Samsung Electronics Canada is equally as involved in the commercial display market as the residential one, and the company is introducing several new large-format displays that can be used for digital signage in spots like hotels, airports, and shopping malls.

The UX, CX, and MX series models ramp up brightness and resolution to make an impact in a large setting. The thinly-designed UX models are ideal for settings where the TV needs to be mounted on a wall. Each one is built with Samsung’s DID panel and the company’s DNLe technology; and with multi-screen network options. Samsung’s MagicInfo software complements the displays by allowing for the transmission of content from a specific display to a number of screens via just one PC on a network.

Targeted to pubs and bars, the CX series models come with built-in TV tuners and speakers, along with a 40,000:1 contrast and high-gloss black bezel. They are available in 40” and 46”, high-definition screens.

Business offices and hotels might better appreciate the MX series displays, available in 32” to 46” screen sizes, and boasting multi display control software for sharing information among displays. Each offers 40,000: 1 contrast, 8ms response time, and CVBS/HDMI video inputs.

Samsung’s new large-format displays range from $999 to $3,499.

Billboards are getting a makeover, and not just at the mall or your local bank: On university campuses from coast to coast, administrators are realizing there’s more to digital signage than just a pretty picture–it can enhance communication and maybe even help save lives.

Electronic digital signage (EDS) includes LED, OLED, LCD, CRT, plasma, digital, or e-link displays and digital projection devices.

Often, the technology uses a computer-routing system made up of hardware and software that channels content to the system’s director, who forwards the coded signals to the display.

From a central management distribution center, multimedia display systems are fed electronic messaging (created by image and graphics software) by either telephone or IP network lines or a wireless narrowcasting system to display changeable (animated, video, or still) messages from a real-time or prerecorded source.

Designers of digital signage projects look out for “dwell zones,” or those spots where people pause to watch a video display and are likely to be influenced by the message.

Dale Smith, director of business development for Peerless Industries, says today’s ad dollars are being shifted from “at home” content to content viewed away from the home. “Content providers must take into account specific viewing times, repeat trips, and the need to inform, educate, and influence,” he said.

In fact, spending on out-of-home video advertising in the United States reached $1.28 billion in 2007 and is projected to reach $3.22 billion by 2011. A study conducted last year by Online Testing Exchange said that digital signage catches the attention of more people than any other comparable advertising medium.

And that’s one reason a growing number of colleges, universities, and even K-12 schools are opting for digital signage.

According to Sanju Khatri, a principal analyst at iSuppli, the top three venues for digital signage use are retail, transportation, and indoor venues; however, many businesses and universities also are adopting the technology.

“More universities are looking at this technology,” agreed Ron Snaidauf, vice president of commercial products for LG Electronics USA, “especially as a means of security and safety for students and staff. Digital signage also has great possibilities for [giving directions], scheduling, class information, and more.”

John Holmes, marketing manager for public displays at Sony Electronics, says that while emergency warning capabilities make digital signage a smart choice for campuses, the signs also can help create school spirit. “There’s not one student out there who wouldn’t love to see rotating images from last night’s game, read news articles about [his or her] university’s achievements, or see ticketing schedules,” he said.

Another perk is the reduced need for printed advertisements on campus. “It can really help cut down on waste from posters and signs that are thrown in the trash, helping a campus to conserve paper and resources,” Snaidauf explained.

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands/WINNERSH, England, August 8, 2008 — Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), an international communications and information technology company, will show the latest developments in the Harris ONE™ approach at the 2008 International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) taking place September 12-16 in Amsterdam. (Stand 7.G20, RAI Centre). At IBC2008, Harris will address the industry’s most pressing challenges — including file-based workflows, 3 Gb/s infrastructure and multiplatform delivery — by demonstrating integrated technology solutions that enable broadcasters to move content and information seamlessly among products, systems and facilities. This creates efficiencies that allow broadcasters to stay competitive.

File-Based Workflows
Streamlined, file-based workflows have become essential to broadcasters looking to efficiently manage resources, assets and revenues and stay competitive. Harris is the one company capable of integrating core services and business operations into a unified system of interoperable broadcast and media applications — providing software-based infrastructure that facilitates rich media delivery across multiple networks, channels, formats and devices.

Media Software
IBC2008 marks the European debut of the new ADC-1000™ and D-Series DSX™ automation systems — next-generation products that feature tools for advanced digital file sharing and multiplatform support. Using standards such as BXF, both ADC-1000™ and D-Series DSX™ enable broadcasters to streamline workflows and increase profitability through integration with Comperio™ and Invenio® digital asset management systems, Enterprise Management and Harris business systems.

Harris also will demonstrate new media and VOD sales tool prototypes for its Landmark™ air-time sales system, enabling the system to handle multimode, nonlinear ad sales, as well as nonlinear inventory with Vision scheduling.

