Something is unusual in the magazine you just received in the mail.  One of the pages is thicker than the rest – about a tenth of an inch. 

Thinking that it is another ad insert, you prepare to remove and toss it as a nuisance.  When you open to this page, suddenly a moving image appears – a video advertisement is actually playing on the page.

This isn’t years-out science fiction. This video experience will be available in the September 18 issue of Entertainment Weekly, although it will  initially be  limited to subscribers in the New York and Los Angeles areas.

The technology for the battery-powered ads was manufactured by a Los Angeles-based company called Americhip, and each ad can handle about 40 minutes of video.

The page contains a miniature video player with an actual LCD screen that has a 320X240 resolution. It’s powered by a lithium battery and is designed to withstand the stress of mail delivery. 

The battery is good for up to 70 minutes and then, amazingly, it can be recharged via a small connector on the back of the screen.

The applications of the Americhip technology extend to several areas beyond advertising, including video greeting cards, children’s books, premiums & promotions, etc.  They are committed to futuristic products that feature sight, sound, touch, taste and scent technologies

For more detail, see Broadcasting & Cable and CNET.

Tags: Americhip, Entertainment Weekly, video ads in a magazine

This entry was posted on August 20, 2009 at 7:48 am and is filed under Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.