D.D.S. = Doctor of Digital Signage?

Like most people, I wasn’t looking forward to having my tooth yanked out; but when I walked into Marin Oral Surgery earlier this week, my attention was suddenly shifted.  The waiting room was decorated to resemble a small, but very comfortable living room, including big a comfy couch and a fake fireplace (or is it “faux fireplace”?)

I love the furniture, but what is the deal with those miniature matching sailboats?

There was a  40″  flat panel mounted above the faux fireplace, but instead of a blaring television program, it was showing ART! Yes, a slide show of art, in that slowly-zoom- for-20-seconds-then-fade-to-next-image sort of slide show fashion.

This art was tasteful, very calming, with no advertisements. The power outlet  was located behind the display, and all of the wiring was well-dressed inside the wall.  There was a speaker bar mounted underneath the display, and a ceiling speaker overhead, playing the type of music you might hear in a spa or yoga studio.  Namaste.

When I walked into the patient room, I was glad to see the slowly-zooming art slide show followed, this time on a wall mounted flatpanel display facing “the electric chair”.  It’s like good vs. evil, I thought. It was the exact same slide show, probably driven by a hidden DVD player, a home theater distribution amp, and some off-the-shelf component RCA video cabling.  There was also a nurse’s computer hidden under the counter with a wireless keyboard and mouse.

I may have to hire this oral surgeon to do some home theater installations

The computer monitor was also wall-mounted, with the wires and power completely hidden.  The nurse switched the input on the television to show me a c.y.a. (cover your ass) video before the surgery.  The computer was the source, playing a DVD inside its drive.  The audio and video quality was decent, though I wished the flat panel display was centered on the chair.  And I wish I had a Playstation, and some Tony Hawk 2.

The nurse told me that the oral surgeon, Alex Kashef, DDS, MD designed the entire office, including the  audio and video systems. Wow, take that, local AV integrators!  I complimented him, and just was suggesting that he  add some acoustic panels in each room, when suddenly the anesthesia started kicking in…and I thought to myself… you know … this would make a great blog poooozzzt. ;?

I grabbed this photo of another patient room during my follow-up visit. Surgeon must think Im crazy

Please tell me about your alternative doctor’s office or digital signage experience.