Roku Adds SignChannel to BrightSign Digital Signage Players

Posted on Apr 10, 2009 by Jane Goodwin at 12:05 am

April 07, 2009

(M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) — Stand C45, Screenmedia Expo Europe, 7-8th April 09, National Hall, Olympia, London, UK — Today at Screenmedia Expo Europe, Europe’s biggest digital signage and DOOH media event, Roku announced the availability of Frame Media’s SignChannel content service with its networked high-definition BrightSign digital signage solutions. The newly available combination of BrightSign digital signage control solutions with SignChannel’s content service deliver flexible digital messaging capabilities with streaming content such as news, weather and more.

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“We are thrilled to be working with Roku and the BrightSign team,” commented Alan Phillips, Frame Media’s CEO. Mr. Phillips commented further, “the feature-rich BrightSign HD players coupled with SignChannel content service delivers a complete, ready to implement digital signage solution. Users simply select relevant content channels to playback over the networked BrightSign unit and complement it with their own messaging content to reach their audience in a meaningful way.”

According to Anthony Wood, CEO and founder of Roku, “SignChannel provides Roku with an even stronger value proposition for our users who are seeking cost effective digital signage content.”  Mr. Wood also said, “By pairing a ready-made content solution with BrightSign networked digital sign controllers, we’re able to provide users a way to easily implement an affordable, rich media display without the complications of a PC-based solution.”

Streaming Content Resource for Meaningful Digital Signage, SignChannel is a low cost content service that allows a business to display timely messages, products, and services at any Internet-enabled location around the world. The SignChannel user can take advantage of Frame Media’s vast array of timely up-to-the-minute content including weather, news, traffic, finance, and RSS feeds, as well as thousands of other available Internet sources. A user can also develop custom content using simple templates and other standard business software tools. SignChannel is available world-wide in four major languages with content from virtually every country. Users can manage their content for any and all globally located displays from any other Internet location. SignChannel is Frame Media’s commercial version of FrameChannel, its Internet platform for the selection and delivery of personalised content to wireless digital photo frames.

The BrightSign HD2000, HD1010 and HD210 are fully integrated; high-definition digital sign controllers that offer plug-and-play networking to streamline content management for robust, high-impact digital sign and kiosk applications. When combined with SignChannel content service these units allow the user to create powerful and affordable digital signage across a wide range of display platforms, from 22 to over 60 inches. Roku is demonstrating its BrightSign networking solution with SignChannel in Stand C45 at Screen Media Expo Europe in London’s Olympia National Hall, April 7-8th.

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About Roku: Roku develops products and software for digital media delivery including digital signage in Saratoga, CA. BrightSign solid-state digital sign controllers set new standards for both individual and networked digital signage applications with its superior HD video quality, reliability, price, ease of use and interactivity.

Online information of BrightSign units is available at www.brightsign.biz.

For sales inquiries, please contact sales@brightsign.biz or +44.
For information about our BrightSign partner program, please visit www.brightsign.biz/partners.php.

About Frame Media, Inc.

Frame Media is the leader in content and tools for wireless digital picture frames and connected devices. Both its flagship product, FrameChannel and its new commercial product, SignChannel, can be branded and customized to work with any Wi-Fi enabled photo frame or connected device, transforming them into dynamic information appliances. With SignChannel or FrameChannel, a frame owner can program a unique stream of content that is updated dynamically. The owner can couple their own photos or product/service information with advertising and fresh content from a library of hundreds of channels including news, sports, weather, traffic, stock quotes, horoscopes and imagery from leading photographic collections. The owner selects the channels they are interested in, sets the rules for each channel and the frame updates continually with entertaining and informative content fed directly to their wireless or wired Internet connected media player or wireless picture frame. For more information please visit www.framemedia.com.

CONTACT: Emily Logan, Frame Media Inc.

Tel: +1 781 235 3006 ext: 105Peter van der Sluijs, Neesham Public RelationsTel: +44 (0)1296 628180e-mail: peterv@neesham.co.ukM2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com.