Sneak Preview: Visitors to the Harris stand will also see a new version of the Broadcast Master™ scheduling and sales suite, offering major advances that enable its Sales Master™ application to better support sales bookings for growing television markets. More detail to follow.

Servers
Harris will introduce NEXIO AMP™ 2.0, the powerful new version of the award-winning advanced media platform, which pairs a high-performance, HD/SD server architecture with best-in-class content protection. NEXIO AMP™ 2.0 features the industry-leading ability to support four high-definition video channels, including two HD ingest channels; and host integrated, software-enabled media applications, which allows customers to reduce hardware expenditures and improve overall workflow efficiency. The first media applications to be introduced — and demonstrated at IBC — will focus on automation, channel branding, audio track manipulation and multiviewer I/O monitoring.

A number of file-based workflow enhancements for the NEXIO AMP advanced media platform will also be showcased. Enhancements include integrated codec support for the P2®AVC-Intra™ and XDCAM® HD 35/50 formats; native support for compressed Pinnacle Mediastream files; MXF file exchange improvements; and support for GXF file import.

Also introduced will be new options that dramatically improve scalability of the NEXIO™ storage area network (SAN). Shared storage capacity is tripling from 24 TB to 72 TB, and Harris NXIQ near-line storage is growing by 60 percent, from 1 PB to 1.6 PB. In addition, a new Media Host architecture option employs Gigabit Ethernet connectivity to extend the number of clients that can attach to the SAN by an order of magnitude.

News Production
Visitors to the Harris stand will see an end-to-end demonstration of the full NewsForce™ HD/SD news workflow, showcasing transparent HD/SD operations from ingest through editing to air. NewsForce™ features a comprehensive range of editors - the Velocity ESX™ on-SAN high-resolution editor, the Velocity XNG™ field editor and the Velocity PRX™ low-resolution proxy editor — all of which offer seamless integration with leading newsroom computer systems to streamline the newsroom workflow. NewsForce™ also features full integration of Apple® Final Cut Pro® onto the NEXIO SAN — including P2® and XDCAM® file support — allowing editing to begin during ingest and the sharing of media and timelines with other NewsForce™ and Final Cut Pro® editors.

Also on display will be a new suite of interoperable NEXIO browse products, allowing broadcasters to implement a complete low-resolution workflow. The family of NEXIO browse systems includes support for in-server, low-resolution proxy generation; the Velocity PRX proxy editor; and InstantOnline III™, an offline render farm for conforming low- and high-resolution EDLs (including Final Cut Pro®) into high-resolution clips, and third-party media files into NEXIO clips.

3 Gb/s Infrastructure
With 1080p the next major step in HDTV, implementing 3 Gb/s technology provides broadcasters with an insurance policy for their future. Harris has made it easy and affordable to migrate to 1080p; since most Harris 3 Gb/s products are software-keyed, customers don’t pay for 1080p support until they need it. From signal processing and routing to multiviewers and video servers, Harris offers the industry’s most comprehensive range of cost-effective 3 Gb/s-ready products.

Highlights in the Harris “3 Gb/s Zone” at IBC2008 include:

* Servers — NEXIO AMP™, the industry’s first video server to offer 1080p support

* Converters — NEO® XHD-3903, the industry’s first HDTV converter available with built-in 3 Gb/s 1080p 50/59.94 processing and conversion capabilities

* Processors — X85™ 1RU all-in-one converter/synchronizer with optional HD frame rate conversion

* Synchronizers — SFS6800+, industry’s first 3 Gb/s audio/video synchronizer

* Test and Measurement — a new 3 Gb/s dual-input module with built-in signal source for the Videotek® TVM/VTM series and AVM-717 self-contained test and measurement solution

* Routers — Platinum MX™, new 5RU version of the industry-proven 3 Gb/s Platinum™ router series, offering high-end options such as an integrated multiviewer and mux/demux

Multiplatform Delivery
As consumers increasingly demand content on multiple devices in multiple formats — from HD and SD to IPTV, Internet TV and Mobile TV — today’s broadcasters are challenged with readying their content for multiple applications and channeling it through the right pipe, in the right format, at the right time. Whether the requirement is to move content within a facility or across the country, Harris provides broadcasters with the tools to streamline any delivery workflow.

TV Transmitters
At IBC2008, Harris will once again assert its leadership position in transmitter technology with the worldwide launch of the industry’s most power-dense, solid-state TV transmitter. With digital power levels up to 18.9 kW COFDM and analog levels up to 62.8 kW, the new Harris UHF liquid-cooled transmitter offers the best footprint-to-power ratio in the industry — allowing for simplified installation, easier maintenance and reduced total cost of ownership over the life of the transmitter. The new transmitter incorporates the Harris® Apex M2X™ multimedia exciter, providing multimedia broadcasters with one transmitter platform capable of multiple modulation schemes, including mobile standards. Harris will also launch an air-cooled series transmitter that leverages the liquid-cooled architecture and platform and provides a low-cost UHF transmission solution with power levels from 10 W to 2 kW.

