Roku: “Not everyone needs networking”
Roku has priced its entire new line of digital-signage and kiosk controllers at under $700, believing that end users are now assessing costs very closely.
“Our customers will only pay for what they need in terms of features,” European sales VP Pierre Gillet told SCREENS.tv.
The five new units, priced from $285 to $650, all target different types of screen-media application.
The HD110 is a low-end, standalone player. The HD410 and HD810 add interaction, with the 410 model providing basic button functions while the more flexible 810 allows touchscreens and USB devices.
However, none of these is networkable, with Gillet saying that users such as museums frequently need interactivity but are happy to add content manually via a flash disk.
Network capability is provided by the HD210 and HD1010 models. For users of those models, Roku provides two network-management applications, free of charge for customers handling their own hosting or available on a subscription basis as a hosted service.
The players all support 1080p HD and are solid-state units, rather than PC-based – a design policy which Gillet says not only increases reliability by removing the need for moving parts, but also cuts costs as a Windows licence is not required.
Roku customers include Bose, for which it has installed some 17,000 units in retail outlets worldwide (pictured), as well as Avitour travel agents in Belgium and the Monterey Bay Aquarium in the U.S.
Separately, Symon has also updated its range of digital-signage appliances. Among a number of new models, the line now includes a small-footprint unit measuring just 6.5 inches square and standing less than two inches tall.
www.brightsign.biz
www.symon.com
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