schedule can be interrupted to play the unique scheduled spot. Once the spot has played the original playlist will resume normal playback. Playlists can be auto-populated by selecting how many times per hour a spot will play. When a schedule is getting close to 1 hour the remaining time can be filled with content from a fill directory that contains appropriate fill content until the next hour starts. A system may consist of many playback devices (Mac Mini). The management software will have the…

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: Advertisement, Custom Application, Digital Media Player, digital signage player, Duration, Flexability, Improvements, Job, Mac Mini, Management Software, Mov, Playback Devices, Player Development, Playlists, Remaining Time, Satisfaction, Signwave, Web Browser

Here’s some pictures of the unit.

Here’s the specs of the unit:

Digital Display Compatibility
Aspect ratio 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 (horizontal & vertical)
Video output 50/60 Hz: 720p (1280×720), XGA (1024×768), WSVGA
(1024×640), WVGA (768×480), 576p (720×576), 480p
(720×480), SVGA (800×600), VGA (640×480), EDID
24/25 Hz: 1080p (1920×1080; only for semistatic content)
Video connectors HDMI (incl. digital audio), DVI via adapter. VGA (DB15 HD
connector). Simultaneous use of HDMI and VGA possible
Media Format
Description language SVG Tiny 1.2+ (Scalable Vector Graphics)
Media synchronization SMIL 2.1 (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language)
Still image formats JPEG, PNG, GIF, SVG
Supported video codecs Up to SD resolution: MPEG-4 ASP, MPEG-2, MPEG-1,
H.264, MJPEG, Microsoft VC-1 (Windows Media Video 9)
Supported audio codecs MPEG audio layer 1/2/3 (MP3), ITU G.711, G.722,
G.729,PCM, Microsoft WMA, Real Audio
Media container formats AVI, WMV/WMA, VOB, AIFF, OGG, WAV, MOV (Quicktime)
Streaming media protocol MMS, RTSP, RTP, SDP, HTTP; Uni- & multicast
Import filters provided for Flash 9, Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, BMP, TIFF,
XPM, WBMP, PNM bitmaps
Scripting language PHP5, JavaScript, ECMAScript
Content scheduling iCalendar (RFC2445)
Graphic Effects Engine
Graphic effects language SVG Tiny 1.2+
Vector graphics primitives Rectangles, polygons, paths with lines, elliptical arcs and
Bezier curves, text areas, linear and radial gradients
International text support Unicode standard compliant with bidirectional text support
Font file formats TrueType and OpenType
Animation capabilities Color, gradients, transparency level, audio volume, motion
along a path, translation, scaling, rotation, clipping
Animation modes Discrete, linear, paced and spline interpolation
Specialized Applications
Kiosk applications Touch screen, keyboard/joysticks/gamepads/mouse, HID
I/O devices via USB 2.0 or user defined serial port, with
touch screen calibration
Event management Real-time event communication for triggering content
changes on-demand
Time synchronized Millisecond accuracy, for unconstrained
video wall configurations
Streaming Video and audio streaming compatibility, including
live TV streamers
Network
Connectivity Ethernet 10/100 Mbit/s (RJ-45), IEEE 802.3u, 802.3x
3G connectivity through USB modem stick;
Protocols DHCP or fixed address; IPv4; IPv6;
Remote configuration HTTP(S) configuration server, password protected
Content administration WebDAV server, password protected
Other protocols SNMPv1/v2c, NTP, Zeroconf
Content updates Pull mode, push mode, server based

Storage
Internal storage 2GB solid state
External storage Flash drives and hard disks via USB 2.0 port

Physical Specification
Size 105(W) x 26(H) x 83(D) mm
4.13’(W) x 1.02’(H) x 3.27’(D)
Weight 190g / 6.7 oz
Power supply 5V DC, typ. 0.4A (2W)
Power supply input 100-240V 50-60 Hz, max input current 0.6A
Operating temperature 0-40ºC / 32-104ºF; 10-90% RH
Storage temperature -25ºC to 45ºC / -13ºF to 113ºF; 10% to 90% RH
Real time clock Min. accuracy 1 minute/month free running, battery
backed
Serial RS232, up to 115200 bauds, mini-jack 3.5mm
Analog audio output Line level, stereo, mini-jack 3.5mm