Radio Transmitters
For broadcasters seeking to deliver digital radio and mobile TV programming over the same transmitter to mobile, handheld consumer devices, Harris will introduce the European market to its expanded DMB 670 transmitter line — with power levels from 125 W to 8 kW. The DMB 670 transmitter series offers best-in-class power-density levels and enables support of DMB mobile TV and DAB digital radio programming over the same transmission channel. At IBC, Harris will be demonstrating the air-cooled 4 kW DMB 670-4000 model.

Networking / Media Transport
Harris is leveraging the value and versatility of its industry-leading 6800+™ core processing platform to offer a range of cost-effective, modular solutions that address IP traffic, satellite demodulation and advanced video decoding applications. At IBC2008, Harris will highlight the IPS6800+, a two-channel, bidirectional IP video gateway module that provides a cost-effective alternative to transporting uncompressed SDI video; and the MFD6800+ MPEG-2/H.264 multiformat decoder module, which provides the flexibility of ASI or IP-based MPEG-2 or H.264 SD or HD decoding.

Addressing broadcast transmitter site security, Harris will show a new video surveillance application for its Intraplex® NetXpress™ audio over IP platform. The AVC-1 uses low bit-rate MPEG-4/H.264 video compression and built-in video analytics to send multicast or unicast video, which can be viewed on one or more PCs anywhere on the IP network.

Digital Signage
As media companies extend the services they provide to include digital signage, Harris has extended its capabilities to support the content delivery chain for out-of-home displays — addressing the entire workflow from production and scheduling through distribution and presentation. Harris will present an extensive digital signage demonstration featuring its InfoCaster™ product line at the IBC Digital Signage Zone and at its own booth, where it will used to convey the Harris brand and messaging.

Broadcast Graphics and Master Control
Harris will demonstrate a range of advanced graphics and master control solutions that enable today’s broadcast operation to differentiate its on-air look and protect its brand.

Harris is introducing its most advanced broadcast graphics system to the European market — Inscriber® G7™ — which runs the latest G-Scribe™ creation and playout software; delivers 2D and 3D real-time graphics in SD or HD over two channels; streamlines workflows by integrating DVE and Media Store for managing, retrieving and playing out stills, templates, clips and animations; and drives third-party specialized applications without needing a separate playout device.

Also new is Inscriber Network Manager, which centrally publishes media content to various Inscriber graphics systems from any system on a local network, a wide area network, or across the Internet, giving operators complete control over where resources are stored and how they are distributed.

Launching at IBC2008 is Inscriber RTX™ v2.0, providing more flexibility and power for developing custom broadcast graphics applications. RTX™ v2.0 runs on the new Altitude™ Express hardware platform, features a new interface as a native.NET API and includes support for Unicode. The new real-time 3D engine supports G-Scribe™ layouts that can also be created with the G7™, allowing users to import, design, create and control 3D scenes with advanced graphics treatments.

Harris also introduces version 3.0 of its IconMaster™ master control switcher, which provides flexible control in multichannel environments. IconMaster™ v 3.0 leverages the new IconMaster™ SCP, a touch panel-driven software control panel that connects multiple IconMaster module sets and controls multiple channels. Other features include CENTRIO™ multiviewer control and router control over Ethernet.

Advanced Audio Processing
At IBC2008, Harris will demonstrate a range of advanced audio solutions for TV that can reduce costs for broadcasters and improving the listening experience for consumers, including the Videotek® QuiC™ media analysis server, which now combines loudness monitoring technology with automated quality control and correction tools to form a unique market offering that eliminates unacceptable volume swells for the home viewer.

Harris will also introduce the world’s first embedded audio processing router, which combines Harris TDM MAX audio routing and wideband video within the Harris® Platinum™ routing platform — eliminating the need to use separate routers and external signal processing equipment to manipulate embedded solutions. IBC2008 also will see the introduction of Dolby® processing to the popular 6800+™ platform.

Visitors to the Harris stand will also see a compact loudness control solution that combines the Neural THX®-Surround Multimerge product, which provides a 5.1 mix no matter what audio signal is provided at the input, and Neural Loudness Control™, which enables broadcasters to manage perceived loudness levels within a specific desired volume range.

Multi-Source Display Processing
At IBC2008, Harris will showcase the industry’s broadest portfolio of multiviewers — including products from Zandar Technologies, which Harris acquired in November 2007. The Harris offer ranges from the award-winning CENTRIO™ multiviewer to the first-of-its-kind Zandar™ QS100HD Quad™ multiviewer in a card, which is specially designed for the Sony® LMD range of monitors.

