Scala and IAdea to Showcase Non-PC Media Appliances for Digital Signage at InfoComm

Orlando, Fla. (PRWEB) June 18, 2009

Scala, the leader in digital signage software, and IAdea, the leading digital signage player appliance company, join forces at InfoComm 2009 to significantly lower the entry level costs of digital signage networks.

Scala's new Content Manager 5 Release 5 will add support for four types of new media appliances: IAdea High Definition Player, IAdea Standard Definition Player, IAdea Digital Signboard (photo frame-type) Player, and IAdea Audio-only Player. These new devices utilize the latest semiconductor technology for high-quality video and/or audio playback and solid-state reliability while keeping the systems' cost down.

IAdea specializes in media player middleware technology and offers support for the W3C SMIL open standard on integrated multimedia chipsets. The IAdea High Definition Player features 1080p @ 60 fps full HD video playback from solid-state storage while running cool and drawing only 5 watts of power. Supported codecs include MPEG-1/2, H.264, MPEG-4 ASP (DivX), and VC-1 (Windows Media Video 9). The IAdea Standard Definition Player is extremely compact and fits within the screws of a standard 4x4 VESA mount. The IAdea Digital Signboard (photo frame-type) Player combines a 10.4-inch 800 x 600 LCD display and the latest IEEE 802.11n wireless connectivity with an integrated audio/video decoder.

"As digital signage goes mainstream, not all networks need the wide array of features and performance offered by our traditional PC-based media players deployed across their entire network," says Gerard Bucas, CEO of Scala. "With this exciting new partnership our customers now have a wide array of price and performance choices which can be mixed in the same network, fully integrated and centrally controlled by our market-leading Scala 5 Software platform. The result is a significant reduction in overall cost of ownership, providing a more rapid ROI for our customers."

"We are ready to 'cross the chasm' in digital signage, moving focus from the early visionary users to mainstream customers," says John C. Wang, CEO of IAdea. "Mainstream customers have been waiting for a rock-solid, field-tested device at an extremely attractive price point, compliant with open standards and integrated with a leading management software solution. We have done it all in partnership with Scala. This joint effort kicks off what we call the 'Digital Signage 2.0' generation by allowing system integrators to define new game rules that current competitors are unable to match."

IAdea powered media players are available immediately from partners that include ViewSonic, Mitsubishi, and Advantech. Visit http://www.IAdea.com/Scala/ for more information and contacts.

About Scala

Driving more than 300,000 screens worldwide, Scala is a leading global provider of digital signage and advertising management solutions. Scala is the world's first connected signage company, offering the leading platform for content creation, management and distribution in digital signage networks and the first unified platform for advertising management of both traditional and digital signage networks. The company's digital signage customers include Rabobank, IKEA, Burger King, T-Mobile, Virgin MegaStore, Warner Brothers, The Life Channel, Rikstoto, Repsol, NorgesGruppen and thousands more. Advertising management customers include CBS Outdoor, Clear Channel Outdoor and Magic Media, among others. Scala is headquartered near Philadelphia, USA, and has subsidiaries in Canada, The Netherlands, France, Norway and Japan, as well as more than 450 partners in more than 60 countries. More information is available at http://www.scala.com.

About IAdea

Founded in 2000, IAdea is dedicated to the development of leading-edge industrial-grade digital signage systems. IAdea's media players adopt the XML-based W3C SMIL interface, allowing system integrators to quickly customize and tailor to individual project requirements. IAdea's device technologies feature in large-scale projects including the China Post Office Media Network and Taiwan's Taoyuan International Airport, offering proven robustness and lowered total cost of ownership (TCO). Thousands of digital signage sites worldwide are being powered by IAdea, serving millions of viewers each day. IAdea is an active member of the Digital Standards Committee of POPAI, promoting digital signage standards among major industry players. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, with a North American subsidiary in Los Angeles, IAdea offers distribution and service networks through partners in the U.S., Canada, Denmark, Sweden, U.K., Italy, Turkey, China, Japan and Australia.

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Find More Windows Media Player 11 Press Releases

HP SignagePlayer with Scala QuickStart, Scala 5 Release 6 and Intel? AIM Suite Technology at Screenmedia Expo 2011

London (PRWEB) May 11, 2011

Scala, the world?s leading software provider for digital signage networks, will exhibit its latest release of Scala QuickStart that supports HP?s new SignagePlayer at Screenmedia Expo, May 18-19 at Earls Court Exhibition and Conference Center in London (Booth E23).

