LCD Enclosures

Sports and entertainment venues are turning to digital signage to create an extra income stream and at the same time engage with visitors making their experience an enjoyable one.

When you go to a sports stadium to watch a basketball game or to watch your favourite band, you are not just buying a ticket for a seat that is in a good position, you are buying into the technology behind the stadium, this is why stadium management are waking up to the idea of using digital signage.

A sports stadium using digital signage can delivery very targeted dynamic messages that is not just relevant to a particular visitor but what is happening at that event at that specific moment, this would have been impossible before the deployment of any form of electronic billboards.

With the varying type of events that are hosted at these sports stadiums, they need to communicate different messages to different parts of the arena at the same time, this is the most important part of any dynamic signage solution. In order to achieve this, the signage solution must be easy to use and flexible.

An example of a digital solution is several large format TV screens set up indoors, with large screens positioned outside the stadium.

To have a trouble free system, all you need to do is bear some of the points in mind when planning and deploying the signage system.

Where will you place the screens?
Before you start deploying the screens, you have to assess what is the natural visitor flow to the arena? Do they got through the:

• Car parks
• Main stadium access areas
• Box Office
• Lobby
• Beverage and food area
• Merchandise stands
• Private boxes
• Seating area

Targeted Content.
This is the ability to deliver the right message to the right person at the right moment, any successful solution will have the facility to guide the audience throughout their stay, from entering the venue, buying food or a drink to buying merchandise.

In the past few years security has stepped up at high level events, but the arena management are always concerned with your safety, so having the opportunity to use the electronic signs as an emergency notification system adds more value to the system than the ability to sell.

Areas were targeted content can be used.

Exiting the car park – When you are leaving the venue, the signage can indicate the exit routes that are clear and not clogged up, they can also advise on the weather and condition of the roads.

Private Box – These are often used for corporate events, these can be fed corporate specific content, including season ticket promotions for a suite.

We have only touched on the applications in which the signage system can be used, there are one hundred and one ways, however we hope that the information given is of some benefit to you and helps you understand how sports arenas use the new technology signage systems.

LCD Enclosure Global are the worlds leading manufacturer of outdoor LED enclosures, that are supplied to digital signage integrators for deployment throughout the world, they have currently developed a taxi cab digital signage enclosure that will be launched at the end of February.

Digital signage or advertising, call it what you will, this has changed the way people shop, now using technology taxi cabs will be able to use digital signage inside as well as outside the cab whilst empty or carrying fares. So could taxi cab digital signage be the next big thing?

The main reason for this development is that like all new technology, once a system is proved to work it is pushed out to almost everyone, whilst it is in development people are watching the initial project with anticipation to see if it will be a success as they do not wish to invest in an industry that could lose money.

You may have seen the digital screens in the back of the cabs promoting local attractions from hotels to restaurants, well now with the use of a taxi cab enclosure, digital signage can now be placed on top of the taxi roof and create an income stream for the taxi company as well as ad agencies.

This type of taxi cab digital signage enclosure, is designed and manufactured to protect the internal electronics from the weather and potential theft, as the enclosure provides a secure micro environment for the hardware to work in a controlled environment.

This taxi cab topper could be the next best thing in the digital signage industry, as we have seen a huge increase in manufacturers offering outdoor TV cabinets, these are used as large outdoor billboards and can be tiled together to form a massive video wall on sides of buildings.

Like the Apple iPad this could be the next biggest thing for 2010, let us watch the development and see.

LCD Enclosure Global are the world renowned manufacturer of digital signage enclosures that are used in fuel pump advertising, outdoor digital signage and now they have launched a taxi top digital signs for a complete turnkey solution.

Remember the last time you were at a sports hall? Watching the game or the Tai Kwon Do tournament, you are there and captured for a number of hours – right? Here are five tips on how to make your digital signage solution a success.

Now smart businesses are using this time to market their relevant products to us, for the likes of Nike or even the local sportswear store, this is perfect, so this sort of advertising is within reach of most businesses.

