Patent Publication Number: US-7895783-B1

Title: Multi-media display system

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional application U.S. Ser. No. 60/722,545, filed on Sep. 30, 2005, entitled Multi-media Display System, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to advertising displays and more specifically to multi-media advertising display stands or kiosks. 
     2. General Background and State of the Art 
     Advertisements appearing in locations such as shopping mall venues, airport shops, restaurants, bowling alleys and other locales having either a common area or an area designated for advertising come in many forms. Typically, in-store advertising is provided in the form of hanging signs, window displays, poster stands, and wall posters disposed about the store. These devices are static and need to be replaced when the information changes such as the ending of a sale or change in merchandise. In addition, such static forms of advertising do not always catch the attention of the shopper or prospective buyer. The use of enlarged lettering, startling colors, and nearby blinking lights is common methods to increase the likelihood of the advertisement being observed by the potential customer. However, such devices are not typically constructed to blend into the store&#39;s surrounding but instead stand out and thus may not be aesthetically pleasing. Some stores, particularly clothing stores, have been known to incorporate a wall of televisions to provide an ambience in the store such as by playing popular videos or commercials for the in-store products. However, such a wall of televisions is usually out of place with the motif of the store and more often than not the videos have nothing to do with the merchandise. 
     Outside the stores in common areas, advertising is typically provided by a poster stand near a directory. These posters may be backlighted and more sophisticated stands allow for two or three posters to be shown in the same display window by rotating the posters on a conveyor or using a reversible shutter system. In addition, the flexibility to advertise for more than one retailer is necessary to accommodate multiple tenants but such devices suffer from lack of advertising space. Both the stores and common areas may have conflicting themes or motifs that may have to be accommodated by the advertising devices. Typically, a bland, neutral approach is taken to try to accommodate multiple parties but this approach results in doing little to add to the decorum of the locale. 
     While the above described advertising devices have their uses, they generally suffer from being static in nature, requiring extensive efforts to upkeep fresh content and thus somewhat costly to maintain, creating a blight on the surrounding environment, and from being resistant to relocation. Thus, there exists a need for an attractive multi-media advertising display system capable of blending into a surrounding environment while providing fresh transitional advertising that may be readily tailored to both individual and multiple settings as well as facilitate relocation. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a forward left perspective view of a multi-media display system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the audio visual system and advertising components used in conjunction with the display system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is front view of the display system of  FIG. 1  with concealment features in the form of artificial foliage; 
         FIG. 4  is a left hand end view of the display system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5A  is a sectional exploded view of the left side of the display system base and a portion of the support tower of  FIG. 1  and without some of the bamboo style façade or connective truss sections; 
         FIG. 5B  is a sectional rear view of the display system base and a portion of the support tower of  FIG. 1  with some of the bamboo style façade; 
         FIG. 6  is a forward left perspective view of the support tower of the display system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7A  is a sectional front view of the upper portion of the support tower of the display system of  FIG. 1  with some exemplary components mounted thereon; 
         FIG. 7B  is a sectional front view of the lower portion of the support tower of the display system of  FIG. 1  with some exemplary components mounted thereon; 
         FIG. 7C  is a top view of the support tower of  FIG. 7A  taken along lines  7 C- 7 C and rotated through 90 degrees; 
         FIG. 7D  is a top view of the support tower of  FIG. 7A  taken along lines  7 D- 7 D; 
         FIG. 8A  is a close up sectional rear view of the display frame and light mounting components on the support tower of the display system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8B  is a close up sectional side view of the display frame and light mounting components of  FIG. 8A ; 
