Led Ticker Technology Tip
LED Ticker Technology Tip: Technical Drawings
Posted on Thu, December 10, 2009
We are happy to release our new interactive LED ticker configurator for architects, designers, and customers looking to quickly and easily get technical specifications and details on LED Displays.
The tool lets you select your color option (Full Color or Tri Color), your length (from 6ft up to 250ft), and your height (16 or 24 pixels) and the configurator will provide you with detailed information such as the weight, dimensions, power requirements, and heat dissipation. The drawing will also who the location(s) and quantity of where power receptacles and network drops need to be placed.
For more information on our customizable LED ticker displays that can bend or curve to fit your environment check out the 10 minute video overview on our website.
LED Ticker Technology Tip: Size Does Matter
Posted on Thu, December 17, 2009
Whether you are installing in a sports bar or a trading floor a ticker display attracts attention from the moment people see it. The constant scrolling image from right to left provides a eye catching movement and an atmosphere that can’t be replicated.
A ticker usually comes down to creating “wow factor” so as you plan your space think about the impact you want to make. While a 10ft ticker is nice it only allows you to show a couple of stocks or games at a time verses if you have the opportunity to wrap the ticker around a couple of walls or the entire room you have created a much longer area to show more data thus a more dynamic atmosphere. Take the enclosed photo for example - visualize that ticker on just one of those walls verses the impact it makes by wrapping the corner and extending even further.
In summary think about the space you have and the impression you want to make with your visitors as you plan for your LED Ticker display.
LED Ticker Technology Tip: Controlling A Large Network
Posted on Thu, December 31, 2009
How easy is it to control a large network of tickers?
Historically the tickers were dumb devices, each unit had a controller that simply received a stream of data and the software that sat central to a network holding a unique conversation with each ticker to ensure each ticker had enough data in its buffer to keep running smoothly. Once a network reached 50 or so tickers it became challenging for the PC and the software to keep everything in sync.
But all of that has changed. Over the last 2 years we have perfected a smart controller for each of the tickers. This now means the smarts reside at each ticker giving the user more control and ensuring that each ticker runs smoothly allowing you to add hundreds if not thousands of tickers to the system with no impact on performance. The other key advantage to this method is you no longer have a single point of failure. Each ticker is self contained and a controller failure only impacts that location - not the whole network.
If you haven’t looked at tickers in a few years I would encourage you to revisit them. They now have full color capability, more data feed options, and by eliminating the computers at each site and allowing for simple web-based control it makes them ideal to put into any location with little to no IT support.
LED Ticker Technology Tip: Outdoor Displays
Posted on Thu, January 7, 2010
Our expertise is primarily with indoor technology but from time to time we get inquiries for outdoor ticker displays. The term “ticker” is generically thrown around sometimes so when looking for an outdoor display it is very important define what you are looking for.
While there are many types of outdoor displays from billboards to video displays, people referring to “tickers” usually have 1 of 3 types of displays in mind:
Message Center - Most outdoor displays you see are what I would refer to as message centers. A message center is a matrix display which means you can stop the text, scroll up, scroll down, and in general present your message as an animation in a page by page format. Examples of some outdoor message centers.
Ticker Display - A ticker is a continuously scrolling display that steadily scrolls from right to left and you can’t stop the data. This technology is idea if you are looking to put up a news zipper, sports ticker, or show stock quotes and you are looking to use the display to create the atmosphere. A good example of this is the enclosed photo of the outdoor ticker we installed for Fidelity in New York.
Ribbon Display - The hybrid of the two is what I would call a “ribbon display”. This is the technology commonly see wrapping around the inside of a sports arena or stadium. These displays tend to be more complex and expensive but they do bring you the best of both worlds. Examples of some ribbon displays.
If you are looking to put an outdoor display start by making sure you can legally put one up based on local zoning ordinances and then determine what type of information you want to display. If you are looking to put in a true LED ticker to show stock quotes, news, or sports scores please let us know if we can be of any help.
