A leading cruise operator is installing digital signage screens across its range of ships to provide way-finding and safety information for guests.

Royal Caribbean are installing digital signs for wayfinding, which will also provide details of onboard activities, real-time updates, and customised directions and routing, while LED Video Walls installed across the pool decks will provide cruise ship entertainment programmes.

Digital signage is an ideal medium for modern cruise ships, which are like floating cities containing hundreds of passengers, multiple decks, shops, restaurants and entertainment facilities, so finding an effective method of communicating with passengers is essential.

Digital signage has many advantages, especially in such a scheduled environment like a cruise ship where programmes and arrival times become subject to changes, the screens enabling real time updates and providing passengers with the latest news and schedule changes.

Using digital signage on board a boat, particularly outdoors, can pose problems for the technology, though. While all outdoor digital signage requires comprehensive protection, ensuring weather elements can’t get at the screen, on an ocean-going cruise ship protection against salt-water needs considering.

Salt-water provides some serious challenges for outdoor digital signage; not only can the water itself cause problems, damaging the screen if allowed to penetrate, but salt-water also causes corrosion.

Any screen located in or near an ocean environment needs protecting against salt-water, even if the screen is quite far inland, as sea-spray, and therefore salt-water, can travel on the breeze.

Another problem in ocean locations is the threat of wind-blown dust and debris. As oceans are flat, with no topographical features, the areas tend to be windier than locations inland.

Wind-blown dust is just as damaging as water if allowed to penetrate and outdoor digital signage enclosure as dust can constitute all sorts of materials, including conductive elements that can short-circuit electronics.

Dust also causes overheating by blocking vents and clogging up fans, so outdoor digital signage enclosures need dust proofing as well as waterproofing.

It’s quite common for customers to ask the same questions with regard to LCD enclosures here are some of the most frequently asked:

What are LCD Enclosures?

LCD enclosures are protective environments for modern LCD and plasma screens enabling their use in outdoor locations and areas where a normal TV can’t operate due to environmental hazards such as weather or dust.

What are they made of?

LCD enclosures are manufactured from powder-coated mild steel, which provide ruggedness and enables TV to operate in wet and corrosive locations.

What size and type of screen can they accommodate?

LCD enclosure are manufactured in various sizes, accommodating the most common sized TVs. LCD enclosures can accommodate small 20” screens right through to larger 70” displays.

What protection do they offer?

LCD enclosure offer comprehensive protection against weather, temperature, dust, impacts and vandalism. Providing the ideal environment for the enclosed screen also prolongs the life of the TV, making it last longer.

Are they expensive?

No, compared to outdoor TV systems commonly used by larger outdoor digital signage advertisers, the price of an LCD enclosure and standard LCD TV is many times less that of an outdoor TV.

Where can they be installed?

LCD enclosure have been installed in all sorst of locations and environments. Form outdoors in wet and rainy UK, to ski-resorts, deserted areas and even dusty warehouses. An LCD enclosure can be adapted to operate in almost any location, no matter what the hazardous elements present,

Once only found in metropolis centers like New York’s Time Square or London’s Piccadilly Circus, outdoor digital signage has now spread from major urban locations to nearly every town and city in the country.

Now found in many high streets, outdoor screens are providing us with advertising, branding, information and news. And they can provide a good return for outdoor advertisers with outdoor digital signage being able to reach huge audiences, far larger than the audiences received by indoor screens.

The price of outdoor and rugged screens proves too costly for many installers, however, which is why more and more outdoor TV screens are being installed in outdoor LCD enclosures to provide a means of outdoor digital signage, without the hefty price tag, but still providing protection against the various outdoor elements that can disable a screen.

LCD enclosures provide not only protection from the weather and variable temperatures of an outdoor environment, they also provide comprehensive protection against more subtle elements that can be just as damaging. Corrosion, humidity, static and bright sunlight can all lead to potential problems for an outdoor screen—not to mention the risk of vandalism.

The protection offered by an LCD enclosure is not the only reason for housing screens in them. Often, enclosed hardware can last a lot longer than manufacturer’s expectations due to the controlled environment inside the enclosure, which keeps the screen free from dust and other minor hazards.

As the growth of outdoor digital signage continues to expand, and with more and more smaller businesses wishing to get involved, the use of LCD enclosures is continuing to expand too.

Used for all manner of outdoor digital signage, advertising, branding, information screens and even outdoor TV entertainment, LCD enclosures have been deployed in some of the most hostile environments imaginable, from sub-zero temperatures to high heat location.

Protecting screens in outdoor locations involves more than just housing them in a metal box. LCD enclosures are highly engineered cabinets, filled with essential components and design features that enable comprehensive protection, no matter what the ambient conditions.

LCD enclosures are waterproof, but the process of waterproofing an LCD screen has its complications. LCD TVs get warm and this heat needs transferring away. Normally, this heat is expelled using a TV’s internal fans and released through a vent. However, in an LCD enclosure, any venting system needs designing so water can’t penetrate into the vent.