         FIG. 8C  is a close up sectional view of the display frame mounting device of  FIG. 8B  taken from oval  8 C; 
         FIG. 8D  is a top view of the display frame mounting device taken along lines  8 D- 8 D of  FIG. 8C ; 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded view of the display panel system of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 10  is a view of the support tower of  FIG. 1  with the display devices, display frame components, and front half of the base removed. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-2 , an exemplary multi-media display system constructed in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. The multi-media display system, generally designated  20 , has a base  22 , a support tower  24 , a multi-media playback device  26  capable of playing an audiovisual recording  28 , at least one display device  30   a ,  30   b , and a power source  32 . The display tower may also include several additional optional features including concealment devices as discussed below to enhance the operability of the display system while providing the option to blend the display system into the surrounding environment. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 3 ,  4 ,  5 A, and  5 B, the base  22  of the display system  20  has the appearance of four trapezoidally shaped sides  21 ,  23 ,  25 , and  27  joined at their respective corners to form a base that tapers inwardly from its top rim  31  to its flat bottom  33 . However, the base, as shown in  FIGS. 5A and 10 , is formed by the mating of a two-piece shell having a front half  34   a  and a back half  34   b . As an exemplary construction, the front half  34   a  includes a full side  21  joined to a pair of half-sides that form part of the left and right sides  23 ,  25 , respectively. The bottom edges of these pieces are joined to a half-flooring  29   a . The half-flooring includes a rectangular cutout or aperture for receiving one portion of the lowermost portion of the support tower  24 . The back half  34   b  includes a full side  27  joined to a pair of half sides forming the complement of the left and right sides  23 ,  25  and joined to a half-flooring  29   b  with a complementary cutout as well and is otherwise identical to the left half  34   a  with the exception that the rear panel  27  includes an access door  46  ( FIG. 5B ) having a set of hinges  48  on its top side and a latch  50  or lock along the bottom side. 
     To mate the halves together and form the open-topped base shell  22  and electronic device enclosure for the bottom portion of the support tower  24 , the front half  34   a  and back half  34   b  have complementary upper and lower fasteners  36 ,  38  and  40 ,  42 , respectively. In this exemplary embodiment, the upper and lower front half fasteners  36 ,  38  are in the form of a hook or latch for fastening to the corresponding back half fasteners  40 ,  42  in the form of slots or eyehook receptacles. While shown in  FIG. 5A  as appearing on the outside of the shell, this is for the sake of explanation only and it is preferred to hide the fasteners on the interior of the base sides. In this exemplary embodiment, the base measures approximately twenty-four inches across its flat square bottom surface  33  and approximately forty-four to forty-eight inches across the square top rim  31 . 
     As shown in the cutaway illustration of  FIG. 10 , the upper inside edges of at least two of the base walls  23 ,  25 , respectively, include a ledge  56 ,  58 , upon which a rectangular two-piece cover  60  rests. The position of the ledges ensures that the cover is recessed from the top rim  31  of the base when assembled. Each half of the cover has a central square cutout  62  to fit around the lower portion of the square support tower  24 . The cutout provides an aperture for aligning the support tower in an upright position. The cover also provides an underlying support and attachment surface  64  for receiving concealing elements as discussed below in more detail. As shown in the  FIGS. 1 ,  3 , and  4 , the outer surfaces of the base  22  can be covered in a decorative facing or façade  66 . In this exemplary embodiment the facing has a bamboo motif. The facing may be a laminate adhered or otherwise suitably fastened to the outer surfaces of the base or the sides of the base may be molded to provide the desired appearance. The access panel  46  may be placed on any one of the sides and is not limited to the rear panel. Also, as an alternative to the half shell approach, one of the sides of the base may be a removable panel secured to its adjacent sides by suitable fasteners. This removable panel may include the access panel if desired. 