At IBC, Harris will introduce a 1RU version (4, 8, 12 inputs) of its Zandar Predator II™ range, which offers highly scalable, auto-sensing solution for control rooms, production centers and monitoring facilities, and will showcase new integration between its multiviewer offering and its CCS Navigator™ monitoring and control software and NUCLEUS™ user-configurable network control panels.

Test & Measurement
Harris will showcase a full range of precision test and measurement solutions that enable broadcast and cable engineers to simplify and automate the quality control process.

With its Videotek® STAR range of handheld products, Harris will showcase a full range of portable test and measurement solutions for broadcast and cable engineers. New introductions include ASI-STAR™, a troubleshooting device for pinpointing failures and other problems in an ASI transport stream, offering ETR 290 priority 1 alarms and PSIP table information; and GEN-STAR™, which offers HD-SDI/SD-SDI generation, discrete AES audio output, and genlock capabilities through a reference input. Harris will also add the TVM-4DG low-cost, HD signal monitor to its Videotek TVM series of test instruments.

Harris Broadcast Communications offers products, systems and services that provide interoperable workflow solutions that span the entire media delivery chain. The Harris ONE™ approach brings together highly integrated and cost-effective products that are ideal for emerging media business models and for customers upgrading media operations to digital and high-definition services.

About Harris Corporation
Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has annual revenue of more than $5 billion and 16,000 employees — including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications®; products, systems, and services. Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at www.harris.com.

VIA Technologies‘ new VIA EPIA M700 Mini-ITX board is the first to feature the VIA VX800 chipset, for sophisticated digital signage and retail display systems.

As today’s information, entertainment and commercial display systems feature ever more immersive content, this board addresses the increasing demands for enhanced media playback and visual clarity across multiple displays in digital multimedia applications with support for dual-DVI or DVI plus HDMI configurations with unique resolutions, pixel depths and refresh rates.

Featuring a 1,5 GHz or a fanless 1,0 GHz VIA C7 processor, the M700 leverages the multimedia performance of the VIA VX800 unified chipset with its integrated VIA Chrome9 HC3 integrated graphics core for DirectX 9.0 3D graphics and up to six-channel VIA Vinyl HD Audio rich surround sound, while the VIA Chromotion video engine provides advanced hardware video acceleration and an improved visual experience for MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV9, VC1 and DivX video, plus a VMR capable HD video processor. It also supports up to 2 GB of the latest DDR2 system memory.

As multimedia file sizes grow, so speedy server connectivity is becoming increasingly important in dynamic digital signage and kiosk solutions, so the M700 boasts two PCI-Express based Gigabit LAN ports to facilitate wideband data transfer for large video and other files over networks.

As well as a front panel DVI port, pin headers for an additional DVI or HDMI port through a daughterboard are also included, as is support for 18-bit TTL displays. Digital video input is available through pin headers supporting CCIR-656/601//transport stream video, and there is also an S/PDIF connector. The VIA Vinyl VT1708B HD Audio codec supports up to six high definition channels with a 192 kHz sampling rate, delivering a richer all-round digital media experience.

Storage includes both an IDE port with a shared Type I Compact Flash port, two SATA II ports and up to six USB 2.0 ports, two through onboard connectors. Connectivity comes in the form of dual Gigabit LAN ports on the high speed PCI-Express bus. Data protection is assured with the integrated VIA PadLock Security Engine and the onboard MFX-01 module.

Thomson, a leader in video solutions, is working with Symon, a global digital signage solution company, to integrate the value and flexibility of the Thomson Grass Valley MEDIAEDGE3 DS video delivery platform with Symon’s TargetVision enterprise-wide digital signage software. A combined solution of the two companies’ Internet Protocol (IP)-based technologies will offer complete scalability, supporting all types of infrastructures, from a single site to hundreds of sites across the globe.

Working closely together, both companies will offer customers a powerful combination of the Thomson Grass Valley MEDIAEDGE3 IP server and display system with Symon’s TargetVision enterprise-wide digital signage solution. The goal is to assist schools, corporations, and retail organizations to create and narrowcast dynamic content cost-effectively to high-definition (HD) displays or computer desktops located virtually anywhere.

“We are extremely pleased that will be working with Thomson on the many exciting digital signage opportunities that will benefit from our combined solution,” said Keith Roller, senior vice president of technology for Symon. “The benefit provided through our relationship with Thomson allows Symon to continue to enhance the offerings that we provide all our customers.”

The Symon TargetVision system offers users precisely targeted, totally engaging and completely relevant content that impacts both employee and customer behavior. System components include: Symon Design Studio software for content authoring, management, reporting and scheduling; and Symon Professional Services, a suite of technical engineering and customer service offerings.

