A Disruptive Approach to Video Walls Making high-end video wall controllers simple, cost effective and flexible

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1 Userful Network Video Wall White Paper A Disruptive Approach to Video Walls Making high-end video wall controllers simple, cost effective and flexible Daniel Griffin Userful Corporation

2 Introduction As the video wall market continues to expand at record rates 1, customers are looking to do more than just to play video across synchronized screens. They re looking for easy to use solutions with the flexibility to address a wide range of business requirements that have the scalability to deliver content of ever increasing resolution. Deployments like these require a video wall controller. Unfortunately until now video wall controllers have been both costly and complicated. This white paper will examine a new, software and network based approach to video wall controllers that takes a standard PC or server and turns that computer into a flexible, scalable and powerful video wall controller that is also simple to operate and comes at a fraction the cost of traditional solutions. Traditional Video Wall Controllers A video wall controller is a dedicated computer that sits between the displays and the content and allows the customer to control how the content is displayed on the video wall. Video wall controllers give the the flexibility to connect multiple inputs, configure presets, control outputs and manage the overall video wall configuration. Traditional video wall controllers are proprietary hardware solutions with a fixed number of inputs and outputs purpose built for video walls. Unfortunately, this locks customers into a specific configuration and the solution isn t able to grow as the customer s needs change--for example, an 8 input controller would need to be replaced if the customer later decided to connect 12 inputs. Additionally displays are typically attached directly to the traditional video wall controller limiting the range and number of outputs that can be driven by that controller. The use of proprietary hardware also explains why traditional video wall controllers tend to be so expensive. The companies which build and test these purpose-built proprietary controllers simply don t have the volume to make the production of the proprietary hardware cost effective. Customers are left paying a premium. Network delivery dramatically simplifies video wall deployments Use of a Local Area Network (LAN) as a delivery mechanism is an obvious choice for a standardized and cost-effective approach to video walls. Delivering a video wall over a standard LAN reduces the amount of specialized knowledge, equipment installers and support teams need. Network equipment is standardized and easily available, and its use significantly reduces deployment costs. It also provides customers with unique flexibility benefits. However, until now, approaches to deploying video walls over the network have had performance and scalability limitations. The innovations behind Userful Network Video Wall change that. Userful s significant innovations allow companies to offer the same solution for a 2x2 video wall, or a 40 screen video wall, or even an artistic style video wall with rotated displays using just one Core i7 PC or server. Because of Userful s approach to network delivery, it can do this in a cost-effective way while supporting content at up to 6k resolution. 1 According to Markets and Markets, the total [video wall] market size is expected to reach $17, million by 2020, at a CAGR of 23.44% from 2014 to and according to research provider HST, in the first half of 2015 shipments of ultra-thin bezel displays are up 31% to 558,000 units.

3 Userful has created a unique innovation with its Network Video Wall that allows real-time splitting of the video stream. This enables a Userful video wall to utilize the network to deliver 4k and higher content across twenty five displays. Turn a Standard PC or Server into a Video Wall Controller A standard PC or Server is an powerful choice for a more cost-effective video wall controller. This leverages global availability to gives customers both choice, cost-effective supply and quick service on their hardware platform, and ensures ready availability of upgrade or replacement hardware should the need arise. Best of all, by leveraging the massive PC and server market, it offers a highly competitive price point. By connecting to displays over the network rather than by fixed video outputs on the computer, customers can maximize the value and flexibility of their solution. With traditional video wall controllers, the number and type of inputs (typically HDMI or SDI) are fixed into the hardware as are the number of HDMI outputs used connect to the video wall displays. Once purchased neither the inputs nor the outputs can easily be increased. This locked and limited approach reduces customer flexibility. In contrast, by using a PC or server connecting to displays over the network, input and output options can be virtually unlimited. Capture cards for HDMI, SDI and other content, combined with the wide variety of content that can be streamed over the network or stored on the computer s hard drive, give the PC-based video wall controller virtually unlimited source content options. Userful, which is a software solution that converts a standard PC or server into a video wall controller, is an ideal example of how an x86 based computer can be turned into a flexible video wall solution. Userful is a complete solution that includes a customized, special purpose Linux OS which means customers don t need to worry about Microsoft Windows licensing or desktop management and there is very little risk of malware or viruses. Administrators manage the solution through a browser based control center--there s no need to ever access or maintain a desktop. Once Userful software is installed, customers can add one or more capture cards (up to 4k content and 1, 4 or 8 input ports per card) enabling a broad variety of external inputs. In addition to captured sources, the solution supports a comprehensive array of network inputs (RTSP, RDP, VNC) as well as well as local content such as video playlist and content from one of several integrated Content Management Systems. The solution supports full screen browser sessions, locally run desktop applications and multi-window control applications, use of a Windows or Android virtual desktops, and much more. Userful s simple browser interface makes it easy for customers to configure and switch an almost unlimited number of content inputs. Userful s unique approach to video output offers similar flexibility and scalability. Once Userful software is installed, the PC connects over a standard ethernet network to small stateless zero client devices which are set at the back of each display. Zero clients have no moving parts, consume just 1.5-3W of power and have an expected ten-year life span and a significantly reduced risk of downtime. In contrast to traditional video wall controllers where the display plugs into a specialized video card on the PC, with Userful s approach, the number of displays is only limited by the network bandwidth and compute power of the server.

