Tag Archives: Digital Signage

Audiovisual System Installation, Audiovisual System Upgrade, AV Current Events, Featured Products, Uncategorized

LED Technology: How It Applies To You

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By: Carol Emmens

LED, which stands for light emitting diode, is a technology used in scores of products and is well-known for its use in specialty IT and audiovisual equipment as well as everyday products such as light bulbs. LED displays are used in a wide variety of ways and their popularity is exploding. But note that home flat screen televisions, often described as LED’s, are actually LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) televisions with LED back lights. Large format LED displays (video walls) are made up of modular tiles which are locked together so that they are seamless. They are extremely versatile:

  • They can be any size.
  • They can be curved.
  • They can be flown.
  • They can be on stands.
  • They can be used indoors.
  • They can be used outdoors.

Because of their versatility, LED’s are extremely popular for these video walls. Whether they are used as a wall or as individual displays, they are seen at live events ranging from commencements to concerts to corporate meetings. Typically LED displays are specified as indoor or outdoor displays. Indoor models are generally higher in resolution but less bright. But keep in mind the resolution is not comparable to a flat screen television or projector since they are designed to be viewed from a distance.

Unlike LCD’s, outdoor LED displays can be seen even in the sunlight and they are weather resistant; the level of weather resistance is measured as an Ingress Protection (IP) number. LED displays are universal; they are used on stage, in stadiums, educational institutions, and corporations. Given the dramatic impact they make, LED displays are very cost effective for advertisers, entertainers, and exhibiters.

Lights

LED lights, like LED displays, are widely used for audiovisual effects and are used both indoors and outdoors. They range from small stand- alone lights to complex systems of multiple lights that perform multiple functions in multiple locations. LED lights can be used in numerous ways:

  • To highlight or pin spot an area.
  • To flood an entire wall of a façade or stage.
  • To create a light show.
  • To highlight a landmark or a work of art.

Because LED lights can change colors or create a scene, they are a cost effective way to transform a space. LED lights are used to set the mood for special social occasions such as weddings, bar mitzvahs or holiday parties and they are used to light up dance floors in trendy nightclubs. They are a “must have” for DJ’s.

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LED lights help corporations brand their products and display their logos. They are often a critical component of marketing campaigns and can be customized for important clients. Compared to the neon signs of yesteryear, LED lighting is more energy efficient, is longer lasting, and is better for the environment. Plus, it is appreciably more reliable. Consequently, LED lighting has become the standard for signs and exhibits, providing unsurpassed colors and mixing to create all types of images.

LED lights or “drapes” can be triggered or controlled to change the brightness, the color, and the content. They can display built-in patterns and/or they can fade.  LED lights can be pre-programmed for an event, presentation or show whether it’s a rock performance or a theatrical play. It can be spectacular – or it can be calming and serene.

Your imagination is the only limit to what LED displays or LED lights can do for you. For help in assessing your needs for LED lighting, with rentals or installation, call Zeo Systems; let our experience guide you to the right LED solution(s) for you.

Audiovisual System Installation, Audiovisual System Upgrade, AV Current Events, Featured Products, Uncategorized

Uses and Impact of Video Walls on Your Business

By: Carol Emmons

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A video wall is an example of digital signage.  A video wall consists of multiple monitors, cubes, projectors or panels that are tiled together. Most often they are tiled tightly together to form one large image, but they are sometimes tiled loosely or into several separate sections for multiple images and messages or unique results, especially for performances.

Typically, video wall displays have detailed, high resolution content which makes them engaging and powerful and they receive a lot of attention. Because of the impact and increasing affordability of video walls, they are growing in popularity and they are used in a wide variety of ways:

A flexible tool, video walls can help brand a product, encourage collaboration and interactivity in venues ranging from lobbies, museums, and zoos, to sports and entertainment arenas and shopping malls  – to name a few. They are placed in high traffic areas to attract the most attention.  A video wall can be used indoors or out; it can be flat or curved, and it can be designed for permanent or temporary displays. In short, their uses are almost limitless and your video wall can be as complex and creative as you want.

A very important step when you decide to utilize or install a video wall is to define your goals.  All successful audiovisual systems require a clear set plan of action and results desired. A complete video wall system requires a number of components with a wide range of options available for each, starting with the selection of the type of display. An enormous range of technologies, resolutions and sizes are available on the market today and can make selecting one bewildering. A video wall can be designed with LCD’s, LED’s, cubes or projectors.  Each has its own unique characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages so you need to understand the inherent strengths and weaknesses of each. What is an ideal type of display for one environment is often a disaster in others.

