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Keywest Technology intros 6-channel digital signage video wall player

Multihead player supports up to six 1080p channels, providing a total resolution of 11,520 x 6,480 pixels, giving it the ability to create video walls using thin-bezel LCD screens.

December 3, 2014

Lenexa, Kansas-based Keywest Technology has launched a multihead digital signage player using an Intel Core i7 CPU running on an Ubuntu open-source software platform, the company announced today.

The multihead player supports up to six 1080p channels, which provide a total resolution of 11,520 x 6,480 pixels, giving it the ability to create video walls using thin-bezel LCD screens. The player is controlled via the company's cloud-based digital signage service, Breeze Digital Signage.

Instead of the miniature-sized media players that are common today, the multihead player is housed in a rugged 1.5RU server chassis that is designed for 24/7 operation, the company said. It uses an integrated six-port HDMI display card with Mini DisplayPort outputs. The chassis also uses a 400W PSU with two internal cooling fans and a typical front to back flow-thru design for added heat management.

"Our six-head digital signage player gives system integrators, interior designers and architects an attractive choice for designing large displays with readily available thin-bezel LCD technology," Keywest Technology President Nick Nichols said in the announcement. "The six-head digital signage player is designed to work with all commercial-grade LCD products, allowing AV designers to implement video walls or menu arrays with only a few components. This is an ideal technology for creating larger-than-life images that are attractive, affordable and reliable."

According to Keywest, the Breeze Multi-Head 6 player is two products in one.

First, it is a digital signage media player. The player connects to a cloud server to download and cache content automatically or based on a schedule. Automatic content is typically sourced from built-in widgets that pull data from Internet or third-party sources. The widgets allow for multiple weather, news and RSS feeds, but third-party providers deliver syndicated and customized content feeds.

Another way of controlling content is by scheduling playlists through an online editor. The six-head player can be controlled from anywhere using the Internet, the company said. For example, an administrator or assigned user logs in to their secured account on the BreezeDigitalSignage.com website. From there, access is given to upload media, create playlists and schedule playlists based on date and time of day. Advanced digital signage management tools such as nested playlists, an advertising module and an admin approval queue are also provided.

The second function of the two-in-one multihead player is the multiscreen controller, which performs similarly to a video wall controller. The supplied setup software allows up to six screens to be configured, either in landscape or portrait orientation. (The displays have to all be the same model and resolution, with 1080P being the preferred default.)

The Breeze Multi-Head 6 is being delivered now, with notable installations already running including the fully restored and updated Orpheum Theater in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, according to the announcement.