screen media news 6.10.2010

3M's 18.5" monitor powered and driven entirely by USB 3.0
According to some skeptics of the technology, there are some drawbacks to trying to power an HD device from a USB port. This is an interesting concept, although the power needed to run even the energy efficent LED TV's is more than USB can currently handle. Some feedback from crunchgears post on this product yielded an interesting idea. Perhaps this techonology will cause manufacturers to produce higher energy-efficent devices in the future. Full article here.

Muzak launches a new, affordable digital signage product: Encompass DS.
Combings the services of BrightSign and Scala, Muzak has launched a digital signage product they say the industry has been waiting for. Encompass DS delivers quality and performance with full HD video and premium-quality images, all without the complexity of a PC-based solution. With no moving parts, the controller is also more reliable, more affordable and offers a lower operating cost. The hardware for the Encompass DS weighs just 20 ounces and measures a mere 6.6”(w) x 5.9”(h) x 1.2”(d), making it easy to ship and small enough to deploy virtually anywhere. Full article here.

VBrick Digital Signage solutions offering video streaming and digital signage in one fully integrated solution.
Historically, organizations have deployed separate streaming and digital signage solutions with no ability to integrate the two technologies. VBrick Systems has ushered in a new era of advanced enterprise workflow with the integration and extension of these critical collaborative technologies. Through the centralized management and distribution of the streaming and digital signage content, the cost of deploying digital signage is decreased by up to 75 percent. Full article here.

LG Electronics turnkey digital signage solution (LG SignNet) designed specifically for small and medium sized business'.
Under a 3 year agreement at $179.00 a month, consumer's will have access to hardware, software, news feeds from CNN, and a dozen starter templates. The deal includes a broad offer of content from CNN, and end users can select any or all the categories to display at that one rate. LG SignNet will be available by the end of summer, 2010. Read the full article here.