by Josh Coffman

FROM THE DEVELOPERS:

"The WebDT Signage System offers a complete digital signage solution, comprising of signage hardware, device management software, and content management software. With available wireless connectivity and remote management, deployment is quick and locations are easily changed. The DS3700/4700 Signage Systems integrate vivid, high-definition displays with efficient processor computing in one slim, mountable package. With options for touchscreen and wireless, opportunities are limitless for signage and kiosk applications.

WebDT Content Manager is a comprehensive multimedia software management system that supports digital signage networked DT Research signage appliances (players). WebDT Content Manager provides a web browser interface in front of a database management system. This enables digital content designers and managers the ability to import digital files such as: Images (GIF, JPEG, TIFF), Plain-text and RSS content as Tickers, HTML, XML, FLASH, Audio, Video, Microsoft® PowerPoint, and other digital media file formats are also supported. WebDT Content Manager lets you manage your digital signage content, publish the content to player units, and monitor players online in real-time."

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT

Rear View of WebDT Signage System

• All-in-one, modular system
• Small fanless thin client pc with XP embedded mounted on custom rear frame
• Plays all the popular media formats
• Optional accurate infrared touchscreen
• Beautiful 47" 1080p HD LCD display
• 18 built in templates with advanced template editor
• Device manager software for OS image and registry updates, push applications, unit shutdown and restarting, and viewing unit configuration
• No recurring fees. Once you purchase the system, you own it, including the software.
• Server software can be installed on your own (Microsoft) webserver
• Both hardware and software remote auto recovery supported
• Both Landscape and Portrait mode supported through software and hardware
• Edge servers offered for large deployment to minimize bandwidth usage

INSTALLATION/SETUP

Registering Your WebDT Signage System

DT Research provides a quick-start guide which makes the setup a snap. The DS4700 evaluation unit comes with a table top stand. With the display in place, I connected a USB keyboard to one of the four USB ports on the small thin client pc mounted on the back of the display and hooked up an internet cable as well. If you didn't have the touchscreen unit, you would need to hookup a USB mouse as well. Once booted, a player registration window pops up asking for details (Organization, password) which were provided to me via email. I also named my demo unit DSF.

When the familiar Windows XP background appeared on this huge bright screen, I gave the infrared touch screen a go and it did not disappoint; having a huge interactive canvas like that just makes me smile! I couldn't help but check the news on Google! The text was crystal clear.

To set the date/time and time zone, you click on the time icon in the lower right hand corner. You can also make some display properties adjustment by clicking on the display adapter icon. After making these changes, I logged into the Content Manager using the url provided in my email. In the Account Manager section, I selected my user name and specified my newly registered DS4700 unit as the Preview Player. Setup is definitely a breeze. My only gripe here is that registration is done on each unit manually. DT Research can help preconfigure with large deployments, however.

EASE OF USE

The Content Manager software is well designed, with the menu on the left and resizable framed areas in the main section. There is a menu at the top for various actions as well. The Help button in the upper right is accessible from every page and provides a quick link to the online documentation. The main menu is organized well with the following main sections: Player/Group, Management (media, ticker, playlist, template), Scheduling, and System (settings, account management, site management, device manager, urgent cast, edition information).

Easy Playlist Scheduling

Scheduling playlists is a simple process. It works similar to how you add content except you select the day(s) on a calendar, pick your playlist(s), and send it over with the arrow button. You can also adjust the start time and recurrence pattern (Today Only, Daily, Weekly, or Monthly) and repeat parameter (every X hours).

A second level user/manager account management mechanism is offered that lets users prepare content and schedules, which is subject to the system manager's approval.

FUNCTIONALITY

The WebDT Signage System is a solid all-in-one unit that includes all the functionality you would expect and need.

Display Quality and Playback

Beautiful Display!

