August 2017 – RPT Motion Inc. Digital Sign Mounts

RPT Artistic Video Wall Mounts

Artistic Video Wall layout example:

Video walls are evolving to be much more than a giant rectangular wall mounted screen. Artistic or Mosaic video walls draw more attention and are simpler than ever to implement and control. A great article on artistic video layout by Userful: https://www.userful.com/blog/integrate-digital-displays-into-your-space-balance-aesthetics-and-functionality

A key player in enabling artistic video walls is Userful. Userful’s Software Video Wall Server can drive up to 100 monitors from one PC hardware based appliance, and easily allows unlimited design freedom. Layouts with mixed monitor sizes and orientations (portrait and landscape) as well as complete freedom of rotation are simple to set up. Monitors positioning can be edge to edge, or purposely designed with layout gaps or overlays of any size in any direction. Static images, video and any digital input or content can be output to any layout of up to 100 monitors in one or many video walls.

Artistic video walls are often built with smaller (24″-40″) monitors, and monitor manufacturers have responded with ranges of smaller high quality narrow bezel monitors, often with close color matching and many other digital signage features. Two great small 1080P monitors for video walls are the NEC EX241UN and the Viewsonic VP2468.

The Viewsonic VP2468 is even available in a two-monitor pack without desk stand or extra parts, so it’s clearly been tagged for the multi-monitor market of video walls. The ultra thin bezels and high quality color matching monitor to monitor are other great features.

I’ll make no secret that my favorite small video wall monitor is the NEC EX241UN . It’s marketed as a high quality desktop 24″ monitor but it’s available in a wall mount pack that skips the desktop base. NEC delivered serious digital signage control option, including a super simple daisy chain for monitor adjustments, Serial and Ethernet control options and the ability to daisy chain up to 25 monitors rectangular grid layout. Of course daisy chained arrays lose resolution as they can only expand the input resolution of the display port. Connected to Userful, every pixel is addressable and full resolution 8k video can be presented.

See RPT’s CDS 8K Cart for more on large high resolution 8K video.

Monitors are easy, and Userful makes configuration and presentation of high resolution content easy, so that leaves properly mounting and wiring an artistic video wall as the major remaining challenge.

Monitor mounts, in their most common form, are generally designed to hold monitors straight and level. While some manufacturers have introduced add-ons allowing rotation, most of the solutions for artistic rotations of smaller monitors are in one way or another quite compromised.

RPT Motion has 36+ years of experience delivering precision mechanical motion sub-systems to industrial applications including flight simulation and other manufacturing. We have our own CNC machine shop using state of the art CAD/CAM and manufacturing. We build modular video wall structures, mostly free-standing and portable. We specialize in modular, quick assembly systems. It was natural that we decided to build a system of precision monitor mounts perfect for both rectangular and artistic video walls.

The key features we included are:

Compact enough to hide behind rotated 24″ monitors
Adjustable in horizontal and vertical axes
360 degree monitor rotation with rotation lock at final adjustment
Lift off and replace the monitor without losing any adjustments
Thin to minimize projection from wall
Solid, precise and reliable for 24″-40″ monitors with VESA 75 x 75, 100 x 100, 100 x 200, up to 200 x 200 as well as custom.

We’ll admit that it probably doesn’t look like any other mount on the market. It can’t look like any other mount because there’s no other mount that does all those things, period.

RPT started with a clean sheet of digital and distilled it down to include every required function and feature.

RPT QVT-WD100 Artistic Video Wall Mount

How the monitor adapter drops on:

Precision CNC machined from Aviation quality aluminum.
Four 1/4″ mounting holes to wall with large surface to spread load.
Thin 2.500″ depth wall surface to Monitor VESA pattern surface
2.5″ Horizontal adjustment via a simple slide and lock based on t-slotted extrusion.
2.5″ Vertical adjustment via a screw driven micro-adjustment
360 degree Rotation axis and rotation lock is nested into the drop-on slide and VESA interface
VESA 75×75, 100×100, and 200×200 versions available, all at same depth
The t-slotted horizontal slide is field re-configured in a few minutes using simple hand tools for left or right extension to allow best mount hide at any desired angle of rotation.

This unique combination of features allow you to design, quickly mount and perfectly align any simple or complex array of small and medium sized monitors that you can conceive.

Send RPT Motion Inc. your array ideas, either CAD layout or even a pencil sketch including monitor models, spacing or screen center locations and rotation angles and we will quote you with a mount rendering of the best RPT QVT-WD series mounts and locations.

When you purchase the RPT’s QVT-WD mounts, we’ll pre-configure them into the proper combination of left and right and send you a dimensioned CAD layout of monitor center points to use with our drilling template for super quick installation. Then mount the adapters and quickly adjust your video wall.