For more information please visit www.framemedia.com or visit any of the Frame Media blogs www.wirelesspictureframe.com, www.informationappliance.com and www.wirelessdigitalsigns.com.

Interactive Digital Display: Carnival Cruise Lines!

Posted on Apr 1, 2009 by Jane Goodwin at 12:05 am

Check out this fantastic street-level interactive display that Monster Media, in partnership with Havas’ Arnold MPG, designed and installed for Carnival Cruise Lines!

Carnival Cruise Lines has introduced a street-level interactive display called the Carnival Aquarium, designed and installed by Monster Media in partnership with Arnold MPG.  If you live in or near Houston, Dallas, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, or New York, you’ve got easy access to these HUGE interactive animated aquariums.  The aquariums are all located in high traffic pedestrian areas, and are there so passersby can have fun!

Here is what Digital Signage Today has to say about it:

Carnival’s multi-market media campaign features body responsive interaction, oversized vinyl graphics and voice controlled mobile integration. Consumers can dial in a six-digit provided code to create a fish based on the tones of their voice and then see their customized fish appear in the interactive display area. By using their cell phone as a remote control users are able to guide their fish to discover all the program has to offer.

Smart move, Carnival!  People will tell their friends about your digital signage, and those friends will tell THEIR friends, and people will have good things to say about Carnival Cruise Lines.  I would also predict that while people have their cell phones out, interacting with the signage, they will also be much more inclined to use that cell phone to spend some serious money with Carnival Cruise Lines.

Datacasting For Digital Signage

Posted on Feb 23, 2009 by Jane Goodwin at 12:05 am

The following article, from Digital Signage Today.com, is by Lyle Bunn, principal and Strategy Architect for BUNN Co.  Bunn is highly regarded as an advisor and educator in North America’s digital signage industry.

Datacasting is emerging as an attractive alternative to DSL, satellite and cellular connectivity for digital signage/DOOH network operators because it combines the cost-effectiveness of multicasting with the addressable media transport associated with DSL/Internet. Datacasting offers the rapid, low-cost deployment that makes cellular attractive, but can provide much higher connectivity capacity and speeds.

One of the major players in this area of the digital signage industry is National Datacast, a commercial, wireless data broadcasting subsidiary of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). NDI has acted as a content delivery provider since 1988, but is turning its capabilities in connectivity service and media management to the digital signage and digital out-of-home sectors. National Datacast provides regional or national connectivity through partnerships with PBS member stations and their satellite networks.

While digital signage software from firms such as BroadSign, EnQii, Harris, Scala, STRATACACHE and others can provide flexibility and ease of use in designating display groups and specifying content spots for playout on even individual displays, I believe past connectivity options have not offered a cost-effective combination of network-wide media fueled with fast, player-targeted download.

Today’s connectivity model is a fundamental element of digital signage, in-store TV and DOOH dynamic displays since centrally-controlled networks are “media-fueled” to present information or ads according to pre-defined, often day-parted playlists.

The typical architecture is to forward media spots and a playlist file from a network operations center to media players at display locations, and then to add live inputs from databases or external feeds such as weather, news, sports scores or financial information.

Internet connectivity, such as DSL, and cellular treats each media transfer as a separate connectivity transaction, and as such requires large connection capacities to process network traffic.

Multicasting, the transmission of the same files to multiple locations at the same time, can offer media transfer value, but can add an overhead to media management at each location.

The datacasting model NDI’s datacasting network (short for “data broadcasting”) uses digital file transfer techniques that are similar to delivery of content via other means – that means a digital signage player can readily utilize content files delivered by datacasting. Datacasting applications are numerous and include transfer of video and audio files, corporate digital file transfer, updating of software, gaming and information, training and education, alert notification, safety and security and information services.

Datacasting empowers the capabilities of available software tools and offers operational cost-effectiveness that can allow digital signage/DOOH network operators to expand networks and better apply their day-parting capabilities.