Do you want one image, called a blending, over all the screens? If so, the image has to be as close to seamless as possible and a very narrow bezel (frame) is vital to avoid lines running through the image or text. High resolution keeps the image sharp. Does your video wall require a touch screen to engage the viewer or to provide information? How many touch points are desired? The number can range from one to 32.  Do you want to allow multiple users to simultaneously interact with video wall without affecting other users?

There are applications that call for 3D video walls such as molecular modeling, engineering, and simulations. Is your display compatible with the graphics cards you want to use? For video walls the software is as critical to the design as the hardware.  All video walls are software based; many have software built in that can fulfill your needs but others require a network based software controller.

Installation presents its own series of challenges in mounting, power, and cooling. Video walls can also be subject to heating problems. Does the video wall have heat sensors and cooling fans that come on automatically when needed? Where the video wall will be installed impacts your decision making as well. Is the infrastructure in place  to hold the weight?  Is the installation hardware integrated as it is for the Chauvet® MVP models (which our Production division has in inventory for rent) or do you need to buy it separately?

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Is a mission critical 24/7 application that requires a redundant power supply module that provides continuous operation even in the event of a power failure required?.Even the number of power outlets and their locations comes into play. There are video walls that do not require the power to be behind the display and that can handle multiple devices. That reduces the rack space and the number of outlets needed and helps reduce the costs.
A video wall is an excellent way to communicate, enhance your presentation and make an impact, but it takes a sufficient budget and level of commitment to the project. We have alerted you to only a few of the questions that need to be answered before you install one. Zeo Systems expert technicians are  capable of designing, installing and servicing your video wall or if your needs are for a single event, our Production division can provide a rental from our in house inventory as an alternative. Give us a call.

Audiovisual System Installation, Audiovisual System Upgrade, Uncategorized

Digital Signage Demands Attention

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By: Carol R. Emmens

Digital signage  (digital displays of information or video) fulfills the needs of all types of corporations and businesses, educational institutions, houses of worship, bars and restaurants, retail stores, and hospitals; it is used everywhere from airports to zoos and everyplace in between: hallways, lobbies, classrooms –  even at gas pumps and in elevators. The proliferation of digital signage has occurred because the associated costs have come down, it is a quick and efficient way to communicate in real time, and it saves the costs of printing.  Digital signage has enormous potential communication applications:

  • Post schedules of meetings, events, works assignments, menus
  • Share news, stock prices, traffic reports, sports results and information
  • Recognize achievements and milestones
  • Warn about severe weather and security threats
  • Sell a product or service

And those are only a few of its uses.

 As the costs come down and the quality goes up, there’s no better time than the present to consider the addition of a digital signage display to your current signage or an addition or upgrade to your current digital signage display(s). But, prior to any decision, there are many questions that you have to answer.

First, what are your goals? They will impact the design and content of the digital display and every decision you make about the hardware and the software for it. Content is king and it affects every decision beginning with the design: a single display, multiple displays, a video wall?  In turn, the type of digital signage determines the flat screen display specifications such as the resolution, the size, and the number. It also determines the appropriate location within your business or venue to be seen by the greatest number of viewers to have the maximum impact and to avoid problems such as washout of the images due to bright sunlight.

The greatest challenge digital signage presents is in creating it or adapting it from existing printed materials or PowerPoint presentations. For example, if the content exits, is it “digital ready” or does it need to be reformatted to ensure that it fits the display in the correct resolution and that the text is a color and size that can be read easily. Do you have writers and graphic designers in house who are available to adapt or create the content?

What software will you use and where will that software and the content reside? Who will have access to it? Will it be on your network or in a cloud? Determine the role of your IT department. Is it desirable to do more than display static messages?  Do you want to display messages or information in real time? Do you want to access the internal network and/or outside sources of information such as Reuther’s or the Weather Channel? Do you need IP-addressable displays? Social media grows in importance every day. Do you want to integrate it and if so, how difficult will it be do it?

For many digital signage displays, it is no longer enough to deliver information; the information needs to engage the viewer – it needs a “wow” factor such as video or audio. Is the location suitable for an audio zone that will immerse the viewer without blasting the speech, sounds or music throughout the room, lobby or store?

Do you need an interactive display? For example, retail stores are especially under pressure to make sure that the digital signage displays deliver a positive “return on investment” (ROI). Their displays MUST be innovative, eye catching and engaging.  They were among the first users to adopt interactive displays and the pixel density of 4K, which is four-times the resolution of HD, and allows up to eight quadrants in the display and they, in turn, offer ways to have up to 32 interactive touch points. Today it is possible to see how you look in a new hair style, try on glasses or clothes, even see what it would look like to decorate or paint a room with digital signage.

The questions we raised are the tip of the iceberg, but digital signage does not have to be a daunting task if you partner with an experienced audiovisual company.  Zeo Systems has a successful track record designing, installing and supporting digital signage systems that are extremely effective and affordable. Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your digital signage needs.