FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 2007

Minicom’s DS Vision 3000 Makes Digital Signage Industry Breakthroughs

Extended distance, embedded in a screen and installed in movie theaters, the DS Vision 3000 has proven itself time and time again.

DS Vision 3000 now reaches 2000ft (600m)
The CATx based distribution system, by Minicom Advanced Systems, which delivers HD video and stereo-audio content from a player to multiple screens, has doubled its scope from 1000ft (300m) to 2000ft (600m).

According to Eran Kessel, Vice President for Marketing at Minicom, “The increased range of the DS Vision 3000 makes it an even more powerful solution to any digital signage solution. To be able to send high quality images over this distance and price-performance is something that no-one else has been able to achieve.”

The DS Vision 3000 has full serial management capability which allows administrators to remotely query and turn on/off the displays, and for the first time, provides central management control of the player to the screen signal transfer.

In tandem with the line splitter long and receiver long, the DS Vision 3000 delivers rich multimedia content from the player to screens 600m (2000ft) away while maintaining perfect image and sound quality. With this extended range, DS Vision 3000 provides the freedom to set-up and install screens, safe in the knowledge that the media player is out of sight and protected from unauthorized hands.

DS Vision 3000 receiver integrated with NEC’s Multeos line of display screens
Each NEC screen will be fitted with one DS Vision 3000 remote receivers enabling them to receive HD video content from the DS Vision 3000 broadcaster. Instead of buying a separate external receiver and installing it themselves, users can now buy the NEC screens and plug the broadcast unit cable directly into the screens’ dedicated CAT5 receiver slot.

“Our cooperation with Minicom is a classic win-win situation,” says Thorsten Prsybyl, Product Line Manager of Public Displays for NEC Display Solutions. "Being able to fully integrate the DS Vision 3000’s receiver unit into all our new LCD public displays provides our customers with the best solution available on the market today."

“NEC Display Solutions is a world leader in the LCD public display market while Minicom is a world leader in the player-to-screen last mile,” says Ronni Guggenheim, President of Minicom Europe. “Together, we can offer a unique quality solution for the booming digital signage market.”

The joint Minicom and NEC venture began in February of 2006 with the announcement of the integration of the DS Vision 3000 receiver with NEC’s Multeos line of display screens. The partnership will now be enlarged to incorporate Minicom receivers in a total of seven different models of NEC screens.

Minicom Completes Landmark Digital Signage Installation
DS Vision 3000 has been installed at a number of Landmark Theatres across the United States. The solution, combined with the application power of the Reflect Systems product, will lower yearly operating expenses for the Landmark digital signage network by $100,000. “I could not be more pleased with the Minicom product and have begun the process of retrofitting our entire network with the Minicom solution,” Jason Hudak, Vice President of Technology for Landmark Theatres said. “I expect that cost savings number to climb as we expand our network,” he added.

Landmark Theatres is the largest art house movie theater chain in the United States. They currently have 58 theatres in 23 markets. A number of locations have a digital signage network with high-definition content delivered to the screens located throughout. Their previous distribution system resulted in inconsistent video output to the screens.

“When installed in Landmark’s upscale Harbor East development in Baltimore, the DS Vision 3000 had a 100% success rate right out of the box,” said Dave Haar, Vice President of Minicom’s Digital Signage Division. “The VGA solution requires half the physical cabling of the DVI/HDMI solution Landmark was using and allows it to utilize 35% fewer servers to power its displays. The Minicom solution requires significantly less electricity and cabling, resulting in dramatically lower infrastructure requirements and costs,” Haar added.

For more about Minicom's range of digital signage solutions go to www.minicom.com/av.htm and read digital signage case studies and free white papers.

About Minicom Advanced Systems
Minicom is a leader in the development of multimedia distribution systems for digital signage with over 150,000 screens worldwide displaying content via Minicom technology. Founded in 1988, the company has a global presence in over 100 countries, with regional headquarters in North America and Europe. In 2006 Minicom was named a Deloitte Technology Fast 50 company, a testament to the success of its technological innovations in generating company growth.

Helpful direct links:
DS Vision 3000 Product Page: http://www.minicom.com/av_ds3000.htm
Case Studies: http://www.minicom.com/case-studies.htm
Digital Signage White Paper: http://www.minicom.com/white-papers.htm

Minicom Advanced Systems
414 N. Wood Ave.
Linden, New Jersey 07036
Phone: 908-486-2100
E-Mail: sidra.muoio@minicom.com
Website URL: http://www.minicom.com/av.htm