This reliable, national infrastructure of commercial-grade digital connectivity has been used by a long list of clients such as Movie Gallery, Update Logic, TV Guide, Microsoft, Disney, VISA, IBM and others.

The receiving equipment is also very simple in nature. A standard antenna is connected using coaxial cable to a specialized digital television receiver which is then connected by USB to a media server or on some other type of content processing computer/ display. The antenna and receiver typically costs under $200 retail.

Other datacasting service features important to digital signage/DOOH network operators include:

Nationwide coverage that allows network operations in multiple regions to be provided by a single connectivity operator.

Transmission reliability is not affected by user volume, cable breaks or environmental conditions such as rain, snow, smog and dust.

Multicasting allows satellite transmission to deliver value to a large network deployment.

Multiple file formats can be transported, reducing the need for transcoding or file re-formatting, which increases overheads and can degrade playout quality.

Security at the highest level associated with an enterprise application.

The NDI Network Operations Center (NOC) can manage media distribution in any predefined display architecture.

iDklic Wins Digital Signage Contract in Brussels

Posted on Feb 9, 2009 by Jane Goodwin at 12:05 am

iDklic is Belgium’s leading Digital Out-Of-Home Media Agency. The company provides retailers and marketers innovative ways of targeting and engaging consumers. iDklic centrally manages out-of-home digital networks in car dealerships, airports and retail stores, delivering dynamic, relevant and visually appealing messages via plasma and LCD screens. Clients include EPC-Familia Mercedes-Benz, V.Pharma, Pharma Santé, BITC, Zaventem Airport. iDklic centrally manages and produces content for all of its clients. iDklic Creative, iDklic’s in-house creative studio, is Belgium’s number one out-of-home digital content provider .

From the Daily DOOH, we learn that iDklic, which also works with NAVORI,  has won a digital signage contract with Brussels International – Tourism & Congress (BI-TC) and the Brussels Convention & Visitors Bureau for the deployment of a digital signage solution at the BI-TC’s Brussels Airport stand.

For more information about iDklic’s work with Brussels International, click here for the full article.

Daily DOOH Announces Top Ten Digital Signage Vendors

Posted on Jan 26, 2009 by Jane Goodwin at 12:05 am

As I mentioned last week in the post about EnQii’s participation in the NRF’s convention and expo, the Daily DOOH has indeed published an article listing their Top Ten Digital Signage Vendors, and the reasoning they used in their choices.

Their Top Ten List is as follows:

=1 Cisco
=1 EnQii
3. Broadsign
4. C-nario
5. YCD
6. ScreenRed
7. Scala
8. Remotemedia
9. TELentice
10.Stratacache

Some of the criteria used in the DOOH’s choices were:

Please read the entire article; it will not only clarify all of these things; it will also give you lists of other digital signage companies that bear watching!

The Daily DOOH’s article can be found right HERE.

EnQii President to Speak About Digital Signage at NRF Convention and Expo

Posted on Jan 22, 2009 by Jane Goodwin at 12:05 am

From Digital Signage Central comes this article about EnQii president Stuart Armstrong’s speaking engagement at the 2009 National Retail Federation’s Annual Convention & Expo last week, on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

Entitled “Creating Competitive Advantage with In-Store Digital Signage”, the half hour speech at 3:00 P.M. is designed to point attendees in the best direction regarding the use of in-store digital signage.

Armstrong will be joined by Bernie Shimkovitz, president of Alliance Financing, in order to demonstrate various business models and how to avoid the traditional up-front capital expenditure (CapEx) outlay for a network.

“This is an excellent platform to convey some of the knowledge we have amassed at EnQii about digital signage,” Armstrong said. “I’ll be showing how to drive increases in core metrics such as conversions and sales uplifts, as well as putting teeth into cross-channel merchandising. And both myself and Bernie Shimkovitz with be talking about the effectiveness of digital merchandising when applied to financing options.”

Enqii was recently rated #1 of the Top Ten Digital Signage Vendors, according to the Daily DOOH.