signage
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Crestron intros DVPHD-PRO HD digital video processor
Just in case you were waiting for something a bit more sophisticated to drive that LCD4620, Crestron's DVPHD-PRO should make complex ads a whole lot more attractive. The self-proclaimed "advanced multi-window digital video processor and touchpanel interface" enables up to eight simultaneous video windows to be outputted onto a single HD display, as users can utilize four DVI inputs and four BNC arrangements (shown after the jump) to create an on-screen graphical montage. Moreover, the unit can handle both NTSC and PAL signals, is HDCP compliant, and boasts Crestron's 24-bit Isys graphics engine, which enables the creation of high-resolution images / backgrounds, dynamic text, and full-motion animations. Notably, the RS-232 and USB ports allow the box to be controlled via an external touchscreen monitor or whiteboard, and while pricing details aren't listed, we can't envision this bad boy coming without a serious premium.
ChyTV's HD 100 enables 1080p digital signage
If you've been holding back on procuring that LCD4620, ChyTV's HD 100 just might be the accessory that pushes you over the edge. The latest in the firm's lineup of video graphics information display systems, this particular iteration steps it way up by enabling real-time 3D text and graphics to be outputted in stunning 1080p for all your potential customers to see. Sporting DVI and VGA outs, this system touts dynamic graphics, an integrated MPEG player, page scheduling, and all the other tools you'd expect to flash your wares to passerbyers. Unfortunately, it looks like you'll be forced to personally inquire about pricing options, but tempting citizens with beautiful high-definition footage could very well prove invaluable.
NEC's 20 series LCDs: perfect for digital signage
NEC's latest LCD displays have more business on a video-wall demonstration than in your living room, but who said having a tile matrix of displays in your game lounge was a bad idea? The 20 series commercial LCD lineup consists of a 40-inch MultiSync LCD4020 and 46-inch LCD4620, both of which feature NEC's newfangled CV12 pixel technology. Hailed as the first displays to pack chevron-shaped pixels into a large-format LCD, it also delivers twice the contrast of traditional PVA panels, increases brightness and viewing angles, and minimizes off-angle color shift. Each touts a 1,366 x 768 resolution, 1,200:1 contrast ratio, ten-millisecond response time, and uber-thin bezels that come in "five times thinner" than current competitors. Don't count on these niche LCDs to come cheap, though, as you'll be laying down around $4,400 for the little guy and upwards of $6,300 for the 46-incher.
New glow-in-the-dark materials shine a full spectrum
We love all things glow-in-the-dark, and for good reason: they help us find the bathroom at night, they freak out our cats, and raves wouldn't be the same without a ton of kids who don't care how ridiculous they look spinning glowsticks. Lucky for us, Japanese researchers have developed new materials that glow in a full range of colors with the potential to provide a real-world solution. The research team from Ryukoku University in Kyoto suggests using the materials to create clear, attractive emergency signage that doesn't depend on electricity to operate. Until now, phosphorescent colors were limited to bluish and greenish tones, which lack visibility through smoke or dust, and supposedly invoke anxiety. The new materials' rainbow of colors (including white light) should offer a more natural illumination, and may strike the fancy of the International Commission on Illumination (CIE), "the international authority on lighting" that's already suggested finding an electricity-free emergency lighting / signage system for buildings. Using this new technology for constructive purposes is all well and good, but we were most relieved to hear that the team isn't snoozing on "less serious" applications for these materials -- i.e. a lampshade nightlight that stays on all night. C'mon, you didn't think they'd leave the out the good stuff (view image), did ya?[Thanks, Matthew]
Hitachi showing off color version of Albirey e-paper
Now that monochrome e-paper is a pretty standard affair, those at the forefront of e-ink technology have moved on to perfecting the real killer app, which is full-color displays. We've already seen a tiny color model from Fujitsu, and a larger, but only two-color offering from Bridgestone, and now Hitachi -- maker of the black-and-white Albirey e-paper -- is showing off a 13.1-inch version of this product will an impressive 4,096-color palette. Apparently the power-saving "RGBW" filter enables the device to display bright whites as well as deep blacks, but the trade-off is the unit's rather underwhelming resolution of just 512 x 384 pixels. Therefore, we probably won't be seeing color eBooks anytime soon, but the low res should be adequate enough for certain types of signage that would benefit from the paper's ability to hold a picture in the absence of power; we think they would look great advertising all the quality products found at Engadget's retail location.[Via MobileRead]
