Planar has launched its Mantis Series, a new line of indoor LED video walls purpose-built for rental and staging environments where speed, reliability, and ease of use are critical. Designed for tool-less, one-handed setup and teardown, Planar Mantis Series enables crews of all experience levels to quickly deploy and redeploy LED video walls.

[InfoComm 2026 Impulses: Planar Talks Display Technology and Visual Performance]

Designed for live event and on-camera professionals with a product design architected from direct customer input, the new solution is built to align with real-world rental and production workflows. Engineered to reduce installation time and simplify deployment, the newest addition to Planar’s LED portfolio strengthens support for an array of rental and staging applications while helping rental providers maximize utilization and return on investment.

“Planar Mantis Series reinforces our reputation for delivering industry-leading LED display solutions that maximize visual impact, while facilitating hassle-free installation, teardown and maintenance,” said Sidney Rittenberg, chief executive officer at Planar. “This line of high-performance LED video walls was developed with a wide range of rental and staging venues and professionals in mind, incorporating customer feedback to introduce a solution that can be installed or dismantled without tools and with minimal training or LED experience.”

A dedicated support team in the United States contributed decades of deep, real-world rental and staging experience to the design of Planar Mantis Series,. With models in 1.5, 1.9, and 2.6mm pixel pitches, the series supports a range of viewing distances and production requirements, with specifications including up to 1,500 nits of brightness, refresh rates up to 7,680Hz, a 4,000:1 contrast ratio and scan rates down to 1:8. The series also features a lightweight magnesium alloy design with rigidity, helping minimize flexing or warping to maintain image alignment and consistent visual performance during operation. This makes Planar Mantis Series ideal for concerts, broadcast, and virtual production, where dependable camera-ready image quality is essential.

Balancing reduced weight with structural rigidity, Planar Mantis Series’ lightweight magnesium alloy chassis also enables rapid, single-handed installation and dismantling. The lightweight design supports easier handling and more efficient installation across venues. Planar Mantis Series offers 500x500 cabinets as well as a 500x1000 cabinet size in the 2.6mm pixel pitch. In addition to supporting quick assembly and teardown, the series is designed to simplify service and repair. Quarter-turn locks and quick-lock mechanisms allow modules and electronics to be quickly replaced in the field, while cabinets can be attached or adjusted without tools.

Get your free copy of SCN's Integration Guide to Video Walls.

A Combination of Contemplation and ‘Wow’

The University of Virginia’s new Contemplative Commons features a large-format LED canvas—visible from the street—that shows nature scenes that complement the building entry. Learn about the technical challenges of an install where the video wall is seen as an architectural element within the space. Plus, read about a new video wall that’s helping to keep the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. alive.

At Issue

Industry experts from Absen, Datapath, JB&A, LynTec, Panasonic, Planar, Sharp, Sony, and VuWall | G&D explore how video walls are being used creatively in retail and hospitality environments.

Download the Integration Guide to Video Walls.

Read the March issue of Systems Contractor News.

The SCN Worship Issue is here. Download your copy of the March issue today.

Whether it is a modern or historic house of worship, aesthetics and intelligible audio are critical. And that includes immersive audio for church events. This month we take you inside Hasley Chapel, St. Bartholomew's Church, Prestonwood Baptist Church, and more to look at how innovative installations solved these challenges.

Also in March

• The Integration Guide to Video Walls. Check out how video walls bring the wow factor, go inside Atlanta's King Center, and get expert insights from video wall manufacturers.
• ISE Wrap Up: Get Mark J. Pescatore's takeaways from the show floor and find out who won the SCN Best of Show honors.
• Executive Q&A: Courtland Gray celebrates 60 years of audio with Peavey.
• Expert opinions: SCN Hall of Famer Dave Van Hoy goes to the cloud while SCN The Nine member Rob Voorhees shares six steps to elevate you from salesperson to advisor.
• Much More: Newsmakers, acquisitions, partnerships, and more.

Get it all today. Download your copy of the March issue.

Global asset management firm AllianceBernstein (AB) recently unveiled its new, 189,000-square-foot office in New York City’s Hudson Yards. Located in The Spiral skyscraper, the interior spans four floors with outdoor terraces on each level and includes an open floor plan with mixed-use meeting areas, event space, and communal work cafés.

The AB team retained global architecture firm Gensler to design the office, and worked with them to help create a workplace aesthetic inspired by New York City’s vibrant energy. As described by Gensler, the new space is a fully integrated digital-physical experience that reflects the firm’s commitment to innovation and adaptability, as well as its leadership navigating the evolving digital landscape.

The Dreamwall

This vision comes to life in AB’s Client Reception Hub, where a 30-foot-wide and 9-foot-high Planar DirectLight Pro Series LED video wall with a 1.2mm pixel pitch serves as a living art piece. Known as the Dreamwall, the installation harnesses AI to generate ever-changing visual content. A meticulously trained AI engine generates digitally sourced, visually captivating, and brand-aligned imagery that unfurls approximately every 2 minutes, according to Gensler.

The AI system was developed through a creative process that involved curating over 12,000 images to define an algorithmic approach consistent with AB’s brand identity. The Dreamwall also incorporates custom TouchDesigner effects and LIDAR motion sensing, enabling it to respond to human movement in real time. And by pressing the “next” button, users can manually prompt the next dreamscape.

Bruce Manning, associate principal at Cerami and Associates, was the project consultant responsible for the AV design. “Resolution was critical with the Dreamwall because everything being generated is resolution-dependent,” he said. “In addition to interactive experiential design, the Dreamwall also functions as a presentation system. It integrates in the space like a natural extension of the architecture.”

Beautiful and Built to Last

A second Planar LED array—a nearly 36-foot-wide, 7-foot-high Planar DirectLight Ultra Series LED video wall with a 0.9mm pixel pitch—was installed in a nearby multipurpose room. With the video wall able to be split into multiple configurations, the display provides a flexible, high-resolution LED canvas for supporting uses such as presentations, meetings, or Microsoft Teams applications, according to Joe Hakiem, senior project manager with Forte’, which performed the video wall integrations.

“The Planar LED video walls blend perfectly with the beautiful interior design, bringing the space to life,” Hakiem said. “I’ve been working with Planar for nearly 10 years, and every project delivers the customizations, brightness, and clarity that the client expects.”

According to Manning, the Planar LED video walls provide flexibility and connectivity between the systems to meet the client’s needs. “They can accommodate a wide range of events—from trainings and receptions to banquets and TED-style talks,” he said.

With the new office located on the 24th floor, Manning stressed the importance of proper mounting to safeguard the video wall systems from the natural sway of high-rise buildings over time, which can cause seams and cracks or damage components. “We brought in rp Visual Solutions [based in Anaheim, California] to design structural mounts—and in close coordination with Planar and Forte, the displays were engineered for long-term reliability,” he said.

Hakiem emphasized how, as is the case with every Planar project, the manufacturer’s logistics and team support were critical to the timely completion of the AB installation. “This was a high-profile project with a very tight deadline, and it required a lot of coordination across the trades in order to deliver on time,” he said. “That’s where Planar really excels. The flexibility and assistance they provide is what sets them apart.”

Planar introduced the Komodo Series, a family of ultra-fine pixel pitch Chip-on-Board (COB) MicroLED video-wall displays engineered for high indoor visual performance and long-term reliability for corporate, meeting spaces, video production, private cinema, and other environments that demand the ultimate visual performance.

[10 Growth Opportunities Defining the Future of AV]

Available in 0.7, 0.9 and 1.2mm pixel pitches, the Planar Komodo Series features a DCI-p3 color gamut for professional-grade color reproduction and 1,000 nits of brightness to support dynamic image reproduction in any indoor environment. The Planar Komodo Series is powered by Megapixel’s HELIOS LED Processing Platform, supporting video standards and delivering modular and flexible inputs to allow for endless creativity. Developed from the ground up by Planar and Megapixel, Planar Komodo Series features LED display cabinet electronics specifically designed to fully leverage the Megapixel platform.

“We are truly setting a new standard for visual excellence with the Planar Komodo Series,” said CEO at Planar Sidney Rittenberg. “Designed for the most demanding audiences, the Planar Komodo Series delivers a top-of-the-line video wall solution like nothing else available today. This is the first result of our partnership with Megapixel, and we are proud to be presenting the future of LED with another leader in the industry.”

In addition to 100 Gbps (G) ST2110 capability, a standard developed by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) to define professional media over an IP network, Planar Komodo Series features an upgradable design to support future standards and can be configured to meet customer application needs.

The Planar Komodo Series is designed to support today’s most in-demand formats, including 16:9 and 21:9. With the ability to build video walls from native Full HD and 4K to 8K and ultra-wide 5K, the flagship COB LED family delivers scalable, future-ready visual performance.

In corporate and education applications that benefit from ultra-wide 5K resolution, the Planar Komodo Series is ideal for conferencing, unified communications and hybrid collaboration. For applications demanding expansive or panoramic viewing experiences, it delivers an immersive, cinematic-scale seamless display that maximizes visual impact.

Planar Komodo Series features the latest advancements in COB technology, including improved color accuracy, high pixel density, sharper imagery and deeper blacks. In addition to an advanced manufacturing process that sorts and pairs only uniform LEDs together, eliminating abnormalities, Planar Komodo Series uses an alternating LED orientation to produce improved viewing angles and color uniformity. This helps ensure the highest quality viewing experiences, while enhancing the inherent benefits of COB technology.

“With more COB LED displays appearing in the market, we wanted to offer customers a video wall solution that uplevels the performance currently available,” said Robert Detwiler, senior director of product management at Planar. “The new Planar Komodo Series is our response. We are proud to bolster our selection of COB LED solutions with a high-end offering that is differentiated by an innovative alternating LED pattern that results in uncompromised visual performance, on top of the incredible power efficiency and durability users want in a COB LED display product.”

