Digital signage delivers on campus: affordable wide-screen digital signs are finding multiple uses on campuses, and may even generate revenue

University Business, Oct, 2004 by Jean Marie Angelo

LCD and plasma screens are made for indoor use only.

Those who want a weatherproof option must rely on LED screens. LED stands for Light Emitting Diode, which is an older technology. LEDs are considered the workhorses of the consumer electronics world, displaying the numbers on digital clocks, transmitting information from remote controls to devices, and--when gathered in large numbers--projecting the images on television screens.

LEDs: LED technology runs the giant screens used in outdoor arenas and other large venues. LED screens cost more because of the additional safeguards that must be built in to withstand weather and temperature changes. The price for a 50- or 75-inch LED screen could run $100,000, according to Gary Kayye of Kayye Consulting.

"Most of the effort that goes into this is not for the hardware installation, but in the back-end preparation," explains Jody Thomas, Kayye's CEO.

There are several ways to set up the systems. Some users rely on a dedicated computer that directly sends content to the display device, while others have installed specific content management software. Still others have hired integrators that handle the content for them.