I’ve often written in this space about the impact digital signage is having on how businesses communicate their marketing and informational messages to customers, workers and other constituents.

While the attributes of digital signage, including its similarity to television, the speed and ease with which content can be updated and its ability to integrate interactive elements, all have contributed to its success, there’s another important reason for its growth that often gets overlooked.

Specifically, the size and weight of today’s LCD monitors and plasma panels make previously unavailable spaces suitable for the displays. Simply put, the awkward size and heavy weight of TVs with picture tubes restricted where they could be used. True, the weight and size difference between TVs and flat panels isn’t new, but it appears that as an industry, we may be poised again to see a change in display technology open up many new places where digital signage can be used and in so doing nudge forward the expansion of the market.

This time the technology is OLED, or organic light-emitting display. In R&D labs for at least the past 13 years, OLED technology finally will make it to market in the form of a TV set when Sony releases its new XEL-1 Dec. 1. While the OLED television will offer a 1 million to 1 contrast ratio, high brightness and wide color reproduction, its major claim to fame is likely to be size and weight. The XEL-1 panel is only .12 inches thick.

Please don’t misunderstand me. The new XEF-1 is only an 11in TV -far too small for digital signage applications. However, undoubtedly it’s a precursor of things to come. Like LCD and plasma panels, manufacturing technologies will improve. With time, yields will rise, and as they do successive generations of OLED displays -each larger than the last- will become available. At some point, OLED televisions will cross the threshold from “that’s an interesting technology” to “I need 20 for my digital signage network.”

The relevance of display size and weight to the growth of digital signage should not be minimized. Only a few years ago, using tube-based TVs in digital signage-type applications often required special industrial-grade wall or ceiling mounting brackets (think hospital room televisions). Those mounts by definition restricted the choices in the placement of displays because they could only be used in certain places that met the manufacturer’s requirements. Alternately, if such mounts weren’t used, special AV carts, TV enclosures or kiosks were necessary to prevent top-heavy displays from tipping over.

LCD and plasma panels radically changed that equation. The lighter panels didn’t require the same sorts of mounts, which meant new a variety of previously overlooked spaces could be considered for use. The same will be true for OLED displays when compared to LCD and plasma panels. It’s hard to imagine, but it probably is only a matter of years before LCD and plasma panels will be considered “too thick” and “too heavy.”

In the meantime, OLED technology will begin to make its presence felt and market and likely exert price pressures of LCD and plasma displays, making digital signage even more affordable.

Sure, Sony’s announcement of the XEF-1 is a first step, but it’s an important one in the evolution of digital signage. One day, it is likely to be seen as an advancement in making digital signage a realistic communications vehicle for a greater number of businesses and institutions.

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Okay, so you have spend a few weeks discussing and researching the content, displays and media players that you will use in your digital signage solution, now you have to consider how to mount the solution. Will you mount your 50KG TV from the wall, floor or ceiling?

When being used for in-store or outdoor signage, the solution must be well planned compared to traditional signage. It is a known fact that a moving image will capture your audiences attention, so this makes the location were these are to be sited a priority, if they in the wrong location they will not be seen, likewise if they are at the wrong height, (either to high or too low) you will achieve the same end result – a poor performing solution.

Finding the right location, position is easy when you follow the following steps.

Screen Placement.

The is pre-planning where you will be deploying the screens on to a plan of the retail floor or outdoor location, before the deployment commences.

So you for this to be as perfect as possible, bear in mind the location has to be in a high traffic areas, as well as being accessible for maintenance or hardware updates.

Place the screens were they can be seen.

Sounds obvious, but the type and variation of ceilings may make this difficult. So let us look at the mounting options.

Wall mount.

These are available for displays and media players and the size range depends on the screen size from 17″ to 70″ and can be fixed or angled, if the display is going to be mounted high on a wall an angled option would be must better to get the best possible position. These have adjustable arms to accommodate any VESA compatible size from 100 x 100 to 800 x 400. These normally have a maximum weight load of 150lbs (75Kg).

Ceiling mount.

As the name implies, the mount bolts to the ceiling, or can be mounting to ceiling poles, then the mount is extended to the correct height for the screen and the screen is then mounted, feeding the cables through the mount into the ceiling and concealing them. These normally have a maximum weight load of 150lbs (75Kg) for sizes 27″ to 65″ displays.

