Hitting the sweet spot

Two gigantic multi-coloured dragons fight, spew fire, and roar to a thundering soundtrack in an extravaganza of light as I look on in awe. Standing on the side of an artificial lake at Hong Kong’s world-renowned Ocean theme park, this was the scene that surrounded me. Unfortunately a minute later my poor two year old burst into tears as the show was just a tad too realistic.

The whole event was powered by technology normally used for projecting digital signage adverts and light shows on to the facades of buildings.  In this case the artificial lake had a high-powered fountain system which jetted a 360° wall of water 10m into the sky. In the centre of it was a multi-unit high-definition projection system that was the source of the dragons’ battle. Not doing things by half though, the boffins behind synced huge jets of fire, surround sound, a pyrotechnic system, and some 20 other fountains into the digital display. 

“Now what has that got to do with the price of screens,” I hear you ask? Well, the show I witnessed is at the very outer edge of digital imaging technology and showcases the heights to which it is being taken. And in the same way that the research and development into high-octane Formula 1 cars find their way onto road cars, from electronic safety systems to hybrid technology, so too new technological innovations to meet the most extreme applications of digital signage applications are having a significant trickle-down effect. This is because as the boundaries are pushed back, what was once cutting-edge becomes the norm and, importantly, reduces the price for the end-user. Indeed, multi-site networked digital screens them-selves were once the preserve of only the world’s very top brands and blue chips, but today are a common site in everything from estate agent chains to small fast food outlets.

Another significant factor at play here is that the last couple of years have finally seen the supply models for digital signage start to consolidate—no longer the sole preserve of the bigger AV players. Even five years ago it was very difficult to find anyone who would sell you an off the shelf digital signage package at a trade price that could then be installed easily and quickly by your average sign-maker. But that is all starting to change as more supply companies recognise the virtue of integrating screens, media players, networking capability, and control software into one neat ‘box’—and addition to that they will provide the training and onsite support too. This is very significant, because it brings digital signage within the reach of the sign-maker proper for the first time—allowing them to offer it as a core service to customers without fear.

One of the companies in our sector to have seen this coming trend long before any other core supplier is Fairfield Displays and Lighting. And it makes no bones about the fact that sign-makers need to shake off their lethargy and get in at what is still, in the long-term, very much the ground floor of this sector.

“We have engaged big-time with digital signage and have been building up our knowledge, services, and range for around 14 years now,” says the company’s marketing director Janice Fairfield.

She continues: “Today the technology is so much more reliable, it is easier to use, and our clients are easier to deal with because there is a lot more awareness of digital technology in general and the terminology around it.  In addition to that, I think our industry as a whole is just much more computer- literate. And younger sign-makers certainly just take digital signage in their stride and offer it as a matter of course.


“From that basis, it is now a very big step for most companies in our sector to start selling digital signage. An additional factor is that their customers are also much more comfortable with the idea of using digital technology and the benefits it can bring their business. The biggest challenge in selling digital signage is not how the kit works, but how you communicate with your end-user customer what they are going to with it—content is king.”

New hurdles

As Fairfield points out, it is not the technology itself, procuring, selling, or even installing it that is the biggest issue facing sign-makers entering this sector. Rather, it being able to help their customer fill it with engaging and captivating content. But even here things have improved to a great extent.

Many smaller sign-makers offering digital signage as a service, but with no extensive design or marketing content creation capabilities in-house, will have a number of specialists on their books they can refer the work onto. Or, as in the case of the bigger players, they are able to create an additional  ongoing revenue stream by designing and generating content themselves for the customer. That said, the awareness around digital screens means that many clients will have already identified their own content provider and have this element already in place.

So with this in mind, how are some of the biggest players in this sector experiencing the ‘digital signage economy’, and what are their predictions for its ongoing development?



“The ongoing reduction in prices has resulted in the increased uptake of digital signage by making it more affordable.  We are now seeing digital displays being used for the first time for applications where it would not previously have been considered a viable purchase option,” explains Harry Filer, managing director of Messagemaker Displays, which specialises in manufacturing standard and bespoke digital signage displays.

He continues: “At the same time, technology advances have continued to result in enhanced specifications with exceptionally high resolution as well as the addition of full colour graphics. This makes digital screens an attractive alternative that offers advantages over other display technologies at a lower whole life cost.

