by Heather Wagaman | Nov 1, 2016 | Digital Signage, Education, Uncategorized
October finished up the last of the Almo Pro AV E4 AV Tours for 2016, the last of which was in Dallas, TX.
One of the many things to do is walk through the Exhibit Hall, where all of Almo’s manufacturer partners showcase their latest and greatest products…
I really “flipped” over the all-new R Series product displayed by Sharp at our Dallas Show.
This beauty will come in a 42”, 49” and 55” display, and with the extreme tilt capabilities opens up new mounting possibilities that gives more flexibility than ever before to digital signage installations. My imagination went wild. Not only can this series be mounted in portrait or landscape mode, imagine the 42” display mounted face up on a table in a sleek apparel shop, or the 55” face down from the ceiling in a planetarium…
While I wouldn’t suggest mounting it on a floor surface that would be walked on, the design of these monitors is robust enough that they can be suspended from the four corners of the rear housing using wires. I immediately envisioned a simple, elegant look for an office lobby, like an attorney’s office or accounting firm or a retail shop where information, daily specials or other content could be simply and beautifully displayed.
The ingenuity and creativity of our dealers and integrator customers is always impressive. And I can’t wait to see what they come up with when they let loose with Sharp’s new PN-R Series!
by Patricia Murkowski | Aug 22, 2016 | Digital Signage, Video Walls
Being in the Pro Av arena for 10 years there is really not much that I haven’t seen. You would think by now I wouldn’t be the person walking behind a LCD panel in a store or restaurant to see what mount is being used or what type of ceiling accessory it has…..well, you would be wrong! Yes, I am still that person! Just yesterday I received a text message with a picture from my niece while she was at Petco Stadium watching the Padres vs Diamondbacks game, instead of commenting on her experience my first response was “I love that stadium! I was part of their original AV renovation project in the early 2000’s”! Again, I am that person.
With that said, while there is not much in the AV arena I haven’t seen, there is still a TON that impresses me! Living in Chicago I have access to some of the most historic arenas and stadiums equipped with the best AV systems money can buy. Last month I had the privilege of going to the United Center to see Adele perform live. While I’ve been to the United Center numerous times over the last year, no other experience compared to this for me. I walk through the doors on July 13th and see the 35’ x 9’ curved video wall with no other than, yes, you guessed it, Adele! I was smiling from ear to ear and most definitely felt like a newbie in the AV industry. I am a huge fan. =)
As with many sporting events and concerts, signage was everywhere! Visitors of the United Center can see 64, 42 inch flat panel displays throughout the 100 level concourses, not to mention LED boards inside each of the four main gate entrances.
I feel very lucky to be part of a great industry like Pro Av! I get to help clients spec in products that enhance their customers experience in many different vertical markets. On July 13th I was just a patron benefiting from a truly immersive fan experience thanks to innovative, Pro Av solutions.
by Melody Craigmyle | Aug 5, 2016 | Digital Signage, Pro Displays
I just returned from a much needed vacation in Puerto Rico at the Wyndham Rio Mar resort. This property recently completed a $500M addition of Wyndham vacation condos in partnership with his royal beach-iness and head Parrot, Jimmy Buffet. The Margaritaville themed portion of the resort was impressive and had that cool Buffet laid-back vibe. As a marketer, I’m amazed at how this artist, who hasn’t had a record on the charts in the last couple of decades (save collaborations Zac Brown and Alan Jackson), has managed to become a global brand commanding licensing agreements from everything to restaurants, merchandising and now resorts.
The outdoor cabana with swim up pool was the centerpieces of the resort, appropriately named Margaritaville. You even got your own mondo margarita cup shaped like, you guessed it, a blender!
Hanging above the bar was a gorgeous installation of SunBriteTV’s, made to withstand the heat, humidity, wind and sand rolling off the beach just a few feet away. Trust me when I say it’s humid down there and the TV’s looked fantastic. Note that the clock on the wall is always on 5 o’clock.
Fast forward a couple of evenings and we go to a beautiful restaurant that was completely open to the elements with a view to die for overlooking the ocean. We got there right before the sunset and ordered the sangria. I look over to my shoulder and there it is…the ultimate no-no in outdoor installations. It was Visio (cue the scary organ music!)
AND to top it off, it was plugged into a cheap power strip, totally exposed OVER AN ICE MACHINE! (Cue even scarier organ music) Can you say electrical fire/accident waiting to happen? Somebody call OSHA!!!!
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We just had training from the very smart folks at SunBriteTV who reiterated that there are very real safety concerns with putting consumer TV’s outside. Forget about there being no warranty, or that the picture will be terrible in a matter of months, or that you can’t view those TV’s in direct sunlight. If you are working with a restaurant owner who wants to go on the cheap with his outdoor TV’s, tell him to call his insurance company and get a rider for electrocution for TV’s that aren’t UL certified for outdoor use. Maybe that will get him thinking. Business owners need peace of mind that their customers will be safe and happy. Use SunBriteTV and you can chill and go to your happy place – kind of like this…
by Corinne Furmanek O’Rawe | Jun 30, 2016 | Digital Signage, Pro Displays
Choosing LG Supersign products is a smart and affordable way to provide an all-in-one display solution, with easy to use software for fast content creation. This all in one solution provides integrators entering the digital signage market a low cost option with simplicity. It is a great option for various verticals such as restaurants, financial institutions, dental and medical clinics, public offices, educational venues, retail stores and more.
SO WHY SUPERSIGN?
- All in one slim and stylish solution
- 42 PRE MADE templates for multiple vertical markets
- Remote control over 50 TVs over the network
- Built-in tuner and speakers
- Multiple ports for multiple connection and applications
- 2 year warranty
SuperSign software includes a collection of basic templates to suit a variety of verticals. Details such as font, background color, accompanying image and the location of the video window can also be customized.