“Our MEDIAEDGE3 DS is … for getting the content precisely where it is needed across networks, which might be in the same building or around the world,” said Jeff Rosica, senior vice president of Thomson’s broadcast & professional solutions within the systems division. “The key to the commercial success of digital signage is for users to be able to acquire and implement a single, well integrated, seamless end-to end-solution, which is why we are so excited by partnerships such as this.”

The Thomson MEDIAEDGE3 is a LAN-based video delivery system using standard TCP/IP networks and displays. The flexible, modular design offers a cost-effective method for distributing video content to multiple PC and set-top box clients including pre-programmed broadcast, live streaming and full-featured interactive video-on-demand.

System components include MEDIAEDGE-LEB60, a real-time MPEG-1/MPEG-2 encoder that instantly rebroadcasts via an internal server; MEDIAEDGE3-SVS3 server software featuring applications for overall content management, server and client configuration; MEDIAEDGE3-SWT3 client software, a Web browser plug-in for PCs connected to the MEDIAEDGE network; and, MEDIAEDGE-STB3, a set-top box for MPEG decoding with a remote-control unit for MEDIAEDGE3 network browsing.

Whhether it’s suspended from the ceiling of a retail store, positioned near a gate in an airport terminal, or stationed in a hotel lobby, a digital sign has one basic function: to communicate.

Clearly, the types of communication -informational, promotional or advertising-related- are unique and different. What’s the same is the expectation of the person responsible for the digital sign that it will convey a bit of information to its intended audience. All other expectations for the sign -like connecting emotionally with a viewer, branding a store or a product, or promoting a specific product or offer- are built on this single foundation.

However, identifying the core function of a digital sign is quite a bit easier than actually executing that function. Why? Simply stated it is because digital signs exist in a media milieu that inundates, saturates and dominates the comings and goings of the public as it attends to its daily affairs. In other words, a digital sign has to compete with hundreds of other messages bombarding its audience throughout the day, cut through the noise and connect -even for one brief moment- with its audience just to deliver a few bits of information.

Granted, if that information is something a member of the intended audience is seeking out -such as directions or information to confirm what’s going on in a specific conference room- making that connection will be much easier. But if the goal is to promote or advertise a service or product that passersby are only mildly interested in -or even worse- unaware of, making that connection to communicate becomes a more difficult challenge.

Fortunately, the tools and expertise to communicate with text, graphics, animation and video are widely available, relatively affordable and well understood. With 60-plus years of television under the nation’s belt, both those imparting information with video and those receiving that communication have a long track record of communicating via TV.

Without question, digital signs aren’t television, but they’re about as close as one can get to TV without mounting an antenna to a tower and firing up a transmitter. As a result, digital signage communicators can use the common elements digital signs share with television to present their messages in a visual shorthand that anyone who watches TV understands.

It is worth mentioning, however, that the visual shorthand of television is in flux. The old nearly square picture tube that dominated the living rooms of America for the past six decades is giving way to the wider, clearer flat panel display that’s capturing a growing share of the home TV market. In fact, that latest survey from Frank N. Magid Associates finds that 25 percent of U.S. television households now own HDTVs. That’s 28 million dwellings in the United States where television viewing is done on a sharp, wide television screen.

The same survey found that the pace at which younger adults -ages 21 to 34- are buying HDTVs has quickened. It also found 28 percent of those buyers purchased an HDTV to connect the high definition set to a game console, such as a Sony PlayStation 3 or Microsoft Xbox 360.

The growth of U.S. HDTV households in general and the significant number of younger adults connecting them to a game console speaks to other side of the digital signage expectation equation: specifically what the digital signage audience expects.

Those responsible for digital signage content must take into account that their audience is developing an increasingly sophisticated visual appetite. Where standard definition video was once the cost of admission into the video game, high definition video will soon become the base line. Where organization of content on a relatively square, relatively low-resolution screen dominated TV, digital signage content increasingly will be organized into zones on a high-resolution, rectangular screen.

And finally, where rather artificial representations of reality once dominated TV animation, true-to-life-looking animated elements are quickly becoming the norm. Given the Magid finding related to how many young adults are buying HDTVs to connect to a game console coupled with the stunning, life-like animation that’s common in video games like Madden NFL 08 from EA Sports, it’s clear the bar is being raised dramatically.

None of this is to say that digital signage content producers must hirer teams of digital cinematographers and 3-D artists. Rather, it’s only a reminder of where the visual tastes of digital signage audiences in this country are headed. Keeping the viewer’s expectations foremost in mind while creating digital signage content is the first step to realizing the only reasonable expectation a digital signage user can have: namely, to communicate.