Alfalite, the exclusive U.S. partner of FOR-A America, launched of SKYPIX RGBW and IM, a new series of ceiling-mounted LED panels designed specifically for virtual production (VP XR) environments. This new solution introduces the ability to combine RGB video playback with an integrated white lighting channel to deliver more natural, coherent, and adaptable scenes from above—which Alfalite boasts is a first in the industry.

[The Evolution of Virtualized Production]

With a 3.9mm pixel pitch, up to 9,000 nits of RGB brightness, and a 7,680 Hz refresh rate, SKYPIX offers precise light control, a color temperature range between 3,200–6,504 degrees K, and a TM-30 color rendering index (Ra) of 90. Its average power consumption of just 35W (90W max) makes it an energy-efficient option for long studio sessions.

A standout feature of SKYPIX is its Invisible Marker (IM) system, which replaces traditional physical tracking markers with a virtual, invisible sticker compatible with existing tracking technologies. This system ensures accurate, real-time synchronization and allows for the configuration of customizable IM constellations that embed metadata directly into the shoot.

Lighting control is managed through a dedicated application that enables real-time adjustment of both color and intensity—by zone or by pixel—with user-defined presets tailored to production needs.

“With SKYPIX, we’re taking the integration of image and light within virtual production volumes one step further,” said Luis Garrido, executive director of Alfalite. “We listened to studios and lighting technicians to create a panel that not only displays content, but also lights the scene with unprecedented realism and communicates with the broader production system. It eliminates the maintenance and synchronization issues associated with traditional tracking markers. Once again, we’re surprising the market with a cutting-edge solution unlike anything previously available for film, television, advertising, and broadcast. It’s a tool designed to let creators focus on storytelling without compromising technical precision.”

The SKYPIX series is aimed at film, TV, advertising, live event, and broadcast productions working within VP XR environments, reinforcing Alfalite’s commitment to developing purpose-built solutions for this rapidly evolving sector.

Since its founding in 1950, United Community has grown steadily, establishing a strong presence throughout the southeastern United States. Today, the bank is one of the largest full-service financial institutions in the southeast, known for its commitment to customer service and community engagement, with numerous branches across several states.

When United opened its $65 million corporate headquarters in downtown Greenville, South Carolina, the new seven-story, 118,000-square-foot building was designed to meet the WELL Building Standard, which emphasizes a holistic approach to health in the built environment. Located along the Reedy River, the facility incorporates open and light-filled spaces, advanced air and water filtration systems, and carefully selected building materials to provide efficiency and thermal comfort. Amenities include quiet zones for fostering collaboration and downtime, two terraces, 29 conference rooms, and a dedicated gathering space and coffee bar.

United’s new headquarters also features two Planar fine-pitch LED video walls installed by commercial AV designer and integrator Advanced Video Group. According to Jason Lynch, director of facilities and purchasing at United Community Bank, the LED installations reflect the pivotal role that technology plays in the building’s interior design. “It’s a very important piece to the experience we want to create,” he said.

In the fourth-floor lobby and gathering space, the Welcome Wall is United’s statement-piece. The installation is a nearly 14-foot-wide, 8-foot-high (7x7) Planar MGP Series LED video wall with a 1.2mm pixel pitch that provides a variety of uses, including digital signage, messaging, presentations, and entertainment. “It’s a showstopper,” Lynch said. “When you come off the elevator, the video wall is the first thing you see.”

As a message board, the Welcome Wall allows United to post news, announcements, or corporate-wide updates like quarterly results. It can also be used to extend personalized greetings to clients and other visitors, leaving a lasting impression. “When people come to this building, we want the experience to be one they remember,” Lynch added.

For United’s employees, Lynch said the video wall enhances the work atmosphere, providing a vivid display to recognize birthdays and work anniversaries or see the bank’s social media posts in real-time: “It supports our corporate culture and fits within our vision to create a workplace that employees are excited about.”

Fit for a Boardroom

In the bank’s new boardroom, Advanced Video Group installed a nearly 12-foot-wide, 7-foot-high (6x6) Planar TVF Series LED video wall with a 1.5mm pixel pitch. Complemented with automatic tracking cameras, microphones, and a Cisco Webex room pro system, the LED video wall provides a tailored solution for presentations and video conferencing.

“The 16:9 aspect ratio of the Planar TVF Series video wall matches their traditional video sources without the need for scaling,” Adam Dox, president of Advanced Video Group said. “From an integration standpoint, we’ve had tremendous success with Planar’s LED lineup over many years. We have peace of mind knowing that Planar displays will perform reliably in high-visibility, high-traffic areas, confirming that the investment is truly worthwhile.”

According to Mark Terry, chief information officer at United Community Bank, the superior performance of the Planar displays was a key factor in their decision. “We looked at other options, but in the end, kept coming back to Planar for its picture quality,” he said. “It’s not just a piece of technology—it’s something that brings our community together.”

Get your free copy of SCN's Integration Guide to Video Walls.

Video Walls of Knowledge

The newly constructed Malachowsky Hall for Data Science & Information Technology at the University of Florida has integrated large displays in key areas to help faculty and students with data visualization.

At Issue

Experts from Absen, Christie, Datapath, LynTec, Peerless-AV, Planar, Sharp, and Sony explore some of the popular ways video walls are being used in corporate spaces.

Download the Integration Guide to Video Walls.

Read the March issue of Systems Contractor News.

CEDIA Expo has become my home electronics candy shop. Two home electronics categories might border on obsessions for me, and CEDIA helps fulfill that: displays and lighting.

If I lived by myself in a 20-room house, I'd have 15 displays. Each would be of the highest image quality available at that time and would be a combination of projectors, flat panels, and video walls. They would be switched out every few years, which admittedly, I do on a small scale now.

In my modest eight-room home, there are four outstanding TVs. I own a combination of LG, Samsung, and Sony. My husband and I thoroughly enjoy watching 4K movies on our Sony 65-inch A95K. Thanks to Sony's XR OLED Contrast Pro, its pure black contrast and a massive pallet of colors, the depth and detail from the brightest colors to deep shadows and everything in between deliver a breathtaking image. Plus, we've also got an outstanding surround sound system with an 18-inch subwoofer. Together, our audio and video movie-watching experience rivals a trip to the cinema.

On the rare occasion, I am willing to share my personal space, I head to my local IMAX theater, where I am reminded of just how spectacular and truly immersive the big screen and big sound deliver. Last weekend, my husband and I saw Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and the IMAX experience was worth enduring, the few glimpses of annoying bright lights from cell phones and the errant chatter.

I like Sony's tagline that was front and center at its booth at CEDIA, "Cinema is Coming Home." For the first time at CEDIA, Sony showcased its Crystal LED (CLED) video wall in a home theater setting. Of course, I've been seeing CLED at InfoComm and imagining how it would fit in my home. Pretty nicely, I'd say. I've got to be more patient for the prices to come down because I don't have the budget of someone who lives in a 20-room home.

Recently, home theater design and integration firm, CinemaTech had an opening at its new Florida showroom featuring Sony's CLED. "It was so immersive that when the dealers saw it, you could hear an audible gasp," said Jeff Goldstein, head of sales for its Custom Integration channel at Sony Electronics. "Sony is uniquely positioned to deliver the best cinema experience." In 2021, Netflix added a CLED video wall at its Los Angeles headquarters.

Fine Tuning My Lighting Obsession

Nearly every August for more than 20 years, I join my editor friends from competitive publications and participate on the panel of judges for the Lutron Excellence Awards.  Since 2003, Lutron Electronics' chief corporate brand ambassador, Melissa Andresko, has spearheaded awards. It's here that I developed my passion for all things lighting.

Custom integrators submit projects for consideration in various lighting and shading categories. The winners are announced at CEDIA. Check out the list of this year's Lutron Excellence Award winners.

Between reviewing and being inspired by well over 100 award entries, meeting with Lutron product managers, and seeing new products at CEDIA, I am even more focused on a new lighting solution for my kitchen.

Lutron recently announced the Ketra D2 and Rania D2 architectural downlights which were shown at CEDIA for the first time. D2 ushers in a new chapter for the company, making Ketra and Rania available in a smaller form factor than ever—a new two-inch aperture downlight.

"Ketra provides the best quality of light out there for white light and it can also do full saturated colors and follow the color temperature that the sun would have throughout the day," said Ben Bard, VP of luxury residential business at Lutron. "We have dramatically reduced the form factor to a 2-inch downlight. It represents a major shift for Lutron.

If color temperature in your home is important to you, you've got to check out Lutron's Ketra. With the combination of Ketra technology and the small form factor of Ketra D2 architectural downlights, I'm getting to work on planning lighting that will transform my kitchen experience.

It's a good thing I am not attending the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. My home budget can only take so much in one year.

Curious about Haivision Systems Haivision Command 360 video wall solution? The company will be showcasing it at GSX 2024 at booth 881 from September 23-25.

[Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend—But Not Video Production Workflow, Thanks to Haivision and Pronology]

“At Haivision, we understand the demands of operation and command centers and the Command 360 video wall solution is built to meet these needs. With a user-friendly interface that enhances situational awareness and streamlines workflows, Command 360 ensures that teams can operate at peak efficiency,” said Aaron Leiker, VP, operation centers, Haivision. “From monitoring critical infrastructure and managing public safety operations to optimizing corporate security and overseeing traffic systems, Command 360 excels by adapting to diverse applications and delivering consistent, reliable performance.”

[Adele to Enter Guinness Book of World Records with Largest Outdoor Video Wall]

As a complete video wall solution, Command 360 offers real-time insights and exceptional content flexibility and interactivity, empowering teams to make faster, more informed decisions. Command 360 provides key features that help organizations establish real-time situational awareness and respond to urgent situations quickly.