The media player is a 1.5 GHz x86 processor with 1GB flash memory and 512MB RAM. Fed from the media player via DVI connection, the 47" panel is beautiful, crisp, bright, and offers full 1080p. You can throw all the popular digital media formats at it, including:

Image
• JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg)
• BMP (.bmp)
• PNG (.png)
• TIFF (.tif, tiff)
• GIF (.gif) – less than 2048 X 2048 pixels
• TGA (.tga)
• PCX (.pcx)

Audio
• MP3 (.mp3)
• MP2 (.mp2)
• Wave Audio(.wav)
• Window Media Audio(.wma )
• MIDI (.midi, .mid)
• RealNetworks Real Audio(.rmi)
• Audio Interchange File Format (.aif)
• AU (.au)
• SND (.snd)

Multimedia
• Adobe Macromedia Flash (.swf) version 9 or below
• MP4 (.mp4)
• MMS
• Flash Video(.flv)
• Microsoft PowerPoint 97(.ppt, .pps)
• MPEG1/2 (.mpe, .mpg, .mpeg)
• Window Media Video (.wmv, .asf, asx)
• AVI (.avi)
• DVD Video (.vob) (non protected)
• Apple QuickTime (.mov)
• HTML - URL (.html, .htm) (text and image only)

The Urgent Cast feature allows anyone to send immediate emergency broadcasts to any player or group of players. You can specify the text, colors, position, scroll size, etc. For property owners and managers, this should prove to be a very attractive feature.

Screen Partitioning / Zoning

Easy and Flexible Screen Zoning Feature

Playlists and Scheduling

The scheduling system is efficient with its calendar and recurrence patterns. It comes with request/approve/reject functionality as well. Media and playlists can be previewed before publishing, but only on a physical display unit which you specify in the Content Manager. There is no online playlist/campaign preview. When working with multiple zones, it can be tricky with the timing. If you have a 2 zone screen and zone A has 2 minutes of content while zone B has 1.5 minutes, then zone B will be black for 30 seconds when its content is finished playing. So the total duration for each zone has to match up. And if you remove a content piece from one zone, it would affect the total time, requiring you to make an update to other zones. Because of this, it is a good idea to setup your longest playlist first.

Interactivity

Interactive content is a joy with the infrared touchscreen. Compared to other touch screen technologies like resistive and capacitive, infrared does not inhibit the display's clarity and brightness. The 47" LG maintains its excellent brightness and the infrared touch screen is highly accurate, providing you with endless opportunities to engage consumers. The WebDT Signage System comes with one caveat however- there is no "playlist interrupt" when someone interacts with your display. This means that your interactive content will only be displayed on the screen for the duration of time that you specify for it. So if you specify 30 seconds and a consumer walks up and interacts 25 seconds into its timeslot, then they will only have 5 seconds left before the next content plays. So if you plan on utilizing interactivity, you must ensure that the interactive elements are on the screen at all times.

Reporting

The Content Manager provides an easy way to download a .csv file of any playlist for a specified date, but the report is very limited. The headings are Group (name), Player (name), Start Date, Start Time, End Date, End Time, Creator, Playlist, Media Status (success or fail). For simple statistics such as # of impressions for each content piece, you would have to perform some spreadsheet calculations. The reporting, therefore, is more of tool for once-in-awhile verification than for gathering extensive statistics and data.

Device Management

In order to manage your systems online, you need a small thin client pc with the device manager software (included with purchased system) located on each local network. I did not evaluate the device manager software for my review. However, this feature is especially beneficial to large scale deployments due to its ability to remotely manage all of the field devices such as BIOS updates, O/S Image updates, remote shutdown, devices inventory, etc.

SUPPORT

WebDT is quick and responsive to any inquiries you may have via email or phone. They also offer a "Preferred Service Plan" which includes free software updates, telephone/email support and hardware warranty (Advanced Replacement) within the duration of the plan. If your system goes down, they will ship a replacement to you in advance!

DOCUMENTATION

Well Documented and Functional Online Help Section

Closing Comments

The WebDT Signage System is a very easy-to-use solution, providing an all-in-one unit with exceptional template, media type, and touch screen support. Unlike most solutions, after you purchase the system you own it. You can install the content manager software on your own server as well and won't have to worry about recurring fees. Being able to get an entire solution from one provider has numerous benefits and the modular design is reassuring. The display is beautiful and bright and having the media player installed on the rear of the panel makes for easy installation. If you want to take the headache out of digital signage technology and have an easy to use solution with great interactive support, definitely give this solution a go.

If your company would like a product review of your digital signage offering, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it