David Little is a digital signage enthusiast with 20 years of experience helping professionals use technology to more effectively communicate their unique marketing messages. He is the director of marketing for Keywest Technology in Lenexa, KS, a software development company specializing in systems for digital signage creation, scheduling, management and playback. For further digital signage insight from Keywest Technology, download our Six Basic Digital Signage Applications white paper; subscribe to our digital signage RSS feed that gives a diverse perspective on digital signage from experts around the world; and sign up for our Keywest Update news brief.

Dynamax Technologies, providing digital signage solutions, announced its partnership with The Knowledge Zone Ltd. (TKZ) and Solutions, Inc. for designing and implementing an HD digital signage network called iZone for displaying yachting-oriented content in the yachting town of Cowes, Isle of Wight.

TKZ is a major publisher and distributor of sailing, yachting and boating content in Cowes, Isle of Wight, U.K. and Solutions, Inc. is an Apple (News - Alert) premium reseller and wireless network innovator. TKZ specializes in the development, production, and distribution of multimedia content aimed at yachting, boating, and leisure sailing enthusiasts.

The iZone system consists of 12 screens erected throughout Cowes which are securely networked by state-of-the-art wireless technology. It will be powered by Dynamax Technologies’ POV digital signage content management, preparation and delivery application.

Solutions Inc. was involved in the supervision of the network’s design and technical requirements and it installed the wireless nodes and screens. The three companies collaborated to ensure the interoperability of all of the components and for performing multiple operation tests, so as to bring the network online.

Cowes is a well-known yachting destination and the availability of the new iZone network will enable yachting enthusiasts to permanently experience HD content related to each day’s competition, along with other related footage and information on the system throughout the year.

“This distinctive, specialized digital out-of-home media network deployment truly showcases POV’s world-class flexibility, scalability, and functionality, as well as its penchant for efficiently managing complex architectures across multiple technology platforms,” said Ian McKenzie, chief executive officer at Dynamax Technologies Ltd.

“Moreover, this installation also demonstrates POV’s ease of use, seamless integration, and utility in a wide range of diverse indoor and outdoor environments, industries, and market segments.”

Steve Sleight, managing editor of TKZ, explained that the introduction of iZone is the next logical step for The Knowledge Zone in expanding the reach and distribution of sailing and boating content to a much broader and more engaged target audience.

Digital out-of-home media networks, such as iZone, are important components of TKZ’s content creation and distribution strategy. It offers opportunities to deliver rich, compelling, and useful information, besides powerful advertising from marketing partners.

The iZone network of 12 HD screens will be placed at the town’s main marina and popular pubs. These digital signage installations will offer editorial content and advertising. HD sailing footage produced by TZK, sailing conditions with tide information in the waters, weather forecasts and scrolling news headlines will be broadcast on the HD screens.

Dynamax Technologies offers digital signage software applications and designs out-of-home communications networks for media content owners and distributors, retailers, government agencies, universities, and Fortune Global 500 corporations. The company’s POV delivers customized and highly-targeted news, advertising, and informational content in real time to thousands of networked screens from a single location.

The market leading retail signage and broadcast solution is designed to transmit HD and SD content over simple computer networks (IPTV) and coaxial cable in the same way that terrestrial digital television is broadcast.

The system offers a no compromise solution for new and existing installations in a wide variety of retail stores.

The unique and market leading development created by Digital Media Projects will mean that in many cases the addition of a single unit will enable an existing coaxially cabled store to broadcast HD direct to TV’s.

The cost saving implication of the technology is enormous, as there is no need to re-cable a retail store in order for it to broadcast HD content and HD/SD digital signage. A single uHDMS unit is all that’s required to enable both DVB-T/ATSC terrestrial and IPTV broadcast.

For the first time retailers will be able to distribute stunning HD content over their existing cable network to demonstrate the quality and capability of their HD screens.

Digital Media Projects CEO and founder Nicholas Fearnley commented ‘electronics retailers are facing a difficult time over the coming months, it is vitally important that the television screens on display capture a customers attention by demonstrating the very best HD content, and ultimately lead customers to make a purchase. I believe our system not only gives retailers a significant edge over the competition, but could potentially save them thousands of pounds in store installation costs.’

