• May 14, 2009, Markham, Ontario, Canada. Adputer Inc. is working on its new generation Adputer Player. It is going to construct by Intel's Atom processor and Microsoft's Windows 7. At this monement, we have tested successfully to run Adputer's software on Windows 7 RC. The compatibility and performance are impressive: our software can work on 64-bit Windows 7 with single core Atom 230 and 1MB memory!

• March 30, 2009, Markham, Ontario, Canada. Adputer Inc. today released the Adputer Composer software version 3.6 for digital signage solution. Vivid motion pictures, stunning special effects, and easy management, Adputer Composer, a 4-channel video mixer with programmable effects for HD Digital Signage Solutions, can move your digital signage applications upto a new level. Press Release

Digital Signage is a technology that replaces traditional printing signs by dynamic signs with LCD screens, Embedded Computer Systems, and Network. Adputer Sign below is a computer system with a LCD display and a stand for Digital Signage Advertising.

Click to enlarge

1. Why use Digital Signage?

   The Digital Signage System can deliver vivid motion pictures and crystal clean pictures to capature consumers' attention instantly. In addition, advertising can be upgraded, distributed, and expressed effectively through Digital Signage Network.

   Digital Signage is suitable for any companies with a physical offices that can advertise their services and products on site. They can be

   • retail stores, grocery stores, shopping malls, and supermarkets
   • banks
   • resturants and bars
   • hotels, travel agences
   • tradeshows, museums, theaters, casinos, airports
   
   
   
   
   
   Click to enlarge photo slideshow

   Cases of Digital Signage Applications:

   • McDonald's operator makes a splash with digital signage

     Operations manager Wayne Adamczyk who has managed McDonald's stores for more than 30 years, said he wanted to give the signs a Las Vegas feel, with lots of color and motion.

   • Sign of the times: digital signage industry by Laura Bogomolny

     Retailers should use Digital Signage as a strategic tool "to drive consumers into purchasing categories they weren't going to consider, like higher-margin private-label products." For example, Tim Hortons' use of 42-inch plasma screens to promote coffee-and-doughnut combos in the morning and lunch specials at noon.

2. Adputer Solution for Digital Signage

   Adputer Solution for Digital Signage is a HD Stream Media Network. The network can be connected through coax cable, ehternet, wifi, or 3G/4G wireless. The components of Adputer Solution consist of Adputer Player, Display, Network, and Station. Each Adputer Player is linked to a LCD screen.

   Adputer Station works for management of programs, contents and devices, plus video processing and publishing. User can manage Adputer Players remotely. Adputer Station accepts media from multiple sources such as camera, TV, or files and generates attractive advertising video by mixer. Then the video is compressed, transcoded, and stored in media server for publishing. In the case of broadcasting, the stream media is going to be sent directly.

   
   
   Architecture Diagram of Adputer Solution for Digital Signage.
   

   Users can select various LCD Displays. Commercial monitors are expensive but have longer life. Consumer monitors like HDTV are economy. Users can install their LCD displays and Adputer Players on the back of displays with VESA mount.

   One benefit of Adputer Solution is that users can broadcasting their own High-Def contents and ads free without bandwidth charge in their own local area networks. Adputer Station acts as a local broadcasting station.

3. Digital Signage Design

   Unlike TV or web ads, Digital Signage Ads can bring rich visual effects to viewers. For example, Digital Signage focuses more on visual effects instead of sound. A Digital Signage System may have one or multiple large screens, animation text called ticker, and multiple seamless zones. Furthermore, it may have remote wireless or internet access and control.

   
   This picture was snapped from Adputer Player photoshow. Click to enlarge.          

   The famous AIDA Formula in the advertising represents Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. Attention is the process of turning one's mind to a particular activity. Media illustration is to obtain interest of viewers. Desire fills a particular need. Action causes the viewer of ads to go ahead. Advertising elements in the Digital Signage are designed around the AIDA formula as well.

   Headline is to gain attention of viewers. It may include product or company name, command, question, superlative, and product advantages. Usually headline uses big font and animation texts.

   Illustration is to obtain interest of viewers. There are video, photograph, drawing, and sketch.

   Copy tries to change wants into needs. It creates desire to buy, look into, or pursue. It is the written part of the ads, explicit and implicit meanings of words.

   Signature leaves the information of who and where as well as product name, trademark, or company logo.