Let us look at the history of signage in sports halls, well if you are like me you will have seen static printed posters that are either in light boxes or just pasted on to the wall, then the ads seem to take a huge jump, this is down to the use of digital signage. Using dynamic advertising can create the “wow” factor and engages the audience, when done correctly. However for maximum success and profitability of a digital sign campaign will be achieved if you consider the following 5 tips.

1. Number of screens needed – Unlike retail space, a sports arena is much larger, even the smallest arenas are larger than most retail stores, and the screen size vary from the large Jumbotron (that is located above the field) to the smaller screens near vending areas. The digital signage network must have a software platform that can deliver the content to all the displays without compromising on the resolution and irrelevant of screen size.
2. The network must run in real time – This allows advertisers to pick when they want to have their ads displayed, such as just after a touch down or a foul, when the player has been given a red card or just before half time (perfect for food ads).

3. Vary Content – Any network needs to vary its content and include entertainment, information and news as well as the paid ads.

4. Video Delivery – The network must have enough bandwidth to deliver High Definition (HD) video without compromising the network integrity. This must be done at the planning stage, as you don’t want any blank videos because the network cabling isn’t sufficient to support video. This can be achieved with hard wired, or wireless or even a mix of these two technologies.

5. Controlling the network – This must be done locally at the arena, if it is done off site you do not know if the game has been extended due to injury time or timeouts. The digital signage system must have at least one person who is on site to queue ads in the event that the game overruns.

These 5 tips will help any installer achieve a successful digital signage solution at a sports arena.

LCD Enclosure Global are the worlds leading manufacturer of outdoor LED enclosures, that are supplied to sports arenas including Nebraska Football stadium and Manchester United to name two.

One of the most fundamental reasons digital signage is used, is that it can capture audiences attention and in turn make a profit, without this profit there is no money to fund new or even extend a network. We will discuss how your outdoor signage solution will have advertisers queuing up to place ads on your signage.

In 2009 there was a clear difference from the signage network deployers and the people who advertised on these networks.

The deployer – these are companies who invested in the hardware, planned the screen locations, create the network and then there is the advertisers.

Advertisers – these people invest in content rich campaigns that are then uploaded to the signage network, ensuring the content is relevant to the target market.

The easiest way a deployer can have advertisers knocking down his door is to give them what they want – sounds easy, right? Well most advertisers want full screen ads, that are ubber targeted at their audience, the content has to reach out to each targeted demographics and tap them on the shoulder.

One key phrase is worth its weight in gold and that is; “high foot traffic + lots of eyeballs = successful and profitable campaign.”

Networks that offer maximum foot traffic with much longer dwell time will be the sites that command the most money but will also be the most viewed.

Using these points, should help you plan the perfect digital signage network that will repeatedly bring in high profits to remember dwell time is as important as traffic.

LCD Enclosure Global are the worlds leading manufacturer of outdoor LED enclosures, that are supplied to digital signage integrators for deployment throughout the world.

With the success of digital signage, it is now creeping every where from airports, train stations and gas stations. Now let us discuss the options for digital signage for taxi cabs.

There are several options for taxi cab digital signage, they stem from screens built into the drivers and front passenger headrests, these run from internal memory cards that hold the content, these can be used to display local hotels, restaurants and even things to do during your stay. If the screens are interactive and linked to a form of GPS (Global Positioning Satellite), the passenger could theoretically enter their destination and see what restaurants or cinemas are near by, to get the most out of their stay.

Another solution is to install an internal larger display around 17”, that is mounted to the roof, this again is run from a memory card and easy to update the content. Now the price is rather cost effective for the above two options.

However there is another group of people who have realised that if you were to put an LCD screen on the roof of a taxi, this will certainly capture people’s attention, especially in the rush hour when the roads are gridlocked and more eye balls will see the content and the content has to deliver the “wow” factor, if it does the perfect solution has been created. One problem though – the weather!

Now one company has developed an outdoor enclosure that accommodates two displays back to back with a media player mounted in between them and can be mounted to either the roof rails or directly to the roof of the cab. The taxi cab enclosure offers protection from the rain, snow and direct sunlight. Once the signage hardware has been installed into the taxi cab digital signage enclosure, the side access doors are secured and the cab is ready to go about its business whilst raising a second revenue stream from advertisers.