There are also solutions for mounting multiple displays in one location, such as in transportation hubs. These heavy duty mounts will support 2 displays up to 65″ in size, the mounting pole from the ceiling can be adjusted at 4″ (100mm) increments, making it very flexible.

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The change from analog to digital TV will be upon us before you know it so it is advised that you buy your digital converter box now before stores are sold out. The last day TV stations are permitted to broadcast in analog will be February 17, 2009. Most TV stations are already broadcasting in analog and digital, but soon they will be allowed to only broadcast in digital.

If you own an analog TV, an digital converter box is required to receive digital broadcasts. You don’t need to get rid of your analog televisions. All you need to do is buy the converter box, connect it to your television and you’ll start receiving your favorite TV programs in digital format. Now you can watch your favorite sports, TV shows and movies with a clear picture and unbelievable sound.

Digital converter boxes are available in your local retail stores and online. Before making a purchase, make sure the box you’ve chosen will fit your TV. You should also look for customer reviews online before making a decision. There is no need to spend thousands on a new digital tv. You can easily convert the TV you already own into an digital with the converter box. Save your money!

In order to help consumers pay for the new digital converter box, the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program was created. This program is available to every U.S. household and each household is eligible to receive 2 coupons for new boxes. These coupons are worth $40 and must be used at the time of purchase of any authorized converter box. You can submit an application for your coupons at http://www.dTV2009.gov or call 1-888-388-2009.

There are several types of converter boxes to choose from and connecting them to your television is easy. The coupon program is available so expense should not be an issue. So what are you waiting for? Join the rest of us in the digital revolution and get your digital converter box today!

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In the not too distant past, stereo receivers were only used for connecting components of your home stereo system and switching between them, but times have changed drastically in the home entertainment field in just the last few years. Today a stereo receiver, or digital receiver as they are sometimes called, is expected to also handle video inputs from any number of devices and be able to route that as well to the TV set. In addition, today’s receivers must have the capability to decode surround sound and support up to at least 5 speakers and a subwoofer. That’s a lot to ask, and also a lot to connect up, so let’s discuss how to connect your digital receiver to your home theater setup.

If you buy an all-in-one home theater system package, you probably won’t have much problem setting things up because it’s all usually laid out for you in the instructions and the components should all match very well. But if you are putting together your own home theater package made up of different components then you need to plan ahead and buy the right equipment to get the job done.

As far as the receiver is concerned, be sure that you buy one that has the number of connections that you will need to handle all of your system components. For video, almost all receivers give you a connection for a DVD player, a VCR, and a cable or satellite box, but do you also plan to connect up a digital camcorder, a video game system, or digital video recorder? If so, you will need enough inputs for all these pieces of equipment too. And you can expect to pay more for that many extra connections, but if that is what you need, the cost is worth it.

Now you need to be sure that the connection types are what you want too. Almost all video equipment can be connected through a standard composite connection cable, but if you want to improve the video quality you will use an S-video connection instead. Having a good mix of input connections between the two can be a good idea as most camcorder video will not have to be of the highest quality anyway.

On the audio front, many digital receivers are coming with surround sound decoders built into the unit and that is usually the simplest solution. Just make sure that the digital connection for sound from your system components matches the input connection on the receiver. Usually it is either an optical or coaxial connection. Just be sure that whichever it is, they match on both ends.

Then be sure that you have enough speaker connections to drive your speaker setup. If you like to use the newer 6.1 or 7.1 surround sound system format you will need enough speaker connections on your receiver to power all those separate speakers.

Once you have the right equipment with the right connections, actually installing the receiver is a matter of staying organized as you go. It may be a good idea to label each cable set on both ends to remind you what goes where. And be sure to keep the polarity straight when you install the speakers too. Each speaker has a “+” and “-” terminal, so make sure that you match them up correctly with the corresponding terminal on the receiver or your sound quality will suffer.

Following a few well planned guidelines and being as organized as possible can help you to not only buy the right digital receiver equipment for your home theater setup, but also install it correctly as well.

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With your trusty digital video camera by your side you can capture all those special moments, such as your child’s first steps, your birthday or wedding, or your vacation with family and friends etc.

With so many manufacturers and models available in the digital video market, you may find it confusing trying to choose the perfect one for you. Your choice will, however, depend on the features that you want and how much you are willing to spend.

