Auto-stereoscopic flat panel displays developed by Magnetic 3D deliver 2D and 3D content in VIP suites at the big game

NEW YORK CITY - Magnetic 3D the global leader in glasses-free, auto-stereoscopic 3D displays and 3D digital signage solutions, today announced the recent deployment of glasses-free auto-stereoscopic 3D LCD displays in the "Suites of the Future" campaign at Sun Life Stadium for the Super Bowl held on February 7, 2010. The "Suites of the Future" showcased entertainment innovations that redefine the stadium experience for fans while generating additional advertising revenue channels for the franchise owners.

"The 'Suites of the Future' campaign gave NFL team owners at the Super Bowl an exclusive first look at the next generation of out-of-home entertainment and innovative fan engagement techniques driven by our glasses-free 3D technology," said Tom Zerega, co-founder and CEO of Magnetic 3D. "Our goal is to deliver a unique, media-rich fan experience with glasses-free 3D entertainment and sponsored content that literally pops off the screen. As an entertainment experience fans can only enjoy at the stadium on game day, glasses-free 3D aligns perfectly with the franchise's goal of selling more tickets and merchandise while providing marketing departments with a new and exciting sponsorship opportunity in 3D."

The "Suites of the Future" enables sports and entertainment venues to target and deliver customized 2D and 3D video, promotional content as well as relevant game-day information to virtually any display within a venue. For the deployment within Sun Life Stadium at the Super Bowl, Magnetic 3D installed its state-of-the-art "Allura" 3D Digital Signage product line to provide a sports entertainment experience unlike any seen before.

"The 3D technology made a great impression on all who entered the suites," said Tery Howard, Sr. Vice President of Information Technology for the Miami Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium.  "Our VIP Super Bowl guests were amazed at the glasses-free 3D technology and the high definition clarity of the displays. We are truly transforming the way our fans experience the game."

The "Suites of the Future" Super Bowl display solution featured a 42" Allura screen, which is capable of displaying high definition glasses-free 3D video and images while also offering backwards compatibility with traditional 2D using the versatile Magnetic 3D FuzionCast network player. Through the FuzionCast player, those in the suites were even able to watch 2D content on the same screens, providing a seamless experience for the audience. The upgrade to glasses-free 3D content and deployment of 3D content to the "Suites of the Future" screens was greatly simplified using Magnetic 3D's proprietary E3D auto-stereo file format, which uses the latest in image compression technology.

Glasses-free 3D content broadcast to the suites included the football league, divisional and team logos, as well as match-up sequences, Super Bowl history messages and a fly-through animation of Sun Life Stadium, in addition to triggered sequences for the kickoff and halftime. Thanks to Magnetic 3D's multi-stereo Enabl3D™ technology, no 3D glasses were required to view the 3D content, as Magnetic 3D's lens technology creates multiple distinct images and true Volumetric Perception™ which is the appearance of apparent "pop" and "depth" of content displayed during playback.  Essentially, the display wears the 3D glasses instead of the viewer.  

"The combination of our simultaneous 2D and 3D capable Allura displays and FuzionCAST player enabled the 'Suites of the Future' to truly demonstrate the next level in major stadium and event experiences at this year's Super Bowl," said Eric Angello, VP of Marketing & Creative for Magnetic 3D. "Not only was the content an exciting complement to the game's thrilling live action, but our content distribution channel also seamlessly deployed each stage right on cue. Throughout the event, this maintained a steadily engaging, and unforgettable, unique in-stadium experience for the fans, right up until we broadcast the winning logo to cement another place in football history at the end of the game."

About Magnetic 3D

Headquartered in New York City, Magnetic 3D (www.magnetic3d.com) designs and produces industry leading end-to-end auto-stereoscopic 3D display solutions, 3D digital media and 3D services. Magnetic 3D's Enabl3D hardware and software solution modifies flat panel displays enabling them to show HD 3D video content without the need for any special eyewear. The company focuses on delivering the highest quality visual experience for retail digital signage, hospitality, movie-theaters, casino gaming, hotels and other public places, exceeding clients' 2D visual expectations.

X2O's Xpresenter™ Digital Signage Platform Delivers 34 Channels of Real-Time Content For Complex's Indoor and Outdoor HD Displays

MONTREAL —  X2O Media today announced that its Xpresenter™ digital signage software is delivering content to an extensive network of digital displays, including a front gate news ticker and baseball stadium jumbotron, at the newly rebranded ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort. The suburban Orlando, Fla. sports complex was re-launched on Feb. 25 bearing the cable-sports juggernaut's look and feel throughout the 220-acre facility.

ESPN, one of the best-known sports brands on the planet, will now be prominently featured at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex to impart the sense that athletes competing there have reached the apex of their careers — an appearance on ESPN. To foster the feeling, Disney and ESPN have installed 42 HD video cameras at different venues throughout the complex, another 10 handheld cameras, and 40 HD video screens — including jumbotrons above the welcome center and inside Champion Stadium.