The unit is cooled with a unique cooling plenum ensuring the digital signage hardware is kept at the perfect temperature, no matter what the external weather is. The taxi cab topper also offers protection from accidents, such as impact with birds, or worse still children through snow balls.

LCD Enclosure Global are the world renowned manufacturer of digital signage enclosures that are used in fuel pump advertising, outdoor digital signage and now they have launched a taxi top digital signs for a complete turnkey solution.

Dynamic signage or advertising as it is occasionally called has been growing at a frightening rate, even in a poor economy, such as the past 18 months. There are an estimated one million networked screens out there or about to be deployed.

2010 will be the year that takes a noticeable step in the Out Of Home advertising sector and it will be the year everyone refers too. In this historic year there are still points to bear in mind to achieve maximum benefit from dynamic advertising.

Content – No matter if you are responsible for old signage networks or for planning new ones, the content has still to be compelling and must grab the audiences’ attention.

Digital outdoor signage will give the opportunity for large companies to spread their brand across televisions, computers, and mobile phones and not for getting the signage displays, by creating content that is relevant to the shopping experience.

Engagement and interactive options for DOOH advertising-we have seen an increasing rise in the use of interactive screens in shopping malls and shops them selves, no matter if they are used for product information or wayfinding – they all have a part to play and that is to enrich the shopping experience.

The use of mobile communication and outdoor digital signage will explode in the next 2 years, as it is exploited as one of the most cost effective methods of advertising.

Network Planning – If any network is to be a success, it has to be planned well in advance with all options ironed out before the deployment, ensuring that further deployments can be referred back to the original plan (due to its success).

If you bear these comments in mind when thinking about deployment you should avoid any problems and the end result will be a very successful digital signage solution.

LCD Enclosure Global are the worlds leading manufacturer of outdoor LED enclosures, that are supplied to digital signage integrators for deployment throughout the world.

With one of hot topics in outdoor digital signage being LED, we have to look at it and evaluate if this will change Outdoor Digital Signage as we know it to providing a far better audience experience.

Commercial grade LED (Light Emitting Diodes) displays are being introduced very rapidly to the dynamic advertising and signage market, compared to current LCD displays, LED’s are truly something special as you can see from the three points below, but they come at a price.

Longevity – This is one area an LED screen is excellent, as compared to existing display technology such as LCD and plasma, an LED is built to provide a reliable picture for a minimum of five to ten years – making it an ideal choice for the life of the project.

Compared to Commercial LCD screens, LED screens have the edge, because LCD’s tend to fail in 2-4 years to the due backlighting, with the new technology in an enclosure, this solution outdoors should last a minimum of 7 years at almost full brightness.

Sunlight readable – When deploying a screen in direct or bright sunlight, you have to consider the nits of the screen, as the light will wash out the images and the signage solution will look shabby. When choosing a screen you must look for one with nits of between 2 thousand and 4 thousand nits. Comparing this against an LCD screen with 600 nits, obviously the LED is a clear winner with darker blacks and sharper, clearer images.

Outdoor Operating Temperature – Another reason an LED screen is better is that the internal components and screen can handle extreme temperatures. If you read the manufacturers manual you will see that the ideal temperature is 77 degrees Fahrenheit as discussed in a previous article. An LED can cope with these extremes however they are hot screens and need either close monitoring or an outdoor enclosure that offers excellent climate control.

Now as always, there are drawbacks the main one being the price as all new technology has a higher price tag and drop over time. So we hope this information has been of interest and let us see if LED’s will be pushing digital outdoor signage in 2010.

LCD Enclosure Global are the worlds leading manufacturer of outdoor LED enclosures, that are supplied to digital signage integrators for deployment throughout the world.

Digital signage content is one of the most important parts of any digital signage network, this is the part that contains the marketing or branding message alternatively it can provide information – a viewer will not look up and comment on the screen size or brand, they are interested in the vivid colours used and the message displayed.

Anyone that is familiar with computers will understand and know about computer file sizes, if not these are measured in kilobytes, megabytes and terabytes and vary depending on the type of file format used. For example text files are considerably smaller than say a JPEG (image) file; an image file is smaller than an MPEG (video file) these can measure from several hundred megabytes in size depending upon the length of the video.

