Whether it’s digital signage screens used in retail to promote brands and products, to information screens in public buildings, making sure the screen is prominent is essential to ensure its effectiveness.

Indoor Digital Signage Displays

Indoor areas are full of all sorts of things that compete for people’s attention s a badly positioned digital signage screen could easily be missed. This is never more apparent than in retail environments, where sale items and other signage can make a screen virtually invisible if it’s not in the right place.

One of the best locations to attract people’s attention with a digital signage display is near the entrance so it becomes the first thing they see when they enter a store or building. However, a screen placed too high, such as suspended from a ceiling, or positioned flat against a wall, will not be as noticeable as a screen positioned at eye-level.

But how do you position a screen at eye-level near and entrance? The key is in the digital signage enclosure. A floor-standing enclosure, often called a totem digital signage system, is a freestanding unit that stands at eye-level. This provides a prominent method of digital signage implementation, which is highly noticeable, far more so than wall-mounted digital posters and ceiling mounted displays screens.

Outdoor Digital Signage

Outdoor digital Signage has to work even harder than indoor signage to get noticed. This is because the dwell time for an outdoor screen s far lower, a few seconds at most, and outdoor environments have far more distractions.

Again, an ideal place for positioning an outdoor digital signage screen is near an entrance. Whether it’s a school or college wanting to relay important information to students and staff, or a retailer or transport hub, by placing a screen near to an entrance you can be sure to communicate with everybody that enters.

As with indoor screens, eye-level is key for an outdoor screen. Outdoor digital signage totems provide the same sort of digital signage display unit as those for indoor environments, except, obviously, an outdoor digital signage totem provides protection against the weather and variable temperatures of an outdoor environment.

Outdoor digital signage screens are often viewed from farther away than indoor screens, so larger screens are more effective at being noticed. For this reason, outdoor digital signage totems come in sizes up to 70”, which provides a large, eye-catching form of outdoor screen that is near impossible to miss.

Position Matters – effective placement of digital signage displays is a post from: Armagard

 Both IP ratings and NEMA codes, such as the IP65 and NEMA 4, which are commonly associated with outdoor environments, denote the level of ingress protection an outdoor digital signage enclosure provides. Ingress is the protection offered by an enclosure in preventing foreign bodies from getting inside. These bodies may be dust, rain or snow, which while important to keep out in an outdoor environment, there is more to outdoor digital signage protection than just ingress protection.

While an IP65 digital signage enclosure (or a NEMA 4 enclosure) will offer a useful guide as to the environment it can operate in, it’s important to ensure an outdoor digital signage enclosure is equipped to deal with all the hazards that outdoor digital signage faces in operation.

Temperature for instance, is something not covered by either the IP rating system or the NEMA codes, and yet any IP65 digital signage enclosure not equipped to cope with the variable temperatures of an outdoor environment will soon fail. Both ranges of temperature, high heat and freezing cold, need defending against to prevent screen failure, so as well as ensuring a screen is waterproof to NEMA 4 or IP65, and IP65 digital signage enclosure also needs to be able to cope with seasonal temperature changes.

Physical protection is also something not covered by either the IP or NEMA rating system. Again, an outdoor digital signage system unable to cope with impacts, either accidental or deliberate vandalism, won’t last very long in an outdoor environment. For this reason outdoor digital signage enclosures need to be rugged enough to withstand impacts and attempts at vandalism.  This often means be solidly constructed from a tough material such as steel, as well as having some form of shatterproof screen protection that won’t smash.

Outdoor Digital Signage – Thinking Beyond IP and NEMA Ratings is a post from: Armagard

Armagard will have several exciting new products on display including a stainless steel LCD enclosure, designed for wash down areas, and their double landscape enclosure, which is already proving popular for information delivery on train station platforms and other service provider locations.

These new products will be available to look at on stand #10R116 in Hall 10 of the digital signage area, and Armagard will be displaying them alongside their existing range of portrait, landscape and totem outdoor digital signage enclosures, and several other digital signage solutions.

Armagard’s new stainless steel LCD enclosure is available in sizes ranging between 24” and 42” and is designed to NEMA 4/IP 56 guidelines. A waterproof and corrosion resistant unit, the stainless steel LCD enclosure is manufactured to the same high quality engineering standard as the rest of Armagard’s existing LCD enclosure range.

