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TDK decided to upgrade its classic neon sign to LED technology with Barco, in collaboration with MT² and Beaver Solutions. The result is a high-brightness, energy-efficient LED display covering nearly 100 square meters.
Piccadilly Circus is a bustling centerpiece of London that connects numerous famous streets and areas in London's West End. Among other things, it is known for its big, spectacular advertising signs on the northwestern corner between Regent Street and Shaftesbury Avenue. In the recent past, most of these boards were neon signs, but these have gradually been replaced with LED screens during the last decade.
Project management company MT² (on behalf of Land Securities, the owners of the complex) and system integrator Beaver Solutions were already familiar with Barco technology, as they had previously worked on another Barco LED digital sign at Piccadilly Circus in 2007.
“It's quite simple, really,” said Neill Macklin from MT². “When it comes down to image quality, Barco is second to none. Brands want to be noticed, especially in an area like Piccadilly Circus, where there is already so much to look at. Having the brightest and most contrast-rich image quality helps a great deal.”
But there were other considerations as well. “With customers growing increasingly aware of energy consumption, and with leasing space at Piccadilly Circus being a strong financial consideration in its own right, a 24/7 digital LED screen needs to be energy-efficient,” Macklin said. “We were delighted to find out that Barco's 16-mm TF-16BK LED tiles consumed less energy than their competitors, in addition to offering the best visual performance.”
The new LED sign uses a web-based Scala content management system supplied by Beaver to ensure seamless and reliable playback of content. Using this system, a variety of media formats can be played at this location, providing complete flexibility for the creative agencies involved.
Barco's TF-16BK LED tiles are known as “black” LEDs. This enhances their contrast levels and renders colors more saturated. The impact on the building of the display is minimized through the lightweight construction design and front access capability of the Barco LED modules for service requirements. The 105 TF-16BK tiles create a pixel real-estate of 378,000 pixels.
About MT² Limited
MT2 Ltd (mtsquared.co.uk), originally established in 1997, are specialized in the application of DOOH and specifically the installation and management of major digital screens. They offer:
• Advertiser identification, contracting and management.
• Agency and specialist liaison on behalf of advertisers.
• Location identification. Planning applications, revenue models and sign installation specification.
• Project management for the specification, design and installation of digital screens.
• Content management. File creation, programming uploading and monitoring.
• Maintenance supervision. Emergencies and scheduled agreements.
MT2 have worked with Land Securities for many years specifically regarding their globally famous Piccadilly Lights complex at Piccadilly Circus, London. Project Management, advertiser account liaison and strategic planning are provided. The TDK sign installation was the latest of these. Further developments are planned for 2011.
About Beaver Solutions
Beaver Solutions (beaver-group.com) was formed in 1998 and provides individuals, companies and public institutions with end-to-end digital signage, content design and audio visual solutions. With an experienced team using the best in display and network technology, Beaver Solutions designs, installs and supports digital media solutions for retail, menu boards, corporate TV, government, healthcare and education. Clients include Ericsson, ITV, The Home Office, BBC, Showcase Cinemas and P&O Cruises.
About Barco
Barco, a global technology company, designs and develops visualization products for a variety of selected professional markets. Barco has its own facilities for Sales & Marketing, Customer Support, R&D and Manufacturing in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. Barco (Euronext Brussels: BAR) is active in more than 90 countries with about 3,300 employees worldwide. Barco posted sales of 638 million euro in 2009.
About Scala
Driving more than 500,000 screens worldwide, Scala (scala.com) 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 (MetroGroup) 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, Germany and Japan, as well as more than 450 partners in more than 60 countries.
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