- SuperSign W Lite is a web-based content authoring/player solution that allow the connection of up to 50 client displays.
- SuperSign-W Lite has templates but is designed to build your own content from scratch by importing videos and jpg pictures and adding text zones.
- There are 74 predefined templates for use if preferred.
- SuperSign Simple Editor includes 42 pre-designed, ready-to-use content templates.
- SuperSign Simple Editor is designed as an easy way to create content.
- The 42 pre-defined Templates must be used as a starting point to build content.
- Check out the SuperSign-S tutorial video here
- SuperSign “C” for display control via network or RS-232, featuring enhanced auto calibration providing superior color adjustment in as little as 4 minutes per screen.
- SuperSign-C is not an application to create content. It is used for video wall calibration and RS232 (serial and network) control of LG monitors and Commercial lite TVs.
Although there are three downloadable versions, the most commonly required downloadable solution is the Supersign Simple Editor. You will easily recognize when to use SuperSign Simple Editor since the part numbers end with an “S”. Simple right?
5 Simple steps to setting up the LG Supersign product.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H50dklAimAc
- Unbox the Unit
- Use the downloadable software to create your templates
- Set up the screens as to where you want to display the messages
- Upload the templates to the TV using a USB plug into the display, or run from a network media player
- Play and Loop
For more information, contact me or please visit: http://www.lg.com/us/commercial/display
Corinne O’Rawe | DSEG
Business Development Manager| Almo Professional A/V
P. 888-420-2566 x 6220 | C. 716-474-2323 | F.267-350-0321
website: www.almoproav.com
by Apryl Lamberti | Jun 16, 2016 | Digital Signage
Gone are the days of just one flavor of outdoor displays… Samsung has totally revamped its outdoor lineup to include a wide variety of sizes ranging from 24” up to 75” and with an impressive range of brightness levels from 200 nits* to 3,000 nits to meet practically any outdoor application you may be up against.
The first thing you want to learn more about when a client comes to you with an outdoor application is anything and everything you can find out about the location where the unit(s) are planned and what the client is trying to accomplish by implementing outdoor digital signage.
Here are 5 questions that are a great starting point to getting outdoor digital signage right the first time: 
- WHO is the audience?
Patrons, employees, students, children (theme park), etc.?
- WHAT is the application and purpose of the display/digital signage? What size did you have in mind and what kind of content will be displayed?
Theme park/corporate or college campus, etc.?
Will it be used to draw attention to an attraction, communicate helpful information to reduce wait times/perceived customer satisfaction, advertise promotions/events to drive sales, etc.?
Will content be full motion video, still images, slide-show like content, GIF, TIF formats, etc.?
- WHERE will the unit(s) specifically be located within the facility/property/campus/park, etc.?
Will it be positioned under an overhang, or directly out in the elements (rain, snow, direct sunlight, high/low outdoor temperatures)? Will the display be within reach of audience/viewers at ground level or mounted higher and totally out of reach?
- WHEN will the unit be used?
What hours/schedule will the display need to run each day; Will 24/7 be required?
- HOW does the client plan to update content?
Will a network (Cat5) cable be available at the installation location? Would they like to update content via USB thumb drive, network or over Wi-Fi, etc.?
Believe it or not, if you take the time to ask the right questions early on, you’ll be leaps and bounds ahead of most of your competitors and at the end of the day, your client will appreciate you taking the time to understand their goals for implementing digital signage and their viewpoint will change from thinking you’re just a vendor who’s quoting some outdoor units to what the great firms strive to become, a valued partner fully engaged with their clients.
Stay tuned for The Great Outdoors (Part II) where we’ll dive into some of the new unique features Samsung has engineered as part of their expanded outdoor digital signage lineup and how Samsung can help solve digital signage problems common to outdoor applications. Give us a call with your application questions today!
by Todd Heberlein | Jun 3, 2016 | Digital Signage, DVLED, News, Uncategorized
There are many factors that go into choosing the correct LED sign, but a few important attributes are commonly ignored. Below are three commonly overlooked factors that should be considered when deciding on a sign manufacturer.
1) Operating Cost
Capital expenditure, or initial investment cost, is typically the first and the most influential factor that most decision makers consider. What many overlook or only give a passing consideration is the ongoing expense of the sign. The larger the sign, the more important this factor becomes over the life of the sign. Knowing that you’re installing an energy efficient sign can save you tens of thousands in operating expenses down the road.
2) Ease of Use / Management
Signs that require proprietary software, or require the purchase of third-party software can add frustration for the end user, a large learning curve, as well as push up the total cost of the project. ADTI offers the flexibility of using their included content management system, SkyShow, or any signage solution that can utilize their standard HDMI input on the SkyPanel system.
3) Ease of Installation
This is a factor that is commonly skipped over, and almost never is considered by the end user. Since it ultimately affects the bottom line, as well as the timeline of the project, I think it’s an attribute that deserves consideration. If the installation requires special structural changes because of the weight, fabrication to enclose the sign for weatherproofing, or modification to allow for extra depth, the money you saved on the lower cost hardware shrinks considerably, or is completely wiped out.
ADTI
The difficulty of measuring the increase in quality in comparison to the increase in cost, can cause endless hours of agonizing research, and can freeze the final decision. Many are drawn in by the low cost LED panels they’ve seen coming out of China, and end user’s tend to lean towards the frugal choice for the initial capital expenditure and ignore the ongoing operating expense of running an LED sign; which can be an expensive mistake. With ADTI, you don’t have to make that compromise. The combination of affordable initial cost, American made quality, IP67 weatherproofing, and incredibly low power consumption, makes for a visually stunning, “no compromise” solution.