Armagard’s double landscape enclosure protects side-by-side dual screens. This is already proving popular with information providers as it provides a way of delivering dual information. The twin enclosure maintains a stable internal temperature and can operate in a whole host of outdoor areas and environments where temperature and external elements may be a concern.

Armagard will also have samples of their existing digital signage and LCD enclosure range on display at ISE 2012. Their LCD enclosures are available in both portrait and landscape orientation, and they provide comprehensive protection against temperature and the elements.

Also on display are two digital signage totem solutions. The outdoor digital signage totem is a stylish and prominent outdoor display unit that is ideal for entrance areas and front of building displays. Armagard’s indoor retail totem can encompass brand messages on the enclosure unit itself, maximising branding potential.

ISE 2012 is expected to be one of the largest shows of its kind and Armagard will be among over 750 manufacturers, distributors and integrators from the AV industry, from over 100 countries, that are exhibiting at the event. For more information about ISE 2012, details are available on the ISE website. Armagard hope to see you there.

Armagard LCD Enclosures at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2012 is a post from: Armagard

In the United States and other areas, religion plays an important part in people’s lives, but increasingly, churches and

Digital signage provides effective communication for religious buildings

other buildings find themselves serving much larger communities and communicating with these more fragmented congregations requires effective outdoor messaging.

Outdoor digital signage provides religious buildings with an effective method of providing details of events and services to the local community. Furthermore, it provides an effective tool to spread religious messages.

Many religious buildings are fairly large and cater for a whole host of local events. From weddings, funerals, christenings and bar mitzvahs to Sunday schools, crèche facilities and other community services. Religious buildings, therefore, need a method of communicating what sort of services are being offered, stipulating times, places and locations, which is why outdoor digital signage is so effective.

Inside religious buildings digital signage displays are increasingly being used too. Wayfinding and use as electronic bulletin boards, a screen can replace the traditional noticeboards that many churches and other religious buildings employ to communicate to congregations.

Digital signage also offers the ability to transmit services from the pulpit to other areas of the church and even to outside areas, helping priests and other religious leaders communicate their messages to a wider audience.

Digital signage also offers churches and other religious buildings, often seen as old and stuffy, with a contemporary image, which helps engage with younger members of the community. This modernization also benefits the building organisers too as messaging becomes far simpler to disseminate to a congregation and local community with an immediate and remote method of uploading of information.

Digital signage systems are not necessarily complicated either, with simple digital signage posters or LCD screens protected in LCD enclosures, content can be uploaded with USB drives making it unnecessary to embark on an expensive and complicated networking system. A lot of content is easily home generated too with many software packages available to help generate messaging for event the busiest of church organiser.

With digital signage displays both indoors and out, modern religious buildings are finding an effective method of communication with parishioners, congregations, the young and local community in a modern and efficient manner, which helps to keep the church or other religious building relevant in today’s ever-changing technological landscape.

Growing Use of Digital Signage around Religious Buildings is a post from: Armagard

 From educational institutions to public galleries and churches, outdoor digital signage provides many advantages for communicating with the general public, congregations, students and local people.

 Visibility

 Perhaps the most obvious advantage of using an outdoor screen is visibility it offers. Moving images, traditional captions and bright, HD technology mean that outdoor screens are highly noticeable. While many people will walk past a noticeboard and not pay it much heed, an outdoor LCD or plasma screen will grab their attention, making it more likely passersby will read the messages.

 Because of the ability to use moving images, stream video and even provide sound, an outdoor digital signage screen also has the ability to provide content that is far more dynamic. Also, unlike noticeboards where notices can get ripped torn or become faded, messages on digital signage remain vibrant throughout their use.

 Ease of Communication

Unlike noticeboards that require somebody to go around and paste up new content, a screen placed outside can have messages uploaded remotely. This is really beneficial for those organisations where buildings are scattered around a city or large area. Universities for instance, which may have several campuses, can upload the same information on networked screens no matter how far apart they are.

 For religious buildings that often run appeals for donations, an outdoor screen is also able to relay progress in real time, helping congregations understand how much more fundraising is required for the church, synagogue, temple or mosque to reach its target.

 Immediacy

 Disseminating information quickly is another advantage of using an outdoor screen. Often, especially in emergency situations, getting the information out to people as quickly as possible is crucial. This was never so evident than during recent campus shootings in the United States, where students stumbled into the emergency, because the institution had no way of warning students of the impending danger. With a digital signage display, as soon as news of an emergency is received, the information can be uploaded immediately, warning anybody arriving at the site of the situation.