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Post tags: 1920x1080, Adapter Vga, Animation Capabilities, Audio Volume, Bezier Curves, Color Gradients, Db15, digital signage player, Elliptical Arcs, Format Description, G 711, Graphic Effects, Graphics Media, Graphics Primitives, Hyper Media, Import Filters, Lifetime Warranty, Media Player, Microsoft Powerpoint Presentations, Microsoft Wma, Mov Quicktime, Multimedia Integration Language, Radial Gradients, Resolution Mpeg, Support Unicode, Vector Graphics, Vga 640x480, Video Connectors, Warranty, Xga 1024x768

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?

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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

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Post tags: digital signage player, Digital Think, Dvd Player, Implementation, lcd screen, Queue, Scre, Snapshot, Use Digital

The SMP-WEB4 was only recently launched in Australia and we were fortunate enough to get our hands on this unit.

The unit itself looks completely different from the predecessor. Rather than just being a rectangle box the WEB4 looks more robust and has a fancy design. The other noticeable differences are:

1. S-Video input – the previous model had a Composite input so you’ll notice some better quality for your video input (this can be an external camera, DVD player, set top box or anything that has S-Video output)

2. Power – this is something we mentioned to Cayin several years ago and they actually listened. The end of the power cable can be twisted to the power socket – this means no further accidental power disconnections.

3. Two COM ports – and they are enabled so you can connect an external device and use an RS232 cable. You will now be able to remotely send commands to a screen or device that uses RS232.

4. DVI and VGA port – yes this means you will be able to connect two screens to this player. The same content will be played on the screens (the term used for this is called CLONE). If you are looking to display different content by using the same player then we recommend you use the SMP-DUO. The SMP-DUO has two DVI ports and one VGA port so you can configure this as an extended screen.

5. Software – there’s so many additional features that have been included in the WEB4. Some include the ability to add RS232 commands in the playlist, the ability to create local schedules, the ability to use the skin editor and add this to the playlist (for those who have used the SMP-PRO, it basically means they have combined the PRO features in the WEB). How awesome is that!!!!

6. Performance – it’s basically faster! It has a faster CPU, more memory and has a bigger HHD. To top it off it also has a 1Gbps LAN port to speed the process of copying files.

7. CPU Monitoring – One of the other great features is that the there is a CPU temperature sensor to help monitoring player’s operation status.

The SMP-WEB4 is one of the many digital signage fanless players we stock. It is also one of the most comprehensive and innovative products we’ve used and deployed in corporate and retail organisations. By integrating this player with the Cayin Content Management Server it becomes one of the most powerful digital signage solutions in the market.

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Post tags: australia, Authorised Resellers, Cayin, Clone, Composite Input, digital signage, digital signage player, Dvi, External Camera, Fancy Design, Innovative Products, Noticeable Differences, Perf, playlist, Power Cable, Power Socket, Predecessor, Pro Features, Rectangle, Rs232 Cable, S Video Input, S Video Output, Skin Editor, Two Screens, Vga Port, Web4

Although the requirements were very simple (to display images with transition effects) we delivered a solution that was simple and easy to use but most importantly one that had value added benefits.

Uploading content to the player is easy. The store owner needs to open up a locked compartment on the side of the screen and plugs a USB dongle into the port. The player automatically synchronises the content from the USB port to a CF card. Once the synchronisation completes, the store owner just removes the USB dongle and closes the compartment. Yes it’s that easy!!!

The unit was a 42″ LCD with an internal digital signage player that hangs outside the main restaurant window. It catches the attention of any person that walks by – obviously the main reason for installing digital signage. The system is controlled via a remote control – once again very simple to use. If you’ve used a DVD remote control before, then this one is just as easy.

Since the restaurant only opens for dinner, the screen looks amazing at night. The images of several mouth watering dishes are continuously displayed in a loop with random transition effects. Have a look at some of the photos we took:

Do you want to …

• have your food speak for itself
• increase the number of orders
• provide more than just food with ease and convenience
• enhance your customer’s dining experience without the expensive price tag?