     The base  22  components may be made of wood, plastic, metal or other suitable material or combination of materials. Other suitable shapes such as those commonly used in planters or tower bases will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. When assembled, the base is primarily used to provide a stable platform for the display tower  24  and conceal many of the electrical components used in the display system including the playback device  26 . Such concealed components remain accessible via the rear access panel  46 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 6 ,  7 A- 7 D, and  10 , the support tower  24  provides a convenient mounting rack for several of the multi-media display system  20  components. The tower is preferably in the form of a square, open box truss having four uprights  68 ,  70 ,  72 ,  74  at the respective corners of the truss structure formed of two inch steel tubing. Spanning between the legs at regular two foot intervals are six sets of respective cross beams designated from top to bottom  73   a ,  73   b ,  73   c ,  73   d ,  73   e , and  73   f . As an exception to the cross beam spacing, the lowermost set of cross beams  73   f  is positioned along the height of the support tower approximately one foot below the adjacent upper shelf  73   e . The cross beams are formed of one inch steel tubing in this exemplary embodiment. The truss further includes diagonal support braces such as that designated  75  ( FIG. 10 ) for additional stability. It will be appreciated that this is an exemplary spacing and number of cross beams and not meant to be limiting. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7C , and  7 D, spanning between opposing cross beams are six inch wide flat plate metal shelves or speaker plates  77   a ,  77   b  upon which electrical components such as speakers, surge protectors, and lamps may rest. Speaker plate  77   a  spans across two opposing cross beams of cross beam set  73   b . Likewise, speaker plate  77   b  spans across two opposing cross beams of cross beam set  73   c . The speaker plate for the subwoofer described below is hidden behind one cross beam of cross beam set  73   e  in  FIG. 7B . An enlarged shelf (not shown) for supporting the playback device  26  is hidden behind one cross beam of cross beam set  73   f  in  FIG. 7B . The enlarged shelf is preferably constructed to hold a device the size of a conventional DVD player. Additional plates may also be positioned on the remaining cross beam sets  73   a ,  73   d  if desired. It will be appreciated that the shelf sizes may vary according to suit the dimensions and number of the electrical components supported. 
     Referring back to  FIG. 6 , the lowermost ends of the uprights  68 ,  70 ,  72 ,  74  or legs include threaded posts for inserting into corresponding holes  76   a ,  76   b ,  76   c , and  76   d  of the stabilizing plate  78 . The box truss is secured to the plate by nuts coupling with the threaded posts. Alternatively, the truss may be welded to the stabilizing plate. Other suitable fastening or joining methods will occur to one of ordinary skill. In this exemplary embodiment, the square stabilizing plate measures two feet across. During assembly, the bottom surfaces of the front and back halves  34   a ,  34   b  of the base are slid over the stabilizing plate and rested thereon. The cutouts in the flooring halves allows the bottom surfaces of the base halves to butt up against the uprights of the support tower  24  and cover the stabilizing plate. When assembled, the weight of the base  22  on the stabilizing plate inhibits the support tower from rocking. In addition, the cutouts in the two piece cover  60  ensure that the cover halves abut right up against the support tower  24  and provide additional stability at a higher location along the length of the tower and also assist in aligning the tower in an upright position. If desired, the upper section of the tower may be angled to provide alternative display positions. In addition, the tower may be offset with respect to the base in which case the bottom surface aperture and cover aperture would be adjusted accordingly. 
     As shown in the  FIG. 10 , the support tower  24  includes a lower portion  80  extending through the cover  60  where it is concealed inside the base  22  and upper portion  81  for supporting the speakers above the base. The entire box truss may be welded together or otherwise suitably constructed. In this exemplary embodiment, the tower is formed of steel and measures approximately one foot in width and depth and nine feet in height. While the box truss has been found to be a preferred construction, it will be appreciated that other suitable truss shapes or support frames may be used including rectangular, triangular, circular shapes, and other well known geometric shapes. The upper section of the support tower may also include divergent branches for supporting multiple displays. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 7B , the playback device  26  is supported on a tower shelf spanning between cross beam set  73   f  such that it is normally concealed within the base shell  22 . The playback device  26  includes a conventional optical or magnetic drive  59  capable of reading a digital recording medium  51  and transmitting a video signal to the displays  30   a ,  30   b . Preferably, the playback device has a loop feature for endless playback of the content on the digital recording medium. In this exemplary embodiment, it is preferred to use a conventional DVD player capable of decoding a conventional single or dual layer DVD, whether read only or re-recordable. Other suitable optical and magnetic storage and playback devices will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. A computer with an optical disk or magnetic storage drive could be used to play back digitally recorded multi-media presentations. 