The University of Texas at Austin Sees ROI in Ticker Web Service
Posted on Mon, March 1, 2010
Derek Fisher, assistant director of the EDS Financial Trading and Technology Center at The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business, knows all about innovation.
“The Trading Center was the first of its kind in the country,” Mr. Fisher says. “It has been a model for other institutions. We do tours all the time for other schools that have since implemented similar programs.”
The Center is divided between a fund room and classroom/lab. The fund room is used exclusively by the 17 to 20 MBA students who are accepted each year as fund managers. On a daily basis, these students manage a $14 million privately held fund, seeded with investments from UT alumni and others.
Meanwhile, the classroom/lab seats approximately 40 people and is a fully equipped media room. The space features all high-definition displays, video conferencing for distance learning, 40 computer stations equipped with a variety of finance applications, and four Bloomberg stations. The room offers a state-of-the-art space for mostly undergraduate financial classes. When class is not in session, the room operates as a lab for finance students, who use the computers and different data feeds for their research assignments.
Naturally, the Center also utilizes digital signage: A ticker is strategically placed outside the fund room, where it serves as a focal point in the business school, and an LED tracker is used in the classroom/lab.
In January 2010, University of Texas staff approached Rise Display about upgrading their software packages for both the ticker and LED tracker. “It came down to an expense issue,” says Mr. Fisher. “We found out about Rise, who offered both the data and the software at a much more economical price.” According to Fisher, the software also had additional functionality that made it very enticing for UT to make the change.
Chief among that functionality is the ability to incorporate news headlines into the ticker, the ability to display corporate logos on the ticker, and include rotating information on the LED tracker. “I can display one set of information on the board for 20 to 30 seconds and then it will rotate and display another set of financial information for another 20 to 30 seconds,” explains Fisher. “I think the display draws people’s attention because it’s not just static information. It’s always changing. A lot of our professors really like teaching in there because . . . they will refer to the information up on the board. With our previous software, I was limited to what I could fit on the screen at one time.”
Of the software’s usability, Fisher says, “The software has certainly been easy for me to maintain. It pretty much runs itself.” He adds, “I’ve been very pleased so far with Rise’s customer service. They’ve been very responsive. They’ve also been proactive in contacting me to make sure we’re satisfied and that things are operating smoothly. It’s been a very positive experience.”
Using Unique Tickers to Create a Game Day Experience
Posted on Wed, March 17, 2010
University sports programs invest heavily to ensure their fans have an exceptional game day experience. Today’s stadiums and arenas utilize the latest technology on the field and in the concourses.
On the field you will find state-of-the-art scoreboards, video replay boards, and ribbon displays to keep fans up-to-date with stats, scores, and video replay. Throughout the concourse you find digital signage utilized for digital menu boards, replaying the game, promoting business partners, and recognizing donors and hall of fame members. All of these applications ensure that fans are wowed and continue returning event after event.
Another area we are starting to see the use of electronic displays is in the founders clubs, alumni areas, and executive suites. As these facilities remodel they recognize the need to create these high end areas to entertain their top alumni, donors, and business partners. While these areas have premium views of the playing area there is also a need to create a unique atmosphere. Along with using interactive digital signage many teams are turning to full color scrolling LED tickers that they can integrate into their design by wrapping them around bars, embedding them in curved surfaces and streaming them up pillars to create a one of a kind visual experience. A great example of this is the custom ticker installed by the University of Tennessee during the renovations of historic Neyland Stadium (see the enclosed photo).
JW Marriott Sports Bar Experience
Posted on Fri, March 19, 2010
The new JW Marriott in San Antonio has a state-of-the-art sports bar with a unique curved viewing wall showing the latest sporting events and games. Below the viewing wall we installed a serpentine, full color LED Logo Ticker to show off the schedules and scores for current sporting events.
We hope to get better photos of the ticker to share in a later posting, but photos don’t do this area justice. If you are in the area we encourage you to stop by for a drink to marvel at the technology.