4 Userful Network Video Wall diagram: One PC/Server supporting two video walls, one in a 4x3 grid matrix, the other in an artistic layout with a mix of displays in different sizes and orientations. Advantages of Network Delivery Network delivery of video walls offers more than just cost savings and flexibility over traditional video wall controllers. It also offers significant feature and functionality benefits. Network delivery means the video wall server (or PC) can be placed anywhere in the building. Many traditional video wall solutions require the video wall controller to sit in close proximity to the actual screens (or require the use of expensive cable-extender solutions). This often makes deployment, service and support a headache particularly in high traffic areas, or hard to get to places. Userful s approach means the only thing that needs to be near the displays are the stateless fan-less network zero client devices. The way the zero clients communicate with the PC or server is simple. The central PC/Server renders the content and processes the individual cropped portions of the video and sends them over the Ethernet network to the corresponding network-connected zero-client device. The zero client device receives, de-compresses, and outputs the video directly via HDMI to the attached display with almost zero latency. The zero client device essentially behaves like a network connected video card. Another key benefit of network delivery is that a second PC or server can be setup to provide full back-up redundancy. Since a single Userful server can support multiple video walls and stand alone digital signs simultaneously customers can also take advantage of load balancing. In the unlikely event of a hardware failure, the second, preassigned PC will automatically take over support of the zero clients. 2 2 Automated failover works without human intervention, however, the content must be pre-loaded or pre-configured on both computers.

5 Network zero clients are available from a broad range of companies including ViewSonic, ThinGlobal, Centerm, Atrust, and others. Maximizing the Power and Performance of a Single PC or Server One of the key innovations that allows a single PC to function as a high-end video wall controller, is that Userful software fully-utilizes both the CPU and the GPU to render the video wall content. Userful s Linux-based operating system is highly optimized without the traditional overhead of Windows. It also allows for the addition of optional Offloading Cards. This allows customers to extend the power and performance of the video wall by adding additional Nvidia video cards which add extra compute capacity through Nvidia CUDA allowing one PC to operate as a video wall controller for up to 40 screens (up to 60 with a high-end PC). Userful s ability to provide sophisticated video wall controller functionality for such large video walls is one of the things that sets it apart among video wall solutions. While typical Userful deployments simply require a gigabit switch and gigabit network card, for larger deployments Userful recommends a 10Gig uplink and the PC or server should have a 10Gig network card. Userful supports the advanced upscaling algorithms, Cubic and Lancos. When the source content is not large enough to play at maximum resolution on all the displays in the video wall, instead of just stretching the content across displays, Userful upscales it, adding in more pixels and increasing density to enable each display to play at resolution or as close to resolution as possible. So for example with 4k source content on a 3x3 video wall, each display would be playing 720p source, except Userful is able to upscale that content so that each display is playing 1080p content, native resolution. A key benefit of the Userful approach to video walls is that it ensures it is easy for customers to upgrade in the future. As Intel and Nvidia continue to increase their performance and output, the Userful architecture will also support source content resolutions beyond 4k and 6k. Customers who deploy this architecture today can rest assured that in the future 8k and even 16k resolution content will work with a low-cost hardware upgrade (i.e., by replacing the PC or adding extra video cards and upgrade the local network switch). The rest of the infrastructure screens and all can remain exactly as it is.

6 Software and Industry Standard Hardware Combine for easy to use Solution By leveraging industry standard, readily available PC and network hardware, Userful has been able to focus on keeping the software in the solution simple and easy to use. Userful s included video wall layout designer enables pixel-perfect alignment of displays including bezel and color calibration ensuring perfect output with just a few minutes of calibration. Pre-set Zones Allow Multiple Simultaneous Content Streams Userful supports pre-set zones within the video wall allowing customers to display simultaneous content streams on specified displays within the video wall and change on the fly as needed. Zones can be a single display or a group of displays. The customer can set up as many zones as required and switch between them quickly and easily. Artistic and Non-standard Layout Options Video walls are powerful tools to command customer attention and organizations who want to make a unique statement or architectural impact with their video wall may want to angle or place screens in an artistic fashion. Userful s integrated layout tool allows any screen to be rotated at any angle, as well as ad-hoc placement of displays anywhere on the canvas. The unique browser-based Graphical User Interface (seen above) allows drag and drop visual configuration of just about any screen layout with bezel compensation and more.