The new and affordable HP SignagePlayer/Scala QuickStart solution features a locked-down Microsoft? Windows? Embedded operating system and a preconfigured Scala Player for outstanding performance and reliability.(1) Displaying videos, pictures, crawls, interactive Adobe? Flash and Scala scripts with dynamic text or graphics in any combination up to 1080p allows the system to be used in a wide range of applications. HP SignagePlayers can also be easily connected to any Scala Content Manager anywhere in the world.

?Never before has setting up a full-featured digital signage player been this easy,? said Gerard Bucas, Scala?s Chief Executive Officer. ?We?re incredibly pleased to introduce this new service in conjunction with the new Scala certified players from HP. We believe we have achieved a significant breakthrough for the industry.?

At Screenmedia 2011, HP will provide all PCs and all of the 26 screens used in the Scala stand, including HP?s 42-inch digital signage touchscreen and HP?s newest screen, the 47-inch LD4710 with bezels that are less than 18 mm wide. This new digital signage display is thinner, smarter and more connected, giving businesses a full-featured, contemporary and engaging digital signage solution from HP.

Scala 5 Release 6

Scala will showcase a number of features of its next generation software ? Release 6 ? which will be shipping this summer. Release 6 is a significant update that builds on the current Scala platform of Designer, Content Manager and Player. Release 6 highlights:

More Video and Streaming Options
Release 6 adds support for standard H.264 and MPEG2 streaming videos in addition to the support Scala has had for Windows Media Streaming protocols.

Razor-Sharp HD Quality
Capture cards such as the Datapath RGB E-1 video capture card and the BlackMagic Intensity Pro video capture card are now supported in Release 6 for capturing high-definition component video signals at 720p or 1080i, as well as unencrypted HDMI up to 1080p.

Making Life Easier for IT
A common requirement in larger networks is that Scala Content Manager can integrate with LDAP servers such as Microsoft?s Active Directory server. Release 6 will allow Content Manager to integrate with such established enterprise tools.

?Raising the Bar? for dynamic visual effects
Release 6 adds dramatic new visual enhancements for Scala content developed in Designer.

Bridging the Communication Gap
With this new release, Scala is introducing a new bridge server to support new non-PC players such as the SpinetiX Hyper Media Player.

Intel? AIM Suite an Anonymous Video Analytics Technology

Scala will also showcase the measurement capabilities of Intel? AIM Suite (Audience Impression Metrics), which was recently integrated with Scala Ad Manager advertising management software. Experience a live demo at the Scala stand. Intel AIM Suite software uses anonymous face-detection algorithms to aggregate data on the number of people viewing the sign, length of attention, gender and age bracket. It does this while maintaining complete anonymity and consumer privacy.

Real Directional Sound

The audio at the stand will be provided by Parametric Sound Partner Audionation-UK Ltd. The new award-winning HSS-III directional speaker system is designed to target a specific listening area. HSS-III technology uses tightly focused beams of sound to the intended audience in a lightweight and cost effective package. Delivering focused audio messages in conjunction with digital signage, point of sale, kiosks and other screen media.

I-Point

The I-Point is the newest member of the 10 Squared product range. It has a unique aesthetic, which is ideally suited to high-profile locations such as company receptions or hotel lobbies where first impressions are of great importance. The I-Point is a versatile unit and can be used for a number of different applications such as an information point, automatic check-in or interactive advertising.

To request an interview or booth demo with a Scala representative at Screenmedia Expo 2011, contact Harry Horn, Marketing Manager at Scala EMEA.

About Scala

Driving more than 500,000 screens worldwide, Scala is a leading global provider of digital signage and advertising management solutions. Scala is the world?s first connected signage company, offering the leading platform for content creation, management and distribution in digital signage networks and the first unified platform for advertising management of both traditional and digital signage networks. The company's digital signage customers include Rabobank, IKEA, Burger King, T-Mobile, Virgin MegaStore, Warner Brothers, The Life Channel, Rikstoto, Repsol, NorgesGruppen, Audi, ECE Flatmedia, Kaufhof (Metro Group) and thousands more. Advertising management customers include CBS Outdoor, Clear Channel Outdoor and Newad, among others. Scala is headquartered near Philadelphia, USA, and has subsidiaries in Canada, The Netherlands, France, Norway, Germany and Japan, as well as more than 450 partners in more than 60 countries. More information is available at http://www.scala.com.

(1)????Broadband internet access and Scala QuickStart subscription are required and sold separately. The Scala QuickStart subscription may be activated at http://registration.scalaquickstart.com.

?2011 Scala, Inc. 350 Eagleview Blvd. Exton, PA 19341. Scala and the Exclamation Point Logo are registered trademarks of Scala.

Intel is a trademark of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries.

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