X2O's Xpresenter 3.0 distributes 34 channels of highlights and real-time content to the complex's HD screens, which include multiple real-time data sources, such as weather, news, and live tournament results. All content is displayed as high-resolution 3-D graphics and animations in a style closely based on ESPN's on-air brand. Users work within the X2O Portal to manage assets, schedule content, monitor each channel's output, and control various playout functions. Content is managed by multiple users, each assigned appropriate roles and permissions. Because of Xpresenter's flexibility, content can be scheduled a year in advance for playout at any time on any networked screen.

The Xpresenter platform is also driving content on the baseball stadium scoreboard during games as well as a giant circular ticker display at the park entrance with real-time news and announcements. The system will display the familiar ESPN BottomLine — sports news, game scores, and other live information from the sports world.

"In the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Disney has created a topnotch venue to encourage the amateur athletes who have the good fortune to compete there," said David Wilkins, X2O Media President and CEO. "The eye-catching, high-resolution graphics delivered by Xpresenter will contribute to the five-star atmosphere, while the signage system's flexibility and intuitive operation make it easy for staff to manage and maintain."

X2O's Xpresenter is an end-to-end platform designed to make creating, managing, and distributing broadcast-quality digital signage content on networks of all sizes available to all. With the latest release of the platform, version 3.0, X2O has bolstered the Xpresenter Template Maker, the only patented application running inside Microsoft® PowerPoint®, with integrated content management and an extensive "smart" object library for the quick and simple creation of content featuring videos, images, PowerPoint slides, RSS feeds, live information sources, and much more. Version 3.0 also includes support for 3-D objects and animations, enabling the creation of innovative elements such as rotating video surfaces, 3-D tickers, and dynamic graphical elements animated in 3-D space.

More information about Xpresenter and other digital signage solutions from X2O Media is available at www.x2omedia.com. 

About X2O Media

X2O Media is a full-service provider of software, network management services, and content services for professional digital signage and corporate communications applications. The company offers a wide variety of software solutions for digital signage and interactive networks of all sizes. X2O's award-winning Xpresenter™ provides an end-to-end platform for the creation, management, and distribution of content at broadcast quality, and at a fraction of the time of other solutions. In addition to technology, X2O offers content design, acquisition, management, distribution, and monitoring services for digital signage networks. More information about X2O Media is available at www.x2omedia.com.
All trademarks and registered trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

MAASTRICHT, The Netherlands – Scala has named Infinitus d.o.o. a Scala Certified Technology Partner. Infinitus, a global pioneer in large-sized LCD-based outdoor digital signage displays, is the first provider to offer Scala-enabled, all-weather, outside Full HD LCD screens. The displays are sold under the brand iMotion®. 

 iMotion Full HD LCD screen sizes range from 46 to 65 inches and are best suited for mid- to close-range applications. The displays feature a secure, landscape- or portrait-oriented enclosure that blocks outside air from entering the digital signage system, protecting the hardware from contaminants. iMotion’s air conditioned enclosure technology allows it to operate within more extreme temperature ranges than other outdoor products on the market, and the system’s internal temperature remains optimal, even when temperatures fluctuate in the external environment. iMotion also offers improved readability, even in direct sunlight.

“Scala is a leader in the digital signage market, and we are excited to offer Scala software users a new option for deploying more advanced and practical digital displays outdoors,” said Dikran Tawitian, Marketing Manager of Infinitus. “The outdoor digital signage market is still emerging, and Scala’s recognition of iMotion gives end users the confidence that it is a high-quality, versatile solution for communicating with customers.”

iMotion screens are compatible with touchscreen, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technologies, in addition to IP cameras and other ancillary accessories. The systems are available in single-sided and double-sided options.

“Infinitus’ iMotion product overcomes many of the challenges traditionally associated with hosting an outdoor digital signage network,” said Oscar Elizaga, Scala Vice President, EMEA. “We look forward to seeing future installations worldwide taking advantage of the durability and flexibility of the iMotion system as a key support of outdoor digital information and advertising networks.”

For more information on the iMotion product line, visit http://www.infinitus-outdoor.com.

About Scala

Driving more than 300,000 screens worldwide, Scala 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 (Metro Group) 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. More information is available at www.scala.com.

Eden Prairie, Minnesota - Wendy’s FourCrown Inc. received an FSTEC Technology Innovation Award for its complete Digital Restaurant. Their Digital Restaurant is comprised of WAND indoor and outdoor Digital Menu Boards and WAND NextGen POS software. The award was presented to FourCrown 23 February in Long Beach, California, during a ceremony at FSTEC, the annual Foodservice Technology Conference & Showcase produced and managed by Nation’s Restaurant News with Robert N. Grimes of Accuvia.

“FourCrown, by deploying digital menu and marketing technology in the drive-thru as well as inside at some of its restaurants, has created a dynamic means of communicating product and branding messages to all patrons by season, month, week, day or even daypart,” said Alan J. Liddle. Liddle is Nation’s Restaurant News’ technology editor and a member of the FSTEC awards committee. “A restaurant-wide system of digital menu and marketing boards is innovative in that it gives FourCrown the ability to use multimedia messaging, with its attention grabbing powers, and program the delivery of such content for maximum strategic or tactical impact, while also simplifying the updating of product description and pricing information for a faster response to market conditions,” also said Liddle.