Multimedia formats for graphics, audio and video probably represent the largest files on our individual computers, now if you were to put lots of multimedia formats (that are essential for any signage solution to be noticed) this will slow down the digital messaging network for sure.

When a new message is created, multimedia rich formats are used and added to an already overloaded network can result in choking the networks bandwidth. But there is a solution and it is the CG approach.

What is the CG approach?
This has been in broadcasting for years; it stands for Character Generator. This is a device that allows graphic designers to overlay text or graphics on top of existing video streams, it simplifies vide production enormously.

Without CG, the video production process is very laborious, as you can see in the example below.

Without CG – OMG!
If you were to create a video without a character generator you would have to create your own graphics and text from the beginning, synchronise it with the video and then record a video with the added images and text. This process would have to be repeated every time a video is created. This takes tonnes of manpower, resources and possibly be a waste of time. But this is how most companies choose to use digital signage.

With CG – Phew!
Technology is supposed to make our lives easier – yes? Well CG can help in this areas, as some dynamic signage software comes with pre-installed with MPEG video backgrounds, these can be integrated by just add a message and use the CG approach to overlap the text to the video, making it extremely efficient and a good time saver.

The end result is a message that is delivered with a much smaller file size, freeing up the networks bandwidth.

LCD Enclosure Global, a global leading manufacturer of outdoor TV cabinets, that are used for digital outdoor signage as well as being used for putting a TV in your backyard.

We all know that technology rules with digital signage and these solutions have the ability to be more than just a pretty light show used to capture audience’s attention.

It has a huge potential for delivery distance learning sessions, alarming us of potential problems in our area, such as amber alerts or campus lockdowns. Surely using any of the latter two if a life can be saved, surely the dynamic signs are worth it?

Corporations are using electronic signage to inform employees of their part and responsibility to the success of the business, this helps staff pull together and see the bigger picture.

There are any number of ways digital signage can be used from;
• Conference room scheduling – ensuring no rooms are double booked
• Morale boosting – motivating staff will increase productivity
• Training sessions – increases productivity

With these different applications, there is a solution for each of them depending upon the customer’s requirement.

Your customers should be able to answer the following questions;
• Do they want to use plasma or LCD displays?
• What software would they need?
• Is there a hard wired network or a wireless network that could be utilised (and save money)

Now once your customer can answer these questions, this will be the time the solution starts to take shape, as a solution for a factory will differ dramatically from a signage solution for a college campus. So the variables have to be addresses and the end result will be a digital signage solution the client is happy with.

LCD Enclosure Global, a global leading manufacturer of outdoor TV cabinets, that are used for digital outdoor signage, as well as being used for putting a TV in your backyard.

From education establishments to on the road side, outdoor digital signage is being used to offer advice, information and even protection to its audience. Do you pay attention to them?

The following two applications are being deployed as you read this article.

Campus Lockdown.
In April 2007, a college senior committed what is regarded as the worst mass murder in American history, 32 people were killed and a further 25 were wounded.

The attacks were committed in two attacks over a period of a couple of hours; the massacres caused chaos that had never been seen before. One of the main issues raised when this horror was investigated was that many students were unaware of any problems on the campus, after 2 hours of the first shootings, whilst the gunman was still on the campus.

On site communications failed that day and the college management had to re-view their ability to notify staff and students of any emergencies. They turned to digital signage for the answer.

As we all know digital signage ability to delivery content immediately from one single point by sending one alert to the screens on the campuses network, informing everyone of the “campus lockdown”.

Amber alerts.
This is the second application to benefit from digital billboards, now this is every parents nightmare, when you young child is stood at your side one minute smiling, then in the next minute a car draws up and the child is snatched leaving the parent distraught by this trauma.

Now an Amber Alert can be issued, within minutes a description of the child along with a description of the vehicle is broadcasted to mobile phones, PDA’s, lottery signs and digital signage.

These are not the only alternative ways for electronic signs to be used to inform and educate people.

LCD Enclosure Global, a global leading manufacturer of outdoor TV cabinets, that are used for digital outdoor signage as well as being used for putting a TV in your backyard.