Digital Signage Solutions Leader and Major Sailing Content Publisher Team with Apple(TM) Reseller Solutions, Inc. to Design and Implement State-of-the-Art HD Network to Debut in August in Prestigious International Yachting Destination

Last update: 3:01 a.m. EDT Aug. 1, 2008
BLACKBURN, England & COWES, ISLE OF WIGHT, England, Aug 01, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Dynamax Technologies Ltd., a global leader in digital signage solutions, today announced it has teamed with Cowes, Isle of Wight, U.K.-based The Knowledge Zone Ltd. (TKZ), a major publisher and distributor of sailing, yachting, and boating content, and Solutions, Inc., the U.K.’s premier Apple Premium Reseller and wireless network innovator, to design and implement a high-definition (HD) digital signage network, called iZone, to display yachting-oriented content in the world-famous yachting town of Cowes, Isle of Wight.
The iZone system, comprised of 12 screens stationed throughout Cowes, is securely networked by state-of-the-art wireless technology, and powered by Dynamax Technologies’ POV digital signage content management, preparation, and delivery application. Solutions Inc. supervised the network’s design and technical requirements, and physically installed its wireless nodes and screens. The three companies worked collaboratively to ensure the interoperability of all components, perform multiple operational tests, and bring the network online by July 31, 2008.
Cowes, known worldwide for its yachting heritage, typically hosts approximately 200 racing events each season. The major event of the year is the world-famous Cowes Week, first staged in 1826, and the largest and longest-running regatta of its type in the world. Every year, more than 120,000 sailing aficionados converge on the prestigious international yachting destination for the week-long affair, and to enjoy the town’s unique atmosphere and setting. Now, with the availability of the new iZone network, yachting enthusiasts can permanently experience HD content related to each weekday’s competition, and a wide range of related footage and information on the system throughout the remainder of the year.
“This distinctive, specialized digital out-of-home media network deployment truly showcases POV’s world-class flexibility, scalability, and functionality, as well as its penchant for efficiently managing complex architectures across multiple technology platforms,” said Ian McKenzie, chief executive officer at Dynamax Technologies Ltd. “Moreover, this installation also demonstrates POV’s ease of use, seamless integration, and utility in a wide range of diverse indoor and outdoor environments, industries, and market segments.”
“The introduction of iZone is the next logical step for The Knowledge Zone in significantly expanding the reach and distribution of our sailing and boating content to a much broader and more engaged target audience,” said Steve Sleight, managing editor of The Knowledge Zone. “Digital out-of-home media networks, such as iZone, are important components of our content creation and distribution strategy, and offer tremendous opportunities worldwide to deliver rich, compelling, and useful information, as well as powerful advertising from our marketing partners.”
The initial iZone network rollout consists of 12 HD screens stationed throughout Cowes. One screen is placed outdoors at the town’s main marina, Cowes Yacht Haven, while others are deployed in the town’s most popular pubs. Unlike most digital signage installations, which exclusively display advertising messages, the iZone network broadcasts useful editorial content, as well as advertising. Using a multiple-region format for the screens, the network broadcasts live and recorded HD sailing video footage produced by TKZ; current sailing conditions on the Solent, the area of water between southern England and the Isle of Wight made tricky by strong double tides; weather reports and forecasts; tide information; and scrolling news headlines provided by major news sources and TKZ’s Cowes Online web site.
In the future, the new network will enable TKZ to deliver live content directly from the water to the shoreside audience, who, in previous years, has not been able to get close to the action on the race course. Additional plans include extending the network of screens operated by TKZ to other locations throughout the Isle of Wight and onto the U.K. mainland, and the development of a mobile network to provide real-time race updates, live video, and information to mobile devices.
About Dynamax Technologies Ltd.
Headquartered in the United Kingdom, with regional offices in New York, N.Y., Dynamax Technologies Ltd. is a global leader in digital signage software applications, and a leading designer of out-of-home communications networks for media content owners and distributors, retailers, government agencies, universities, and Fortune Global 500 corporations. Dynamax enables its clients to connect with core target audiences by eliminating many of the complexities associated with launching and maintaining digital signage networks. The company’s flagship product, POV, reaches over 30 million consumers around the world each week by delivering customized and highly-targeted news, advertising, and informational content in real time to thousands of networked screens from a single location. Dynamax has strong partnerships with major digital signage, information technology, and audio/visual hardware vendors, and important customer relationships with top-tier retailers, content providers, and corporations. For more information, please visit http://www.dynamaxworld.com.
About The Knowledge Zone Ltd.
Based in Cowes, Isle of Wight, U.K., The Knowledge Zone (TKZ) is one of a new breed of digital publishers focused on delivering high-quality content on specific topics to targeted audiences through whichever media they prefer. The company specializes in the development, production, and distribution of multimedia content aimed at yachting, boating, and leisure sailing enthusiasts. Its print properties include the heavily-illustrated, world best-selling Complete Sailing Manual, published by DK worldwide; the Royal Yachting Association’s flagship book, Start Sailing; and the Cowes Port Handbook, an annual guide to the U.K.’s sailing and boating playground. In the online realm, TKZ publishes Cowes Online ( http://www.cowes.co.uk), the official Web site of Cowes, and its rich media section Cowes TV ( http://www.cowes.tv), which offers live and on-demand video streams of all sailing competitions staged throughout the year in the town. For more information, please visit http://www.theknowledgezone.net, or http://www.cowes.co.uk.
About Solutions Inc.
Headquartered in Brighton & Hove, with four other retail locations across the southeast region of the U.K., Solutions Inc. was founded on one simple ethos: to provide customers with elegant and affordable resolutions to their specific business logic problems. Now, with over 16 years experience in delivering best-of-breed information technology (IT) and communication facilities to the creative and education sectors, few can match the firm’s professionalism and pedigree. Supported by over 60 technical experts, Solutions Inc is the U.K.’s most dynamic and technically-adept Premium Reseller of Apple’s computer and lifestyle products. Through its own Internet services division, the company has an enviable track record in pervasive wireless deployments, including the U.K.’s first commercial metropolitan area wireless Internet service, launched in Brighton in 2002, and the U.K.’s largest metro area wireless network for home learning, launched in Blackpool in 2004. Solutions Inc. specializes in the complete management of all aspects of a deployment, from hardware specification and network design, to software support and round-the-clock maintenance. For more information, please visit http://www.solutions-inc.co.uk.
SOURCE: Dynamax Technologies Ltd.