• Ability to display any content: Command 360 can display a wide range of content types, including live video feeds, data dashboards, maps, and applications, ensuring access to critical information in real-time.
• Centralized management: Easily manage user permissions by defining specific actions for each role across multiple operation centers. Customize your video wall with intuitive controls, including preset content layouts and scheduled workflows.
• Intuitive UI for any workflow: Whether users are customizing layouts, or responding to real-time events, Haivision’s easy-to-use interface ensures quick and efficient results with full user control.
• KVM control: Command 360 provides KVM control for direct interaction with multiple computers from a single keyboard and mouse, reducing hardware in control rooms, enhancing operational flexibility and efficiency.
• Defense-grade security: Haivision’s video wall solution incorporates robust encryption, secure access controls, and permissions to protect sensitive information and ensure data integrity.
• Multi-site scalability: By easily scaling from single-room setups to multi-location operations, Command 360 accommodates organizational growth and adjusts to evolving operational needs.

RGB Spectrum has launched its latest solution designed for mission-critical environments. The Zio W4008 Series Video Wall are its newest addition to the Zio AV-over-IP product family. Not giving up any power in its compact form factor, the Zio W4008 Series Video Wall drives up to 8x 4k60 or 2x 8k60 displays.

[Command and Control and Beyond]

The Zio W4008 series is packaged in a more compact 1RU chassis. It can be used as a standalone unit or as part of a larger Zio AV-over-IP system, providing reliable distribution and display of AV content across WANs and LANs using standard Gigabit Ethernet. The Zio product family includes a comprehensive range of encoders, decoders, multiviewers, wall processors, and a mobile app that supports phones and tablets, making it a versatile and scalable solution.

[Network-Enabled Efficiencies for Command and Control]

Four models of the Zio W4008 series are offered, each with different I/O configurations to meet diverse operational needs. A standout feature of the Zio W4008 series is its seamless integration with RGB Spectrum’s XtendPoint KVM-over-IP system. Specifically, the W4008-C model connects the video wall with the facility’s operator console, creating a unified and efficient command-and-control solution.

3 Things to Know about the Zio W4008 Series

• Supports a mix of local baseband, IP video, and web-based inputs, ensuring versatile and comprehensive AV content management.
• A powerful drag-and-drop Zio GUI allows for quick and easy configuration of the video wall, eliminating the need for advanced programming skills.
• Live thumbnail previews of baseband and Zio IP sources, along with user-defined presets for layouts and routing, enhance the user experience and operational efficiency.

NBC Sports will utilize Planar’s LED solutions to present high brightness and superior precision for unrivaled image detail, helping NBC Sports route the excitement in Paris back to viewers watching coverage of the Games in the United States. NBC Sports’ production will feature Planar DirectLight Pro Series LED video wall in a 1.2mm pixel pitch, as well as an outdoor Planar Luminate Ultra Series LED video wall in a 1.5mm pixel pitch for its production of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

[Nearly 100 Sony Cameras to Power 2024 Paris Olympics]

“Planar has been a long-time trusted partner of NBC Sports,” Atila Ozkaplan, VP of production operations, Olympics. “We're excited to continue to feature their LED display technology in Paris and use their latest fine pixel pitch outdoor LED product line for the first time in our Primetime studio, showcasing the incredible visuals created by our talented graphics teams in their full vibrancy.”

Planar has worked with NBC Sports since 2016, assisting NBC Sports’ production efforts at previous Olympics and other major international sports events in Asia and South America.

[Canon Heads to Paris: Lenses Selected for NBC's Olympics Broadcast]

“Planar’s state-of-the-art LED video walls seamlessly disappear inside many of the world's finest broadcast studios, enabling elevated storytelling and unmatched viewing experiences,” said Planar EVP Adam Schmidt. “We’re delighted to once again support NBC Sports for another legendary presentation with visualization solutions that reliably deliver for broadcasters and viewers alike."

Hiperwall has released Hiperwall Version 9.0, the next step in its evolution of its AV-over-IP video wall technology. Focused on enhanced performance, flexibility, and ease of use, Hiperwall 9.0 introduces several innovative features designed to meet the diverse and mission-critical needs of command-and-control room customers. 

With Hiperwall 9.0, all video wall systems will now benefit from the enhanced video wall layout flexibility of HiperLayout. Historically an add-on option for higher-end systems, the inclusion of HiperLayout in all Version 9 systems makes it possible for customers to group displays into walls and allows centralized control and content sharing across multiple video walls managed by a single HiperController PC. This upgrade provides numerous other benefits, including the ability to define unique SmartSnap grids for each video wall in the system, incorporate displays of different sizes and resolutions seamlessly, use arbitrary display names, and easily rotate displays at any angle for artistic layouts.  

[UNLVY Takes Higher-Ed Professionals Back to School with Three New Massive Video Walls]

Additionally, a suite of user-experience enhancements is aimed at upping command and control room operations. New features, like text labels and content borders, allow operators and administrators to add text labels to content items and utilize unique color borders for enhanced visual impact of shared objects.  

For customers with multiple video walls, text labels and content borders can be adjusted and customized to compensate for wall sizes, viewing distances, and customer preferences, ensuring the best viewing experience.  

The latest version of HiperOperator, the main control application for in-room and remote video wall operators, builds upon the significant UI overhaul of Version 8.5 and introduces various new features to enhance ease of use. These features include drag-and-drop functionality for seamless content movement, extended SmartSnap and SmartSwap capabilities, and the addition of labels and borders. HiperSource Sender also received a significant overhaul aimed at simplifying source management and offering users a comprehensive view of all created sources within the application window, including crucial information such as connection status, size, UUID, and name.

[An Investment in Quality]

Lastly, exclusive to HiperCare customers, Hiperwall Version 9.0 introduces Settings Backup, a new feature that allows system administrators to save and restore their video wall settings easily. This ensures quick recovery following hardware replacements or upgrades and facilitates the migration of video wall systems to new sites. 

Planar introduced the Planar Luminate Ultra W Series as the newest addition to the company’s portfolio of high bright, fine pixel-pitch LED video wall display solutions for outdoor use. The series pairs the latest advancements in LED technology with a 16:9 wide aspect ratio, allowing users to create standard resolution in fine pitch outdoor LED and redefine close-up outdoor viewing of media-rich content.

Delivering outdoor pixel pitch in a 16:9 format, Planar Luminate Ultra W Series models incorporate MicroLED technology to produce enhanced black levels and high brightness even in direct sunlight. The new solution features models in 1.3, 1.6 and 2.0 millimeter pixel pitches, which can be configured to perfectly match Full HD and Ultra HD resolutions. With up to 3000-nit brightness, the fine pixel pitch LED video wall display supports viewing from as close as eight feet in outdoor applications spanning high-end residential, informational signage, retail, hospitality and sports and entertainment venues.

The latest outdoor solution also introduces Planar Luminate Ultra W Complete pre-configured LED video wall displays. Available in 115-inch, 145-inch, and 173-inch diagonal Full HD resolution and 231-inch diagonal 4K resolution video wall sizes, Planar Luminate Ultra W Complete furthers Planar’s commitment to reduce the time, cost and complexity of outdoor video wall design and installation. The line of off-the-shelf LED video wall displays equips customers with everything needed for effective, hassle-free deployment, including LED display cabinets, spare modules, wall mounts, cables and a video controller.

Planar Luminate Ultra W Series customers also benefit from front-service ruggedization with Glue-on-Board (GOB) technology. This results in added durability and a surface that is easy to clean, helping ensure that the product not only stays brighter, but also maintains a stunning appearance long term. The solution is also designed to simplify maintenance, allowing customers to replace individual modules or hardware elements as opposed to the entire display. 

In 2016, a large donor wall built with commercial LCDs was integrated in the Brent & Lynn Belzberg Donor Recognition Centre on the main floor lobby of Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital. Installed by Toronto-based design and integration firm Envision, the video wall at that time was the biggest and most complex donor wall in North America, according to Envision chief executive officer Mark Wilson. 

“We were seeing a growing need in hospitals for large-scale recognition of significant donations, and Mount Sinai was the first to really have the ambition to do what they did,” Wilson said. “They wanted to make a big and bold statement to the general public and to all of their stakeholders that conveyed how important the culture of philanthropy was to them.” 

When the original donor wall was nearing its end of life, the hospital again consulted Envision—this time on a redesign. “The original installation was designed in a way to allow the screens to be updated at a future date, which meant we could retain the majority of the fixture and replace the technology on the inside,” Wilson said. “The client wanted a specific look and feel as well as detailed control of the content management system. That really drove the technology decisions.” 

Located in a narrow hallway of the lobby space, the donor wall had always presented challenges from the perspective of viewing angles, Chris Murdy, head of Digital and Innovation at Envision said. “It was a focus of ours to improve the seamless look of the canvas and to reduce the repair surface of the display, which is susceptible to damage from the high amount of foot traffic through the hallway,” he said. “Moving to an LED product, we wanted to specify something where cabinets, modules, or tiles could be easily replaced if need be.” 

A Fine Choice

After a careful evaluation of suppliers, Envision recommended a Planar LED solution, which ultimately led to the installation of a nearly 36-foot-wide, 6-foot-high (18x5) Planar MGP Series LED Video Wall with a 1.5mm pixel pitch (MGP1.5). 

As a large retrofit, Murdy said the redesigned donor wall was very complex from the perspective of forming a new product into an existing design. “There was also a high expectation of reliability, which required a lot of thought and planning into providing redundancy with power, data, and media playback,” he said. “We worked with Planar engineers to specify the right LED controllers and to ensure we would not have a mismatch with video distribution.” 

Murdy added that the project also had a huge requirement to provide the hospital with a much more dynamic tool, allowing them to easily modify the canvas or reformat content. “This was a complete, ground-up reinvention of the experience,” Murdy said. “It was important to establish the future value of this opportunity with the client and ensure they didn’t feel limited by the technology. Planar was a key partner in this regard.” 