     For use in the playback device  26 , the digital recording medium  28  is recorded with multi-media presentations such as advertisements, promos, and other marketing presentations or displays using conventional audiovisual recording techniques. By developing or obtaining advertising media relating to the locale in which the media display tower will be located, the locale&#39;s own advertising may be recorded onto the recording medium  28  and play on endlessly once the display system  20  is assembled and power provided. For locations such as malls having a common area, advertising from a number of different sources may be recorded on the recording medium  28  and alternately displayed on the display screens  30   a ,  30   b . Given the capacity of the recording mediums  28 , advertising can play for hours without repeating if desired. The preferable playback device  26  also includes a sound output system such as Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound or other recognized sound system for outputting the audio component of the multi-media recording to a surround sound system. The playback device includes a power cord  53  for plugging into the power source  32  or intermediate surge protector as do the other electrical components discussed herein. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , the display device  30   a ,  30   b  can be a monitor, CRT television, projection screen, LCD, or conventional display screen capable of receiving a video and/or audio feed from the playback device  26 . The preferable display device is a plasma screen or LCD television due to its thin profile, relatively low weight, and high definition broadcasting capability. A forty-two inch plasma screen has been found to provide suitable viewing dimensions for a media tower nine feet high. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 7C , the display devices  30   a ,  30   b  are mounted to the upper end of the support tower  24  by a set of opposing mounting brackets  82   a  and  82   b  welded to and extending outwardly from the cross beams of the cross beam set  73   b  of the box truss to position the display devices at a location near the top of the support tower. Alternatively, a single beam could be supported by opposing cross beams and pass through and extend outwardly from the box truss. The respective outer ends of the mounting brackets  82   a ,  82   b  include a flat metallic plate  84   a ,  84   b  for coupling to the rear surface of the plasma screen television. This plate may either slide into a complementary mating receptacle on the back of the television as the television is lowered onto the plate or otherwise fastened to the plate using suitable conventional plasma screen mounting fasteners. For additional security, a locking element (not shown) may secure the television to the mounting bracket. Adjusting clamps  86   a ,  86   b  with release and tightening screws are provided in each bracket for adjusting the tilt of the television. In this example, the horizontal centerline of the plasma screen televisions are supported approximately eight to nine feet in the air. While only one display device is needed and may be preferred depending on the location of the media display system such as up against a wall, two offsetting display devices may also be preferred to counter each other&#39;s weight on the tower if the locale warrants such usage. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , if more than one display device  30   a ,  30   b  is used, a component video splitter  88  having a single input/dual output capability is connected between the display devices and the playback device  26 . This allows the same image to be displayed on both display devices at the same time. 
     Alternatively, instead of a standalone display system  20  wherein all video and audio content is self-contained in a playback device concealed in the base  22 , the audio and video signals may be provided by a remote content creation source located outside the base and transmitted to the display device using a wired or wireless connection. For example, audio visual content may be created at a remote location using a conventional recording program and downloaded over a network such as the Internet or local network and transmitted to a local server or workstation. The server may then forward the audio visual signals to a wireless receiver in the base  22  of the display system  20 , which in turn transmits the signals to the audio and display devices for playback. A wired connection between the audio and display devices and the server may be used instead of a wireless receiver. Any conventional networking system capable of transmitting audio visual signals to the display and audio components of the display system may be used. The audio visual content to be output by the display system  20  may either be pre-recorded or live streaming content continuously refreshed. 
