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RGB Spectrum's VLI 200 Video Scaler is a Key Component in Advanced LED Billboards
The future of billboard advertising is here with state-of-the-art display technology
August 28, 2002, Alameda, CA - The future of billboard advertising is here. New, state-of-the-art LED (light emitting diode) display technology is bringing a whole new dimension to roadside billboards with the advent of giant outdoor video screens. LED billboards combine bright, vibrant color with motion visuals to grab the attention of drivers. Lightvision Media Network, based in Vancouver, Canada, is pioneering this new outdoor advertising concept throughout Western Canada. In one location, at the intersection of highways 99 and 17 in Vancouver, over 100,000 vehicles are exposed to advertisers' messages a day.
Lightvision Media's large LED billboard, located along highway 99 in Vancouver, Canada, uses RGB Spectrum's VLI 200 scaler to grab drivers' attention with bright, engaging visuals.
Lightvision Media has developed these new billboards by integrating specially-designed outdoor enclosures with large LED screens manufactured by Lighthouse Technologies. According to Tom Sponarski, President of Lightvision Media, "while LED screens display brilliant color, there are inherent challenges in the application of the new LED technology for outdoor billboard use. Outdoor LED screens have unique aspect ratios, dimensions, and resolution requirements. Furthermore, each outdoor installation can be different depending on the display geography and requirements." After extensive research, Lightvision Media selected RGB Spectrum's VLI 200 scaler/interpolator as a core display component in the LED billboard systems.
Sponarski explained, "RGB Spectrum's VLI interpolator was the perfect solution for us. It gives us the ability to resize a video signal and adjust, scale, and position the image to fit the special dimensions, aspect ratio, and resolution of our LED screens. Our concept as an outdoor advertising company is to place our advertisers' messages in high traffic freeway locations for maximum exposure using a dynamic, eye-catching medium. This medium has to be as flexible as possible, enabling us to meet the needs of our clients by changing advertising spots on-the-fly. The VLI scaler gives us the versatility to adjust new source images to accommodate the LED billboard's characteristics and quickly switch the advertising message."
RGB Spectrum's VLI 200 interpolator receives a standard NTSC composite video composite signal. Using leading-edge decoding, adaptive comb filtering and de-interlacing, the VLI 200 scales this signal to the native VGA resolution of the LED screen. The VLI then resizes and manipulates the image to match the LED screens's unusual dimensions, and outputs this image to the LED display. Sponarski remarked, "the RGB Spectrum VLI was the best at scaling images and moving a display window to fit a screen, with superb image quality. Unlike many other scalers, there is no edge breakup in scenes with horizontal motion."
Lightvision's LED billboards display 5, 10, and 15 second TV spots in a continuous loop. When advertisers request it, Lightvision customizes the message to suit the audience and rapidly switches the message displayed on the LED billboard. For example, throughout the day, Lightvision's local television station advertiser displays that day's programming promotions. At the end-the-day rush hour traffic, the TV station ad displays the coming evening's prime-time television lineup. Lightvision operates these LED screens remotely from their control facility via the internet.
Sponarski concluded, "Our objective was to provide our advertisers with the most effective, responsive, flexible outdoor advertising medium. The RGB Spectrum VLI 200 scaler is a key component in our display system. Quite frankly, we could not be in this outdoor advertising business without the RGB Spectrum equipment."
The VLI 200 variable line interpolator/scaler optimizes a video signal for any projector or display device. The VLI 200 makes ordinary video look its best when shown on a large screen. Unlike line doublers and quadruplers, which can only output a signal locked to the input signal, the VLI 200 provides user-programmable output timing to optimize the signal for any projector or other display device. The VLI 200 offers the user complete control over the signal, including refresh rate (up to 80 Hz for flicker free images) and output resolutions up to quadruple the original. The VLI 200 also includes a TBC (time base corrector), 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratio control, pan and zoom, and flicker elimination.
Lightvision Media Network owns six large outdoor video screens and outdoor advertising systems. Lightvision Media Network is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada and can be reached at 604-656-2290 and on the internet at www.lightvisionmedia.com.
RGB Spectrum® is a leading designer and manufacturer of videographic and multimedia hardware subsystems. Products include the View™ family of video windowing systems, the RGB/Videolink® line of scan converters, the DGx™ digital recording system, and SuperWall™, ComputerWall® and MediaWall® multi-screen display controllers. RGB Spectrum is based in Alameda, California, and can be reached at 510-814-7000 and on the internet at http://www.rgb.com.
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