This spectacular LED video display, created by Spectra Displays for a major Oxford Street retailer, was designed to create a ‘buzz’ with shoppers. At over 4 x 12m, it was the largest fine pixel pitch LED display in Europe at the time of installation
When the first visible-spectrum LED (in the form of red diodes) was invented some fifty years ago, by Prof. Nick Holonyak Jr., while working for General Electric, he could hardly have foreseen the massive impact it would come to have today. Walk down any high street or shopping mall, into any corporate reception, manufacturing site, hospital or hotel, drive along any highway, and there they are illuminating all kinds of signage. But few outside of the sign industry give a second thought to what is behind the signage.
Primal screen
For any digital graphic or information display, a prime factor when choosing a system is the visibility and readability of the screen, especially where the installation may be in direct sunlight. With the advance of modern LEDs, vast improvements are now being seen in terms of screen brightness.
Fairfield Displays and Lighting, of Fareham, Hampshire, is now offering a range of LED digital screens with significantly improved brightness, up to 2500nits. This means that screens can be used in windows during the day as they can be easily seen, even under bright sunlight.
Fairfield Displays demonstrates the difference between a standard LED digital screen and the latest sunlight readable screens, which show a clear image night and day, even under bright sunlight
“A good starter is the LG Shine Out screen at 700nits, which actually gets brighter with direct sunlight,” says marketing director, Janice Fairfield. She adds: “But what is really exciting is that the choices available regarding the size of screens are changing. It is now possible to get a 24" screen at 1500nits, going up to 65" with brightness levels of 2500nits. So anyone who has window space can now seriously look at digital posters and videos working for them 24/7.”
So anyone who has window space can now seriously look at digital posters and videos working for them 24/7”
Fairfield continues: “Traditional commercial screens are between 450 to 500nits and are just not bright enough in sunny windows, and for this reason many clients may have had bad experiences in the past. With these new screens sign-makers can become ‘experts in the industry’ and tell clients about the latest developments in technology, giving them the edge in the market place.”
Fairfield Displays supplies the screens with different software packages, from simple built-in media players to full cloud-based solutions, so everything that sign-makers need is available from a single supplier. The new screens also have three year warranties, as against one year on some of the older models.
“Prices have dropped and we are also offering a leasing/rental option for clients, which help to spread the cost of the latest technology,” adds Fairfield.
Neil Walker, business development director of Brighouse, West Yorkshire, company Digital Media Systems confirms: “Standard sunlight readable displays require brightness in excess of 1500nits, and many can be 2000nits.”
Digital Media Systems is the sole UK supplier of Truview Transparent LED Display, a completely new patented technology. Founded in 2005 with a view to providing affordable and fit for purpose digital signage and audio visual solutions for all businesses regardless of size, the company has grown at an average rate of 35 percent year-on-year.
“This growth is directly linked to the positive demand for our products and services by some of the largest government departments and UK businesses, as well as smaller independent companies,” comments Walker.
The Truview product is primarily aimed at the retail sector, where high footfall environments can be targeted by advertising campaigns in a very conspicuous medium. Typically, the display is located behind a normal glass window. Comprising modular panels, the overall display can be created in landscape or portrait format, from one square metre upwards, to fill the window if required. Creating a full colour display, the SMD hybrid LEDs emit an exceptionally high brightness.
The new TruView Transparent LED Display, from sole UK supplier Digital Media Systems, is primarily aimed at the retail sector where conspicuous advertising campaigns are required
Truview comes in two configurations, 2000nits for shaded locations, or for installations in extreme direct sunlight 6000nits, which can be dimmed according to ambient levels of light.
Each module allows approximately 80 percent natural light to pass through and has integral display driver and power supplies to enable additional modules to be added to meet changing requirements. The lightweight design also requires no external cooling due to the composition of the self-cooling segments of the module.
Mounting frames are available in two options, either a permanent window site or a transportable frame which is more suited to the rental market.
Suited and booted
With the wide variety of application requirements for LED digital signage, there can clearly be no ‘one size fits all’ solution. While a standard package may meet some needs, for many customers the solution may be a totally bespoke option, or a complementary combination of bespoke and standard products. Two companies that have recognised the importance of customisation are Spectra Displays and Scrimsign Microelectonics.