Vince Rozas, director of Design and Production at Sinai Health Foundation, said the new Planar LED video wall—with its multifaceted use and vibrant clarity, and the new content designed by Envision—has completely revamped how the hospital recognizes its many generous donors. “Previously, we were dealing with constraints given the fact that the display wasn’t seamless,” Rozas explained. “It was smaller fonts, inconsistent colors, and things could easily get lost in the seams.” 

But following the update, the hospital now has a captivating fine-pitch LED surface to engage audiences, and more flexibility in the way they can present messages, graphics, and videos. They also have more control over managing content. “We are a lot quicker on our feet,” Rozas said. “If we need to react to something or change the content that is displayed, we can do it a lot faster.” 

And, while the primary function is donor recognition, the hospital can also use the LED video wall for other purposes such as signature events, communications, large fundraisers, or brand marketing initiatives. “We can plug-and-play anything,” he said. “The animations are clean; the colors much brighter; and visually, the scale of the video wall is really eye-catching,” Rozas said. 

 “Like so many examples of great design, the new donor wall blends really well within the environment,” Wilson said. “It’s integrated in a way that’s aesthetically pleasing; the video wall is very large in scale, but it doesn’t look oversized. The way LED has transformed the experience is incredible, and most importantly, it provides an impressive canvas for the foundation to recognize its donors.” 

PPDS is launching its first line of elementary direct-view LED solutions with the new and versatile Philips Public LED 5000 Series bringing new opportunities and enhancing or extending indoor visual communications.

Designed to enhance indoor public spaces—such as retail stores, shopping centers, corporate spaces and offices, cinemas, theaters, stadiums and arenas, and casinos—the new Philips Public LED 5000 Series is an ideal solution for those seeking to introduce or replace existing LCD screens with dvLED, with a price tag that will allow more businesses to benefit from this engaging display technology.

The Philips Public LED 5000 Series is available in 44-inch (500x1000mm) and 28-inch (500x500mm) panel variants. Each offers a choice of modules with three different pixel pitches and dimensions of 1.9pp (128x128), 2.5pp (100x100) and 3.9pp (6464)—supporting an array of viewing distances. The 500x1000 and 500x500 metric-sized panels have also been developed to facilitate easy concepting and implementation for interior and retail architects.

Delivering up to 500 nit brightness, and 150 degree viewing angles—flat screen or concave creations—the Philips Public LED 5000 Series provides optimum visual performance in almost any indoor environment with consistent lighting conditions.

As with all the latest Philips digital signage, business TVs, interactive, and dvLED products, the Philips Public LED 5000 Series benefits from PPDS’ strategy to significantly reduce waste—including plastic—from its packaging, with all panels and accessories delivered in 100 per cent recycled and recyclable materials.

Planar is upping its LED video wall solutions. The company enhance its next-generation LED video wall families for indoor and outdoor and on-camera applications such as virtual production (VP) and extended reality (XR): the Planar Venue Pro Series; Planar Venue Pro VX Series; and Planar Luminate Pro Series.

The new and enhanced Planar Venue Pro Series, Planar Venue Pro VX Series, and Planar Luminate Pro Series support nearly any temporary or permanent installation in markets spanning VP, rental and staging, live events, corporate environments and broadcast. Enhancements include support to create convex or concave curved video walls as a result of built-in curving blocks with the ability to facet up to 7.5 degrees. All electronics are accessible from the front, making wall mounting a viable option. With universal hardware for hanging or free-standing video walls, the families limit the need for additional, expensive hardware. The new models also retain features that support single-person setup such as a lightweight design and quick-lock system.

[Wait Until You See This 'LED MegaWall' Virtual Production Stage from Planar]

“Over the last few years, we’ve seen these product families quickly become popular choices for our customers in VP and XR and in fast-paced events as a result of the high brightness, high performing scan, and refresh rates and flexibility they deliver to accommodate a wide set of installation options,” said Robert Detwiler, senior director of product management and training at Planar. “These next-generation versions expand on these capabilities and take deployment versatility to new heights to support practically any kind of installation today and in the future.”

In addition to high brightness, customers also benefit from finer pixel pitches and enhanced viewing angles for outstanding visual performance. Additionally, built-in LED corner protection all three updated video wall solutions limit damage caused by setup and teardown to help extend product lifespan.

New Planar Venue Pro Series indoor LED video wall displays support quick setup and disassembly for corporate events, tradeshows and beyond. The next-generation solution introduces new 1.5 and 2.9 millimeter pixel pitch models to round out the lineup’s existing 1.9 and 2.5 millimeter models. 

[SCN Finally Goes Inside the Vegas Sphere ... and We Had a Ball]

Following its introduction in September 2022, the next-generation Planar Venue Pro VX Series offers improved contrast, lower scan ratio and higher frame rates for unparalleled in-camera and on-camera performance. The line of indoor fine pixel pitch LED video wall displays is designed to revolutionize the production of lifelike content such as recorded, streamed or broadcast video. Models are now available in 1.5 and 1.9 millimeter pixel pitches and are compatible with Brompton LED processors and LED controllers from Colorlight.

Optimized for people in need of a bright outdoor solution with relatively close viewing distances, the Planar Luminate Pro Series models are designed to combat direct sunlight. The family is available with narrow 2.5 and 2.9 millimeter pixel pitches to support comfortable viewing from as close as 14 feet. The displays also feature an IP65 Ingress Protection rating to withstand harsh weather, in addition to delivering improved contrast and a higher refresh rate to elevate viewing experiences in temporary event applications and fixed installations. 

Nanolumens recently a 4K version of its Captivate Series. The easy-to-install, complete LED display solution is an all-in-one solution is ideal for applications that require higher resolution to visualize fine details. Ranging from 120-180 inches, the Captivate Series offers customers the flexibility to choose the perfect size for their specific environment.

"The Captivate Series is a testament to Nanolumens' commitment to display solutions that are energy-efficient, ultra-thin, and lightweight.”, said Kurt DeYoung, CRO at Nanolumens. "This series is a complete solution that eliminates the need for additional components and eases design and installation costs typically associated with dvLED displays. Nanolumens’ Captivate displays are in-stock and available exclusively through our distribution partner, TD Synnex. This Series allows for more cost-effective and easy workplace renovations and is available with our renowned white glove installation."

[Ask the Experts: 18 AV/IT Industry Thought Leaders On Displays] 

Key Features of the Captivate Series:

• Super-Sized Options: Captivate is available in 120, 150, and 180 inches in full HD resolution and the new 165-inch model in full 4K UHD.
• All-in-One Turnkey Solution: Captivate eliminates the need for additional components, simplifying installation and reducing design and installation costs.
• 2.0-inch System Depth: Designed with a slim profile for seamless integration into any environment.
• 100K Lifetime Hours: Ensures long-lasting performance and durability.
• White Glove Installation: Installation is made easy, whether you choose a wall mount or a mobile cart, Nanolumens offers a hassle-free experience.
• Range of Applications: Ideal choice for corporate meeting rooms, houses of worship, higher education facilities, and more. 

In Somerville, Massachusetts, Boynton Yards is a life science and innovation community near Cambridge’s Kendall Square and a hub where science and culture mix. The first purpose-built lab building in the mixed-use development is a 289,000-square-foot, nine-story facility developed by Leggat McCall Properties that features state-of-the-art research and development lab space, offices, and amenities.

In the elevator lobby of the building, a digital art installation combining physical and digital media invites tenants and visitors to explore a series of ever-changing animations representing various patterns found in nature. Created by experiential design firm SOSO, the multimedia piece named “Observer Effect” was constructed using five vertically mounted Planar MGP Series 1.5mm pixel pitch LED video walls with custom fabricated acrylic lenses positioned over parts of the displays. As viewers move and look at the artwork from different angles, the lenses work to amplify, distort, and deconstruct the visuals. 

Creating a Theme

According to SOSO, the acrylic lenses are meant to resemble the optical instruments that scientists use to observe the natural world and the artwork itself is a reflection of the act of scientific observation. The piece also thematically ties in with the work occurring in the building, according to SOSO founding partner John Rothenberg. “These are scientists who look closely at small things and make observations that lead to all kinds of exciting discoveries,” he said. “But then they’re zooming out and seeing how it affects things at a more global scale. We took that as a metaphor and dived into the process of ‘observing the act of observing.’ The underlying theme of the artwork is a simulation of natural phenomena discovered through close observation.”

The artwork’s animation is driven by a simulation algorithm called reaction-diffusion—a mathematical model corresponding to a wide variety of patterns that occur in the natural world. “It’s a well-published algorithm that can be used to mimic patterns like you would see with sand dunes, cuttlefish skin, sea coral, or zebra stripes,” Rothenberg explained.

[ On Displays: Planar ]

Embrace the Material

Contrary to most LED display applications, where the intent is to minimize pixelation, SOSO designed the artwork to embrace the materiality of the display. “In our case, we wanted to play with the pixelation as part of the layers of observation,” SOSO designer and creative technologist Dalma Földesi said. “That was our playful approach with the displays and the use of the lenses—as you look at the artwork from different angles, you can see the pixels split into their individual components.”

Rothenberg noted that the lensing is very kinetic and responsive to human movement. “Even subtle shifts in your position, like a tilt of the head, will produce a dramatic ripple with what you see in the graphics,” he said.

Planar MGP Series LED displays were very effective for SOSO’s purposes and offered the perfect scale for the vertical columns they used. “We had unique mounting requirements for this project; instead of a sixteen by nine screen, we wanted thin bands, high resolution, great visual characteristics, and also a reasonable price,” Rothenberg said. “The Planar MGP Series was great on all those fronts. It made for a really fun canvas for artwork, especially when you get to play with it outside of the typical form factor.” 

Leggat McCall project manager Rola Idris said, “We wanted to create an experience that inspires and energizes our tenants who pass through the lobby every day. The artwork is never the same at any two moments. The patterns and colors of the piece perpetually change and recombine to make new visuals.”

