Geaux Beyond Typical Digital Signage

Learning Objectives Why Digital Signage? Collaboration, Goals, Budget Planning. Choosing Your System. Hardware Management. Smart Content. Emerging Technology.

Why Digital Signage?

Alternative to , print posters, and bulletin boards. Attention getter (screens are bright with motion). Deliver breaking news in real-time. Multiple things on a display at once. Update information on displays daily. Modern technology.

Collaboration, Goals, Budget Planning

Involve the right people. Marketing, IT, Administration, Business Office. Define your goals. Determine how the system will be used. Display locations, maintenance, future expansion. Clearly define the content. Know what you want to show on the displays. Budget planning. Initial system costs, software upgrades, hardware replacement. Potential cost sharing opportunities.

Choosing Your System

Content Management Software. Easy to learn, use, and update Web-based system. Allows for separate content approvers. Content scheduling. Supports multiple file types. Supports popular campus systems (EMS, 25Live, TransLoc). Emergency alert notification capability.

Hardware Management

Content Managers Computer server that manages content and delivers updates to media players through network. Media Players Computer with digital signage software installed, connected to display. Display Commercial or Consumer? Appropriate size based on location.

Smart Content

Content is key Engage your audience with relevant content. Branded layouts. Incorporate various forms of content (rss feeds, videos, cable TV). Establish content guidelines. Keep it fresh Show new content often. Keep playlist limited to 8-10 slides. Schedule transitions for 6-8 seconds.

LSU Student Union Timeline Phase I (October 2006): Two commercial displays, two channel players, content manager, and cable TV box installed on second floor Phase II (March 2011): Seven additional commercial displays and channel players installed (three on second floor and four on first floor). Upgraded two existing second floor channel players and moved content manager to local data center as a virtual server.

Phase I Phase II

Emerging Technology

Display technology evolving. Smaller media players. 4K media players Cloud Service. Interactive meeting room signs. Digital media distribution systems. Interactive wayfinding.

Digital Media Distribution What is it? Networked AV technology. Consists of encoders and decoders. How does it work? Encoders convert the source into IP packets. Decoders receive the data stream from the network and convert video back. Benefits Any source to any display. Source and display control.

Interactive Wayfinding Alternative to printed directional signage. “Self-service” one-stop source for information. Custom design unique to the facility or campus. Support for Google Maps and TransLoc. Easy to use. Interactive directories. ADA complaint.

LSU Student Union Timeline Phase III (February 2014): Installation of digital media distribution system. Moved five media players and cable TV box to a media server rack and attached encoders for digital media distribution system. Attached decoders for digital media distribution system to all displays. Upgraded the two original second floor displays and installed two interactive display kiosks below them. Installed two commercial displays on third floor (one interactive and one non-interactive).

Christopher Welch LSU Auxiliary Services