Based in Ely, Cambridgeshire, Spectra Displays has been building state-of-the-art LED graphic and information solutions for 26 years.
“The last few years have seen an explosion in the popularity of our totally immersive LED video products, which can be found at flagship stores up and down Oxford Street delivering unparalleled clarity, colour depth and flicker free image reproduction,” comments managing director Mike Boxall.
With a reputation as a market leader, Spectra displays can be found in major retail and business centres across Europe and the rest of the world.
“From deserts to skyscrapers, indoor and outdoor, we’ve illuminated them all,” Boxall adds with pride.
“We have worked tirelessly to bring down the cost of these products whilst maintaining the best quality components and highest levels of engineering,” he continues, adding: “It has been our goal to simplify installation and operation. Clean and simple: we’ve taken away the ‘black art’ of LED and left a simple, uncompromising, display solution. Self-alignment, self-locking and intelligent setups have moved these products firmly into the portfolio of traditional sign-makers.”
Spectra’s newest X range of products has been designed specifically to integrate into traditional fixed signage. Characterised by a small, modular, and bezel-less system that clips together, it removes the need for technical expertise so sign-makers can simply plug and play. This makes it ideal for a wide range of applications, such as corporate offices, theatre subtitles, welcome signs, automatic number plate recognition, lost time accident, car park capacity, and key performance indicators.
“The result is a perfect blend of new and old bringing dynamic content, messaging and information to traditional signs. With amazing results already seen across a vast range of industry sectors, it's sure to be a success story for years to come. Simple solutions for an ever more connected world,” concludes Boxall.
The result is perfect blend of new and old bringing dynamic content, messaging and information to traditional signs”
One example of how Spectra’s X range has been applied can be seen at the prestigious Chateau Impney Hotel and Exhibition Centre, which, as part of an extensive refurbishment programme, was looking for a high-tech means to direct vehicle traffic entering its 110 acre grounds.
This digital information display for the prestigious Chateau Impney Hotel and Exhibition Centre demonstrates how Spectra Displays’ new X range of products can be applied. The X range has been designed specifically to integrate into traditional fixed signage
Spectra manufactured two outdoor full-colour LED signs, using the new X range plug and play display system. Spectra’s highly configurable PC software allowed simple, direct integration into an ANPR system which was supplied by an industry partner. This allows for specific targeted messages to be displayed not only for specific vehicles, but also for groups of vehicles, such as deliveries, staff, contractors, and VIP guests. The X range product simply fits to a traditional light-box style sign carrying the Chateau’s corporate branding, displayed with a traditional printed format.
The signs were installed ready for use by the start of the 2015 Chateau Impney Hill Climb, a prestigious event that dates back to 1957.
Other prestigious contracts fulfilled by Spectra include timing clocks for the America’s Cup race and an LED video display for a retail store in London’s Oxford Street.
In July 2015 the first official America’s Cup race to be held in the UK since 1851 took place in Portsmouth. This race heralded the start of the 35th America’s Cup, which concludes in Bermuda in 2017. Spectra was asked to supply two giant timing clocks to replace the ‘inadequate clocks’ that had been used for the previous America’s Cup.
Spectra manufactured the two clocks from its full-colour outdoor P10 LED video modules and housed them in 316 stainless steel enclosures with 10mm thick toughened glass—stainless steel enclosures were necessary to withstand the highly corrosive salt water. Corporate branding fascias were added later. Clearly readable at over 200m away on even the sunniest of days, these clocks helped to kick start the race in style.
For the Oxford Street retail store—to match the scale of the four floor shopping space—Spectra’s challenge was to create a large visually striking LED video display, that would not only attract the attention of shoppers, but would also be of such dramatic scale it could create a ‘buzz’ amongst shoppers in its own right.
Spectra supplied an LED video display with a 4mm pixel pitch that was over 4 x 12m. Consisting of over 2.3m RGB pixels, the screen was custom tailored to fit seamlessly around four lift doors whilst remaining ultra-thin at less than 60mm thick.
The resulting spectacular display system, provided the focal point of the store, engaging customers waiting for the lifts, as well as informing them about product ranges and displaying captivating brand content. At the time of installation, it was the largest fine pixel pitch LED display in Europe.