[ Planar Studios Aims to Expand AV and IT Knowledge on Virtual Production ]

Extron recently welcomed the GPO NEX-series of video wall displays to the Extron Quantum Ultra Certification program. When coupled with Extron Quantum Ultra and Quantum Ultra II 8K Videowall Processors, select display models of the GPO NEX-series have been certified for consistent, stable presentation of source content. These video wall displays have passed Extron’s extensive testing program and are now identified as “Quantum Ultra Certified."

[Let the Games Begin]

“Dependability and performance are central concerns with mission-critical video wall systems, whether it’s a public space or a command-and-control center,” said Casey Hall, chief marketing officer for Extron. “The Quantum Ultra processor’s configurability and capabilities combined with Quantum Ultra Certified displays like the GPO NEX-series mean proven and reliable video wall performance around the clock and seven days a week."

GPO models currently certified include the 49 and 55-inch NEX-series LCD Videowall Displays, which are also TAA compliant.

[You Got to See this Enormous 92-Foot Video Wall]

The Quantum Ultra certification program guarantees product compatibility. System designers can take comfort knowing that the image processing and display products have been tested together using established parameters, such as image acquisition, image stability, and EDID management. By specifying a Quantum Ultra Certified display, you can streamline video wall integration, reducing the need for on-site troubleshooting.

Matrox Video has partnered partnership with Danish video surveillance equipment manufacturer Ernitec to develop a video wall offering, which will be sold exclusively through Ernitec's European distributor, EET Group, alongside the rest of Ernitec's workstations and servers. The collaboration was a natural fit considering EET already represents the Matrox Video product range. With a Matrox Video/Ernitec video wall offering, EET's sales team can cater to full-service Pro AV system integrators and resellers with an additional, ready-to-go video wall package. The flexibility of Matrox's video wall products presents many new market opportunities for EET and for Matrox Video.

Like Ernitec's video surveillance server range, the Matrox Video/Ernitec solution offers a modular approach to building video walls on demand—whether someone needs a small, four-display wall with simple layout management or a large wall that can capture incoming signals from various different sources. Matrox Video's use of nonproprietary IP-encoding/decoding standards enables AV-over-IP RTSP and SRT streaming, which makes it possible to display any video source at any destination.

[A Video Wall Solution Helps Cybersecurity Provider Meet Monitoring Demands]

"With these new video wall solutions, we can take advantage of tremendous growth opportunities. EET sales staff and integrators will be able to offer a technically complex solution in a simplified, tested, and certified way," said Katrin Kerber, EET account manager for Matrox Video. "A lot of pro AV resellers would love to offer video walls to their customers but are often hesitant because of the potential technical challenges with computer hardware. Ernitec is an expert on computer hardware."

[Running from Fears in Pro AV] 

"Our collaboration with Matrox Video means Ernitec can provide new video wall servers out of the box to solve video wall challenges," said Lars Ritt Berthelsen, head of Ernitec. "Our Danish production of servers enable us to customize Matrox's video wall solutions uniquely to the needs of each project. Our strong competencies together give not only the pro AV but also the security industry some unique opportunities to solve the often-heavy video wall tasks in an intuitive and tailor-made way."

When coupled with Extron Quantum Ultra and Quantum Ultra II 8K Videowall Processors, select models of the Philips X-Line series of displays from PPDS have been certified for consistent, stable presentation of source content. These video wall displays have passed Extron’s extensive testing program and are now identified as “Quantum Ultra Certified."

[Here's How AV-over-IP Solutions Bring UNC’s Curtis Media Center to Life]

“Video wall applications demand the highest level of dependability and performance, especially for mission-critical installations,” said Casey Hall, chief marketing officer for Extron. “The Quantum Ultra processor’s configurability and capabilities, such as support of 8K video and 500 Gbps bus throughput, combined with installation of Quantum Ultra Certified devices like the highly popular Philips X-Line display series mean reliable videowall performance from integration to operation, including in mission-driven and 24/7 environments."

Philips X-Line models currently certified include the 55-inch BDL3207X, BDL4107X, and BDL8007X, the 65-inch BDL6005X, and the 49 and 55-inch BDL2105X, which are also TAA compliant.

[SCN Hybrid World: How to Make Room Scheduling Easy]

The Quantum Ultra certification program minimizes compatibility concerns. System designers can take comfort knowing that the image processing and display products have been tested together using established parameters, such as image acquisition, image stability, and EDID management. By specifying a Quantum Ultra Certified display, you can streamline videowall integration, reducing the need for on-site troubleshooting.

Get your free copy of the 2023 Integration Guide to Video Walls.

‘Meet Us’ in DC

The Molina Family Latino Gallery at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, opened last June. Learn about its large, interactive video wall, which features engaging content and six virtual greeters, who encourage visitors to follow the chronological layout of the exhibit.

At Issue

Experts explore the current trends in the installation and use of video walls in corporate environments.

Product Showcase

Check out the latest streaming solutions from ADI Global, Black Box, Chief, Neoti, Philips, Planar, RGB Spectrum, and Sony.

Download the 2023 Integration Guide to Video Walls.

Read the March issue of Systems Contractor News.

AVT Question: Please share your insights on display trends and best practices that can help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

Thought Leader: Amber Ward, Director of Marketing of Carousel Digital Signage

Before you begin your digital signage journey, the first question to ask yourself is: “What content will I share?” If you don’t know the answer to this question, then you shouldn’t be installing digital signage. It is easy to get excited about technology, but people tend to let that excitement overtake the reality, which is that content matters most. To communicate effectively, you must know your target audience, and the message you are trying to communicate. This is where many digital signage systems fail—emphasizing technology and excitement over effective use and messaging.

After you have determined your target audience, you can start thinking about where that audience congregates. In which locations will your digital signage perform best? The break room is a great place to put innovation and success on display for all employees to see; the conference room is a wonderful space to remind teams of upcoming events; and the lobby works wonders for interactive displays that help visitors navigate your building. 

We have always said that updating signage needs to be easier than sending an email. If everyone can create and contribute content with ease of use, the likelihood of success vastly improves. With an expanded team of content creators, a broader team can collaborate on messaging to ensure your digital signage network is populated with diverse, fresh content that offers different perspectives. Be sure your system allows for easy collaboration with content approval. 

Choose a system that integrates with other data sources so that the information is automatically updated without manual intervention. This means your content is always fresh. For example, lunch menus and event calendars are probably already being entered somewhere else; grab that information and display it. This is simply an extension of collaboration. If you want displays that pack a punch, start here and your journey will prove successful.

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience.

A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On Displays intro article

AVT Question: Please share your insights on display trends and best practices that can help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

Thought Leader: Ben Hardy, Senior Product Manager, Large Format Displays at Sharp/NEC

The focus for decision-makers here should be to hone in on the customer’s unique needs before choosing the right digital signage display—whether projection, LCD, or dvLED technologies. Choosing the correct display system is going to be dependent on the needs and goals of the customer and the environment that the product is going to be functioning in. 

Here are some key questions to ask beforehand—all of which will help identify what type of display technology will suffice: Does the environment require 24/7 run times? Will the display be placed in a high-ambient-light environment? Are there plans to control the displays via some type of third-party control system? What will be the viewing distance? What is the budget? Are there any other installation conditions that come into play when choosing the correct display for a digital signage project? (Keep in mind that this is not necessarily restricted to just LCD panels). 

Once you have established the unique needs of the customer, we can then use this information to offer the correct display for the application in order to ensure that all needs are being met. 

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience.

A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On Displays intro article

AVT Question: Please share your insights on display trends and best practices that can help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

Thought Leader: Debbie Dewitt, Marketing Communications Manager at Visix

No one considers PowerPoint an IT job, but clients often concentrate on the hardware size because it’s networked. Just like PowerPoint, digital signage is about the presentation—not what it’s presented on.

Let’s consider the fundamentals. There first needs to be an understanding of the audience that will consume the content, including demographics and interests. That base knowledge will help the user create and deliver relevant content that drives audience engagement. The ability to target content to different groups across many locations takes that effectiveness to the next level. Users can then create effective schedules that rotate specific messages during certain time slots. Dayparting will give people time to view, absorb, and react to a reasonable number of messages. We suggest rotating seven to ten key messages a day to optimize effectiveness.

High-impact displays are of course reliant on compelling design. Digital signage is a visual medium that benefits from users who understand design principles, necessitating effective graphic design skills that bring compelling visuals, graphics, and videos to the screen. Speaking of screens, the content should match the specific display. Understand what themes and visuals best work across the mix of endpoints on your network, from interactive touchscreens and kiosks to large, immersive video walls

Users will find that matching content to displays is far easier with a powerful CMS that lacks complication. Few businesses and organizations have the resources for dedicated design experts assigned to digital signage. Make sure the CMS you choose is easy to learn for multiple contributors, able to pull in data from external sources, and capable of advanced applications. That includes leveraging analytics within the CMS to keep tabs on what content plays where and when, who is contributing content, and who might need additional inspiration and training to ensure displays remain impactful and bring value to your communications strategy.

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience.

A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On Displays intro article

AVT Question: Please share your insights on display trends and best practices that can help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

Thought Leader: Phong Phanel, Senior Marketing Manager at ViewSonic

There are many choices out in the marketplace for great digital signage displays to fit any environment. ProAV installers make daily recommendations to ensure that the right display fits their client’s business. After that, it’s up to the client to create the content that will be on the screen.

What can make a digital signage display stand out and be “high impact?” Content. Content plays a vital role in messaging and communications, whether wayfinding or promotional materials. This is when the desktop work monitor comes in.

For the content creator, a premium desktop monitor is the starting point. These monitors should be calibrated for a variety of color spaces, including sRGB for standard broadcast and web distribution, Adobe RGB for commercial art and print, and DCI-P3 for digital cinema and video editing work. The resolution of the digital signage display and the monitor should match to ensure consistency in the content. 

It’s also important for the content creator to be able to visualize the message and context of what they want on the display. They need to translate the information into a real image and understand how it will be articulated on a digital signage display. If any colors are off or the brightness doesn’t work, it can mean that the viewer may not experience the message as it was intended. 

