Digital signage software, players, 
and display screen comparisons

Samsung MagicInfo digital signage

Samsung make widescreen LCD monitors, some of which include MagicInfo, which is their in-built digital signage.   MagicNet X (LAN) has three stages:

1. Choose your content
2. Select screens you want to send content to, A, B, C etc., (as shown above left)
3. Set start time when you want content to be displayed (as shown above right)

MagicInfo X has the capability to connect more than one server PC to your MagicInfo X system. When there is more than one server, the display can be directed to download its content from a specific server and receive a schedule from that server PC.

Digital signage can be used for advertising, branding or avoiding public confusion by providing up-to-date information, such as flight info, local info, news, weather and terminal map, as shown in the picture above.

Samsung MagicInfo Pro is a web supported server with remote management. What this means is that you can utilize the WAN (wide area network) connection to control a multitude of displays in many locations across the Internet.

Let’s image you have your corporate headquarters in the UK, and your organization has now opened a chain of retail outlets across the USA.  You want to control what content is seen in-store, without having to get on a plane to see individual store managers to delegate controlling on-screen displays.   From one PC you can control content, so when store A and B opens at 9.00 western USA time, customers see specific content, which is shown in store C at 09.00 eastern USA time.    

Alternatively, you may wish to display traffic and weather information in store A, whilst store B shows suggested menu servings, and store C shows highlights from a sporting event.

As you open more stores, you simply need to purchase additional Samsung displays with MagicInfo X and ensure you have the required minimum system recommendations as per the manufacturer’s specification sheet.

Samsung LCD monitors with and without MagicInfo

 

SONY digital signage

Sony have made digital signage easy for you; all you need is a Sony LCD or plasma public display, choosing a screen size 32, 40, 42 or 50-inch. Then slot in a Sony digital signage board, such as BKM-FW50, into the back of the display and you can create your own presentation stored on CompactFlash media. 

If you want to get your message across with an entry level simple system, the digital signage board shows still images or video clips.    However, you if want to show your message on several Sony screens you will need a digital signage board in each screen.

You create content on your PC, transfer to your CompactFlash memory card and place into the slot, to display content on the screen. No network infrastructure is required. Any PC on the network can display its desktop content on the display (not suitable for fast moving images), as shown in the picture above. With VNC Freeware no additional software is required.  

Display settings such as brightness, power on/off, can be adjusted remotely. Content formats are movie MPEG2, picture JPEG (PowerPoint slides are saved as JPEG), audio MP3. The play list allows you to play content in whichever order you prefer. 

You can only use the Sony digital signage board, on Sony plasma or LCD monitors only. One board per screen required.

Sony also  offer Ziris digital signage software, both entry level and professional versions.

Sony plasma screens
Sony widescreen LCD monitors
LCD monitors
Digital signage players and boards

PADS stand alone digital software

PADS (public area display system) software has three elements: designer, manager and viewer. Designer, which is easy to use design and layout application, is Windows based, so the icons look familiar. You can select .PDFs, JPEGs, movie files or add text messages to compose your messages.  You can even link databases.  There are no licence issues on the designer part of the software, so several people could have designer on their PC to design messages, but you can only send the message to one display screen using the viewer part of the software, per licence.  The other element of the software is manager, which lets you schedule and send presentations to multiple screens within a 24 hour period.

When we used PADS, we started with a blank page, dragged a text box on the page, right clicked to get into the text box properties and wrote a simple greeting message.  We then selected the .PDF icon and brought in a .PDF, added a movie, and then clicked preview to see our message. We then did another message on page 2, and could have one page running for a certain time period, with the second page following at a given time.  A 30 day free trial download is available for PADS.

AV comparison charts
Plasma screens
Projectors  
Projector lamps  
Projector lenses
Projector screens
Security products
Sound, lighting, stage effects
Special needs
Stands, mounts and trolleys
Whiteboards and copyboards