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.
by Apryl Lamberti | May 23, 2016 | Digital Signage, Education, Events, Uncategorized
Since moving to Pensacola in 2014 after living in major markets like New York and Atlanta for so many years, flying out of a smaller airport isn’t so bad—with no security lines I can breeze into the airport, grab my regular parking spot right near the elevator in the garage right across from the terminal… and “Who’s bedda than me?” as they say in New York.
Visiting Vegas this time for the NAB Show, (National Association of Broadcasters), it’s the perfect event to showcase Samsung’s new broadcast video wall display solution, the UD55E-S. Looking forward to hearing feedback from dozens of major TV networks and their engineering teams over the next two days, as I deplane I’m immediately greeted by a number of Samsung displays 
before we even leave the gate area and I’m vividly reminded how rich this destination is for digital signage as it pounces on visitors at every turn. Countless displays clamor for your attention- larger than life images and dazzling graphics promoting the latest acts and long-standing shows on the strip not to mention tantalizing jackpot tickers and even slot machines right in the terminal. Checking into my hotel, Samsung video wall displays (UD Series) serve as a sleek, gorgeous digital canvas behind the minimalist and modern check-in desk to create the chic, hipster experience at SLS Las Vegas. Samsung displays, tablets and other technology are hard at work supporting the property’s mission for world class hospitality. From the lobby and restaurants, concierge lounge right down to Smart TVs in every guest room, (we’ll save that for another blog).
Samsung’s UD55E-S displays are calibrated specifically for use by broadcast studios. Factory-calibrated to a low 2,800˚-6,500˚ K color temperature, UD55E-S monitors are in sync with nearly all broadcast cameras and lighting, giving you the confidence of knowing the image on your studio’s videowall is precisely what your audience at home will see. UD55E-S displays also maintain a sharp image and accurate color when viewed off-axis, and the ultra-narrow bezel-to-bezel width of just 3.5mm (about 1/8″) delivers a near-seamless videowall, with maximum impact, clarity and accuracy. In the below images taken at ISE by our VP Marketing, Melody Craigmyle in March, you can see the difference in the images through the eyes of a viewer at home watching a broadcast with a traditional video wall display (right) and UD55E-S broadcast video wall display (left). Notice how crisp and vivid the content appears on the broadcast videowall unit compared to what the majority of studios are using today.
For a limited time, we are offering special pricing on IN-STOCK UD55E-S broadcast videowall units, while supplies last. We can help you save money on the product AND reduce installation labor by more than half of typical requirements for traditional videowall panels with Samsung’s extensive factory color calibration and advanced color expert software (included free) and with every UD55E-S. Give me a call or email me today with details about your ON-CAMERA videowall application or studio set client who is ready for an upgrade and I’ll help you confirm if this solution is right for your specific project.
So whether you call it “Sin City” or “The Entertainment Capital of the World,” Vegas is totally a Samsung town!
Here’s a picture of Almo’s Business Development Manager, Apryl Lamberti and Nancy Onffroy, Samsung’s Channel Manager at NAB on the show floor.
by Melody Craigmyle | Feb 26, 2016 | Digital Signage, News
It’s especially nice when the manufacturers plan their distributor summits in a nice warm location during the dead of February. Such was the case this month with Samsung in beautiful San Antonio, Texas. Distributors, resellers and DMR’s gathered to hear the vision to 2016 and beyond, while seeing some of the latest product developments.
One of the greatest things about these functions is the networking aspect. You’re surrounded by customers, the manufacturer’s folks and even your friendly competitors (and if you are lucky a celebrity or two). The opening reception kicked off this portion of the conference. Here I am rubbing elbows with George Gervin from the San Antonio Spurs (left) and Director, US B2B Distribution for Samsung, Tom Perrier (right):
A lot of the conversations revolved around the ever-present dilemma of shrinking and sometimes even razor thin margins on displays in both the Pro and especially consumer markets. I think Samsung has got some new things up their sleeve that may be impactful for their partners as to help with the margin issue. More on that later. Now speaking of razor….
I’ve been on the road a lot lately, and even though I consider myself a season traveler, inevitable I forget something. This time it was a razor so I went down to the JW Marriott gift shop. Filled with cowboy hats, sombreros, ponchos, hot sauces and other Texas sized treats, it was your typical gift shop. I grabbed my usual brand from the stand, went up to the register and the cashier said, “That will be $20.12”. WHAT???!! $20.12 for one disposable razor?
I said no thanks and started to wonder…in this age of fighting declining margins in our industry, how is it that a commodity product like the razor can command 3000% mark up? Location, location, location. Resourcefulness took me to the spa and they ponied up a razor at no charge.
On to the Samsung Product Showcase – in usually Samsung fashion they never disappoint when it comes to new product development. It was good to see some of the concept things coming to fruition such as:
The transparent display which holds a multitude of applications such as retail and anywhere the end user just basically wants to be uber swank.