     The power source  32  ( FIG. 2 ) for the electrical components used in the display system  20  is preferably a conventional and conveniently located wall outlet operating on an active AC voltage source. However, it will be appreciated that other sources of power such as a battery or a solar cell power source could be used to make the display system completely self-contained. A battery power source could be concealed within the tower base  22  and the top of the support tower  24  also provides a convenient mounting surface for a solar panel assuming the display tower is located in an area exposed to sunlight for a suitable portion of the day. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-4 ,  7 A-D,  8 A-D,  9 , and  10 , in addition to the features set forth above, several optional components may be integrated into the multi-media display system  20  adding to the overall presentation capability and appearance of the display system. These components include multiple concealment features such as a base cover concealer  90 , imitation stalks  92   a ,  92   b ,  92   c ,  92   d , and foliage, generally designated  94 . Other optional components include a surround sound speaker system  96   a ,  96   b ,  96   c ,  96   d ,  96   d ,  96   e , and  96   f , static display panels  98   a ,  98   b , and backlighting components  100   a ,  100   b ,  100   c ,  100   d.    
     The concealment features, while capable of varying greatly in form to blend into the surrounding environment or motif, inhibit the theft of costly electrical equipment and provide a pleasing aesthetic appearance to the media display system  20 . By selecting the proper concealment features, the media display system may be made to appear to generally blend into its surroundings while not obscuring the display devices  30   a ,  30   b . One such concealment feature is the base cover concealer  90  ( FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  4 , and  10 ) that lies on the underlying surface  64  of the base cover  60 . In this exemplary embodiment, the cover concealer is in the form of a long grass lawn and substantially hides the cover and surrounds the truss structure near the cover. The recessed cover  60  or a flush cover may also provide a shelf or a bin for loose concealment accessories such as apparel, clothing accessories, and other consumer products to further disguise the tower. 
     Further concealment components include a set of imitation stalks  92   a ,  92   b ,  92   c , and  92   d  ( FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  4 , and  10 ) that may be fixed or removably coupled to the cover using conventional fasteners or mounted to the support tower  24  or held in place with a rigid foam material placed on the cover  60  and underneath the base cover concealer  90 . For example, the cover may include pre-drilled holes for receiving a corresponding threaded fastener projecting from the bottom of each imitation stalk. In this example, the imitation stalks have a bamboo motif. Additional greenery or foliage  94  is mounted on the imitation stalks or truss structure using adhesives, threaded fasteners, wiring, or other suitable mounting device and may be used to conceal the truss and electrical components further. A top central stalk  102  ( FIG. 3 ) or topper with additional foliage  94  may project from the top of the truss structure and provide cover from above. The topper could also include more than one imitation stalk mounted about different sides of the support tower. Clever combination of these concealing elements can hide much, if not all, of the truss structure, electronic components, and associated wiring, without obscuring the display screens. Concealment features may be selected from other types of known flora or may be structures such as imitation columns or the like to conceal the support tower  24  and generally selected to blend into the surrounding environment. Another example would be the use of the two-piece tree trunk-like shell with corresponding foliage to surround the support tower and disguise the electronic and structural components of the display system as long as the display screens  30   a ,  30   b  remain visible. In addition to the flora motif, other artificial structures may be used. Examples include shoe trees, mannequins, storage boxes and shelves, athletic equipment, produce, and other consumer products. Other suitable concealment features will occur to one of ordinary skill to conceal the tower components other than the display devices and still blend the display system  20  into the surrounding environment. The concealment features are preferably removably coupled or otherwise attached to the upper surface of the cover  60  and tower surface using suitable fastening devices so that adjustments may easily be made and also to provide multiple assembly variations. Concealment features may also be placed about the exterior of the base  22  if desired. 