Architectural Video

Here's a new matrix: An architect wants to design an enormous, bright video display into a building — maybe in the main lobby, maybe on the outside of the building. This intrepid pioneer must endure derision from colleagues who think video — basically digital signage — has no place in architecture and convince the developer to invest in a costly display. The thing that persuades developers to spend money is the opportunity to make money. The dramatic video display is saleable real estate, appealing to creative brand managers as a new way to differentiate a product or company. But what if the signage content is ugly? Enter the content creator who specializes in large-format displays for unique surfaces such as odd-shaped LED walls or video spheres.

I didn't make this scenario up. It's drawn from a real-life case study that came up at Barco's annual meeting, where I saw the new image processing and display technology for NAB and InfoComm. Barco hit a vein with its outstanding LED products such as ILite and MiPix over the last few years, and the dollars have followed.

I've written before about the image quality of Barco's LED. What interested me this time was the image of a new group of stakeholders building a new type of video content platform. It fits a larger scenario of digital signage that's opening up new technology challenges and business opportunities. Barco Media's channel manager, Tod Gooch, says that the channel flow for these types of projects and products is still taking shape — it's that new. It's also worth noting that longtime special venue and HD pioneer Randall Dark made the content for Barco's presentation — digital signage content creation is not for the faint of heart.

At NAB, you will see a lot of digital signage technology and services, from small-scale systems for serving a single kiosk to Network Operations Center (NOC)-based applications to the kind of architectural video that changes attitudes. You will see everything from plug-and-play to highly programmable; you will see clumsy interactivity and slick interactivity, adequate image quality and stunning HD image quality. What you won't see is easy answers.

Still, NAB will be the place to get an intensive education — you can start by gleaning some notes from Don Hewitt's short piece on p. 14. In addition to Barco and the other projector and plasma companies, check out some of the following systems companies: Inscriber/Harris, Electrosonic, Adtec, Avocent, and VBrick. This is not a comprehensive list, but these companies have insightful product managers who can explain the end-to-end issues and help you narrow your search, whether you are looking for small-scale or custom solutions. Don't forget to ask everyone who their competitors are and expect a fair answer. At the moment, quality suppliers are interested in seeing this new market thrive, and they will be forthcoming.