I had a marketing email blast sent to me by one of the industry portals today, the vendor going with the line: “Broadcast-quality digital signage: Why Settle for Less?”

I perceive something tagged as broadcast-quality to be of high quality, and not some shaky, grainy piece of crap video that might come off an old camcorder. The guys issuing the piece definitely have a product that delivers high-quality motion graphics, as it is their whole background. So they are in no way stretching the truth.

But as I was reading  the piece, I was immediately thinking “broadcast-quality” is a fairly empty assertion.

With the exception of some little flash card-driven sneakernet appliances that can only do standard definition video, just about any PC or even media appliance will push out 720P or higher video and motion graphics that are probably better than the supposed HD signals we pay for from our cablecos. I have definitely seen some platforms that push crappy signals, but the vast majority of solutions out there will push out a broadcast-quality signal.

It’s certainly not wrong to celebrate the high quality of your product, but it’s hardly a unique selling point. I’m thinking “broadcast-quality” is one of those heavily traded phrases that has reached or is getting really close to its expiry date.

No related posts.