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , the speaker system is preferably a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound system including at least five speakers  96   a ,  96   b ,  96   c ,  96   d ,  96   e , and a sub-woofer  96   f  dispersed throughout the support tower  24  to play audio signals transmitted from the playback device  26 . As shown in  FIGS. 7A-7D , the speakers may be placed on the shelving  77   a ,  77   b  provided between each set of cross beams  73   b ,  73   c , respectively. In this example, the rear projection speakers  96   a ,  96   b  are placed on the upper tier shelf  77   a  ( FIGS. 7A ,  7 C) while the forward projection speakers  96   c ,  96   d ,  96   e  are placed on the second tier shelf  77   b . The subwoofer  96   e  is located on second tier  77   e  from the bottom generally at about cover  60  height. Referring again to  FIG. 2 , the speakers and subwoofer are connected to the rear panel of the playback device using conventional wiring. Alternatively, to reduce some of the wiring requirements of the display system  20 , a wireless connection between the playback device  26  and speakers could be used with the speakers incorporating a self-contained power source such as a battery. The speakers may also be connected directly to the truss structure using conventional mounting brackets or other suitable fasteners instead of residing on shelving. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 8A-8D  and  9 , an exemplary static display panel  98   a  includes a frame  104   a  mounted to two consecutive legs  68 ,  70  of the support tower  24  using a set of upper and lower sliding clamps  106   a ,  106   b . Each clamp may be fixed in position with a set screw  108  and includes a short extension  107   a ,  107   b  to position the display frame out away from the support tower. The frame  104   a  of the display panel has four slotted sides  110 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116  for receiving a pair of transparent glass, plexi-glass, or plastic panels  118  and a poster  120  or other enlarged and substantially flattened advertising material sandwiched therebetween. Clips  103  ( FIG. 9 ) may be used to hold the dual clear panels together and prevent the poster from slipping. One side  114  of the frame of the frame is removable ( FIG. 9 ). One end of each poster frame may be hinged so that access to the poster is obtained by folding back the hinged end of the frame and sliding the poster in and out of the frame. In this exemplary embodiment, the right side of the frame is mated to the free ends of the frame extensions using conventional clips or interference fit bosses that fit into the hollow ends of the frame. By removing the right side of the frame, the advertising material and clear panels may be slipped between the frame sections as a unit or removed and exchanged. The display frames measure approximately twenty to thirty inches in width by forty to forty-eight inches in height in this exemplary embodiment. However, it will be appreciated that different sized display frames and that either a single or more than two display frames may be used. In addition, in the example, the display frames are mounted at ninety degree angles to the display screens  30   a ,  30   b  but other suitable angles will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. The opposing static display panel  98   b  is constructed similarly to the panel system  98   a  and like components are numbered alike where shown. 
     With continued reference to  FIGS. 8A and 8B , backlighting of the static display panels  98   a ,  98   b  is provided by a pair of upper lamps  100   a ,  100   b  and a pair of lower lamps  100   c ,  100   d . Each lamp includes a generally C-shaped clamp  122  for securing the lamp to the truss structure and a power cord for plugging into a power strip or other power source. The lamps may also be bolted or otherwise secured directly to the truss and may be located within the confines of the truss structure. The lamps are positioned behind their respective display frames to backlight the poster within the frame. In addition to backlighting the static displays, the lamps also provide ambient light for the foliage and other concealment features to add to the overall pleasing appearance of the display system. The lamps are preferably selected with low heat producing bulbs or LEDs to protect the surrounding concealment features and display panels. With the addition of the display frames, the media display system  20  incorporates the capabilities of both static and transitional advertising displays. Turning to  FIG. 2 , due to the number and nature of the electrical components used in the display tower  20 , at least one surge protector  124   a ,  124   b  may be used. In this example, the two display screens  30   a ,  30   b  and upper backlighting components  100   a ,  100   b  are plugged into a first surge protector  124   a  while the playback device  26  and lower backlighting components  100   c ,  100   d  are plugged into a second surge protector  124   b . The surge protectors may then be plugged into the power source  32  and turned on to supply power to the electrical components of the media display system  20 . 
     Turning to  FIGS. 1-3  and  10  and assuming the media display system  20  is to be assembled with two display screens  30   a ,  30   b , surround sound system  96   a - f , two display panel systems  98   a ,  98   b , and four backlighting lamps  100   a ,  100   b ,  100   c ,  100   d , and will include concealment features, a locale is initially selected for the multi-media display system  20 . Upon reaching an agreement with the locale owner as to the type of advertising that will appear on the display screens  30   a ,  30   b  and what type of concealment features  90 ,  92 ,  94  and outer façade  66  are suitable for conforming to the locale&#39;s environment, the assembly and advertising production may begin. Using conventional methods, the advertising spots or other promotional content are recorded onto a suitable digital recording medium  28 . Similarly, the posters  120  are imprinted using conventional techniques with the desired advertising. The multi-media display system  20  components are then delivered to the locale to be assembled. 
