© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2012. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Audio Video, Bose, Clips Video, Digital Music System, digital signage, Interactive Marketing, iphone, Ipod, klip, lcd screen, Marketing System, Sounddock, speakers, Video Clip, Video Clips

• 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

The second example is from Sydney Aquarium, which is just around the corner from the Sydney Wildlife. They recently installed multiple digital signage screens at the front of their reception area. From far away, you can clearly see the content of the screen. The colours on the screen is bright compared to the previous example. It’s eye catching and that’s what most digital signage installers need to think about i.e how can I make my screens get noticed. In total they had 5 screens, 4 in landscape and 1 in portrait. My suggestion would be to use a digital menu board at their food counter.

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Post tags: Amp, Colours, Company Realised, Darling Harbour, digital signage, Food Counter, Invest, Landscape, lcd screen, Menu Board, Nbsp Nbsp Nbsp Nbsp Nbsp, Reception Area, screens, Suggestion, Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Australia, touch screen, traffic, Wildlife World

So today, I decided to investigate what do some of these labels mean; some are self explanatory and you don’t need to be a genius to figure out what they mean but then there are some that seem unusual.

Let’s have a look at the images (note:I have provided my interpretation of what they mean – if it’s incorrect then let me know):

	The first image means to always have two people to lift the box since its approximately 40kg – this is normally a OHS requirement so whatever you do and now matter how strong you are don’t lift the screens by yourself. The middle image shows you to remove the plastic clips at the bottom of the box which is used to hold the top and bottom sections of the box. The last image, gives you a breakdown of all the components you need to remove in order to get to the screen.
	The top left corner image means not to stack anything on top of the box. The top right hand corner image means to keep the box upright i.e this way up. The bottom left image is a picture of a glass which obviously means that the item inside is fragile and there’s glass inside the box so take care when transporting the box. There’s also an additional message on the side of the box stating “As a glass product, treat it with extreme care.”. The bottom right image gives you an indication that the weight of the box is 40kg and it’s heavy.
	The first image means not to transport the box  laying flat and to make sure it’s in the upright position (middle image). Also make sure you don’t drop the box because there’s glass in there. Once again, there’s the message “As a glass product, treat it with extreme care.” and the Caution message: “Transport only in upright position”.
	The first two images are the same as above. The last two images indicate how to best clamp the box.

I wonder how many courier or freight companies transporting these goods actually understand these label mean and adhere to the instructions. I have seen some couriers take down the screens and had them in a vertical position… ouch. Fortunately the screen still worked but it’s best to follow the guidelines provided on the boxes.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Bottom Sections, Boxes, Caution, Corner Image, Desk, Extreme Care, First Image, Freight Companies, Genius, Glass Product, Images, lcd screen, Left Image, Message Transport, Middle Image, Packaging Labels, Plasma Lcd, plasma screen, plasma screens

Lesson learnt, use a bracket and a professional to mount a LCD or Plasma screen. Once the screen is dropped…. it will never be the same.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments |
Post tags: Fun, Funny Video, lcd screen, Plasma Lcd, plasma screen, Video Lesson, Video Title, video wall, Youtube Video

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: digital signage player, Digital Think, Dvd Player, Implementation, lcd screen, Queue, Scre, Snapshot, Use Digital

Some viewers are skeptical as to whether the video is real or not but to me it looks real. Too bad it doesn’t have subtitles. Anyone know what they are saying?

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | One comment |
Post tags: Beijing, Countdown, Fun, lcd screen, Oldie, olympics

There are three components at back of the stand:

1. one is to access the back of the screen which includes the system boards and speakers

2. a small panel to access the network port, CF card and USB port

3. bottom of the panel to access the run the network cable

By removing several screws, and two pins on the power switch you can then remove the LCD screen from the enclosure.