 This also means that public buildings can react to changes of information. If a building has to alter its opening hours, change schedules, information is able to be disseminated instantly, preventing frustrations from the service users.

Benefits of Outdoor Screens for Public Buildings is a post from: Armagard

While it’s important to ensure any outdoor screen is waterproof and protected from the weather, it is equally important to ensure that the signage can handle the variable temperatures of an external environment.

The temperature in outdoor areas can vary from one extreme to the other. In summer, an outdoor screen may have to cope with sweltering temperatures, which can lead to overheating and eventual failure of the screen. In winter, the opposite problem occurs and the need to prevent screens from freezing is also essential to prevent failure.

Whether designed for outdoor use or standard devices housed in outdoor LCD enclosures, all LCD screens have a limited temperature range. Once exceeded, a screen will soon fail so for continuous operation, keeping the screen within this temperature range is critical.

Outdoor digital signage is particularly vulnerable to overheating in hot climates or throughout summer. Screens, as with any electrical appliance, produce a certain amount of heat throughout their operation. Not only does this heat have to be transferred away, but the effects of ambient heat also require consideration.

For a screen designed for outdoor use, there are different methods of heat expulsion employed, but the display will have a finite maximum as of ambient temperature it can operate in. However, the difficulty with estimating ambient temperature is that you never know for sure exactly what the maximum temperature will be. In some locations, while summer may generally be mild, heat waves and freak temperature could occur, and possibly disable a screen, so erring n the side of caution is always advisable.

Freezing temperatures, especially during wintertime are also disabling for an outdoor digital signage display. In some locations, extreme cold is more common, and outdoor digital signage needs protection especially from sub zero temperatures. Again, erring on the side of caution is always the best option, with areas that regularly receive sub zero temperatures requiring heating systems that automatically switch on whenever temperatures drop too low.

With an LCD enclosure containing heaters, cooling fans and other temperature control components, an outdoor screen can function safely throughout the year, without becoming disabled by freak weather occurrences that can quickly disable the display.

Importance of Temperature Control for Outdoor Digital Signage is a post from: Armagard

The problem with many digital signage screens is that often they can remain down for long periods before anybody notices, and all that time the screen is losing money, but downtime has other effects and costs too.

Damaged screens are a problem for digital signage

Repair and replacement of parts adds additional costs, which means any return on investment is going to take longer to accrue. A dead screen also provides the wrong image; when customers see a company name associated with a broken piece of technology, it affects the corporate reputation.

Digital signage downtime has many causes, but by careful planning and ensuring adequate protection for the screen, it is possible to avoid many of these causes. The most common reasons for digital signage failure are:

Environment— a common cause of failure is when a screen not adequately protected for the environment it is functioning. With outdoor digital signage, this may be lack of weatherproofing or lack of consideration for the environment’s temperature. Even indoor screens are susceptible to failure due to overheating. Ensuring proper ventilation and cooling is essential, and for screens functioning in extremely cold environment, keep a screen warm is just as important as preventing overheating.

System crashes—inadequate media players, poor software and lack of hardware compatibility often lead to system failures. Ensuring compatibility and thorough testing of equipment before installation are the only solutions for preventing this sort of technological breakdown.

Vandalism—unfortunately a common cause of downtime, vandalism can happen in almost any location. Properly protecting a screen with shatterproof screens and a rugged LCD enclosure can help reduce the risk of downtime caused by vandalism.

Lack of Replacement—even the most well protected screen will eventually need replacing. LCD screens, even commercial ones only have a limited operational life of five years. Over time, the picture quality of an LCD screen fades, a good indication the screen is on the way out and is worth replacing.

Digital Signage and the Problems of Downtime is a post from: Armagard

Digital information screen

While modern technology such as email and mobile phones provide efficient communication methods, providing information to a mass audience—especially an unidentifiable audience—still provides many challenges for businesses.

Transport hubs are a popular location for information screens. Here, no other method of relaying timetabling information and scheduled arrivals provides the same up-to-the-minute communication. Passengers expect to transport hubs to inform them about delays or scheduling changes, as they can have a large impact on a passenger’s plans for the day.

The advantages of using digital signage screens for relaying this sort of information is that the screens are highly visible, and when news comes in of delays, this information can be instantly sent to the passengers, preventing complaints and keeping the passengers happy.