If you’re considering insatlling an artistic video wall, I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to go deeper into some of the reasons we’re so enamored with Userful, which we consider to be the best video wall controller on the market. It happens to be a software video wall controller, so it evolves and advances continuously.

Once your RPT QVT-WD mounts are on the wall and the array is adjusted and aligned, pull off all the monitors. No fear you won’t lose any adjustment.

Userful uses a small Zero-Net Client for each monitor and they can be powered from a USB port, wall transformer or POE. You can mount the Zero Clients to the back of the monitors and connect to the monitor USB port and a short HDMI cable for 1080p video. Then as you drop each monitor back in place you need only connect an AC power cord and an Ethernet cable.

Userful’s Software Video Wall Server can be easily configured via Userful’s UCC app, via a browser connection the UCC allows you to define one or many simple, complex, or complex artistic video walls quickly. Userful features include alignment patterns to perfect adjust the image and compensate for bezels and distances between monitors. Userful allows you to easily define as many input sources as you need to display, and simply drag and drop the configured video wall icon onto the source you wish to view.

Finally, here’s a rear view of that first layout mounted with RPT’s QVT-WD Double mounts, 18 monitors mounted on nine mounts with full adjustment for each monitor and lift off and drop on monitors:

Please contact RPT for more information on RPT’s Artistic Video Wall Mounts or Userful

RPT Modular Video Walls

RPT Motion Inc. specializes in Modular Video Walls Structures

What exactly does “Modular” mean in the world of RPT video walls?

Basically it means that we engineer and manufacture our structural and video wall mounting systems in modules, building blocks that form a cohesive system of re-useable engineering to reduce costs, increase accuracy, speed delivery, increase confidence while allowing for very quick proposals and budgetary quotes followed by quick delivery.

Where to use RPT Modular Structures:

We generally like to start discussions by saying that if you have a structurally solid wall to mount your monitors on, then that’s a really simple problem and we’re probably not your best choice. There are many great options to mount and align your monitors. In fact we use them in many of our Modular Video Walls wherever they work well because they’re made in huge volumes and we can’t compete on the actual mounting and adjusting part of the video wall.

So at our core, RPT are the creative structural guys for video walls and large arrays. The big mount suppliers may offer custom fabricated structures, but it’s usually not their specialty or sweet spot, especially in low quantity arrays of one off or a few off.

We want you to contact us for the Digital Signage and Monitor Mounting applications that challenge you the most, the ones where you have few or no good ideas for except reaching for custom design and fabrication. Because our Modules are

Several descriptive words in explaining your array should trigger a discussion with us:

Freestanding: If your array must stand alone, bolted to the floor, or floor to ceiling posts, then we’re got many options and solutions, especially for large arrays.

Double or Multi Sided: If your array will have monitors on two or more sides, we got solutions, usually these are freestanding fixed arrays, but we can provide double sided portable arrays as well.

Portable: If your array needs to be deployed quickly and/or re-deployed many times, we’ve got great solutions.

Designed to travel Userful Modular Tradeshow Artistic Array Example:

Here’s a picture of the entire kit of RPT Modules for the RPT Modular Video Wall six monitor artistic display at Userful Booth #611 InfoComm 2017:

Here’s the frame assembled (15 minute assembly time) in our demo shop prior to shipping:

Here’s the original rendering of what we proposed:

The Userful InfoComm Booth as the array was being adjusted, an easy task with Userful:

There are 4 x 55″ ThinGlobal screens 2 x 2 with rows offset, a 39″ Vizio bottom right overlay on a rotatable VESA 100×100 Mount, and a 24″ Monitor Top left overlay on a rotatable VESA 75×75 mount. On site assembly of RPT Modular frame was less than 20 minutes, mounting and physical aligning of monitors took another 30 minutes, Userful Zero Client wiring and connection to server 30 minutes, Userful Array adjustment 20 minutes.

And playing 4K demo Content on six screens of three different manufacturers, sizes and rotations:

Modular is good for fixed installations too:

Modular construction is equally applicable to arrays that will be assembled once and left in one place for their life.

We’re seeing more requests for large freestanding interior arrays of monitors. Some of these are destined for interior outward facing video walls on widow walls. Having the wall inside the mall reduces cost by reducing monitor environmental challenges and also often simplifies permitting challenges.

Large arrays need perfect adjustment and a pull-out mounting system. RPT’s MWV-ConnexSys L6+ system integrates the excellent Chief ConnexSys Mount into the flexibility of RPT’s precision modular structural system.

Here’s an LG 47″ Digital Signage Monitor on an RPT MVW ConnexSys L6+ mount (closed) in our test area.

Here’s the same mount pulled out for wiring or service.

RPT’s Modular Structure allows rapid on-site assembly of large arrays, from a easy to move and assemble precision modules. This reduces handling issues in existing structures while increasing the finished quality of the array assembly.

Q: What do you put on the back of a large freestanding array?