LCD enclosures use shaped champers that allow airflow out of the device, but prevents rain and other elements from getting inside. A cooling fan inside the LCD enclosure continuously blows cool air through the enclosure expelling any heat coming from the TV.

Door seals on the LCD enclosure also need designed to prevent any water ingress and yet still allow access to the enclosed TV for maintenance or replacement.

Not all outdoor locations are the same and installing a screen in an LCD enclosure in a hot climate or one where temperatures drop below freezing requires additional climatic components.

For hot climates, additional cooling fans are installed in the LCD enclosure, while in extreme cases, air conditioning is installed to ensure the maximum temperature for the screen is never exceeded inside the enclosure. For colder locations, insulation and even heaters are installed inside the LCD enclosure keeping the internal temperature within the TV’s operating limits.

Surge protectors inside the LCD enclosure provide protection for the enclosed screen against power surges, power cuts and spikes.

And for physical protection, a shatterproof screen prevents damage to the TV’s face, and avoids the risk of shattered glass resulting from an impact, while tamperproof locks can assist in securing the screen against attempts at theft.

One location where digital signage has begun to flourish is around higher education institutions. Many universities, colleges and schools have embarked on digital signage campaigns using the screens for a host of reasons around campus.

Digital signage at a school.

Digital signage provides an ideal platform for on campus communication. Despite students being equipped with so many personal forms of personal communication these days, with email and mobile phones, communication can still be difficult.

When important and emergency messages need relaying, mass communication with email and telephones can prove problematic; not everyone will check emails daily nor does everybody have or carry a phone with them.

With modern educational facilities, different buildings are often situated on different campuses, so communicating to all students at the same time poses another problem.

Digital signage enables visible and instant communication across wide areas with instant upload of content, enabling information dissemination to all campuses. Furthermore, with outdoor digital signage screens, relaying information to people arriving on campus is important, especially in times of emergency.

If an incident occurs on site, outdoor digital signage can warn newcomers to campus, preventing more people from coming to harm.

As a communication system, digital signage is also flexible with screens able to relay all sorts of content from important news and information to canteen menus and even sports scores. Used in gymnasiums, halls, corridors, classrooms and outside as outdoor digital signage, many modern universities and colleges are installing digital signage across a wide range of areas.

With the falling price of screens and hardware like LCD enclosures able to protect and secure screens in outdoor and vulnerable areas, providing screens across an educational establishment isn’t as expensive as many people first think, either. And with IT departments able to maintain and control the running of a digital signage project,  costs for running a campaign in educational facilities can be kept to a minimum.

In any hospital and medical setting, preventing the spread of germs is an essential aspect of disease control, especially in an age of hospital-acquired infections. Of course hand washing is an essential aspect to good clinical management, but keeping areas clean and preventing the build up of germs is just as essential.

Medical Keyboard

Office equipment can harbour millions of germs; in particular, computer keyboards and computer mouse devices, as multiple users often use the same keyboard and mouse, transmitting bacteria from person to person. Furthermore, the design of most keyboards computer mice provides an ideal environment for bacteria to build-up, with the myriad nooks and crannies allowing cultures to spread.

In fact, the average keyboard harbours over 3,000 microbes and computer mice over 1,500, and most standard types are not easily cleaned, as the key impressions and mouse buttons are ideal places for bacteria to hide; not to mention that water and cleaning agents can damage standard keyboards and mice.

For clinics, surgeries, dentists and other medical settings, medical and washable keyboards are an essential aspect to infection control. Designed to prevent build-up of bacteria, the face of a medical keyboard does not have the gaps and cracks of conventional keyboards. The same is true with medical mouse devices.

Medical keyboards and mice are manufactured from bacteria resistant silicone that reduces the ability for bacteria cultures to stick to the surface, but more importantly, this material and there design allows cleaning of the devices with both water and common cleaning solutions used in medical environments.

As computers are so common in most medical settings now, using medical keyboards and mice with a regular cleaning routine can help reduce the spread of hospital-acquired infections and are an essential tool in modern medical settings.

Protection for digital signage is an essential aspect. When it comes to outdoor digital signage, protection enables the screen can operate in wet weather and in variable temperature ranges. There is more to protecting screens than just weather, however, especially when screens are placed in industrial locations.

LCD Enclosure

As perilous to screens as liquid, dust can disable a modern LCD or plasma and cause all sorts of problems.

Dust is a common cause of electronic failure as it penetrates inside vents, covering circuit boards and causes overheating and sometimes short circuits; attracted to static, dust also forms a film over screen faces, which slowly dims the screen and requires regular cleaning.

In locations where high levels of dust are present, such as warehouses and distribution hubs, screens can fail extremely quickly, so protecting any digital signage or other display in these areas is essential.

Keeping dust away from a screen, however, can prove problematic. All TV devices need a route to transfer warm air away from the screen to avoid overheating, which can lead to an area for dust to penetrate.

LCD enclosures, commonly used for outdoor digital signage, are also ideal at keeping screens dust free. Using the same technology that prevents water from seeping into the display, LCD enclosures are also dust tight.