Many digital signage displays are available with HDR support, and the communications and messaging images/visuals will want to take advantage of this. Almost all images and video will have more image data than what is on screen. With HDR displays, these details can be captured and saved, even if it’s not shown on the screen. Such details can be transferred to when video is captured and shown later, whether printed or on another medium.

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience.

A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On Displays intro article

AVT Question: Please share your insights on display trends and best practices that can help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

Thought Leader: Jim Vasgaard, National Sales Manager, AV Sales Channel at Daktronics

High-impact displays are something everyone is looking for today, but the deployment of such an impactful system starts with planning and preparation. As a display owner, you need to define the product and impact you desire along with the budget and space you have available. Are you looking for one large display or multiple smaller displays at many locations? 

After this step, you need to determine your content management system and plans for personnel. Having someone with the time, skills, and technical savvy is crucial to making your audiovisual presentation successful. You don’t want to end up with a large screen saver on your wall. Get the right pieces in place to make an impact and optimize your presentation. 

The trend we’re seeing today includes businesses of all different types exploring how they can change the vibe or feeling of their venue, whether it’s in the lobby, gathering areas, or meeting rooms. Let’s face it, people today are extremely accustomed to smartphones and tablets that deliver cool graphics, as well as intuitive presentations that entertain and inform; that’s what we have come to expect from a digital display experience. Corporate environments are catering to today’s culture that craves digital engagement as the norm, and not as the exception. 

As such, more and more venues are using digital signage as art that can be changed quickly and updated easily. This content can also catch peoples’ eyes with movement and depth. Many businesses are looking to implement this type of ambiance—an environment that engages with people and leverages the versatility of digital signage to deliver this experience. To make it all happen, future display owners should partner with a company whose skills align with their vision, and then they can collaborate for a successful presentation.

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience.

A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On Displays intro article

AVT Question: Please share your insights on display trends and best practices that can help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

Thought Leader: Jordan Feil, Director of Marketing at Navori Labs

As an industry, we often become fixated on the visual when we discuss how to create high-impact displays. We focus on resolution, pixel pitch, and similar technical elements. I would argue that display placement is equally important. The impact of digital signage is more often than not tied directly to display locations. Inside a shopping mall, for example, we suggest installing displays that invite consistent dwell times, such as within a food court, on an escalator, or inside an elevator. There is little benefit in creating content of exceptional quality if your audiences don’t have an opportunity to consume it.

Make no mistake, however: Users still need to create and deliver high-quality content. Content teams can take full advantage of the latest visual technologies in high-resolution LED screens, multi-display video walls, and other widescreen displays by producing 4K or even 8K content. It makes little sense to invest in the latest high-resolution display technology if the quality and resolution of your content is still created in 1080i or 1080p.

Content curation is another important component, as emphasizing personalized content based on audience demographics and behaviors will only strengthen the overall impact. Navori’s Aquaji marketing analytics platform is one option that can help content teams enhance content personalization and relevance.

Display manufacturers continue to bring more technologically advanced products to market with clearer and cleaner pictures. There are also some downsides, and that includes balancing the power consumption of modern displays with escalating energy costs. This is where choosing the right digital signage software can bring added benefits, such as creating a daily schedule that automates on-off functions. Whether driven by an organization’s green initiative or compliance with local energy-saving regulations, the digital signage software responsible for bringing high-impact content to your displays can also make a strong impact on reducing energy consumption across your display network.

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience.

A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On Displays intro article

AVT Question: Please share your insights on display trends and best practices that can help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

Thought Leader: Aaron Leiker, Vice President, Operation Centers at Haivision

As video walls gain popularity due to their visual storytelling abilities, more organizations are recognizing the value of digital signage and display technology. With so many different options, it can be difficult to navigate the various choices and understand which display system will best fit the needs of projects. But before making any big purchases, it’s important to first develop a content strategy.

Knowing what content will be displayed will help in identifying which technology solution will fit the project. Choosing the display system first can leave organizations in a situation where content and creativity is limited to the capabilities of the technology. It’s also crucial to have an updated cadence in place. Without a plan to periodically update the content on display, the digital signage can quickly become outdated and irrelevant. 

Once a content strategy is established, decision-makers should consider what environment the display will live in and how it’s meant to be consumed. Display environments can single-handedly eliminate certain technology if the environment demands a large amount of space or an unobstructed line of sight. For example, LCD and LED video walls are quite slim, whereas a projection system is larger and requires more room for the display. The environment will also have an impact on the way the display is consumed. If the display is operating at nighttime or in a dark setting, brightness will be a key factor. Brightness is also essential for displays meant to be seen from a distance, while signage that needs to be read up close must prioritize resolution. 

Understanding these key factors and the different features of each potential display system will enable decision-makers to choose the best video wall or digital signage for their organization. 

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience.

A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On Displays intro article

AVT Question: Please share your insights on display trends and best practices that can help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

Thought Leader: Tomer Mann, Chief Revenue Officer at 22Miles

We’ve all heard that “content is king,” but kings require massive investments of time, money, and service for their upkeep. Content should be your servant—always immediately available to accomplish new goals with a few simple instructions and ready to make your life easier instead of creating work for you.

Creating engaging, interactive digital signage content doesn’t require special skills or dedicated staff with a modern content management system (CMS). With little to no coding, you can automate your signage design and connect your CMS to sources including calendars, directory databases, room management systems, and social media channels to populate your signs with dynamic content. 

Today’s advanced CMS systems can instantly skin their templates with your organization’s logo and branding, simplifying template selection and formatting. Adding interactivity should be just as fast and user friendly. In our latest CMS, you can add interactive widgets from connected platforms, like room booking software, via a simple drag-and-drop.

Crucially, with the right CMS, you don’t have to wait for hardware upgrades to roll out new content. If your CMS allows mobile control and experiences, you can offer dynamic, interactive visual experiences without a touchscreen. Users can control interactive signage from their mobile devices, or even scan an on-screen or static sign QR code and access the whole experience as an HTML5 or native app.

To put all this content at your beck and call, look for a CMS that can serve as a truly universal backend—able to send content to any sign, mobile device, video wall, or desktop. Working from a single system like this keeps your content unified and updated while letting you reach your audience through a myriad of channels. Whatever you need—even as your use cases, goals, and audiences evolve—the system will be at your service.

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience.

A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On Displays intro article

AVT Question: Please share your insights on display trends and best practices that can help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

Thought Leader: Martin Waverley, Senior Director of Sales, Americas at Christie

To create a high-impact display, start by determining which display technology works best for your environment, how it will be used, and your budget. LCD displays are a great solution for public spaces, lounges, and applications including digital signage; and LCD displays have a much lower initial investment compared to LED. LED is optimal for creating large canvases where visual acuity is of utmost importance. LEDs, at a premium price, are best suited for applications including critical viewing, control room, and premium corporate spaces. Now, and in the not-so-distant future, as we watch direct-view LED prices drop, you will see this technology being used and designed into more applications as they are becoming more palatable to the overall budget and ROI. 

Next, think about how content will be delivered to the display, whether it’s through a computer or a media server. Look for displays that provide flexible and built-in image processing, which will allow you to visualize and manage content directly on the display. For larger, more advanced displays, including video walls, or for content that has different resolutions or formats—choosing a content management system or image processing solution that is flexible, integrated into the display, and that has a broad feature set is key to ensuring impeccable-looking content.

Networking and distribution is another key aspect of the display to consider, as the infrastructure can become very complex quickly, especially in venues that have multiple displays or video walls that show synchronized or layered content. SDVoE systems, like Christie Terra, allow for the design of simple, flexible, and scalable system architectures based on off-the-shelf 10G Ethernet components for uncompressed, zero-frame-latency content. Displays that support software for installation and servicing, and are compatible with a control system, are adaptable to the widest variety of applications.

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience.

A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On Displays intro article

AVT Question: Please share your insights on display trends and best practices that can help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

Thought Leader: Ramzi Shakra, Senior Product Manager, Large Venue Projectors at Epson America

In recent years, we’ve seen a shift in how consumers engage with content, resulting in changes around how displays are designed and content is delivered. As integrators, business owners, and technology professionals focus on high-impact displays, it’s crucial that current media delivery systems cut through the noise of a saturated market. 

At Epson, we’ve seen display technology rapidly innovate to meet today’s demand for bigger, more elaborate displays. It’s important to understand where the audience will be in relation to the display. Up-close viewing, especially for highly detailed content, will benefit from a high-resolution display. Projection can create large, cost-effective displays, while panel-shifting technology such as Epson’s 4K enhancement can provide on-screen resolution beyond HD video. To take advantage of high-resolution displays, source content should be at, or near, 4K resolution. While the benefit of high-pixel-resolution content is clear, it can be impacted by not tracking video compression during the production workflow; excessive compression on stills or moving video can lead to visible artifacts and negate the benefits of a high-resolution display.

Creating high-impact displays that are clear, easy to consume, and engaging involves a complete display ecosystem. This includes pairing the right content with the right delivery system. Helpful features included in select commercial projectors and other display solutions are remote network management and built-in media playback for easier content loading and playlist control—simplifying installation and minimizing possible points of failure.

The demand for high-impact displays is poised for growth as consumers crave more experiential moments, and projector advancements aren’t slowing down in this ever-changing market. In an industry which often involves easily distracted audiences, projectors offer novel experiences that drive higher engagement, such as wayfinding on floors, mapping 3D objects, and illuminating existing walls across environments.

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience.

A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On Displays intro article

Parque Global, the largest real estate development in Latin America, located in São Paulo, Brazil, recently opened a spectacular showroom featuring a unique mosaic of 34 Christie LCD panels to give visitors an exclusive experience.

Parque Global is a megaproject with five high-rise residential towers containing a total of 672 luxury condominiums, a shopping area, children’s playgrounds, sports facilities, and a fitness center in a landscaped green space covering 53 acres.

