Philips is very bullish about an electronic paper from E INK. They recently released the business monitor with an LCD screen and a secondary 13.3 E INK screen; they also have a dedicated 13.3-inch monitor. With their new Philips Tableaux system, Philips is now getting into digital signage, using advanced colour e-paper designed for menu boards to paper-free POS posters. Philips Tableaux opens a new era of display technology, delivering power-free digital signage to businesses everywhere, using zero power to show static images in stunning 60,000 colours indefinitely, and needing only super low power to swap to a new image.
Philips Tableaux features a 25-inch E INK Advanced Color e-paper display with over 60,000 colours, including blue, for an eye-catching picture and clear, confident messaging. It has an aspect ratio of 16:9, so images will look good. With 16GB of internal memory built in, you only need to plug into a power source to upload new static content – via USB, LAN or WiFi connection – for instant play. Tableaux is the first digital signage to use E INK; they have a smattering of offerings using traditional D-Line LCD.
Content updates can be managed manually or remotely by PPDS or third-party display management platforms. You can send content via USB, and it will cycle through a series of pictures or show one picture. Philips is marketing this platform to retail, art galleries and food and beverage stores. Many retail stores now have E INK price tags, but the Philips offering is unique because it is eye-catching and can be clearly seen from a distance.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.