Dataton’s WATCHOUT™ multi-image display and presentation software was selected for The View from The Shard. The tallest viewing platform from any building in Western Europe, at a height of 1, 016ft (310m), R
enzo Piano’s Shard is the setting for a unique new London visitor attraction.
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Designed by Event Communications in collaboration with architect Renzo Piano, with systems integration from DJ Willrich (DJW) and WATCHOUT provided by Dataton’s UK Premium Partner, Mirage Associates, The View from The Shard experience enables visitors to enjoy 360-degree views from the highest public levels of the building at dizzying heights of up to 800ft (244m).
Kevin Murphy development director of Event Communications, describes the role of visual technology for the project: “What we have here is a combination of a show system with digital signage. We were very restricted in terms of space, and we knew the system had to be flexible because with signage, you never know what the customer is going to do with it once the operation has started.
“Using WATCHOUT allows the content to be dynamic and updated as necessary. We can even insert 4K video files without any loss of quality or flexibility. Content is king, and with WATCHOUT, we’re delighted with the quality of that content.”
David Willrich of DJW is similarly effusive in his praise for WATCHOUT, which offers the ability to blend and merge images from any source, and then synchronise their playback along with audio, lighting control and other show data, according to a pre-programmed schedule.
“For this project, DJW wrote a digital signage element around WATCHOUT and added additional features for this system to enable the results that we wanted, that a conventional digital signage solution could not provide us.”
“Past experience has taught us that WATCHOUT is a rock-solid platform, ” says Willrich. “What we particularly like about it is that it scales very well while maintaining image quality. The software simply embraces the data you feed it with, processes it, and then gets the job done.”
For Dataton, Fredrik Svahnberg, marketing director, adds: “The latest version of WATCHOUT incorporates flexible features that can be added, depending on the event. This is particularly useful for a project such as this one, where the basic timeline of the multimedia content in the shows is fixed, but alternative content may have to be brought in at short notice.
“WATCHOUT is really well-prepared for this type of application and we are delighted that our technology plays such a pivotal role in an attraction that is set to become as big and important a global landmark as The Shard itself.”
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About Dataton
Established in 1973, renowned Swedish show control developer and manufacturer, Dataton this year celebrates its 40th year in business. The company serves its core markets in multi-media entertainment, visitor attractions, digital signage scenography, event production and corporate A/V. The company’s flagship products include the WATCHPAX™ media server, award-winning Dataton WATCHOUT™ multi-display production and presentation system as well as the intuitive Dataton PICKUP™ audio guide. The entire range is supported by Dataton’s established global distribution and reseller network.
