latest news headlines
900-Year-Old Billingsgate Makes its Digital Debut with DNP
Seafood specialists, CT Holmes have become the first trader in the new Docklands-based Billingsgate Fish Market to embrace digital signage.
The new 60in dnp UCS rear projection display installed by Digital Vision AV has given the company (which trades as Holmes Seafood) a competitive edge during the brisk early morning trading at the world-famous 900-year-old market.
Paul Mayhew, who set up Digital Vision AV two years ago, said the decision to choose a UCS screen became a "no-brainer" once Holmes had set out their requirement.
"They had considered hanging a plasma or LCD display but these would have been too bulky given the confined area within the shop; they would also have suffered from reflection and would have had to battle with the elements and humidity in the market."
Instead he proposed a more elegant solution. The 60in Ultra Contrast Screen (supplied by UK distributors Paradigm AV) provides enhanced brightness from a lightweight chassis - and the ability to view off-axis. And because it is rear projected, the screen casts no shadow for those people milling in front of it during the busy trading period. "This far outshines and outperforms a plasma solution."
Explained David Williams, Holmes' regional sales manager: "At peak periods customers may have to wait five minutes for service and the new screen provides a distraction and keeps them amused, as well as showing them the latest promotions, special offers etc.
"We already occupy a prime position at the top of the market, and this eye-catching display will enable us to stand out further."
Further advantages of this system are ease of operation. For the tiny Sanyo projector - ceiling-mounted on a Unicol pole - contains a Memory Viewer that can take an SD card. "This means the display can operate independently and be updated with JPG's or simple movie files without the need for computer and cabling," says Paul Mayhew. "All they need to do is turn on the projector with the remote."
To update the content the 70-year-old company simply takes out the memory card and updates it from the PC in Holmes' offices upstairs.
Digital Vision AV specialises in digital signage and projection - and although the company is only two years old Paul Mayhew has been working with Paradigm for at least twice that amount of time. Paradigm have helped him evolve custom solutions time and time again.
"Because our background is in IT we try and establish solutions which may not always be obvious; we look at different forms of content delivery and what media displays best suit the environment."
The company has worked in many different environments over the years but Billingsgate has to be one of the most unusual. "The projected solution will always work best and I must say it's nice to be able to get an LCD projector and high-contrast screen into a retail environment," says the installer.
In picture: Note that a fish-eye lens was used in the production of these images!
6th June 2008
HEADLINES
news archive
search stories
FOOTNOTE: Select the news type you require in the red band above; this will enable you to see the current news stories from that section
© 1999 - 2012 Entertainment Technology Press Limited News Stories