Accumulated knowledge
Moving from major installations to more bespoke solutions in this sector indicates just how much room there is to diversify into it. Family business Scrimsign Microelectronics, located in Irvine, Scotland, has built well-established industry connections over the past 30 years, and has done so by working to fit in with the fast paced change that characterises the digital signage sector.
“Very often the solution to our customer’s request does not exist at initial contact and this is where Scrimsign excels and stands out from others who can only offer standard products,” asserts managing director Keith Scrimshire.
This digital information display incorporated into a kiosk column was produced by Scrimsign for a college campus reception area
He continues: “We bring system integration, hardware, software, and creative design together for the benefit of our customers.
“Indoor and outdoor LED signs, time and temperature displays, inter-active kiosks, projection systems, LCD digital signage and vehicle activated signs at the side of the road that warn you there’s flooding ahead—this is what we live and breathe.”
“In addition, our team has an engineering and software background so that once the displays are installed, we can train your staff to use them and provide ongoing maintenance,” adds Scrimshire.
Whatever the application, Scrimsign claims it can engineer a full turnkey solution to meet individual customer specifications and requirements.
This information display, developed by Scrimsign for the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust, clearly shows how digital information can be incorporated sympathetically into traditional signage for a rural environment
Scrimsign offers an extensive range of single line and multiple line LED electronic displays for both indoor and outdoor applications. Various character heights are available, from 50 to 1,000mm for outdoor displays, and 18 to 200mm for indoor displays—ensuring optimum viewing distance can be achieved in virtually all locations. The outdoor LED signs dim automatically to ensure that they are clear to read in all ambient light conditions from direct sunlight to complete darkness. Indoor displays can also be supplied in various levels of LED brightness to ensure that text can be easily read in the ambient light of the sign’s location. Displays can also be configured to provide specific numbers of lines and characters per line as required.
O Factoid: The Monsanto Company was the first organisation to mass-produce visible LEDs in 1968, using gallium arsenide phosphide (GaAsP) to produce red LEDs suitable for indicators. O
To complement its standard range of indoor LED signs, Scrimsign also says it offers a bespoke electronic LED display design service for clients looking for a custom solution that need to accommodate extended enclosures, vinyl branding, paint colour, and even specific software solutions. Scrimsign can also develop customised application software for its LED displays, either as standalone applications, Windows operating system services, or web-based user interfaces. Alternatively, the company says it will liaise with engineering teams to provide any necessary protocol information to all-ow organisations to develop the soft-ware application in-house.
May the force be with you
On the other side of the LED digital signage market, Scrimsign also produces bespoke interactive kiosks for a wide range of market sectors. “Probably the most prestigious product in our interactive kiosk range is the Citizen Street Kiosk commissioned by Lancashire Constabulary,” Scrimshire observes.
The Citizen Street Kiosk, or ‘Tardis’ as it is also known, is designed to provide an effective and economically viable street presence for the police—offering information and emergency contact 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and allowing important police resources to be deployed elsewhere.
This bespoke Citizen Street Kiosk, commissioned by Lancashire Constabulary, incorporates emergency telephone help points, LED line displays, and interactive touch-screens, supplying both live and stored information to the general public
A robust product, ‘Tardis’ installations have now been installed in both England and Scotland with reportedly great impact. As well as emergency telephone help points, LED line displays and interactive touch-screens supply both live and stored information to the general public, and make the area around them safer at all times of the day and night.
“LEDs have clearly made digital signage a highly viable option to provide up-to-the-minute information as well as eye-catching graphic or video displays,” says Scrimsign’s managing director Keith Scrimshire
Scrimshhire concludes: “This project showcased much of the technology and expertise that we have gathered in conjunction with our valued suppliers over the years. Nearly two tonnes of steel and stainless steel, engraved and illuminated, bristling with technology. From the scrolling circular blue LED at the top of the kiosk for general messaging, three Interactive Kiosk Cassettes based on the Linux operating system to the LCD Digital Signage system on the rear door, this public street kiosk incorporates some of the best technology available.”
This project showcased much of the technology and expertise that we have gathered in conjunction with our valued suppliers over the years”
LEDs have clearly made digital signage a highly viable option to provide up-to-the-minute information as well as eye-catching graphic or video displays. With the ability to incorporate these displays into standard signage formats, sign-makers now have the opportunity to create solutions that will fit easily into any environment, whether minimalist modern or traditional.
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