“What’s in a display?” Well, quite a bit, actually!
With the pandemic behind us, the AV industry is witnessing a rise in immersive and interactive experiences across vertical markets. Integrators are fully grasping the value of not just having the right digital-signage displays but also having the kind of content to suit the audience. Undoubtedly, the world of digital signage is evolving, paving the way for integrators to go above and beyond in delivering outstanding experiences.
At a Fall 2023 Open House event, which also coincided with Planar’s 40th anniversary, Planar and Datapath provided a glimpse of digital signage’s future, highlighting new demonstrations and product displays.
The Future of Indoor/Outdoor Installations
At the showroom, located in Providence, R.I., Planar underlined the increasing demand for versatile and flexible digital-signage applications in indoor and outside settings. Keeping that demand in mind, the company presented a diverse portfolio of LED and LCD display innovations adaptable across different markets.
Some of the latest products included the Luminate Ultra series, DirectLightPro series and the All-in-One Ultra Res L 136-inch LED, as well as the Ultra Res W Series, among others.
Image credit: Amala Reddie.
According to Planar, the Luminate Ultra, first demonstrated at CEDIA Expo 2022, provides up to 3,500 nits of brightness. Thus, the display can ensure visibility even in direct sunlight. For integrators, the display serves as an attractive option for all outdoor environments, as well as indoor spaces with high ambient light, Planar says.
Meanwhile, the Planar Ultra Res W Series, an ultra-wide-format LCD display, is compatible with unified communications platforms such as Microsoft Teams. Thus, it’s a very suitable option in corporate environments. However, it can also be used for digital signage, thereby making it extremely versatile.
According to Planar, the company is highly attuned to today’s hybrid-work modality. Thus, Planar has enriched the Ultra Res W Series with remote-monitoring software. The software conveys information about the display and allows users to make adjustments to zones, brightness, power settings and more. As a result, it enables 24×7 reliability and streamlines customer service for integration businesses.
Datapath and Planar: Close Collaborators
Peter Spaeth, RSM, northeast and mid-Atlantic, Datapath, along with Peter Pritz, technical pre-sales, Datapath, delivered an informative presentation. Together, they underscored how video signal processing is top of mind across verticals. This, of course, means Datapath, as well as Planar, is a critical player in digital-signage installations today. According to Spaeth, high-quality video signal processing enables optimal long-term performance and maintains high reliability. Keeping this in mind, Datapath closely collaborates with Planar to advance videowall integrations.
Whereas Planar provides seamless visualization with its display offerings, Datapath enables flexibility for IP content distribution through its IP and KVM solutions offerings. Together, the partners ensure that content meets client expectations and end users enjoy exceptional experiences. According to Spaeth, the future of digital signage lies in facilitating the right environment for content to stand out and capture people’s attention.
Image credit: Amala Reddie.
Following their presentation, Spaeth and Pritz offered a demonstration of Datapath’s Aetria solution for control-room operations. Aetria enables design, management and operations of control rooms of all sizes. As Spaeth explained, Aetria allows the operator to be at the heart of the control room. For AV integrators, the Aetria solution fosters greater source management, enables flexible design, and delivers built-in monitoring and diagnostics. In other words, it revolutionizes the workflow for these applications.
Tying it all together, the presenters concluded that, for AV integrators, the opportunities in digital signage are endless and ripe for the taking. And that’s especially true when integration businesses leverage the synergies of key vendor partners like Planar and Datapath.
Hungry for more information about digital signage? Check out our Complete Guide!
