Digital Display Technology: Learning the Basics of Digital Signage

Sponsored by LG Electronics USA, Inc.
Tags: Digital Signage, Display Technology, Marketing / Branding / Promotion, Menu Boards
Type: Guide
Overview|Table of Contents|Intro|Download

Imagine it’s the first week in September and you’re taking your 5-year-old son — chili dog in hand — to his first college football game. It’s a special moment for your child. He’s heard about football all of his life, usually from enthusiastic cousins who eagerly recount stories of exciting plays, last-minute touchdowns and bone-crunching tackles that left fans screaming in their seats. He’s even seen a few games on television.

Today will be the first time he’s ever experienced a game live in the stands. Football fan that you are, you can’t wait to enthrall him with your moment-by-moment commentary explaining the various plays and strategies.

But by the end of the second quarter, you’re ready to leave the stands and demand a refund.

It soon becomes obvious that the home team needs some serious help. Not only are they bad players in general, but they don’t even seem to understand the basic rules of football. As soon as the quarterback gets his hands on the ball, he hugs it and starts running toward his own team’s end zone instead of his opponent’s. Even worse, his teammates tackle him and dance victoriously when the ball is yanked from his arms. When the opposing team’s quarterback catches the ball, the home team makes it a point to tackle every other player but the quarterback. The game is an absolute disaster and, ultimately, a waste of money.

It’s an important lesson learned: you can’t compete effectively if you don’t understand the rules of the game. That goes for sports, business and, not surprisingly, digital signage deployments.

It’s no secret in today’s business landscape that digital signage is emerging rapidly as one of the most effective and eye-catching communications mediums on the market. Spend time with any marketing professional and you’ll quickly feel the excitement generated around digital technology. The enthusiasm is electric. Convinced by the vibrant colors and sharp resolution that a digital display provides, your CEO is ready to deploy dozens of displays under your company’s banner.

But before you sign on the dotted line and roll out the cash, you need to understand exactly what digital signage is and how it works. What kind of display will best meet your needs: plasma or LCD? What are the pros and cons of each? How will digital technology change in the next five, 10 or 20 years? What about terminology — what is the language of digital technology?

Far too many signage deployers — like the confused football players — launch a huge project without having a firm grasp on the basics. More often than not, these misguided efforts wind up costing the deployer lots in terms of sunk cost. This is unfortunate, particularly when the mistakes could have been avoided had the deployer only taken the time to learn some basic facts about the business.

That’s what this guide is about. By the time you’ve finished reading, you’ll understand enough to know where digital signage has been and where it’s going. You’ll also know how to make smart purchasing decisions when it comes to your display. Think of it as Digital Signage 101.

We’d like to thank LG Electronics Inc., whose sponsorship of this guide enables us to bring it to you at no cost.

Travis K. Kircher, contributing writer, Digital Signage Today