DSE 2017 PR Roundup: Tightrope, ComQi, Signagelive

March 20, 2017 by Dave Haynes

Here’s a roundup of press releases in my inbox that rise above the “We’re at DSE, come see us” notes I get in waves right now.

Tightrope Debuts Carousel 7.0

St. Paul, Minnesota’s Tightrope Media Systems is releasing  version 7.0 of its Carousel digital signage CMS today and showcasing it next week at Digital Signage Expo, booth 134.

Shipping March 20, Carousel 7.0 dramatically simplifies and accelerates content creation and management while delivering an unmatched combination of creative control, dynamic data support and scalability. Tightrope will exhibit in booth 134 at the show, March 29-30 in Las Vegas.

“Tightrope continues to evolve what is possible in digital signage with Carousel, from its beginnings as a digital bulletin board solution to the rich data integration and interactive capabilities it offers today,” says Eric Henry, vice president, Tightrope Media Systems.  “As we work hard to keep our customers ahead of the curve, Carousel 7.0 represents the largest software makeover in the history of the product. With this new release, we’re making Carousel faster and easier than ever for users to create and manage engaging experiences that take their on-site marketing, informational and interactive displays to a new level.”

Carousel 7.0 provides richer content creation and content management software to empower a variety of modern digital signage needs, including wayfinding, interactive kiosks, video walls and digital menu boards. This empowerment begins with Carousel 7.0’s unprecedented ease-of-use via its redesigned web interface, which offers an intuitive new user experience that accelerates content creation and management tasks. The web interface employs a series of large buttons on a single page that quickly guides users through the workflow in a few simple clicks. The software’s responsive design also allows users to efficiently access Carousel from tablets and mobile phones as well as desktops, automatically optimizing the interface layout; and limiting available buttons to activities appropriate for that device.

Carousel 7.0’s accelerated workflow guides users step-by-step through creating, scheduling and deploying content, with a context-sensitive help button for new and experienced operators. These intuitive help icons are available throughout the interface, taking users to the appropriate section of a newly added help site based on their position in the workflow.

Users move instantly back and forth between workflow stages without losing content, and can easily switch between editing content and adjusting layout templates throughout the process. Version 7.0’s new high-speed rendering engine lets users preview their results in real time, while streamlined client-server communication ‘under the hood’ further quickens operation. Together, these interface and workflow advances cut content creation time by up to 50 percent for experienced users while enabling a quick learning curve for new operators. Meanwhile, new stock content including pre-designed channels help users effortlessly achieve a modern, fresh look.

ComQi Adds Supported For BrightSign HDCP Player

New York-based ComQi’s digital signage platform now supports BrightSign’s HDCP-compliant XT1143 media player – a device that’s been engineered and fully certified to use and display subscription-based video feeds from cable TV set-top boxes.

An acronym for High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection, HDCP is digital copy protection technology widely used by broadcast and content companies. While running subscription TV on digital signage networks is common, they’re often being driven by equipment that is not licensed and legal to effectively receive and repeat copy-protected signals.

BrightSign’s XT1143 is one of few digital signage devices on the market that is fully HDCP compliant. “Working with BrightSign allows us to meet a request we get regularly from customers for a solution that properly delivers and blends commercial TV signals with digital signage content,” explains Max Stevens-Guille, CTO for ComQi. “By using BrightSign’s players, we know we’re keeping our clients on the right side of copyright protection laws, and doing it using very solid, highly respected hardware.”

ComQi’s global client base includes companies active in retail, food service and corporate environments that have scenarios in which customers may be dwelling in one area for extended periods. Using subscription feeds is one tactic ComQi clients are using to enhance the experience for those waiting customers.

“We’ve grown very flexible in terms of how we can create hardware and software solutions,” says Stevens-Guille, explaining that ComQi’s award-winning EnGage platform can works across numerous types of playback devices, from full PCs to smart commercial displays.

For more information on this topic and other digital signage innovations, meet us at Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas (29th – 30th March, 2017) Booth #415.

Signagelive Adds Philips SoC Support

UK-based Signagelive has added Philips’ System on Chip (SoC) displays to the wide range of platforms supported by the cloud-based digital signage platform.

The interesting thing about the Philips SoC is that the D-Line series has dual SoCs, with dedicated chips for the operation of the display and for managing and playing content. More and targeted horsepower tends to mean better playback.

To deliver Philips PDS’ Android powered display support, Signagelive has developed an optimized Android version of its HTML5 based media player, which is in used daily by 1,700+ digital signage networks worldwide. The combined Philips PDS /Signagelive SoC Display solution delivers the functionality and performance required for enterprise grade digital signage, with key features including:

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