Sharp re-announces new signage software … I think
April 3, 2008 by Dave Haynes
Perhaps borrowing from the wily ways of politicians, who love to re-announce funding for projects, Sharp has re-announced it is in the digital signage software game.
Loyal readers with gaping holes in their social lives may recall a post a few months ago about Sharp’s Japanese offices announcing e-Signage, a DS offer bundled with their panels.
Now there is word this week of the sexy-named PN-SS01 digital signage software and optional PN-SV01 viewer software.
Sharp marketing should get a nice plaque and free danishes for coming up with those handles.
Anyway, the story from Pro-AV Online:
In what the company says is a response to an increasing need for fast and efficient information display management, Sharp introduced a digital signage software package that includes the PN-SS01 digital signage software and optional PN-SV01 viewer software. The PN-SS01 software enables content to be programmed while the complementary PN-SV01 software accepts programming from the PN-SS01 on a USB flash drive for remote playback on additional PCs and Sharp’s PN series of LCD monitors.
Compatible with a variety of media sources, PN-SS01 software can program digital posters, billboards, full-motion video information, animation, and real-time news and weather reports. It allows content to be displayed on a single screen, but the PN-SV01 software adds the ability to display different content at different times to different audiences.
Sony was probably the first major panel company to have software and player, and Samsung bundles basic software with its panels, if you want it. I suspect others do, as well. There’s not much margin at all in panels, these days, so if you can’t compete on low price having software you can toss in might seal the deal.
The Sharp manual is 98 pages and looks fairly beefy (the install section is 10 pages), so it appears there’s a little meat to code.
This peice is very well written and gives in nut shell all that is being done but we would be happy if it would include how efficient this is and does it stand the scrutiny of the experts or is it just old wine in new bottel.