LCD Digital Signage Solutions For Smart City
Adopt a Digital Signage Solution
Display Screen Sizes and Types
Something as simple as a digital photo frame can be the perfect signage solution for a small shop. On the other hand, LCD Digital Signage Solutions also encompasses billboard-sized displays and multi-screen video walls.
In theory, any display can be repurposed as a digital sign. In reality however, this type of corner cutting will do more harm than good. A traditional consumer television makes for a poor digital signage solution,and is liable to wear out before the benefits of digital media can be achieved.
Professional-grade commercial displays, by comparison, are engineered to an “always on” usage model and ruggedized for 24/7 operationin demanding public environments. These commercial displays may include some or all of the following advanced features:• Support for a wide range of content types,including video, still images, HTML web pages, Flash, PowerPoint and more
• Multiple input options to enable a broad variety of content from a number of different sources
• Built-in speakers and audio output for external speakers
• Remote control, networking, programming and scheduling, and screen saver functionality
• Enhanced brightness and contrast levels for superior image quality
• True high-definition images
• Ability to operate in both portrait and landscape modes
• Options for wall-mounted and free-
standing installations
• Video wall support
• Touch screen interactivity
Location
The old saying about real estate is just as true for digital signage – location is everything. If content is king, then location defines the scope of the realm. Even the most engaging content will do little good if it’s not seen at the right time, in the right place, by the right audience. Sometimes location is obvious. In a quick service restaurant, the digital menu board will occupy space previously filled by the old-fashioned “analog” menu. Travel schedules and maps in a transportation terminal should be positioned in convenient locations where travelers would expect to find them.
Some environments, such as medical facilities, may be subject to regulations governing where displays can be mounted and how far they can protrude from the wall. Other factors that influence choice of placement as well as content development include:
• Will the audience be walking, standing or sitting?
• What placement will comfortably enhance viewing?
• Length of exposure to the signage?
• Do the locations provide maximum visibility without impeding traffic flow?
• Do differing locations draw different audiences and call for content adjustments?
Configuration and Wiring
Media Players and Networking The media player – the device that sends content to the displays – is a critical component in a digital signage solution. The key requirement is that the media player support the types of content desired.
Most x86-based media players support popular photo and video file formats, as well as common office documents and PDFs. Some newer models extend support to HTML5 and may include pre-
made widgets for enhancing signage design.
Although most often a discreet component in the overall solution, integrated media players are included in some commercial displays. For smaller installations, such as an individual shop or lobby,employing a small digital display with built-in media player is often sufficient. In these cases content can be housed on a removable storage medium such as a thumb drive or the media player’s internal storage for an easy, cost-effective solution.
Multi-screen installations often require one or more dedicated media players with networking capability. A single media player can drive a network of several displays, delivering the same content to each display. Pairing a separate media player with each display enables delivery of unique content to each and every display. While networking is not required when each display has a dedicated media player, deploying a network provides enhanced capabilities for scheduling,programming, content management, and remote control. Without a network, new content must be manually reloaded onto each media player;when media players are networked, content can be managed and updated remotely from a single location.
For larger deployments and applications requiring high bandwidth content delivery, it can be most efficient to install a dedicated network to support the digital signage. If scalability of the solution is a goal, it is helpful to consider this from the outset when assessing network requirements.