Furthermore, as LCD enclosures provide a glass front over the display, there is no static build-up, preventing attraction of dust. The internal fans and filter systems of an LCD enclosure prevent dust from getting into the cabinet and infesting the screen.

Even in outdoor locations dust can cause potential problems. Nearby construction and other sources produce airborne dust that can penetrate outdoor digital signage and information screens. By using an LCD enclosure for outdoor weather protection, the screen will also be protected from these airborne particulates.

Computers, printers and displays are a necessity for so many tasks. Few businesses operate without using computers and screens, while institutions like schools and hospitals need computers and screens for record management a communication.

Some locations, however, are not suitable environments for standard IT hardware and often this means that using devices in these areas is prohibitive. Wash down locations such as food-processing plants are one such location. In these areas, any hardware needs waterproofing.

Armagard’s computer, monitor and printer enclosures enable the use of standard hardware in all sorts of environments. In wet and wash down locations, these PC enclosures provide protection from water and liquids with stainless steel enclosures ensuring no corrosion.

The enclosures also maintain stable temperatures enabling use even in chillers, freezers and hot houses.

Waterproof computer keyboards and mouse pointing devices provide the input devices, and these two can withstand liquids, splashes and wash down.

Screens used for communication can also be protected with LCD enclosures, which come in a wide range of sizes and can accommodate nearly any make and model of standard TV device. Ideal for digital signage in industrial, manufacturing or factory environments, LCD enclosures also provide an inexpensive method outdoor digital signage.

Medical Equipment

In hospitals, clinics, dentists and other medical environments, the need to clean equipment is essential to reduce the spread of hospital-acquired infections. A computer keyboard and mouse can easily spread infection because different users often use the same equipment; a keyboard and mouse can harbour more germs than a toilet seat so a solution is essential.

Most computer keyboards and mouse systems can’t be cleaned effectively; however, Armagard’s range of medical keyboard and mouse devices are designed to limit bacterial build-up and can be washed clean with both water and anti-bacterial solutions.

Washable and medical keyboards are now an essential part of infection control in many medical locations.

Out of home advertising is perhaps the oldest form of advertising still in use. Used long before TV, radio and newspaper advertising, out of home is still going strong today.

With such potential high audiences, advertisers target commuters, drivers and pedestrians, with places like public transport offering captive audiences and generating high returns for advertising investments.

Out of home advertising has gone through some dramatic changes in recent years. In many big cities, when walking along the high streets at night, you won’t have helped but notice the amount of outdoor screens used for advertising and information displays.

Gone are the traditional neon signs that once provided nighttime advertising, with even locations such as Piccadilly Circus in London and Time Square in New York having replaced their iconic neon.

And the sides of highways are now adorned with huge digital billboards, slowly replacing the old billposters and providing bolder and brighter messaging.

Outdoor digital signage has made dramatic changes to the world of out of home advertising and is not only providing us with a completely new urban landscape, but is giving advertisers many advantages.

Unlike other forms of outdoor advertising—neon, static signs etc—outdoor digital signage can play content from multiple advertisers on the same screen. Furthermore, remotely uploaded content does away with the need for technicians to replace static signage, saving costs when campaigns need changing.

Outdoor digital signage also offers the potential to schedule content for different times of day, enabling advertisers to target specific audiences such as fast food restaurants using lunchtimes to attract customers.

During the day and at night, outdoor digital signage has great appeal providing bold and eye-catching content, moving images and is bringing out of home advertising into the digital age.

While still trailing behind indoor screens, outdoor digital signage is becoming increasingly more prevalent. Three major locations, however, dominate outdoor digital signage: roadside, transport and retail.

Transport

The leading outdoor digital signage environment with 50% of all spent revenue is transport. Including signs placed on subways in train stations and airports, the transport industry also utilises a lot of displays onboard buses trains and at bus stops. With an estimated £100 million due to be spent on outdoor digital signage in 2011, £50million will be spent on transport. With transport customers offering a captive audience, with little else to do than absorb the content offered to them, it’s no wonder transport leads the revenue share for outdoor digital signage.

Roadside Digital Signage

The second most prevalent environment for outdoor digital signage is at the side of the road. Roadside screens constitute 28% of all revenue spent on outdoor digital signage, but the reason for this is perhaps due to their effectiveness.

Roadside screens attract a wide audience—passers by and commuters using transport systems can all see a roadside display and as these screens tend to be larger than comparative outdoor digital displays their readability is fairly long distant—especially the large digital billboard hoardings now seen along major motorway and highways.

Retail

The third most prevalent environment for outdoor digital signage is retail. Shopping centres and retail parks are now littered with outdoor digital signage displays providing retailers with an ideal platform to entice customers through the doors.

22% of outdoor digital signage displays are in retail or leisure environments such as outside cinemas and theatres.

Expanding Outdoor Use

While the indoor sector is starting to slow, outdoor digital signage is continuing to expand and there are plenty of opportunities for all sorts of industries. And with the falling cost of outdoor screens and increasing use of LCD enclosures, outdoor digital signage is not as expensive as people often imagine.