     The support tower  24  may be situated in an upright position in the desired location near a wall or away from any walls where 360 degree viewing may take place and the display screens  30   a ,  30   b  mounted to their respective mounting brackets  82   a ,  82   b . The playback device  26  and speaker system components  96   a - f  are placed on the appropriate tower shelves and wired together, as necessary by the assembler. The two halves  34   a ,  34   b  of the base shell  22  may be slid on top of the stabilizing plate  78  and mated together by the assembler. The static display frame  98   a ,  98   b  are mounted to the desired support tower uprights at a preferred location using the sliding clamps  106   a ,  106   b  and tightened in place and then may be loaded with the advertising posters  120 . The lamps  100   a ,  100   b ,  100   c , and  100   d  are likewise clamped to the support tower  24  by the system assembler. All electrical components may be connected together as in  FIG. 2 . The concealment features  92   a - d  are secured to the cover  60  or truss  24  and the cover concealer  90  is placed over the cover and about the stalks. The foliage  94  is added to the stalks and truss where desired. Pre-constructed foliage holders such a plastic clamps, clips, or pre-drilled holes about the support tower and imitation stalks for insertion into such holders may be used to facilitate this process. The topper  102  may be added as well. The façade  66  is coupled to the sides  21 ,  23 ,  25 , and  27  of the base  22  if not previously attached or formed into the sides of the base. 
     With the media display system  20  in position, the electrical components wired together, and the system assembled to the desired appearance, the power cord  126  is plugged into a nearby power source  32 . It will be appreciated that the power source may come from a conventional wall, floor, or ceiling outlet. The rear access panel  46  may be unlatched by the operator and raised up to access the playback device  26  inside the base  22 . The surge protectors  124   a ,  124   b  may be switched on to turn on the lighting components  100   a ,  100   b ,  100   c , and  100   d  and backlight the display frames  104   a ,  104   b . The DVD player  26  may then be activated and loaded with the multi-media DVD  28 . The operator may press the play button on the DVD player and the endless loop button if desired. The access panel  46  is closed and latched. The programmed advertising on the DVD is played back on both display screens  30   a ,  30   b . The tilt angle of the display screens may be adjusted by loosening the clamps  86   a ,  86   b , adjusting the tilt angle of the screen, and re-tightening the clamps. As long as power is supplied to the media system  20 , the advertising will continue to display as determined by the pre-recording on the digital recording medium  28  and will be accompanied by the recorded audio component, if any. In addition, a conventional plug-in timer could be used to activate and deactivate the multi-media display system  20  in accordance with locale operating hours. If a remote content system is used, the remote system is actuated to begin providing content to the display devices. 
     It will be appreciated that it is a relatively routine matter for an operator to visit the locale and exchange a new DVD  28  via the access panel  46  or change the display frame posters  120  to update or change the advertising. In addition, if the media system  20  is to be moved, the reversal of the above described assembly steps provide for a rapid disassembly of the system components for ready transport to another location. The system  20  is constructed so that a single individual may set up or disassemble the system. 
     It will be appreciated that commonly used constructions and concealment themes may be prefabricated and ready for delivery. Also, while the façade  66  may be used to further blend the display system  20  into the surrounding environment, such façade may incorporate further additional static advertising. It will be appreciated that the display system is constructed to appear either up against a wall or in the middle of a room with 360 degree viewing. The concealment features facilitate such placement by removing from view any structural components such as the truss and electrical wiring that may not blend into the surrounding environment. The access panel is also preferably constructed to blend into the overall base panel theme and difficult to spot from a relatively close distance. 
     While the present invention has been described herein in terms of a number of preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that various changes and improvements may also be made to the invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof. Variances of the assembly steps will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art as well. The dimensions discussed herein are not meant to be limiting and smaller or larger scale media display systems fall well within the scope of the present invention.