If the answer to any of these is YES then advertise me we can build you a digital signage solution that is superior to anything currently on the market.

Whether you are a take away store or a fine dining restaurant, we can build you a digital signage solution that is superior to anything currently on the market.

With Advertise Me you can:

• present visual images of dishes of the day
• replace or enhance menus such as the blackboard specials
• provide subtle entertainment and information
• help make events and functions more memorable with slideshows, music, music clips or showing video messages

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Post tags: australia, Cf Card, Convenience, Cost Effective Solution, digital signage, digital signage player, Dishes, Fine Dining Restaurant, Imagebrowser, Images, Mouth Watering, Price Tag, Random Transition, Randwick, Reason, Remote Control, Signage Solution, Store Owner, Synchronisation, Thai Restaurant, Thai Riffic, Transition Effects, Usb Dongle, Usb Port, Value Added, Visual Images

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: Clients Requirements, Cost Effective Solution, digital signage network, digital signage player, Good Time, Retail Chain, Retail Digital Signage, Retail Industry, Retail Signage, Retail Store, retail stores, Signage Products, Signage Solution, Signage System, Single Store

Anyways, I clicked on Show Option at the top left hand corner above the first search result and it displayed several other options available. I clicked on Wonder Wheel and Google displayed this:

The google wonder wheel was released in May 2009 and basically displays relevant and related search results. In my particular example, the search results relating to digital signage where:
digital signage jobs
digital signage blogs
digital signage freeware
digital signage software
digital signage player
digital signage solutions
outdoor digital signage
digital signage download

So out of curiosity, I clicked on the term digital signage blog and we were’t surprised that this very blog was listed at the top of the results. What also happened was the wheel expanded to show another wheel. This is an interesting concept and it’s something that everyone should be aware of.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: advertise, australia, Blogs, Curiosity, digital signage, digital signage player, Digital Signage Software, Digital Signage Solutions, Freeware Software, Fun, Google, Google Search Bar, Jobs, Left Hand Corner, Outdoor Signage, Poll Id, portal, Relevant Websites, Search Features, Search Google, Search Result, Wheel, Wonder Wheel

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

advertise me has used, tested and rolled out quite a number of players and so far each of them has their own pros and cons. I personally don’t believe there is one player that is much better than the other as it all depends on the requirements we have. For example, patching a digital signage player should be something that the end user or the integrator should be able to easily perform but for one vendor this is not the case. The vendor will actually need to remotely login to the system and perform the changes themselves. Now if you have 100 different clients how can you manage this process? Other players we’ve tested allows you to easily install a firmware patch which the end user can perform,  this way it eliminates the need for the vendor or even the integrator to be involved.

As another example, why would companies still manufacturer players with S-Video or RCA connectors when you know that the quality is poor? Could it all come down to cost rather than quality?

Also, each player was uniquely designed to be different and these features makes the player stand out from the others. Whether it’s hardware or software, designing the perfect player would take forever. No company out there would have the R&D budget to do this.

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Post tags: Amp, Budget, digital signage player, Integrator, Perception, Professional Career, Pros And Cons, Rca Connectors, Signage Industry, Word Perfect

NTP stands for Network Time Protocol and is commonly used to synchronise a computer’s/digital signage player‘s date and time with a specific time source server. It can be a hardware based  GPS time source server from Symmetricon which I’ve used in the past, an Internet NTP server – see ntp.org for more information, or even your local Windows Active Directory Server can be used as a time server. The most challenging part when using NTP is ensuring that your actual source server has the correct date and time.

Most digital signage businesses should know what I’m talking about since ensuring the Content Management Server and digital signage player’s date and time are all in synch is crucial for any large digital signage network especially when used for scheduling content.

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Post tags: Active Directory, Computers, Content Management Server, Content Portal, digital signage, digital signage network, digital signage player, Directory Server, Happy New Year, Internet Server, Network Time Protocol, new year, Ntp, Ntp Server, Poll Id, portal, Symmetricon, Time Server, Time Source, Time Source Server

Reviewed By: Advertise Me

The Product – Andrew’s Audio Tripper AS-7

The audio tripper is a two way automatic audio switcher. It has two audio inputs; a default input, a sensed input and an audio output.