Abelson Group, Inc.
Keith R. Pillow, 805-389-1815
keith@abelsongroup.com
or
The Knowledge Zone Ltd
Steve Sleight, +44 (0) 1983-245505
steve.sleight@theknowledgezone.net

Wal-Mart plans to move its TV screens closer to eye level and incorporate them into product displays in its second-generation digital TV and signage network, according to another wal mart digital signage article.

Details of this new stage in the Wal-Mart Smart Network are set to be spelled out in New York and Northwest Arkansas on Sept. 3 and are said to also include other key changes in the retailer’s digital video signage, according to the article.

Blue Chip Technologies has expanded its line of digital signage controllers with two units based on 64-bit AMD Athlon processors. The Vario Elite FX and Elite FX2 (running a dual core processor) run Windows XP Embedded and make use of the latest high bandwidth technology such as PCI Express, SATA, gigabit LAN, and dual channel memory, according to the company.

Blue Chip says the Elite series incorporates Nvidia’s “Pure Video” Technology for support of HDTV resolutions, high bit rate content, and “stunning” 3D rendering. All industry standard media files are supported including MPEG 2, MPEG 4, WMV, AVI and DiVX. Content displays at native resolution with “full image rotation.”

Blue Chip lists the following key features and specifications for the Elite series signage controllers:

• Processor — AMD Athlon 64 single and dual core; clock rate not specified
• Memory — 4 184-pin DIMM sockets; supports up to 4 GB DDR400 SDRAM
• Display:
  • Nvidia GeForce 6150 GPU with 300 MHz RAMDAC
  • all common resolutions up to 1920 x 1440 including widescreen and HDTV (720i/720p, 1080i)
  • custom utility for nonstandard resolutions
  • VGA, composite and S-video outputs, optional TV in
• Storage:
  • HDD — 80 to 200 GB SATA II drive
  • CompactFlash — 256 MB to 4 GB
  • drive bay for DVD-R or DVD-RW
• I/O ports:
  • Gigabit Ethernet with Nvidia ActiveArmor Firewall
  • 2 internal and 4 external USB 2.0 ports
  • 1 RS232 serial
  • parallel port
  • 2 IEEE 1394 Firewire, 1 internal, 1 external
  • PS/2 keyboard and mouse
  • high-definition 5.1 channel audio
• Expansion — optional PCI slot or one PCI Express x 16 slot
• Wireless — WiFi optionally supported via USB or PCI

The ruggedized 1U-high unit can be easily mounted to the rear of a display or in a rack, according to Blue Chip.

Currently, the Elite series is available for “product demonstration,” according to Blue Chip. The U.K.-based company says it is actively recruiting European distributors for the Vario range.

Please join us for a live Webinar – Deploying High-Definition Video Digital Signage. What every integrator and user needs to know.

• Thursday 6/26/2008
  3pm Eastern Daylight Time
• Thursday 7/10/2008
  3pm Eastern Daylight Time
• Thursday 7/24/2008
  3pm Eastern Daylight Time

To Register or Join the live event, visit the agnpro website.

The AGNPRO digital signage team will provide an overview of the challenges facing digital signage deployments and offer tools and advice on how to choose the right technology to properly distribute and playback your content. The focus will be on High-Definition Video Digital Signage Content and the unique obstacles that deploying this new media format can present.

· HD content is here and in demand
· The media player vs. the PC
· The computer monitor vs. the TV
· HDMI – The new kid on the block
· File formats and Codecs
· Layouts and content distribution
· Scheduling playback and updates
· The AGNPRO digital signage lineup