In the Wendy’s FourCrown Digital Restaurant, the attractive high-definition displays are ten times more likely to catch the attention of customers. The customer-facing displays on the indoor POS terminals and the outdoor Order Confirmation Display (OCD) screens utilize Conversational Ordering and confirm the customer’s order back and suggest combo and up-selling options.

The outdoor digital Point Of Purchase (POP) Board and all digital three panel outdoor Digital Menu Board feature high definition sunlight-readable, climate-controlled screens. These screens feature content that can be fluidly updated, rotated, and arranged to compliment product offerings and new promotions to drive sales. Both units have been built to withstand extreme temperatures. The Wendy’s community has been an innovative QSR partner with WAND for 20 years now.

About Wendy’s FourCrown

Wendy’s FourCrown operates 59 Wendy’s restaurants and is currently the only Wendy’s franchisee in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metropolitan Area and in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Founded in 1985 by Mike Givens and Dan Opitz, Wendy’s FourCrown’s overall objective, “is to have the finest collection of stores, by all criteria, in the entire Wendy’s system”. As a family-owned business, Wendy’s FourCrown has been built on family values and has always sought to “do the right thing” for its employees, customers, and partners, including through charitable donations of time, labor, and financial contributions. For more information please go to www.wendysfourcrown.com

About WAND Corporation

WAND Corporation is the world leader in POS software for Quick Service Restaurants, and a leading innovator in Digital Menu Boards. Much more than digital signage, Digital Menu Board technology shows the customer what they want, when they want it. Thousands of QSR locations benefit by working with WAND Corporation, including Arby’s, A&W, Burger King, Checkers/Rally’s, Church’s Chicken, and Wendy’s. With over 150 employees and more than 23 years of experience in a rapidly changing industry, WAND Corporation is a nimble, thriving QSR innovator, having never lost the spirit that was the inspiration for its birth in 1987. More information is available at www.wandcorp.com.

Las Vegas, NV - Rival Industries, Inc., an Atlanta based pioneer in real-time 3D applications, is pleased to announce its touch screen interactive software "Virtual Home" has received top prize in the Samsung Inaugural "Race to Innovation" contest. Another of Rival's entries, "Mobile Games Market", a digital assets vending system, was also selected as a competition finalist. Both applications were recently showcased by Samsung at the 2010 Digital Signage Expo (Las Vegas Convention Center).

The Samsung "Race to Innovation" contest was created to address challenges and foster development in the growing interactive digital signage industry. Samsung solicited entries from dozens of agencies and technology firms across the US. Each were challenged to develop a digitally based marketing and branding platform to enhance the consumer in-store experience utilizing Samsung's touch enabled large format displays. Winning entries were selected by a panel of judges representing a national mobile retailer, Retail Media Consulting and industry trade publications. Background information regarding the competition can be found at www.racetoinnovation.com.

The award winning application, "Virtual Home" presents an immersive, game-like environment where customers can explore a 3D home in real time. Through the experience, users discover how the national mobile retailer's products and services can enrich their lifestyle at home and make informed purchase decisions along the way. Using an intuitive navigation system, the user is free to interact with anything in the "Virtual Home",  yet is always directed toward relevant information within the product showcase.

"We were extremely pleased with the quality of entries submitted for Race To Innovation," said Russell Young, Senior Manager Strategic Alliances for Samsung Electronics America's Information Technology.  "Rival's winning entry truly embodied the spirit behind what we were hoping to accomplish with this open innovation exercise."

Rival Industries is a digital content provider that creates quality user experience and design visualization applications, utilizing a diverse background in animation, 3D modeling, graphic design, programming, interface design, and broadcast engineering. Previous clients include AT&T, Nagravision, The Georgia Aquarium, Georgia Institute of Technology, Rosser International,Smith-Carter Atlanta, IBM, Cisco, Medi-Tech and American Cancer Society. For additional company information, please visit www.rivalindustries.net or call 404.688.3076.

About Samsung Electronics America Information Technology Division

Samsung's Information Technology Division (ITD) is one of the fastest growing IT companies in the U.S., and is committed to serving the IT needs of consumers ranging from the home user to the Fortune 500 elite, and supports the valued channel partners who serve our customers. Offering innovative solutions and award-winning designs, Samsung ITD presents a complete line of award-winning color and mono-laser printing solutions, desktop monitors, notebook computers, digital signage solutions and projectors. Based in Ridgefield Park, N.J., ITD is a division of Samsung Electronics America (SEA), a U.S. subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Company, Ltd. (SEC). For more information, please visit www.samsung.com or call 1-800-SAMSUNG.

About Samsung Electronics America, Inc. - Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., markets a broad range of award-winning, digital consumer electronics and home appliance products, including HDTVs, home theater systems, MP3 players, digital imaging products, refrigerators and washing machines. A recognized innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology, Samsung is the HDTV market leader in the U.S. Please visit www.samsung.com for more information.