A: Why not make it a back to back large array?

The RPT MVW ConnexSys L6+ can also be used back to back. They can move from concept to quote to install very quickly when compared to custom designed and fabricated options, because we’re assembling a custom structure with existing RPT modules and structure.

These arrays can be very large. Because we build on precision T-Slotted aluminum extrusions we can increase the size of components like the legs, and use all of our existing monitor mounting options. That allows us to build high stacks of monitor mounts that install one mount at a time without heavy lifting. The central leg modules connect two stacks, so we can build arrays as many monitors wide as you can imagine, afford or push content to.

I hope this explanation of what RPT’s Modular Video wall structures give you some ideas of our capabilities.

Bring us your ideas for big, small, complicated, portable, fixed, freestanding, or other ideas that need a structure for fast concept renderings, quotes, delivery, and deployment.

RPT CDS 8K Cart

Resolution moves upward constantly, and 8K video content is quickly becoming a reality. When you need to render, or edit full 8K Video or other ultra high resolution digital signage presentations, how can you present or demo your content to a group in full 8K 7680 x 4320 or even higher resolution? Userful’s Software Video Wall Server can output full resolution 30 fps 8K video and even larger resolutions for highest quality static images.

There are very few good 8K display options: Dell has an incredible but small 31.5″ 8K Monitor that you could huddle a small group around. Several manufacturers offer large very expensive and hard to move single screen 8K TVs, or you could set up a significant and power hungry direct view LED wall and move way back to lose the pixelation effects of direct view LED.

Real world deployments of 8K video in the digital signage market will likely be either 2×2 arrays of 4K Monitors or 4×4 arrays of 1080P monitors. Using 4K monitors will limit the maximum size of the deployed video wall, while the 4×4 array of 55 inch thin bezel monitors will present as a larger 220″ diagonal 8K video wall, or if you want larger choose 65″ monitors. Another benefit of the 4×4 array is that it can be divided into more discrete zones in some end uses.

Obviously, these large scale video wall deployments are technically complex and expensive. They must deploy quickly and function perfectly. How do you test hardware and software to demo a concept and content for such a huge video wall? Content over the life of a large video wall is the key to success and return on investment: Does your ongoing content development process hardware and software functionally exactly match the real world deployment?

RPT’s CDS 8K Cart, an integrated wheeled cart 98″ diagonal portable 4×4 array of the digital signage quality 24″ NEC EX241UN Ultra Thin Bezel Monitors. The CDS 8K Cart is best powered by an ultra high performance Userful Software Video Wall Server as a great answer that can grow with your future needs.

RPT’s CDS 8K Cart is fully integrated and designed to be self-contained. It’s sized to roll through a standard 32″ commercial door from your development area to your boardroom, and plug into a standard outlet. Connected to your network, content playback can be managed from a tablet or laptop via Userful’s UCC.

At present, 8K input cards are not yet available, so 8K content to be played is transferred via Ethernet to the Server for playback. We’re confident that Userful will be among the first to support 8K input cards once they become available, and RPT’s Modular CDS system allows us to expand your CDS 8K Cart array to those higher resolutions in the future.

RPT’s CDS 8K Cart is outside the 2017 normal box, but it’s not just for 8K video projects:

Portable Control Room display: The RPT CDS 8K Cart’s Userful Server can be equipped with a 4K input card, or up to 16 HDMI or SDI inputs, any or all of which can be mapped to individual or grouped monitors within the RPT CDS array. Of course, Userful’s full range of source capabilities and video wall mapping is available. Userful can support 100 monitors from one server, so a hypothetical mobile control room could even network daisy chain six RPT CDS 8K Carts (server on first cart) for a portable 96 monitor security or control system for events. For more on Userful’s Control Room capabilities see: Userful YouTube Control Room Video

The RPT CDS 8K Cart is an ideal digital signage content development platform: RPT’s CDS system is modular. The monitor array can be easily reconfigured into other layouts at any time. These include landscape, portrait, mixed and artistic arrays. One example: Userful’s Rise Vision CMS player allow you to configure any part of the 4×4 array into a Rise Vision Display. Userful can set up different Rise displays for Userful video wall groupings or single monitors and then display different presentations and schedules on each.

Multiple Array Content Development: If you need to demo, develop, present and co-ordinate high quality content for multiple arrays of different sizes and layouts, perhaps arrays in a single storefront or in different locations within a store. RPT can build smaller or larger CDS carts of any array configuration. Each additional CDS cart’s network switch would connect to the CDS 8K cart network switch with a single Ethernet cable. Once tested and deployed into the retail application, the single Userful server installation topology would be identical and the content resolution and user control functionally identical, only the size of the monitors changes. The RPT CDS 8K Cart’s Userful Software Video Wall server can control up to 100 screens in almost any combination of array layouts and input or CMS sources.

