Developments in Digital Signage is an absolutely fascinating field to think about. Images of holographic advertisements, interactive LED displays, and various other futuristic contraptions come to mind. Well you’re probably no technophobe, and may even be considering some high tech alternatives to LED signs, something different that might stand out from the growing number of LED billboards on the street outside your door.
There are a few interesting futuristic signage developments and alternatives to LED signs worth considering, and we’ll be happy to give you a brief rundown of each.
Now it is worth bearing in mind that deploying these technologies for your advertising needs does command a higher price, because for the most part they’re still being developed into a feasible solution for mass deployment.
Most who are in the market for a digital sign in 2019 or 2020 will find these alternatives to digital signage highly cost prohibitive and unnecessary. But one of these digital sign solutions might be exactly what you’re looking for if you find them to be absolutely cutting edge and have the extraordinary budget for it.
So in the interests of educating the consumer about our industry and its future, even competing products that might better serve your needs, we’re going to take a look in this article at the advantages of: OLED signs, projection mapping solutions (and edge blending), 3D holographic signage, and accent lighting laser projectors.
If you would rather use one of these instead, we don’t really consider them competitors anyways, because they’re in a different category altogether than the LED signs we offer at Mega Sign Inc. And we hope that if you decide an LED display has all the tech you need to upgrade your signage for the foreseeable future, that you’ll consider purchasing one from us.
The 4 High Tech Alternatives to LED Signs
These might be a little more 2030 than 2020, but when the technology and economies of scale reach a certain point of viability as a market solution to advertising needs, you’ll start to see these on the street corners in a few years. Who knows? We might be the one who puts it there.
Developments in Digital Signage – Transparent OLED Signs
You may or may not know that LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. (A diode is a semiconducting tube that allows the one way flow of electric current through it.) OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode. Hasta la vista, baby, These things are cybernetic like the Terminator.
Actually, not really. They do contain a fair amount of carbon though. One advantage of OLED displays is they can work on flexible substrates. (Imagine folding up your smartphone some day like a piece of paper.)
Another advantage is they can work on transparent substrates. That’s what has our interest. There could be some cool design possibilities for a transparent digital display.
They can also offer a better picture with deeper blacks and a greater contrast ratio. Although researchers have shown that production could theoretically be much cheaper for OLEDs, for now they’re more expensive to make, have a limited lifespan, and can be easily damaged by water.
Developments in Digital Signage – Projection Mapping
If you’ve been to Disney World you might remember the amazing Once Upon A Time show in the Magic Kingdom at the end of the day. It employs projection mapping techniques to spectacular effect. Projection mapping can take irregularly shaped surfaces (like the Cinderella Castle) and create the illusion that they are a flat display surface to project video.
This can be deployed to create delightful optical illusions and a very eye-popping show. While projection mapping is primarily in use by theme parks, museums, and music venues (places that are putting on some kind of show) we see projection mapping alongside LED signs in the future of digital street signage. Related to projection mapping, edge blending is a technique involving two or more video projectors with fields that overlap.
Developments in Digital Signage – 3D Holographic Display Systems
3D holographic fan displays are an interesting way to create a full “hologram” like image using LEDs arranged on a strip that very quickly change color in a certain sequence mounted on the blades of a rapidly spinning fan. The effect is very impressive.
It looks as if the image produced is floating in the air. These are very eye catching so they can generate a lot of attention and buzz. This one’s the closest out of the four to becoming a viable digital signage solution on the streets.
Developments in Digital Signage – Accent Lighting Laser Projectors
Accent lighting laser projection is another eye-popping application of video projection. Developed in Japan by Epson, the laser projectors used for accent lighting deploy laser 3LCD technology.
Using a laser for projection, Epson found a way to create a brighter image than can be produced by a bulb, and these devices maintain their brightness over a longer lifespan. Another advantage of laser projectors is the clearer image they produce. Using one of these bad boys, you’ll be able to turn a blank surface on your building into a digital sign.
Find The Right LED Sign
At MEGA, we specialize in custom digital sign solutions that are tailored to your business’s needs. Whether you need a large roadside sign to draw in traffic or a small storefront display, we can find a solution that gets your business the attention it deserves.
