Need To Hide Electronics For A Digital Signage Screen? Stick Them In A Drawer.

March 11, 2022 by Dave Haynes

Product innovation tends to be subtle and incremental in categories like flat panel and LED mounting hardware, and it’s hard (trust me here) to write something interesting about new variations on articulating arms and micro-adjustment thingies. But I came across what seems like an interesting approach to the challenge of tucking media players and other electronics behind a wall-mounted display.

The UK mounting solutions company UNICOL has a product that’s a bit like a drawer for server cabinets, except it slides to the side or down, instead of out, for access and servicing. I did a little Googling and didn’t see another product like it (though there may be, for all I know). I don’t specify or source this kind of thing. I also sorted out that the product has been around for about three years, having been introduced at ISE back in 2019.

Says the product page for what’s called a Vertislide:

Users can swap-in, swap-out any old or broken devices with ease and efficiency. The serviceable cassette mount allows you to separate the equipment tray from the main cassette so that devices can be assembled and attached prior to installation. Each cassette features a series of slots to allow easy fixing, no matter the size of your AV devices.

Built-in cable management keeps cabling hidden and tidy regardless of whether the cassette is open or closed. When the installation is finished, simply lock the tray to keep devices securely out of the way.

There are metal boxes and shelves that can tuck in behind and work with conventional fixed and moveable mounts, and there are also good old zip ties. But this seems very handy, particularly if there is some reason for needing to get at the external electronics periodically. Put the right equipment in and maybe you don’t touch it for three years. Put the wrong stuff in and maybe you are in there every couple of months hitting reset buttons or tripping power.

UNICOL suggests “the equipment tray can be separated from the main cassette so that devices can be assembled and attached prior to installation, meaning only one installer, support staff or user is needed when replacing devices thus reducing the screens downtime. Once replaced and closed, the tray can be locked with its built-in barrel lock, keeping all devices securely out of the way.”

 

  1. David Drain says:

    Nice product. I found this video demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=925-gJBOTvQ

  2. Danny Hagen says:

    Good article, Dave, like normal. Although I read the “tucking” media player was spelled with an “f” the way my glasses (lame excuse) interpreted the font. I thought, all right, Dave, we are going for it today. So, I’m just sharing the laugh I had all by myself due to my stupidity. But, in defense from experience, there has been more than one occasion where a media player had an F in front of it!

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