Thunderous interface
No one likes delays to affect digital signage content, so the next question is how to get the most bandwidth at the input and output stage. That is where new hardware interface formats come into play.
One of these is Thunderbolt, which works with both Apple and Windows platforms to move media along at 10 Gbps, about 10 times faster than Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0. This dual-port interface is compatible with Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) and the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA’s) DisplayPort standard for computers and monitors, offering the freedom and flexibility to handle any of the viewing technology a venue using 4K media would need.
Where 4K and Thunderbolt will really take off is with the imminent release of Thunderbolt 2, which will support two 20-Gbps bi-direct channels, enabling much faster data storage transfer rates.
Solid-state drive (SSD) recorders provide enough storage space to capture and transmit 4K content to screens without delay. Photo courtesy Blackmagic Design
Solid recording
Once it is clear how media will get to where it needs to go, the next step is figuring out how the actual 4K footage will be recorded and played back. Many AV professionals must plan to collect 4K footage of pretty much anything anywhere, so they will need an easily mobile recording device.
This is where a solid-state drive (SSD) comes in handy, as 4K media will eat up a lot of storage space, which an SSD can provide. Not only are prices of SSDs themselves coming down rapidly, but SSD recording is now a mature technology with several generations of development behind it. Users can record in either compressed or uncompressed formats, right from SDI connections.
For live productions, where video footage is captured and sent directly to digital signage displays around a sports stadium or concert arena, it is important to ensure the 6G-SDI infrastructure includes recorders that can capture 4K content and transmit it to the screens without delay.
What’s next
Given the availability of these technologies, 4K digital signage is certainly not out of reach for any given venue, so long as managers understand the basic requirements. It is more important for them to worry about how to move and manage the content than about the media itself and the final display of the content. If users are not prepared for 4K at every part of the workflow, it will surely slow down their systems.
YCD Multimedia has integrated 4K codecs into MuVi Wall digital signage systems for clients like Levi’s. Photo courtesy YCD Multimedia
It is worth noting the amount of 4K content is on the rise, as the format is being increasingly adopted not only by the digital signage industry, but also by the film and TV industries. Indeed, with cross-platform applications, it is no longer a question of whether or not 4K will be broadly adopted, but rather what will happen to those organizations that do not adopt it.
And since 4K is already ‘out there’ in the digital signage sector, many professionals and their clients are taking notice. Their first questions about it are usually related to cost, efficiency and compatibility with existing systems.
This is why technologies like 6G-SDI wiring and Thunderbolt 2 interfaces are suitable starting points for building out new digital signage infrastructure. And given 6G-SDI, in particular, is flexible enough to work with different formats across various installations, 4K actually represents an opportunity to simplify digital signage networks.
This can come as a surprise to many people who still remember the ‘tortoise days’ when HD was gradually being adopted. In contrast, 4K is like the hare, already running in more places than most people would guess. Price barriers previously seen with HD are no longer an impediment to growth and new products are being developed from all corners of the industry, supporting the capture, delivery and display of 4K content. Easy-to-use ‘boxes’ are converting all types of SDI connectivity to HDMI for 4K displays that seem to get larger every day.
In the digital signage industry more than anywhere else, it is clear 4K is here to stay. The market is taking ever fuller advantage of huge displays, with ever higher-quality images to fill those screens. Long gone are the days of fuzzy infomercials playing out in grocery stores. Clean, crisp, detailed images are emphasizing just how much size matters.
Bob Caniglia is senior regional manager of Eastern North America for Blackmagic Design, which manufactures video equipment for the digital signage, TV and post-production industries. For more information, visit www.blackmagicdesign.com.
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