AOpen, Sharp Announce New Snap-In Windows Media Players For Digital Signage

July 17, 2017 by Dave Haynes

The options for all-in-one displays continues to broaden, with Sharp announcing a partnership with AOPEN that allows a small Windows 10-based media player to be slot-loaded in a 4K screen.

The new arrangement uses the mini version of the Open Pluggable Specification (OPS) launched a few years back by Intel. Several companies have or have had OPS-ready displays, though the all-in-one thing has been somewhat supplanted by System on Chip integrated displays.

The big differences are OPS displays are modules that can be snapped in and pulled out, where as SoC displays are built-in and there for good. OPS can support different operating systems, like Windows, whereas SoC has so far been all about Android or proprietary versions of Linux, like LG’s WebOS or Samsung’s Tizen.

Says a press release:

The AOPEN Mini Open Pluggable Specification (OPS) module (PNZB03PC) allows users to add Windows 10 app functions to Sharp’s latest professional displays, including 4K content support. Mini OPS is a newly-developed, smaller version of the module first introduced by Intel in 2010 and now a worldwide standard for digital displays.

The AOPEN Mini OPS, pre-loaded with Windows 10 IoT Enterprise OS, turns Sharp displays into computers without wires or cables. Its small form factor and fanless design offers the performance and advantages of the latest low-power, cost-effective Intel processors.

“We are constantly looking at ways to improve the user experience of our digital displays. We are pleased to work with AOPEN to launch this new module,” states Birgit Sommerer, Commercial Director, Sharp Visual Solutions.

The retail sector represents the highest adoption of in-store promotion displays. The use of large-format displays in corporate, healthcare, and education sectors has expanded quickly to reception areas, waiting areas, and classrooms.

The AOPEN and Sharp collaboration addresses this diversification of digital signage usage across different sectors and meets the demand for adaptable integrations – yielding flexible, manageable digital signage solutions.

“Integrating the AOPEN Mini OPS with Sharp award-winning display solutions enables industry-leading capability for a rich user experience,” says Joy Chua, Global Marketing & Strategic Partnerships, AOPEN. “The operational benefits are flexible, industrial-grade solutions – ideal for the heavy demands of commercial use, such as 24/7 uptime and centralized device management,”

“We added a Mini-OPS extension slot to our new generation displays to give people the flexibility to extend the functions of their displays,” adds Sommerer. “AOPEN’s module gives you the freedom to handle more types of content than a normal media player for signage in retail or in the office. The possibilities of this plug-in format are vast and we look forward to working with our partners on adding new functions.”

The AOPEN Mini OPS module, available now from Sharp, is optimized for all Sharp interactive and professional display models that feature the Mini OPS expansion slot. For more information, visit the Sharp website. For AOPEN product highlights, visit the AOPEN website.

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