Dynamic Displays

Digital signage solutions can engage students and streamline information delivery on campus. Here, a look at eight of the latest products on the market.

by Jennifer Demski


Black Box iCompel HD

The iCompel HD digital signage appliance from Black Box can be linked to the campus network via Ethernet, allowing users to manage and control content from any PC- or Mac-based web browser. Administrators can assign user permissions on a per-layout basis—great for institutions where signage is being created and managed by multiple departments. iCompel HD comes loaded with free layout templates for drag-and-drop digital signage creation, or users can create their own layouts with the software’s design tools. An upgraded video card supports two zones of video content in signage layouts, 15 zones of HTML content, and unlimited text, stills, and audio zones. In addition, users can drag and drop files into a playlist folder for automated content distribution. iCompel HD has the option of either an 160 GB hard drive or a 32 GB solid state drive for local storage of digital signage media. Its VGA and DVI video ports support HD video at an output resolution of up to 2,048 x 1,536. Price: $2,495.95 for the 160 GB hard drive; $2,795.95 for the 32 GB solid state drive. blackbox.com

https://blackbox.com


Cisco Digital Media Player 4400G

Part of Cisco’s Digital Media Suite, the Digital Media Player 4400G supports the display and playback of high-end digital media, including hi-def live broadcasts, on-demand video, Adobe Flash Player animation, graphics, text tickers, and web content, and can be attached to most on-premises digital displays. It also works seamlessly with Digital Media Manager 5.2.1, Cisco’s web-based content creation and management software, to flexibly and remotely publish content to networked digital displays. With IP-enabled delivery of content, the Digital Media Player 4400G allows for quick and immediate content changes to react to emergency notification needs. For interactive signage, the 4400G supports touchscreen displays from a number of manufacturers, including 3M, Elo TouchSystems, Zytronic, and GeneralTouch. The 4400G includes 4 GB of local storage, and features wireless and Ethernet connectivity. Contact vendor for pricing. cisco.com