“A key focus for Messagemaker is indoor high resolution screens.  Also a growth area for us are large format outdoor screens, which, with their LED screen technology, are able to deliver twenty times the readability of other technologies, even  in strong sunlight conditions.



“We are also seeing an increase in demand for big screens and have been working closely with integrators and end-users to extend the use of digital display technology, resulting in some exciting new developments.”

Indeed, the company has recently completed the installation of a new 30sq m video screen at Chesterfield FC’s state of the art Proact Stadium.  Introduced to enhance the match day experience, the screen allows videos to be shown as part of the pre-match build-up as well as covering match highlights at half-time. This project is indicative of the aforementioned trends, as this size and complexity of screen would once have only been the preserve of the biggest Premiership football clubs.

On a different side of the coin, Messagemaker also recently worked with AV integrator CDEC, to supply a video wall to St Paul’s School in Coventry.  Used in the theatre area, the programmable thin form factor screen provides a large seamless display. The brightness of the LED technology also means the wall can be used in either a stage-lit environment or undimmed auditorium for both information dispersal and entertainment applications—yet another example of just how far reaching and commonplace digital signage technology is be-coming.

“Looking to the future we can expect to see the continuing adoption of digital LED sign technology for out-door advertising,” says Filer, who adds: “There will also be further growth in the supply of big screens of commercial or domestic quality up, with outside screens in excess of 2m high. Continued technology development will also see new products coming on stream such as the new OLED screens. For Messagemaker a key goal is to expand our presence as a major player in the supply of big screens particularly for sports and other outdoor uses.”

Context is everything

A key argument made by Fairfield in regard to the shape of the digital signage sector is that certain economic sectors are adopting it much more readily than others, and so you need to choose your targets carefully. Indeed, the latest edition of Digital Signage Europe showcases two key case studies that illustrate her point. The first is that the Aldwych Theatre in London’s West End has installed two Tripleplay screens to both display pre-show information and to provide a live-cast of the event for those who miss that start and are waiting to be allowed in. Another good example is Gieves and Hawkes of No1 Saville Row, which saw AVMI supply three 46” high resolution screens for its window display to stream adverts for its Autumn/Winter catalogue. The system came packaged with a controller from INSM and an Aperture powered Raspberry Pi media player from Silver Curve2.



These are typical stories from the entertainment and retail sectors, which together with fast food chains, have been the biggest adopters of digital signage technology. But head into your local supermarket, pub, or restaurant and you will find that there it is still yet to have been so readily adopted.

O Factoid: The end of 2014 saw Userful launched the world's first 4k network video wall solution that requires no special additional technology and can be run from a single PC. O

Fairfield weighs in: “It is all about the context of the installation. If you take a fast food company for example, they may change their menus six or more times a year, and so there is an obvious requirement for digital signage with advantages over print-based systems. The sign-maker here has an opportunity to design the artwork and marketing material, and the client can alter the pricing and special offers themselves via the software’s user panel as often as they like.”

Easy street

This raises another key trend that has stimulated demand for digital signage and seen it become far more readily adopted by end-users, namely that the software is far easier and more efficient to use. In addition to that, the media players they come bundled with have become far more affordable and easier to setup.

“The digital signage media player market is more diverse than ever, and extends from low-cost entry-level players to units that exceed the capabilities of all but the very highest end PCs,” enthuses Jeff Hastings, chief executive officer (CEO) of Bright-Sign—which specialises in the technology.


He continues: “Reliability is a key consideration. At the low end, users are tempted to specify cheap consumer-grade players that aren’t built for 24/7 operation, but commercial-grade low-cost options are now available. At the high-end, the perceived wisdom has been that a PC is required for the largest and most complicated installations, but that is no longer true.

“Spectacular results have been achieved on large video walls, outdoor LED displays and mass stadium and retail rollouts driven by the new generation of dedicated players offering advanced capabilities and total reliability. As this perceived wisdom is overturned, we should start to see a reduction in the number of high profile ‘blue screens’ which are amusingly documented on Pinterest.”