Putting the screen back into the stand was quite straight forward and didn’t take that long. In one of the future posts we’ll show you how easy it is to manage the stand. If you need a digital signage stand or even a quote for your project let us know.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | One comment |
Post tags: advertise, Aluminium, Aluminum, Bott, Cf Card, Desktop Image, digital signage, Digital Speakers, Image Caption, Inner Shell, lcd screen, Network Cable, Outer Shell, Pins, Power Switch, Quote, Reflection, Screen Caption, Screws, Signage Boards, speakers, Tampered Glass, Usb Port

It was by sheer luck that I stumbled (I literally didn’t really notice the screen) across two LED Screens – one was located on the main streets of surfers paradise whilst the other was at a plaza (it didn’t have many people walking past there). In any case out of habit I decided to take a Klip of these screens. Sorry if I don’t have the exact location or know what the location is for these screens. I’ll promise that the next time I take a photo I’ll include the GPS co-ordinates.

Here’s also a quick video of what I saw (sorry for the bad filming):

If you have klips you would like to share with the rest of our readers let us know by sending an email to info@digitalsignageblog.com

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | One comment |
Post tags: digital signage, email, Exact Location, Family Trip, Gold Coast, GPS, Habit, klip, lcd screen, Led Screens, Main Streets, panasonic, Panasonic 42 Inch Plasma, Photo, plasma screens, Promise, retail stores, Sheer Luck, Surfers Paradise

Feel free to send us pictures of your test bench to info@digitalsignageblog.com and we’ll share it with the rest of the world.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments |
Post tags: advertise, digital signage, Digital Signage Solutions, Digital Signage Systems, klip, lcd screen, Messy, People, Rest Of The World, Signage Installation, Test Bench, Test Benches

The simple answer is that it can be use to trigger information. Here’s a typical example of how it can be used: you’re in a tour bus, a large LCD Screen in located at the front of the bus. The bus drives past the Sydney Opera house, the digital signage system detects the current location of the bus and triggers information about the Opera House. The bus then drives over the Sydney Harbour bridge and this triggers historical information about how the bridge was built.

Basically, digital signage that is integrated with GPS can be used to display useful information relating to it’s surroundings.

At Advertise Me, we have a good understanding on how Digital Signage can be integrated with various systems so why not talk to us and see what we can do for you.Visit www.advertiseme.com.au

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: digital signage, Good Understanding, GPS, Historical Information, lcd screen, opera house, Signage System, Simple Answer, Squeak, Surroundings, Sydney Bridge, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Tour Bus, Typical Example

In today’s day and age, the Internet and email technology has revolutionised the way we communicate with people all over the world. Both of these technologies are critical and vital to the operations of any business. Without these technologies, your employees and company will come to a standstill.

Moving forward with technology, digital signage is a new form of digital medium for corporate businesses with multiple offices around the world to deliver dynamic messages to its employees. It is a proven fact that dynamic images and information attract more attention than static images such as posters or billboards by a factor of 10.

XXX  is a large global organisation and it can embrace this technology by keeping its local and remote employees up to date with; business events (National Sales Conferences, annual Christmas party), corporate headlines (the launch of new xxx products or systems) and local business effecting announcements (building renovations, Information Technology business interruptions).

What is digital signage?

Digital signage is the method of displaying multimedia content on a display unit such as a LCD screen, a plasma display panel, a monitor, a video wall composed of a number of screens to deliver informative and entertaining content to employees, visitors, captive audiences and passers by.

As opposed to still images, multimedia content is the new standard of digital communication. The information presented to your viewers will not only be exciting but also captivating.

Benefits

XXX can use the digital signage technology to impress both its visitors and employees. Imagine the following scenarios:

Your visitors are standing at your reception desk signing the visitor’s book. They look up and their eyes are caught by a large LCD screen. A message is displayed “Welcome to XXX.” The message fades and the next message appears “Dear visitor, please ensure your visitors badge is visible at all times whilst on XXX premises. Please also remember to sign out before leaving. Thank you and enjoy your visit.” The system can also be used to display Training timetable information (training name, time and locations) and help guide your visitors to the training rooms.