In its initial state the tripper selects the default input through the output. Whenever an audio signal is fed to the sensed input, the tripper will automatically switch to this input. The LED (green light) indicates that the sensed input has been selected. Once the signal to the sensed input stops, the tripper will switch back to the default input.

There is a delay control that can be used to adjust the amount of time the tripper waits before switching back to the default input. A delay would be preferable in the case of a multi CD player, for instance, to allow for the time taken to switch between discs.

The Setup

For our testing purposes we connected the unit as follows (I thought I’d be different and sketch the diagram by hand):

In this particular setup, we used a mobile phone as a default audio input – we thought we’d be creative and use a portable device that everyone carries around.

For the sensed input, we used the audio output of a digital signage player. The digital signage player was connected to a 19″ LCD screen and played scheduled content in a playlist. The playlist contained three items:

1. Image of product review email – has no sound

2. 15 second advertise me promotional video created by Blue Pony – has sound

3. Image of John Mayer Listening to… – has no sound

The output of the audio tripper is connected to a speaker. So what basically happens is that when the audio tripper doesn’t sense any audio coming from the digital signage player i.e playlist item 1 & 3, it will play audio from the default input i.e. mobile phone.  All RCA audio cables were used for these tests.

Our Verdict

• We tested several audio input sources – mobile phone (Nokia n95, iphone, blackberry storm), a CD player and also a digital signage player and didn’t find any issues with the switching or the quality of the audio.
• We have actually used this unit for one of our clients and we haven’t had an issues.
• The only thing to consider is that if the unit looses power, it will not perform the switching but it will still continue to play the default audio input – so at least there will be audio
• We would recommend to decrease the delay to the minimum setting (rotate anti-clockwise)
• Can be used for many purposes – ie. backup audio for continuous music

Usage

You may ask yourself when would you use this type of setup and to be honest if you had a digital signage player, you could schedule the audio to play directly from the player but there will be certain situations and environments like a retail store, that you may need to give some control to the local store manager to play their own audio CD’s.

The Video

Here’s a  quick video demonstrating how the system works.

If you want us to review your product, contact Advertise Me via email: review@advertiseme.com.au

About Advertise Me:

Advertise Me is a privately owned Australian company specialising in all aspects of digital signage solutions.

Our team of highly skilled professionals is able to introduce innovative ways for businesses to communicate with their intended audiences for a variety of purposes including informing, educating, entertaining and selling.

You can expect us to:

• offer the most affordable and cost effective solutions tailored to your specific business needs.
• provide you with concise and accurate information and will ensure that you understand and are comfortable with our proposals.
• strive to make our clients happy and successful.

We have partnered with a number of key reputable organisations and will continue to build further partnerships to deliver the most effective solutions for our customers.

Visit our website at www.advertiseme.com.au for more information.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: 1918, advertise, Amount Of Time, Aud, Audio Input, Audio Inputs, Audio Signal, Audio Switcher, blackberry, Blue Pony, Caption, Cd Player, christmas, Default Input, Delay Control, digital signage, digital signage player, email, Initial State, Input Output, Input Sources, iphone, John Mayer, lcd screen, Mobile Phone, Multi Cd, nokia, Nokia N95, playlist, Pow, Sketch, Sound 3, Tripper, Video Camera

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?

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Post tags: Digital Id, digital signage player, Fans, Techies, Temperature Effect, Temperature Effects

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.

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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

We previously talked about how the iPhone can be used as a digital signage player (there’s already a few companies out there who have created an application on the iPhone) but now how would you like to be served by a humanoid robot with an iPhone attached to it’s head? Watch the funky video and we’ll discuss later:

In the examples in the video, the humanoid robot with the iPhone attached as it’s head, can be used to:

• wake you up – morning!!! maybe even give you a hug or a slap
• entertain – it’s a dance machine…shake it’s robo booty
• teach it new tricks and moves – next thing you know it will start imitating your moves
• and if you’re nice to it… it might even make you a coffee (just kidding – ummmm may be it is possible)

BUT more importantly it can interact with YOU – think about it from a sales and marketing perspective and you’ll start realising that this robot can be used to attract more customers into your store and even possibly serve it’s customers (stick your own photo image as it’s head ). The screen itself can be used even to promote sales, products and specials whilst it’s dancing around entertaining it’s customers (yes it’s  digital signage after all). And yes…. I’ve said it before… the possibilities seem to be endless with the future of mobile phones as digital signage players.