To show the project to potential clients, the developers Bueno Netto have built a spectacular 37,000-square-foot showroom next to the development and commissioned the production company Not So Impossible to create audio-visual experiences that convey a wow factor to visitors.

Not So Impossible looked after the design, content, and management of suppliers and clients. In turn, it also brought on board the image technology company On Projecoes for the development, installation, and technological rollout of the AV. “What the client wanted from this project was to give visitors an impression of modernism, technology, and a fantastic sensorial experience in the showroom,” explained Marcos Boromello from On Projecoes.

When visitors walk into the showroom, they enter an amazing space with 34 interconnected Christie LCD video wall panels. The displays tell the story of the development and the different companies involved, including the architects, designers, and other professionals who provided input into the project. The screens are arranged in an art gallery format that engages and moves visitors from the moment they step into the showroom.

[ Here's How Christie Awakens the Senses in a Popular 360-degree Immersive Space ]

A total of 34 videos were created specifically for the project in full-HD format. The video signals are distributed individually and synchronized by means of three servers and multimedia control software.

The 34 panels are Christie FHD492-XB, a model made and available exclusively in Brazil. This 49-inch LCD video wall panel features full-HD resolution, 450 nits, an ultra-narrow bezel, and portrait or landscape orientation—all at a very competitive price.

“Given that it was going to be in operation 24/7, we opted for these LCD panels because of their high quality and the proven reliability of Christie products,” explained Boromello.

The showroom also includes other areas with different audio-visual experiences, like a 750-square-foot scale model with video mapping, in addition to projections.

“The truth is that the showroom is completely different to any other sales booth for a real estate development. In fact, the experience is more akin to an art exhibition or an interactive museum, underscoring the spectacular quality of Latin America’s largest mixed-use development,” concluded Boromello.

AVT Question: Please share your insights on display trends and best practices that can help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

Thought Leader: Parrish Chapman, Director, Enterprise Retail Sales Key Accounts at Samsung Electronics America

In retail, it is critical to deliver timely and relevant content on dynamic displays. Today, the online and in-store shopping experiences must be cohesive; retailers should treat their brick-and-mortar stores like their website, and vice versa. This is where retailers can lean into outdoor LED displays and a variety of digital tools such as LED signage, self-service kiosks, and on-shelf displays—underpinned by a robust content management system (CMS). 

The first consideration I regularly share with customers is that a variety of digital tools such as LED signage, self-service kiosks, and interactive displays can be tremendously beneficial to retailers looking to provide a unique customer journey—but it is the CMS that takes these tools to the next level. 

Second, a CMS can make or break a business’ ability to fully benefit from its digital signage investments. An effective CMS allows users to develop, organize, target, schedule, and distribute content more quickly and easily. This information is a key component of creating an interactive journey.

Third, in addition to photos, slideshows, and playlists, a cloud-based CMS can pull in content from social media, providing powerful, in-the-moment testimonials as customers shop inside a brick-and-mortar store.

Fourth, automation and AI can help guide content management even further. For example, Panico Salon—a full-service salon and medical spa in Ridgewood, New Jersey—uses heat mapping to track foot traffic. This data is used to help management determine how and when to deliver content that keeps customers engaged as they move throughout the salon.

And finally, avoid being too targeted with data or sending too many marketing messages, as they can make customers wary of interacting with a brand.

The use cases are myriad: We see QSRs, the hospitality industry, and many more embracing content and digital displays to deliver better customer experiences and increased engagement. 

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience.

A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On Displays intro article

AVT Question: Please share your insights on display trends and best practices that can help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

Thought Leader: Dana Corey, Senior Vice President of Avocor

An interactive display forms part of an ecosystem: It requires high-performance speakers, cameras, and software to optimize the experience. It’s a bit like trying to drive a car without a steering wheel, wherein each element works together to make it work at its best.

The popularity of hybrid working has made team collaboration the foundation of ongoing business success. Having a meeting room equipped to deliver a great experience for remote and in-person attendees is essential for full participant engagement.

At Avocor, we take a collaborative approach to providing the best solutions. We are excellent at what we do, and that’s making interactive displays. So, we team up with partners that are equally excellent at what they do. 

For example, our new CollabTouch solution combines the power of Avocor’s interactive displays with the collaborative strength of highly popular Logitech meeting room solutions such as the Rally Bar and Rally Bar Mini. It’s an out-of-the-box solution that means customers can get up and running with high-quality meetings right away.

This should be a new best practice for AV companies. Our success has been built on a strategic partnership program, working with leading collaboration brands including Logitech, HP/Poly, T1V, Miro, and Lenovo to create a comprehensive ecosystem that seamlessly integrates Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, or RingCentral into meetings. 

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience.

A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On Displays intro article

AVT Question: Please share your insights on display trends and best practices that can help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

Thought Leader: Clément Plombin, Product Marketing Manager at Jupiter

Content being displayed at the wrong resolution, stretched, or at a low quality does more harm than good, and catches the eye for only the wrong reasons! The key to success in a digital installation is to balance this part of the equation—of using the proper content with the proper signage display. A perfect balance and communication synchronization of all three parts will make any signage stand out from the common: who is ordering content, who creates it, and who is doing the deployment.

Content development and testing must be completed before any digital signage installations go live. Most often, the AV integrator is not providing the content and is not thinking about what is on the screen(s) when they make the sale or do an installation. Having a solid relationship between the AV integrator, customer, and display manufacturer account manager is critical. Sharing specs and requirements about how the content will be delivered; what the hardware and transport protocols will be; and what the limits are in terms of display resolution, viewing angle limit, and brightness will all impact the end result. 

On the other hand, if the project is content driven since its genesis, then that discussion needs to happen even earlier for the AV integrator to source, test, and validate the proper receptacle for king content. After all, now more than ever, the choices available in the marketplace can be overwhelming—selecting the proper quantity of video processors, IP players, and image/video transport of all kinds with appropriate management, security, and supervision layers, et cetera.

The last time you walked on a high street, at an airport, or in a shopping mall and got your eyes glued on some signage even for a few seconds—this simply means the project was a success, thanks to good coordination and communication harmony.

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On Displays intro article

AVT Question: Please share your insights on display trends and best practices that can help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

Thought Leader: Derek Myers, CEO and President of Neoti

The old saying goes: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Well, the same can be said for effective content.

Therefore, while planning and operating digital displays or signage, the top priorities should be the beholder, objective, and goal—from aimless artistic reflection meant to fuel elements of the human condition, to targeted calls to action focused on driving consumer habits.

How do these priorities relate to the type of display being used, whether or not it’s connected to the internet, or the type of software being used to play the content?

The different types of displays available provide a wide range of visual perspectives, and are important to how your beholder is influenced. Direct-view LED displays are bright, nonreflective, and can be made for the indoors or outdoors at nearly any size. LCD displays are high resolution, providing deep contrast and more intimate experiences. Projection displays have the ability to do image mapping onto buildings or objects and also can be made at varying sizes. All these displays should be selected with the beholder in mind, which will maximize the intended objective and goal in mind.

How often the message changes, as well as the location of the displays, will drive the decision of connectivity. The question of which software to use is complicated. The answer is not only related to message changes and location, but also how dynamic the content will be and whether real-time variables will change the content.

There are currently very few, if any, industry standards in digital signage, and therefore keeping the beholder, objective, and goal at the forefront during planning and operation will certainly aid success.

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience.

A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On Displays intro article

AVT Question: Please share your insights on display trends and best practices that can help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

Thought Leader: Robert Detwiler, Director of LED Products at Planar

When it comes to pairing content with display technology, keep in mind that not every display features a 16:9 form factor, yet viewers will expect content in native resolution. This also applies to all devices in the system such as the media player and processors. Without native resolution on an LED display, you run the risk of content looking stretched or squashed. Higher resolutions and finer pixel pitch can also help improve the quality of content, especially in cases when text and media are combined.

More customers are deploying displays in public spaces. Whether it’s a single display installed as a centerpiece or several throughout the entire facility, the distance from which audiences will be observing the content, along with the type of content they’ll be viewing, should be key considerations. Will they be close or far? Are they observing text, video, or both? This can also be a driving factor in choosing the display. If the display is intended to run continuously, rotating content that moves and changes color over time will keep viewers engaged and content fresh. The same can be said for changing content based on the time of day to better connect with audiences and adapt to changing lighting conditions. For example, content showcasing a lot of black can be impacted by nearby sunlight coming through windows or reflectivity of the display, and should also factor in the black levels of the display. Added structures or protective layers can also influence a display’s contrast, reflection, and brightness.

We’re also seeing a stronger focus on displays being designed to match a building’s structure or construction. This results in more corner installations and video walls with facets, curves, or flexibility to conform to spaces such as doorways and stairs. Choosing content that’s as eye-catching as the installation itself will help foster more memorable experiences for viewers.

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience.

A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On Displays intro article

AVT Question: Please share your insights on display trends and best practices that can help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

Thought Leader: Megan Zeller, Senior Director of Business Development at Peerless-AV

Direct-view LED (dvLED) video wall installations make up a significant portion of integrators’ total business, bringing high-quality content to life and engaging consumers in new, interesting ways. With that comes high expectations to create memorable, impactful first impressions and seamless configuration. Whether it’s a hotel lobby, conference room, retail store, restaurant, museum, or entertainment venue, it’s important to keep best practices in mind to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your installation while prioritizing safety and efficiency.

Your video wall might serve one or many purposes. For example, a museum installation might present exhibit information or wayfinding. In general, video walls are a large canvas for messages or stories and it’s important to make sure your content is making an impact. If you employ a large video wall, don’t overdo it with content. Busy screens with too many images or scrolling feeds can easily overwhelm viewers and distract them from your overall message. If you plan to install a video wall that serves as a directory in a hotel lobby, ensure that the text sizes are readable and that any scrolling provides enough time for viewers to get information as needed. 