The most important thing to consider is the format in which your videos will be stored, as the video format determines the video quality. Digital 8 otherwise called D8, Mini-DV, DVD and HDD are the main types of video format that digital cameras offer. Both D8 and Mini-DV are tape-based formats, with the Mini-DV currently offering the highest quality video format to consumers. The DVD format allows direct video recording onto a digital disk, while the HDD type uses internal hard drives where the video is recorded. As the tape format is slowly being phased out by major manufacturers, it is a good idea to invest in disk or hard drive based digital video cameras.

Digital video cameras also come with charged coupled device or CCD imaging sensor. Digital video cameras come with 1-CCD or 3-CCD features. Cameras with 1-CCD suffer from poor video quality, whereas 3-CCD cameras produce much better quality videos. Most professional camcorders use the 3-CCD technology, thus making them more expensive than the other models.

The optical zoom feature of the camcorder lens generally ranges from 10X to 20X. The choice of zoom depends on how close you want to get to the action. Some digital video cameras also allow still photography at various resolutions, and some camcorders offer both video and still photography features. Some digital video camcorders have in-built flash for low-light photography, while some video cameras come with a ‘Night Shot’ feature. Other popular options include external flashlights, external microphones and external storage devices that can be attached onto the camcorder.

Camcorders with longer battery strength is also recommended. Digital video cameras have battery life ranging from 4 to 8 hours of continuous shooting. However, using the zoom or any external devices reduce the battery strength.

All cameras nowadays come bundled with a digital video editing software. But if you are not satisfied with the one provided, you can always buy a better and more expensive editing software from Adobe or any other reputable brand.

Video camera prices today vary from $500 to $4000, with Sony, JVC and Canon being the more popular brands.

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Many countries primarily among the European countries are experiencing transformations in the state’s television broadcasting signal while you read this. The tendency is to renew the old school analog television transmission and this change is affecting many TV audiences who will have to keep up to date in order to keep on watching television. The analog signal was broadcast in a single frequency while the modern digital platform is based on a discrete terrestrial platform permitting excellent quality (high definition) audio and pictures. The modern DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) signal is delivered in either the MPEG2 or MPEG4 format with MPEG4 being the latest.

A conversion in TV signal, nevertheless, is not easily done. It requires a lot of technical and physical modifications on the back end, but the most wide-ranging consequence actually affects the end user who are required to do something in order to observe the digital TV.

This publication will assist you to know if you need to react on the changes and which options there are available.

The first question is, who is affected?

- Those using an outdated antenna.

If you can count yourself amongst those, here is what you can (should) do in order to transform your television signal and prepare yourself for a TV revolution:

1. Purchase a satellite dish! This is maybe one of the most radical options you can choose, but is very likely also the best. When you buy a satellite system you will no longer be reliant on any signal updates, actually, you will never again have to worry about it. A satellite signal is something very different and independent so if the national television organization decides to modernize its platform within the coming years you will not be affected. Using a satellite, also opens a new world of channels, where you can choose from a wider range of TV channels from around the planet as for an ex. BBC, CNN, TV2 Sport and Fox.

2. Shifting to a cable dependent TV network. Although this alternative very often is limited to people who is housed in bigger building blocks with inbuilt solutions. This option would resolve your problem.

3. Fibernet. Not an option for the majority, but definitely a splendid solution.

4. Broadband. You can use your broadband net connection as the television broadcasting source. This network is digital in nature and it is in fact possible to exploit it on your television.

5. Purchase a modernized LCD television. Most of the new TVs have inbuilt digital boxes; the only concern you should be aware of is if they are MPEG4 compatible. If they only support MPEG2 you can end up having to upgrade again later on possibly with an external adapter.

6. Internet TV. It is something many are unaware of, but you are able to see lots of television channels on the internet? Plenty of large TV brands also publish live on the net.

7. Quit the television! This is probably not the first choice for the majority of TV audience, but is included here to demonstrate the importance of the subject. If you do not take action you WILL lose your TV signal. It is not similar to the past where a bad signal meant hazy pictures, the modern times are cruel, now it is everything or nothing.

8. Purchase a DVB T Tuner. This is the easiest solution for a majority of people in many states. A DVB T Tuner from Digital Video Broadcasting Terrestrial is an external television signal adaptor, permitting out dated televisions to display HD pictures. This solution does not need any large antenna or expensive stuff, the DVB T tuner is a tiny box you connect to and place besides your TV and you are good to go. This is therefore the cheapest option for most. The only disadvantage is that you need a DVB T tuner for every television in your family.