The mirror display which they showed in a retail setting with RF technology in clothing and shoes that dynamically changed when the user took them to the mirror. Here is our Business Development Manager extraordinaire, Apryl Lamberti taking it for a spin.
Outdoor displays – not just ruggedized, coated and cased back- lit LED panels but..
Surfs’up! Samsung’s YESCO acquisition last year brings the new outdoor LED.
Finally the indoor LED was quite a hit. Here is Apryl examining the type of panel used to make the video wall in the background.
I think the future looks bright with the new LED products (no pun intended). What Samsung was showing are solutions that require an ecosystem of services, which is where the margin lies and value to our partners. The opportunity for services such as content creation, can create that long-term relationship with a customer, long past the sale of the display.
by Sam Taylor | Feb 25, 2016 | Digital Signage, Education, News
The use of 4K Ultra High Definition has skyrocketed since its commercial introduction in 2010. Professional installs of all kinds – digital signage, hospitality, corporate, education, command and control – can be dramatically enhanced due to the stunning beauty and astounding resolutions made possible with this display technology.
The worldwide 4K display market is expected to reach $52 billion by 2020 according to industry researchers. And while commercial displays are still the top use for 4K, the technology has even started to appear in the entire range of display devices we commonly use, including PC monitors, notebooks, tablets and even smartphone screens.
Here are some common questions we get asked about moving to 4K:
What makes 4K UHD such a critical display tool for commercial integrators?
A 4K UHD display has four times the number of pixels (3840 x 2160) compared to full HD (1080p) resolution. The major advantage of using 4K displays is that you can ultimately deliver a very immersive and rich experience that is in close proximity to the display without sacrificing image quality. UHD provides the ability to display finer details, amazing depth of colors and more information on a screen. As the technology matures and costs are driven down, we will see 4K screens become the norm and 1080 slowly drift away due to lack of production.
Why purchase a 4K display through Almo Pro A/V?
Almo offers a range of 4K displays, including exclusive accessibility to the Sharp AQUOS® 70-inch display, which features the Revelation Upscaler to display all content at near-4K quality for an amazing picture all the time, no matter which source is being used. Almo also offers a host of powerful media players with high storage capability from manufacturers like BrightSign to drive the data and produce the best results based on the content that is being shown.
So, what about content?
Obtaining 4K content has been the biggest 4K barrier to date, however, as the technology increases in popularity, more content is becoming available and the cost to create that content is decreasing. With Almo’s Content Creation Services, integrators have the opportunity to offer 4K standard and customized still images or full motion video content as part of an initial installation and ongoing maintenance package. This creates recurring revenue, builds margins and lengthens customer relationships.
What if I need support to help select and integrate the 4K displays?
Almo has a highly specialized fleet of Business Development Managers that offer technical knowledge, system design assistance and in-depth brand knowledge about 4K displays to help you integrate the technology into your commercial installs. No other distributor in the AV industry provides this level of expertise to its partner community.
by Darren Altman | Feb 9, 2016 | Digital Signage, News
Sharp’s Professional division has been the industry leader in touch monitors 60 inches and above with the AQUOS BOARD®. To remain as the industry leader Sharp has had to modify these panels over the years. Some of these changes have included the addition of multi touch, anti-glare features, simultaneous annotation, and improved hand handwriting recognition, making it a collaborative solution with its touch display link software that comes free with the purchase of any AQUOS BOARD®. Sharp offers the AQUOS BOARDS® in 60”, 70” and 80” sizes, and most recently Sharp has introduced 2 more AQUOS BOARDS® to their current lineup, the PN-C603D and PN-C703B. These new versions of the AQUOS BOARD® are really aimed for the education market, specifically K-12.
The value series PN-C603D and PN-C703B don’t sacrifice features and are similar to the PN-L line up of AQUOS BOARDS® with the exception of a few differences. The PN-C603D and PN-C703B are still multi touch but only 6 points of touch versus the 10 points of touch in the PN-L series. The other differences between the PN-C and PN-L series are 2 can simultaneously annotate versus 4 people and the PN-C series are rated 16/7 rather than the more robust PN-L series which is rated at 24/7. Even though the PN-C series gives up these few features for it’s economical cost, it still comes with a 3 year warranty, sharps pen software, touch display link software – and best of all – it is still built on the same open platform as the PN-L series allowing it be versatile and agnostic to most software on the market. Even though the education vertical is the primary focus for these new AQUOS BOARDS® it can be used in any application such as way finding, collaborative conference rooms or huddle areas, interactive signage in places such as museums and hospitals.
Stay tuned to more exciting products from Sharp Professional on future blogs. For versatility and performance in business office meetings, education and high-impact signage, there’s never been a better time to think Sharp. For more information on Sharp Professional or to schedule a demo, contact Darren Altman at [email protected] or 888.420.2566 x6541.
