BrightSign recently unveiled a redesign of its line of digital signage media players. The range now comprises seven players across four product lines: LS423, HD223, HD1023, XD233, XD1033, XT243 and XT1143. The players incorporate an M.2 interface for Wi-Fi antennae or a solid-state drive (M.2 SSD), a hardware accelerated HTML5 engine and H.265 support for HEVC playback features, with XD and XT lines capable of 4K HDR 10-bit video playback.
BrightSign’s accompanying software, BrightAuthor, and BrightSign Network were also updated, with software v4.5 now enabling multiple lower resolution videos to be played in multiple video zones via ‘Mosiac Mode’ on HD, XD and XT players.
Reviewed by Harry Wiertz, innovation director at Notice Branded Media
Where have you used this product?
As Notice is focused on delivering an engaging digital experience we need a reliable, capable platform for doing this. Therefore we use the player to try and do something special for clients – using it for exciting video and sounds, but also to control lighting effect and other external features that make an installation stand out.
Why did you choose it?
Scalability is always a critical issue for us. We have a develop/test/run model, and with BrightSign players you can always be sure that the hardware platform is identical no matter where in the world it is, meaning you only have to test your software once. With PC players, we have test with every PC version, even if they have a nominally identical specification. Maintenance can also be unpredictable with PCs – installing patches on PC-based players around the world is a nuisance.
BrightSign players are very stable. New releases of the firmware are offered to implement new features and are optional – if you don’t need the new feature, you simply don’t have to upgrade the firmware.
Content management worldwide is also very easy using the BrightSign Network. We can also take advantage of the BrightSign Network Enterprise Edition for customers who want to host and maintain their own servers for enterprise-level applications that require an extra level of security and control.
What do you like about it?
BrightSign players are stable and enormously capable, and have time and again provided the flexibility for us to realise our creative ambitions. Some new features (e.g. HDR) are implemented in new releases of the firmware so that you add them to existing players free of charge. There really isn’t much that you can do on a PC that you can’t do on the new BrightSign player family – and these solid state players really are so much easier to install and manage, especially on global roll-outs.
What would you change?
Everything is moving to HTML5 these days. The hardware accelerated HTML5 engine and functionality of the new players is fantastic, but technology keeps advancing in this area and BrightSign needs to make sure that it keeps up. For example, enabling more analytics with HTML5 would be really good.