So that’s our weekend fun for this week and we all hope you’re having a great weekend.

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Post tags: Amp, Booty, Dance Machine, digital signage player, Embed Src, Fun Video Clip, Hl En, Http Www Youtube, Humanoid Robot, iphone, Lt, mobile phones, Param Name, Photo Image, Possibilities, Sales And Marketing, Slap, True Width, Type Application, X Shockwave Flash

Chrome OS and will compete against the almighty Microsoft Enterprise. We believe this is great news for the digital signage community because of the following reasons:

1. It’s Open Source and will be free. Moving towards an open source OS, will provide a significant savings to you and your clients.

2. According to Google, the Chrome O.S is fast and efficient. This is perfect for digital signage.

3. It’s lightweight – you will be able to install this on a netbook and run your digital signage application.

4. Its secure – like the Google Chrome browser, Google has designed the security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. This means spending less time patching!!!

5. Designed for the web – since most companies are now moving towards SaaS then this is a perfect match.

We look forward to testing various digital signage software on the Google Chrome and we can’t wait to get our hands dirty.

And a final note: Thanks google for making our life easier and cheaper for everyone!

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments |
Post tags: Chrome, digital signage, digital signage player, Digital Signage Software, Google, Great News, Malware, microsoft, Microsoft Enterprise, Netbook, Open Source Os, Own Os, Perfect Match, Poll Id, SaaS, Secure Browser, Security Architecture, Security Updates, Testing Software, Viruses, Www Google

All we need now is a digital signage Iphone application… and my guess is that someone is already developing one.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 10 comments |
Post tags: apple, Audience, Caption, Digital Id, digital signage network, digital signage player, Guess, Integrated Digital, iphone, Mobile Digital, Poll Id, Sheer Number, touch screen, Video Clips, Watch Movies

This new product is being called “Project Natal” and is basically a sensor for the Xbox 360 which tracks movement, listens and executes commands from the console… don’t know what I’m refeering to? then watch this trailer from Youtube:

If you’re from the digital signage industry you’re thinking to yourself “The future of Digital Signage interaction?”. If you’re like me, when something catches your attention you start brainstorming on how this can be applied to the digital signage industry.  If I was working for Microsoft I would recommend and provide directions to the management team to push this product out to businesses to use as a digital signage console…. and not just a gaming console. Let’s think about this, most digital signage players out there in the market are using desktop PC’s, embedded PCs or some form of a PC – fundamentally that’s what the Xbox 360 is – and soon it will have a sensor. In my eyes,  I can potentially see this used as a digital signage player and not just a gaming console.

In the past, many top digital signage gurus predicted that the next “big thing” in digital signage was going to be interaction and guess what…. they were right.

Lets imagine this scenario:

• You walk into a clothing store and you’re having trouble picking a dress for the night out with the girls.
• Now like in the example in the trailer, you walk up to the dsx (digital signage xbox) and you contact your best friend to get advice on which dress you should wear.
• In the application, you have the virtual product catalog of all the dresses available in the store.
• The application takes a picture of you (measuring your body size, height etc) and you start trying out the different dresses (virtually).
• Along the way you and your friend discuss whether the dress is suitable or not.
• When you found some of the dresses both of you like  you add it to you’re favourite list.
• You then press the “TRY” button or say “Let me try these” and the shop assistant brings in the dresses for you to try.
• All the transactions and  information end up being recorded online so that the next time you visit a store that has the dsx you can retrieve this previous information.

This is one of the many applications I can see working for the digital signage industry and I can’t wait till we trial one of these units.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments |
Post tags: Best Friend, Clothing Store, Desktop Pc, Different Dress, digital signage player, Directions, Dresses, Dsx, Gurus, interaction, Management Team, microsoft, Microsoft Xbox, Motion Sensor, Night Girls, Signage Industry, Virtual Product Catalog, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360, Youtube