Hastings has been at the sharp end of this sector longer than most and has seen a number of once-heralded systems come and go. But in 2015 he is setting his hat at the latest high resolution screens as being the big growth area: “There is no doubt that 2015 will be the year that the Pro AV market transitions to 4K. This will happen more quickly and more completely than in the consumer market, because the industry has control of the whole ecosystem—from content creation and distribution to presentation on the display.”



Hastings continues: “Signage providers, retailers and integrators can present 4K digital signage content in its native quality without great expense by picking the right installation components.

“Even though broadcast 4K content is still quite limited, consumer demand for it is sufficiently high for screen manufacturers to start to switch their commercial production to the new standard. As volumes increase, such display costs will come down quickly. The industry will also experience steady growth as customers specify 4K screens and players for new installations at the beginning of the year and then begin to transition existing solutions to 4K.”

Speaking to Hastings, he also high-lights that another growth opportunity is the shift in consumer expectations around interactivity. This is because new systems are emerging that require no intentional interaction on the part of the viewer.

He concludes: “These interactivity methods will lead to a much more customized experience based on physical attributes, frequency of visits, and device-to-device communication.”



Hasting’s comment about the growth of 4K screens rings true. Indeed, the last edition of Rise, the official magazine of the recent Integrated Systems Expo exhibition, is wall to wall with adverts and articles on the technology. It also carries interesting technological solutions from companies such as Chief, which supplies fixing and mounting solutions for screens large and small. Its latest offering, ConnexSys, is a ‘pop-up’ system and allows even large video walls to be built and installed with the comparative ease of an IKEA furniture build.

The edition also details how The Queen Elizabeth II events venue in central London has just signed off a £12m investment into aesthetic and visual improvements, a part of which is a nine screen feature video wall, and 26 high definition NEC screens—all run by Onelan digital signage software. What this points to is that there are opportunities across the board and the technology to meet them, both at a level that your average sign-maker could feasibly cope with.



“We see a big market demand for professional yet simple digital signage products and solutions,” affirms Serge Konter, marketing manager at Spinetix in an interview with Rise. He adds: “Dealers and integrators without special technical or content creation skills would like to propose digital signage products to end customers—and they need to be able to quickly adopt the solution and create the content themselves. A lot of those small opportunities are available out there.”

A new economy

Looking across this hugely complex market, what is clear is that it has now starting to hit a real sweet spot in terms of revenue generating potential for sign-makers. As discussed, this is because a tier of suppliers and technology integrators such as Fairfield Displays and Lighting have evolved to offer ‘digital signage in a box’ products that while packaged, are far from simplistic in their capabilities. Add to this a real growth in demand from the key stomping ground of sign-makers and you have a market that is primed for the taking.

“What we have now is also a generation of early adopted who went out and bought big TV screens and hung them in their windows linked to a PC. They are all coming to realise the difference between the performance and capabilities of standard screens and professional ones,” says Fairfield, who adds: “A common example is that a lot of commercial solutions not only have all the software and technology you need to run them already built in, but they have important attributes like being readable in bright sunlight. We even offer small 32" sunlight readable screens for shop windows were space is at a premium.

“Sign-makers need to get onto their customers and convince them that even if they have been burnt by poor technology in the past not to give up on it. This is because today it’s a doddle to use, prices have really come down, and it so much more professional.”

Fairfield also highlights that there has been a steady growth in demand for networked solutions, both multiple screens in one location, and across multi-site businesses. Flagship technology such as its Peach screens carry this technology, and Fairfield advises again that the cost of software licences reduced significantly, making it
far more accessible for smaller businesses.


So, the question remains: how far away are we from a situation where digital signs can be specified and installed as easily as core products such as letters or light-boxes?

“We are there now,” emphatically states Fairfield, before concluding: “System integrators like us have worked very hard to make it as easy as setting up your home wifi system. It really is just plugging it in, entering a password, and providing some basic tuition. If they go to individual hard-ware manufacturers to try and marry up the pieces themselves it won’t be so simple.

“We offer a proper trade discount, and even things like our slim video walls are really easy to specify. We even do the installation as part of the package.”

Well, there is your answer. The digital signage sector is no longer surrounded by Everest-like cliffs of intensely complex to use technology, expensive prices, and prohibitive supply models. Rather, it is more open and accessible than ever before to those who are willing to make the leap.

And be sure to look up that dragon light show; it might be just the inspiration you need to do so.


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