And information screens have uses for other types of business too. Schools, colleges and universities find that communicating with staff and students over such large areas as academic campuses can be difficult. With so many people arriving intermittently, providing the latest information requires a noticeable and immediate form of communication. While most students now have access to email, educational establishments can’t rely on when the messages sent by email are checked, so crucial information needs relaying in a more immediate manner.

Outdoor information screens positioned outside entrances provide a noticeable and instant form of communication, and are particularly useful in emergencies, preventing students from wondering into an incident by warning them on the way in.

Businesses to benefit from information screens as a form of communication, especially those that operate in large buildings and sites. Factories and warehouses often struggle to communicate with workers, but information screens, strategically positioned, provide a noticeable form of messaging. And with the speed that information can be relayed across information screens, enables urgent and time-sensitive information to be relayed at the same time.

With an eye-catching display, internal and external communication becomes straightforward and ensures no matter what the information that needs to be got across, it is easily and quickly disseminated.

Information Screens and the Speed of Delivery is a post from: Armagard

McDonalds, watch and eat.

Most media savvy organisations now have a YouTube site, where videos featuring company news, information and product demonstrations, help generate brand awareness and leads. But the internet is not the only platform where businesses can communicate to customers via video.

Digital signage provides an ideal opportunity to communicate directly to customers, and increasingly companies are using screens around stores and business locations to speak to their customers in an environment uncluttered by other media.

One of the latest companies to incorporate their own TV channel is McDonalds. Using screens around their restaurants, the fast food giant is planning to relay information and news as well as entertainment features.

The McDonald’s Channel will first appear in 800 restaurants in Southern and Central California and are expected to reach up to 20 million customers each month, which is more than many prime time TV shows manage.

Advantages of Corporate TV Channels

Corporate TV channels provide several advantages to larger businesses such as McDonalds as they take advantage of the high numbers of people that not only come through the doors, but also remain to eat, becoming a captive audience.

But even smaller businesses that don’t receive the scale of customers of McDonalds can benefit from corporate news feeds on their digital signage networks, as it allows companies to speak directly to their customers, bypassing news organisations and advertising companies. And with television becoming a fragmented market, due to the rise of digital technology and increase in channels, corporate television is becoming an increasingly popular method of reaching customers.

As with the McDonalds example, providing news, entertainment and feature programming, helps to encourage viewership of a digital signage screen. When content is all commercial, viewers soon mentally switch off, but by interlacing branding and advertisements in with something an audience wants to see, commercial TV can effective at advertising and generating brand awareness.

As Leland Edmondson, founder of ChannelPort, the company behind the McDonalds TV network says: “The intention is to catch and engage the customer, and then enhance their experience … This network is not intended to be all about McDonald’s. It is all about the consumer.”

The Rise of Corporate TV Channels is a post from: Armagard

The sun can cause several problems with an outdoor screen, which lead to viewing problems. And any screen where the audience can’t see the content is not accomplishing the intended requirements. Coping with the problems caused by the sun is not easy, and requires different methods depending on the problems caused:

Screen Glare

Screen glare is something that may be familiar to most people. If you’ve ever had to shut the curtains whist trying to watch TV at home during the day, then the reason was probably due to screen glare. Screen glare is when the sun is reflected off the surface of the screen face and can make it impossible to see the content.

The simples cure for screen glare is to make sure the screen is not facing the direct path of the sun; however, this is not always possible especially for south facing screens (or north facing in the southern hemisphere).

Using an anti-reflective glass is one of the only solutions to prevent screen glare, but this has the drawback of tinting and dimming the screen, so a screen of higher brightness is needed.

Brightness

High brightness screens are a prerequisite for outdoor use. Because of the sun’s brightness and the problems caused by screen glare, standard indoor screens often struggle when it comes to readability.

Screen brightness is measured in candelas (sometimes called nits) and an indoor screen typically has a candela value of around 500. For outdoor digital signage, to ensure the screen can cope against the brightness levels of the sun, candela values of at least 1,200 are needed—the higher the better.

Screen Heat

Another problem caused by the sun, especially when the screen faces the sun’s path, is overheating of the screen face. Continuous sunlight bearing down on a screen may result in the hotspots developing, which in turn can lead to permanent burn marks appearing on the screen. While tints and anti-reflective glass can alleviate this problem to some degree, often the only solution is to provide a curtain of cool air across the screen face, transferring any heat build-up away.

Problems with the Sun is a post from: Armagard