You might think you know digital signage media player maker BrightSign, but think again.
The manufacturer announces a “complete product lineup change as of December 1,” says CEO Jeff Hastings, calling it the “second shoe to drop” after the launch of BrightSign 4K. “We’ve been working on retooling the whole product line.”
The retooling includes the launch of BrightSign LS, a relatively affordable line that will complete with what Hastings calls “consumerish” alternatives.
BrightSign is also updating existing HD and XD lines while shipping new 4K players. All told, BrightSign now has 10 players across four product lines:
BrightSign LS
The new LS Series players serve a part of the market that BrightSign hasn’t traditionally targeted. “It’s built to address what we think is the low end of the digital signage market,” Hastings says. BrightSign was seeing low-cost boxes deployed in POP displays running for long periods of time and the devices weren’t really made for those solutions, he says. The LS Series, meanwhile, offers “quality and reliability.”
The LS Series fills a void for BrightSign, Hastings says. “We get exposed to most deals going on around the world and we see the rise in POP in retail growing at probably one of the fastest growth rates in digital signage. We actually lost deals [because we weren’t in that market] and we saw them sourcing consumer level Android devices.”
What often ended up happening, he added, was that customers would go to BrightSign for a solution after their original solution failed. The LS Series is designed to be a solution in the same price category.
From the press release:
The LS422 ($250) is capable of 1080p30 single video decoding, with features such as GPIO and USB interactivity, and S/PDIF for digital sound to easily outperform any similarly priced device. The LS322 ($200) is a fully featured commercial audio device with S/PDIF connectivity capable of handling any audio-only installation. Both of BrightSign’s new LS players are purpose-built for digital signage and audio applications, with reliability and longevity of support that simply can’t be beat.
BrightSign HD
This line has been refined from three models to two, essentially because one of the products in the new LS line replaced an HD line product.
From the press release:
[The line offers a] new feature set that establishes a new standard for PC-class performance at affordable price points, BrightSign HD now supports HTML5 and 1080p60 content. Both the HD222 ($350) and HD1022 ($500) offer the ability to deliver networked content updates and live data feeds, along with GPIO interactivity, UDP support and video wall synchronization. Both models are updated with a new “remote snapshot” feature that provides a snapshot view of your running presentation using local networking and the BrightSign App, or via the BrightSign Network. Additionally, the HD1022 delivers supplemental interactivity options via USB 2.0 and serial connectivity.
BrightSign XD
This line may look the same, but “we’ve added all new electronics in it” achieving “dramatic improvement,” Hastings says. A key addition is Power over Ethernet capability.
From the press release:
All three of BrightSign’s XD models have been updated with an even faster graphics and HTML5 engine and Power over Ethernet (PoE) and the added convenience of remote viewing capabilities. All of these elevated capabilities are delivered at the same price points of their predecessors. The XD232 ($450) boasts faster graphics and HTML5 engine and PoE, as well as interactive capabilities via UDP commands and the BrightSign App, plus GPIO controls and video wall synchronization. The XD1032 ($600) also includes S/PDIF output for pure digital and surround sound audio, and additional interactive controls via serial and dual USB 2.0 ports. And the XD1132 ($650) adds Live TV playback via HDMI, even HDCP-protected content.
BrightSign 4K
The newly launched 4K line recently started shipping and “so far demand is greater than we expected” and BrightSign is “basically selling every [4K player] in our inventory,” Hastings says. “We have a lot of people buying them for not 4K but interactive type content.”
From the press release:
The three BrightSign 4K models remain the most sought-after solutions for systems integrators who are building installations that showcase the latest technological advances up to and including 4K playback. The 4K242 ($600) offers PoE, as well as the most powerful video engine capable of dual decoding of one 4K video and one Full HD video simultaneously. It includes abundant content support such as HTML5, live media feeds, IP streaming, and more.
The GPIO port offers basic interactivity, while the Ethernet port supports networked interactivity for synchronized video walls, mobile device interactivity and messaging between BrightSign and third-party devices using UDP commands. The 4K1042 ($700) adds S/PDIF output for pure digital surround sound audio and a multitude of interactive controls for engaging interactive displays including GPIO, serial, USB and UDP. Rounding out the 4K lineup, BrightSign’s top-of-the-line 4K1142 ($850) also delivers Live TV playback via the HDMI input, even HDCP-protected content.
BrightSign now has 10 players across four product lines.
