Author: tvartadmin

Sotheby’s is streaming the world’s best galleries

SUMMARY

Step into the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Tate galleries, or Taiwan’s National Palace Museum from your sofa.

Everyone’s favourite gallery is different. Some people like to peruse cubist sculptures in large minimalist rooms, others like to take in impressionist brushwork under the bows of classical architecture.Now though, you can access some of the world best galleries from the comfort of your own living room, as Sotheby’s steps into the digital age.

Detailed story here

The network is basically many short-ish videos from various galleries in major museums — not just images of art, so some good some bad news as to how useful.


Here is the actual network

Low cost large digital screen: NABI Big Tab

Nabi Big Tab is a 24 inch screen tablet for under $400.

nabi-big-tab

More at: https://www.nabitablet.com/nabi-big-tab-hd24

The screen is mounted on a standup frame, that is on the heavy side, that still is mountable on a wall.

The Big Tab runs a kid friendly Android that can be unlocked into Mommy mode for running standard Android aps.

The downsides we are still exploring are: (1) it always starts in kid mode, (2) how to tag aps to run in Kids mode, (3) how to disable the wake up on local activities.  None of these are an issue for a public space, they are annoying when used at home.

There is also some question as to production availability – you need to go to NABI to determine current production.

Art work by the 1000’s

Once you have decided you want to show art work on your tv, once easy source is our WeLoveMuseums Digital Virtual Museum.  Go over to the WLM @ Home, sign up and select your image categories or artists. There are over 10,000 images of art from ancient Egypt to recent times divided into 300 categories.  Once you have created your profile, there is guidance for how to tie the image display to your device of choice.

How connect computer to TV display ?

For direct connections:

  • Older computer will have a VGA output and SOME tv’s have VGA input
  • Newer computers have HDMI output which will match the HDMI of most flat screen tv’s less then 4 years old

For wireless:
Google Chromecast works fairly well, with a few cavets:
http://www.google.com/chrome/devices/chromecast/

  1. You need to have a the chomecast and computer on the same wifi subnet
  2. Your computer needs to be fairly recent and fast – chromecast software needs fast response
  3. Chromecast sw does not actually broadcast the whole screen, it requires enabled aps –  a browser or youtube are the best for computers, the browser has a full-screen mode.
  4. Google has more aps are so enabled for both IOS and Android devices

Other gadgets I have no experience with: (please send me comments)

If all those match, it’s a easy $35 device