Your employees walk into the office and their eyes are caught by the LCD screen. There is a message on the screen “Reminder: Flash Presentation at 11:00 AM”. In this particular scenario, the system is being used as a bulletin board to efficiently remind staff of particular events.

Your employees are eating in the cafeteria, the LCD screen displays the message at all sites with the following “advertise me Christmas countdown: 2 days to go. Visit http://www.advertiseme.com.au for more information.” Staff members are updated with important company information.

There are infinite possibilities and scenarios where your business can benefit from this evolving digital signage technology. Take the step now and you will notice the difference.

Just by simply introducing the digital signage technology to XXX’s corporate environment, Advertise Me can guarantee the business can achieve the following:

• Promote new products to its employees
• Increase awareness of critical business projects to employees
• Improve business image to visitors and the public
• Achieve recognition from competitors by being the first YYY company to use this technology
• Keep employees informed with information with eye catching presentations

Proposal

A typical digital signage network consists of a small form factor Personal Computer, a 32 inch LCD TV (inclusive of a mounting bracket) and the digital signage software.  Our proposal for XXX is slightly different and is as follows:

• XXX will supply Advertise Me with a PC which meets our technical specifications. This will ensure that the PC has been qualified by a XXX employee and conforms to the XXX standards.
• We will supply XXX with a 32 inch LCD TV as a minimum or for an additional cost, upgrade to a larger screen size LCD.
• We will install, configure and support the software on any PC that is connected to a stand.
• Provide basic training to either IT staff or XXX employees who will manage the system
• Provide on-site maintenance for the equipment and software

XXX has the option to have the digital network set up on its own private network or on the Advertise Me network. Our preference is to have the PC’s on our network so that we can monitor and remotely manage each stand. We will provide Internet access points at each stand and set up VPN (Virtual Private Network) tunnels with the highest security back to our network. We will then provide XXX with access to the players via our network.

There are ZZZ XXX offices based in Australia; [locations]. At each location we propose to have an stand at the reception desk, and one in the cafeteria/lunch area. At XXX we can additionally add another stand in the Hub.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: Business Events, Business Interruptions, Captive Audiences, Christmas Party, Corporate Businesses, Corporate Headlines, Digital Communication, Digital Medium, digital signage, Dynamic Images, Dynamic Messages, Global Organisation, Images Multimedia, Information Technology Business, lcd screen, Multimedia Content, Plasma Display Panel, Proposal, Reception Desk, Standstill, Static Images, Still Images, video wall

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

As you can tell from the picture, the Audi has a reasonable sized build-in LCD screen and is primarily used for GPS and as a menu system for radio/CD/TV but I strongly believe it can be also used for digital signage.

Does anyone know of any stock cars which are using digital signage?

Feel free to submit your answer as a comment.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments |
Post tags: Audi, Audi A4, Audi Convertible, Dashboard, Digital Id, digital signage, Fun, GPS, lcd screen, lcd screens, Luxury Cars, Manufacturing Companies, Menu System, Model Cars, New Model, Opportunity, Radio Cd, Realised, Stock Cars

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

1. No more Mark Holden – although the famous “touchdowns” was performed by the other judges

2. Additional performances by the bottom 3 contestants on the eviction night (Monday)

3. But the most significant change that we saw was the use of digital signage for communicating information to the viewers and internal staff. This was evident in the final show where 1 large screen and 4 other smaller screens were used in the tally room to display dynamic information. Also, if you were watching the final show, you probably noticed that at the Opera House, large screens were used to display the live performances and occasionally followed by the events sponsor ads.

I believe that it’s quite interesting to see broadcasting organisations using LCD screens to further increase advertising revenues whilst showing the performance on air.

Congratulations to the winner of this year’s Australian Idol (Wes) and good luck to all the other contestants.

Our question:
Have you seen any TV shows which embraces digital signage technologies?

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2008. | Permalink | One comment |
Post tags: australian idol, dynamic information, lcd screen