The future will have higher resolutions, bigger arrays, and more arrays per installation. RPT’s CDS 8K Cart is just one example of a unlimited number of RPT Content Development System configurations that we can build to help your video wall and content development sales grow into that future.

In a fast moving industry, we at RPT Motion Inc. look forward to helping you with your toughest challenges.

Contact RPT for more information:

RPT Content Development System

RPT Motion Inc. CDS: Content Development System for Video Walls

Content Providers are a key market driver in the expanding video wall business.

Content attracts and engages target customers to ensure best possible return on the significant investment of video walls.

Concept stage:
In the concept stage of any project, your customer seeing real content on a real video wall is an important part of the decision process.

Video Wall Content providers need better tools to develop and demo concepts and layouts, as well as ways to test hardware, software and content in preparation for “going live” with zero surprises.

Lifetime Stage:
Once a video wall is deployed, especially a large or complex array layout, a constant stream of new content must be developed, adapted, produced, and debugged for the layout of each installed video wall.
Video Wall Content providers need better tools to more efficiently develop the highest quality reliable content.

RPT Modular Video Wall Content Development System (CDS):

RPT’s Content Development System (CDS) has been designed as a highly effective platform to conceptualize, develop, present, and test multi-monitor video walls.

RPT’s CDS is an ideal platform for Content Providers to prepare and test content that exactly matches the customer’s video wall.

What exactly is RPT’s Content Development System?

RPT’s CDS system is best described as a high quality 100% functionally identical Modular Video Wall Array on a much smaller scale (physical and cost) when compared to a full sized installed video wall.
RPT’s CDS allows complete concept development, hardware and software integration and testing of complex video wall arrays in rectangular, mixed or artistic layouts.
Because of RPT’s CDS modular building block structure, the CDS system can be changed at any time to demo an almost unlimited range of array layouts and sizes.
Think of the RPT CDS as a perfect smaller scale model of video walls you sell and supply content for, exactly identical pixel counts, identical hardware functionality and identical layouts but on a smaller scale.
RPT’s CDS allows easy presentation and demo of exactly what a proposed video wall will look like with your content.
RPT’s CDS, like our full sized modular portable video walls, is built on a precision modular structural system that can be quickly reconfigured or expanded at any time to match virtually any layout of video wall that you need to sell or provide content for.
Once a concept, layout and content is tested on the RPT CDS, real world deployment is easy because the hardware and software remains identical, only the size of the monitors changes.
After full size deployment, the layout matching RPT CDS system is the perfect place to develop the stream of content that will be displayed in the real world. You can own one CDS system and in a few hours reconfigure it to layout match any of the video walls you actively develop content for.

RPT CDS Monitor Block is the building block

The magic of the CDS system is a precision machined and assembled structural monitor block based on the superb NEC EX241UN 24″ monitor. Here’s a picture of 3 CDS Monitor Blocks ready to build into an array.

The CDS Monitor blocks quickly connect into rectangular arrays using a system of precision connectors that key into the CDS monitor blocks. Bezel alignment is controlled by precision assembly, and CDS Monitor blocks can be connected corner to corner or side to side, portrait to landscape with any stagger you might want.

Here’s a typical test stand structure in our perpetually messy demo shop:

This artistic display would take about 30 minutes of assembly time to build onto a CDS Cart and connect to a controller.

You can choose to use any video wall controller you want, but we have never found a better option than Userful’s Software Video Wall Server. RPT’s CDS Monitor blocks are designed with an option for an integrated mount and ThinGlobal MiniPoint Ethernet Zero Client for Userful. That makes only two connections: a power cord and an Ethernet cable.

Our CDS wheeled carts can be built in to your needs in various sizes and usually include a RPT NetPDU module with a small 4U rack containing a Network Switch and a Power distribution. CDS Carts are modular and flexible. You can daisy chain CDS Carts with a single Ethernet cable Cart to cart.

Some RPT CDS Pictures

To help you visualize the power of RPT’s CDS system as well as the power of Userful’s Software Video Wall Controller, from a morning of testing the CDS system with four monitors in different layouts:

These are also a good example of the flexibility and power of Userful’s Software Video Wall Controller. Each new configuration took only a few minutes to set-up and align.

First layout sketch

Reality:

Next layout Zig Zag test. Note that the entire artistic array is supported only on the left leg of the stand, so we can rotate it to see what different angles do with different content. This highlights the rigidity and accuracy of the RPT CDS Monitor Blocks.

Rotated down Zig-Zag, still only supported on left leg.

A 4 monitor CDS Arch layout for a customer considering a large walk through arch with two portrait on each side bridged by two landscape. Again, Userful is wonderful at quickly getting content on any configuration of any shape or size of video wall.

If you’d like more information on how RPT’s CDS Content Development System can help you speed the design, testing and deployment of better video walls and content please contact us: