October 5, 2011

Planar is proud to introduce the new PS-Series large format LCD displays, which include six models that range from 42 to 65 inches and feature:

• LED backlighting
• Dual touch technology
• Full-metal casing
• Multiple connectivity options
• Video wall support
• RS-232 control
• Ambient backlight control

The new PS-Series ultra-slim, interactive displays are ideal in digital signage environments, including retail, quick service restaurants, hospitality, healthcare, corporate meeting rooms and lobbies.

View the full release or learn more about how the PS-Series delivers superior commercial performance and affordability for digital signage applications.

Scientists have been busy unlocking the secrets of the human brain: how it works, how it fails and what all that means. The field of neuroscience is making new discoveries daily, but who’s to explain the science to the rest of us? John Medina (Dr. Medina, that is) is a neuroscientist at the University of Washington. He’s not only a researcher but also an educator training up young scientists-to-be. But what you really need to know about him is that he’s been able to translate the obtuse language of the academy into a few simple statements. The research on the human brain can be summed up and applied to daily life and Medina writes about it in his book, Brain Rules.

It’s not an option to ignore what’s being gleaned from this research. Cognitive function affects literally everything that happens so it’s recklessly irresponsible to remain uninformed. Rule number ten (of 12) says that “Vision trumps all other senses.” This means that the brain weights what is seen more than what’s heard, tasted, touched or smelled. Every other sense acts as a supporting character to sight, like Diana Ross and the Supremes (or not).

Visual dominance isn’t just what comes in through our eyes, but what our eyes expect to see. Written language is still words and requires the brain to access the secondary language center rather than the primary visual center. Each letter is dissected by the brain into its constituent shapes then matched against patterns for recognition before being recombined into words that have meaning.

“Little Billy was sad because his ice cream cone fell on the ground.” We think about the situation. We process the language and we have a logical understanding of the situation. But all that is communicated with a wordless picture showing an ice cream cone slowly melting on the pavement or the tears welling up in the eyes of a child. Signage isn’t just about conveying information to people but connecting with human beings. Connections are made through vision and image.

Instead of showing streams of text on a billboard, install a Planar EP-Series display that can show full, high-definition video in a light, durable, energy-efficient package. The EP-Series uses edge-lit LED backlight technology to reduce energy cost and high quality LCD components to increase reliability so you can run them all day and night for years.

Or choose the Clarity Matrix™ display wall that marries a grid of displays into one giant screen or into a screen with multiple, independent sections. The slim mounting EasyAxis system means the LCD screens will stick out just four inches into the room. The remote power and video processing mean that the wall will be quiet, cool and won’t require any electrical outlets for the screens.

Take advantage of the primacy of vision. Connect with people in the most powerful way possible.

May 31, 2011

By James Wood

The thing that most people don’t understand is that when you’re designing a building you can’t just do whatever you want. There are whole libraries filled with codes that need to be met in every building. Rules are good, they protect people and property. But all those standards can take some of the artistry out of designing and make it feel more like paint-by-number. Designers are just tasked with plugging in solutions that will comply with all the regulations; one is blue, three is green. But most designers want the chance to express themselves and stun their audiences.

One standard that has limited creativity comes from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) stating that objects can’t protrude more than four inches from a wall. This is good since it provides for easy movement and access to areas for all people, but it’s had unintended consequences. Installing an impressive video wall has been limited by the mounting systems and size of the screens, which exceed the ADA four inch maximum. So video walls can’t start at the floor or be within 80 inches of the ground if they stick out too far from the wall.

Planar engineers have solved the problem. The Clarity Matrix line of LCD displays mount to the wall and protrude only 3.6 inches. So instead of a video wall hanging high overhead, the screens can be up close and personal. There are no walls that are off limits for video design. Curved walls, walls without power supplies and the entire height from floor to ceiling, it’s all available like a blank canvas ready to be painted. The only rules are your imagination. The mounting is so thin, in part, because the only thing on the wall is the display. The power supplies and digital signal processing are all in a separate location. So the heat, weight and fan noise of power supplies are moved away from the video wall to a discrete location. All the controlling can be done from the comfort of another room. So all the space that is saved by moving those functions to an external location make the Clarity Matrix display seem to be a part of the wall itself.

Rules and regulations are meant to keep people safe, not to limit the imagination. Let your creativity run wild.