We hope you could use the info given and that you are now better suited to take a well informed decision. The single thing left for you to do is to act and solve this minor problem before you are met with a black screen.

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Sonance ceiling speakers are affordable and attractive. They come in rectangular, oval, and rounded shapes. Most of them are off-white; however, they also come in black. Both, the off-white and black designs can be painted to suit your particular shade requirements. The ceiling speakers by Sonance can be purchased at the following large online stores: Amazon, Best Buy, Buy.com, eBay, Gigaweb.com, Sears, and Vanns.com.

When choosing the speakers for your home, you may want to consider several factors. First, make sure that the speaker will match the depth of your ceiling. To do this, you need to make a hole in your ceiling and measure its depth with a ruler. Once you know the depth, you’ll be able to choose the right unit height.

All Sonance speakers offer great sound quality for stereo music and home theaters. However, you may want to learn the rating of the particular model that you are looking to purchase by reading customer reviews for that model. For instance, some of their models have a thicker bass response than others, so it makes sense to read what others are saying.

You may also want to look into whether 2-way or 3-way speakers would be best for you. In the first case, the woofer will be playing higher frequencies, while the tweeter may go lower. In the second case, there will be a separate tweeter, woofer, and midrange. In general, 3-way speakers are better. However, you may want to read reviews on these two types of Sonance ceiling speakers prior to deciding on either one.

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A digital TV converter box is just what it sounds like. It’s basically a box that will sit on top of your television that will take an analog signal that you receive through an antenna and convert it to digital. What a digital TV converter box does is also make your picture clearer and crisper. These are becoming more popular because of the cutoff date for broadcasting channels to start sending their signals in only 100% digital and cutoff the analog transmissions.

Beginning at midnight on February 17th, 2009 all broadcasting stations such as your local channels will start broadcasting in 100% digital signal which means you will need to have a digital tv converter box if you still want to receive signals. The reason they are doing this is to improve picture quality for everyone but also to free up more airwaves for emergency signals as there are more available in digital compared to analog.

If you currently are a cable or satellite subscriber you should not have to do anything to start receiving the digital programming, however if you do receive signals from just an antenna (usually the bunny rabbit ears), you will need to get a digital converter box.

These units will range anywhere from $25 for an Insigna model all the way in upwards to $200 for top of the line models. The major difference in the two will be how many features the unit has, but they will both do the conversion for you. You may also qualify for a $40 coupon if you currently receive an analog signal to be used towards the digital tv converter box.

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So you experienced good sound in your car and you want to bring the same music to your living room. This is possible.

Home audio subwoofers are now available for your purchase. When investing in one, the same rules on car audio subwoofers apply.

In a home theater system, the subwoofer is the biggest speaker. This is usually hidden in the back of the room but this is the unit that carries the lowest bass sound signals.

When you’re watching a movie that showcases the sound of thunder or the crash of earthquake, you would think that it is actually happening within your home.

If you have one, it’s like you brought the movie house to your loved ones. You can truly be immersed in the DVDs that you pop in.

Those who want to buy are on a lookout for nice looking subwoofers to add to their home theater sound system. Home audio subwoofers, even when hidden, are still designed for aesthetic purposes.

There is something about speakers that are appealing to the audiophile and the movie lover. It may not be as portable as car subwoofers so if you are buying one, make sure that this is the one you will really use in your home. This should also be something that you can benefit from for a long period time.

The first thing you should do is set it up in such a way that it will look good in your living room. The wires shouldn’t be cluttered. You can do this by getting the high-gauge cables and set it up near the speakers.

You should also double check whether the amplifier goes well with your subwoofers and speakers. Like in car subwoofers, the home audio subwoofers should be compatible with both the speakers and the amplifier.

You may have the top notch home audio subwoofers available in the market today but if these don’t work well with your speakers and your amplifiers, then it would just be pointless.

Setting it up is easy, you can even do it yourself. You just have to connect the line level cable from the subwoofer preamp output of the AV receiver. Then you can plug this into the subwoofer.

When you turn this on, modulate the volume in your ideal level. You can also manipulate the settings so that the home audio subwoofers give you the sound that you’ve been meaning to hear.

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