7 Support for Desktops, Touchscreens, Stand Alone Signs, and More Video walls are often just part of a larger deployment and customer requirements sometimes include touch-screens, self-serve kiosks, digitalsignage, replicated displays, matrix switches or even traditional desktops. Userful s architecture allows the same PC / server that is powering the video wall to support not just the video walls, but also touch screens, desktops, self-serve kiosks, and individual digital signs simultaneously. All are managed from a single unified browser-based control center. Userful also supports use of Microsoft Windows desktops as a virtual machine (either on the video wall or individual displays) using its integrated hypervisor. Integrated Color Calibration Tools Video walls require color calibration as even identical displays from the same factory can age differently and require calibration over time. Color calibration becomes even more critical with art walls where a heterogenous mix of displays are used. While some commercial displays include their own color calibration process, Userful provides an easy to use integrated color calibration tool that works with all displays regardless of vendor (and even can cross calibrate between a mix of different display vendors). Screens can be arranged in a variety of creative artistic layouts to convey brand message and grab audience attention. Watch this video to see a great example of this feature in use. Screen shot of GUI that supports color calibration of individual displays.

8 Broad and Flexible Content Support Userful supports just about any content that a customer could want to put on a video wall. Broadly speaking there are three types of content: Managed Content (played), Real-time Content (streamed/captured) and Interactive Content (used). Managed content includes both content from a Content Management System (Userful supports multiple CMS s integrated into Userful software running on the PC or server) as well as a playlist of videos or still image content uploaded directly into the PC. Real-time Content includes content captured via HDMI or received via various real time streaming sources such as RTSP, VNC, RDP, etc. Userful supports a variety of 4k and 1080p HDMI capture cards and can even support multiple capture cards in the same PC. Capture cards allow for a real time video stream from a local video camera, they allow live TV and just about any other external content to be displayed on the video wall. Interactive Content includes a full screen browser or other application or a full fledged interactive Microsoft Windows, Android, Linux or cloud desktop which can easily be controlled with a wireless keyboard and mouse. Comparison to Other Video Wall Solutions Internal Tile Matrix Built into Displays Many video wall displays have a built-in daisy chain feature that allows the displays themselves to form a video wall. This means any future upgrades (for example moving from 4k source content to 6k source content) would require the entire solution to be upgraded, displays and all. In contrast with Userful, in this scenario, only the PC or even a component of the PC would need to be upgraded. Tile matrix solutions are also limited in their ability to scale to support large video walls. They work best for small and simple video walls and don t have more advanced features like angled rotations, preset zones or support for multiple content streams. Pre-split Content Played in Time Synched Players Some video walls require that their customers pre-split content, and then upload multiple files to individual players one per display which are then synchronized. The players constantly talk to each other or to a server during playback to maintain synchronization. Unfortunately, this approach is extremely limiting and time consuming in terms of content creation. Perfect synchronization remains a challenge for many of the pre-split video wall solutions. Furthermore, the pre-split approach rules out interactive content or real-time feeds such as social media posts, weather, live TV/video, thus limiting end-user engagement and interaction. Hardware Based Video Wall Controllers Hardware based video wall controllers tend to be very expensive as they re built on specialized, proprietary hardware. They lock customers into a specific configuration without the flexibility to easily change the number of inputs and outputs. Userful in contrast allows customers to make use of cost effective PC s and the solution has significantly more flexibility in the content inputs and outputs it supports.

9 This architectural diagram illustrates the broad set of use cases from video walls and signage replication to touch screen kiosks, desktops and support for real-time content or managed-content through a CMS. Conclusion As demand for video walls continues to grow, so do customer expectations for flexibility performance and ROI. Simply putting video on synchronized displays is no longer enough for many video wall use cases. AV professionals need solutions that can juggle multiple inputs, support a variety of video wall use cases, rotate displays to different angles for artistic layouts, and ensure scalability to support larger resolutions. Fortunately, AV professionals looking for advanced video wall features no longer need to pay high prices for solutions based on proprietary hardware. There are now solutions that meet virtually all video wall needs that do it at a cost effective price by leveraging standard PC and server hardware and the local network., 4k or even 6k content and can be deployed in both grid and artistic formations such as the Userful Network Video Wall. Contact Info info@ International: , ext 1 Toll-free (US/CAN): Userful Corporation # st St, SW Calgary, AB Canada T2R 1J2