When it comes to installing these displays, our team always recommends defaulting to professionals from the beginning. Taking accurate measurements is paramount when it comes to installing a dvLED video wall. Peerless-AV has an experienced team of highly trained professionals who have overcome a variety of hurdles and can accurately troubleshoot any situation. Through Peerless-AV’s SEAMLESS Integration Program, partners and installers benefit from expert engineering, custom project managers, full installation services, and dedicated dvLED mounting solutions to assure a safe, efficient, and effortless installation.

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience. A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On Displays intro article

AVT Question: Please share your insights on display trends and best practices that can help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

Thought Leader: Luke Westin, Senior Product Manager at Chief 

The first thing to think about when planning a display or content is the experience you want to deliver: Is it collaboration, wayfinding, branding, interaction, or decoration? All of that feeds into the system in different ways. An interactive experience, for example, should have a mounting solution stable enough for the touch screen to perform at its full potential. One must-have item in every situation is installing the right cable to handle the tough requirements of digital signage. 

Second, you want to look at the space—indoor versus outdoor, audience size, viewing distance, ambient light, and so on. When it comes to content being delivered outside, there are more outdoor-rated displays than outdoor-rated media players. If some of the equipment isn’t outdoor rated, you want to be sure to have an IP-rated enclosure to safeguard that equipment. 

And finally, an often-overlooked advantage of dvLED for digital signage is the large amount of customization you can do with the configuration. You can tailor the content to a particular shape to really catch attention. Look for a modular mounting system that can support the most creative dvLED configurations.

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience. A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On Displays intro article

AVT Question: Please share your insights on display trends and best practices that can help deliver the best high-impact experience. 

Thought Leader: Joe Drury, Manager, Business Management, B2B Professional Display at Sony Electronics 

Displays have evolved over the last few years to become more powerful and integrated, and the use cases have progressed to adapt to new ways of working and learning. Throughout all of this, flexibility remains key. More and more, this is being achieved through the integration of control and access systems; the adoption of System on a Chip (SoC) platforms; as well as cloud capabilities and accommodations for remote, hybrid, and in-person environments. In order to best address these new forms of flexibility and provide customers with options, strategic alignment with other significant players in the industry is critical. 

By leveraging the strengths of our community and partnering with other leaders in the space, we’re in a place to offer robust, smart, interconnected ecosystems, as opposed to a singular piece of technology. This customer-first and integrator-minded approach focuses on users’ needs and the benefits are apparent. Flexible solutions are enabling users to accomplish their goals—often with more ease, productivity, unification, and for less cost. The resulting solutions offer immense value to customers and address many of the concerns that users and integrators have faced in the past.

Another critical component to take advantage of is the abundance of data collected by digital signage and CMS systems, which allow us to learn, grow, and be more purpose driven. Data contributes to informed business decisions that help drive meaningful outcomes, which benefit all parties. There’s so much important and impactful knowledge that can be obtained from the data users can extract from their systems, which enables the ability to affect change, promote flexibility, and analyze efficiency.

AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what other industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience. A full list with links can be found at the bottom of the On Displays intro article

18 AV Technology's Thought Leaders On Displays: See the end of this article for the full list and links. 

I’m a big fan of my hometown WNBA team, the Connecticut Sun. Something I’m not a fan of? Loud, startling noises like balloons, fireworks, et cetera.

And so when the Sun started incorporating exploding pyrotechnics into the beginning of each game this past season, I found myself headed out to the concession stand while my favorite players were being introduced.

Sometime in the middle of the season, however, a shift occurred. Instead of blinding, balcony-level indoor fireworks, a brilliant explosion displayed on the arena’s four center-hung LED screens—in perfect time with the music—conveyed the drama of the moment. The team logo appeared, the crowd was hyped up, and the game began.

And I got to stay in my seat. It was a win for everyone.

In any environment, the right digital signage display with engaging content that is mindful of its audience can be just as good as (and in my case, better than) the real thing.

From a glittering panorama of NYC in a corporate lobby to large-scale LED artwork suspended over a museum courtyard—the projects completed by this group of contributors display that same considered approach, with an eye toward aesthetic pleasure and an impactful experience.

During and immediately after the pandemic, many of the most important digital signage installations we saw rolled out were focused almost exclusively on function; content helped with social distancing, wayfinding, and disseminating vital public safety information. Storytelling was, largely, put on the backburner; we needed to keep people moving, after all.

Since people have started fully engaging with public spaces again, however, there has been a renewed emphasis on form—with digital signage content offering total immersion in beautiful, thoughtfully planned experiences and limited only by the imagination.

Even where information is being conveyed—as in the case of a massive dvLED video wall used for marketing in a Swedish grocery store—the execution is such that the viewer still leaves with a sense of awe and entertainment.

Time and again, our contributors and their collaborators prove the endless versatility of digital signage—that it can be not only practical, but beautiful and (just maybe) an upgrade to reality. Another win for everyone.

18 AV Technology's Thought Leader Series: On Displays

Check out what these industry thought leaders have to say about trends and best practices to help deliver the best high-impact experience.
Article links will become active as we post them over the coming days. 

22 Miles

Avocor

Carousel Digital Signage

Chief

Christie

Daktronics

Epson

Jupiter

Haivision

Navori Labs

Neoti

Peerless-AV

Planar

Samsung

Sharp/NEC

Sony

ViewSonic

Visix

As a result of the changes in how organizations and people now work, the reliance on experienced, certified, and readily available technical and cybersecurity support is at an all-time high. It’s essential that all risks are continuously monitored to ensure network infrastructure is always available and secure at all times. Khipu Networks is a cybersecurity company developed in response to the need for constant support and managed services that let customers focus on project delivery, rather than be consumed by the daily tasks of monitoring and managing unforeseeable problems and cyber breaches. The company provides many services, which are overseen from the company’s 24x7x365 staffed Network Operations Centre (NOC). To that end, the company required a video wall management solution that would allow the flexibility to visualize the entirety of their data and informational feeds and replace their existing visualization solution, which couldn’t match their current and future needs. 

VuWall's disruptive approach to video wall management in AV-over-IP environments, bridging AV, IT, and IP systems to seamlessly manage and control visual content throughout organizations, was exactly what Khipu needed.

[Experts Explores How to Build New Era of Cybersecurity]

Khipu proactively monitors clients’ infrastructure and security postures to provide immediate identification of problems either before or as they occur—allowing quick alerting, action, and resolution. This means staff must have eyes on clients’ entire IT environments, which can include LAN, Wi-Fi, next-gen firewalls, RADIUS, WANs, UPS power supplies, IoT, servers, service/application, and more. Khipu’s existing solution was not flexible enough to give them the insight to allow for rapid response—with equipment failures and nagging intermittent issues becoming the norm. For example, the content could not be changed dynamically, and the user experience was clunky. The company replaced their exiting screens with six LG 55SVH7F 0.44mm bezel displays. To complete the solution, they needed a single technology solution that would allow their integrator to effortlessly build an IP-based video wall as well as provide Khipu staff with a centralized video management platform with customizable views that can be changed as needed.

To meet the demand for flexibility and modularity, the integrator on the project, Clear Visual Communications, proposed VuWall. VuWall delivers an innovative ecosystem of video wall controllers, encoders, and decoders—all managed by its interoperable TRx Centralized Management Platform (TRx). TRx eliminates the complexity of traditional video wall control and signal distribution over IP, with easy drag-and drop operations and without any programming. Easy to use, the TRx platform enables distribution of any source to any type of display in professional and mission-critical applications, which proved to be an ideal solution for Khipu’s NOC.

Yet another benefit, TRx simplifies the integration of third-party products. Already supporting a variety of AV-over-IP protocols (H.264, SDVoE, NDI) and compatible with multiple brands such as NETGEAR, Samsung, LG, IHSE, Adder, Genetec, and many others, TRx continues to grow its ecosystem, ensuring future-proof and scalable deployments.

[VuWall's Shows Off New Video Wall Collaboration Technology]

Clear Visual Communications built the much-needed video wall for the NOC by stitching together two VuWall PAK 40 video wall nodes, increasing processing scalability and flexibility while adding a layer of redundancy. The compact PAK appliance is a networked, multi-decode node that can operate as a standalone device or be stitched with other nodes to build an IP-based video wall that is infinitely scalable. It simplifies video wall deployments by reducing the number of connections and eliminating a single point of failure, reducing project risk, and offering improved reliability.

Whether the deployment is large or small, all that's required are PAK appliances, making it easy to build video walls. To increase the size of a video wall, the integrators can simply add a PAK. PAK features up to four HDp60 outputs or one 4Kp60 output and multiformat decoding up to 32 HD streams per device, including H.264, MPEG2, MPEG4, NDI, PNG, JPEG and VNC/remote desktops or virtualized browsers. PAK is designed for multiroom visualization, situational awareness, control rooms, and corporate workspaces. Its eco-friendly design boasts a compact form factor and low power consumption. PAK is small enough to be mounted behind monitors, saving rack space, and reducing extended video cable runs.

The installation also included a VuStream 150 encoder appliance and Application Server, which are also centrally configured and managed by TRx. The VuStream 150 provides single stream encoding of H.264 and H.265 sources in FHD and UHD. The VuWall Application Server is an appliance for streaming, sharing, controlling, and visualizing websites, dashboards, and applications across networks. The Application server simplifies video wall deployments by providing quick access to websites, dashboards, and applications from a centralized source—a must for the NOC. The NOC also benefited from VuWall’s ControlVu touch panel, which gives operators the freedom to change layouts and control devices with a simple touch.

[Pro AV 2023: Trends to Watch]

Clear Visual Communication’s deployment of VuWall delivered the exact flexibility and ease of use the NOC needed, aligning with the mission-critical requirement of the cyber security service provider. In addition, the company didn’t have to make addition investments for an external control solution such as Crestron or Extron.

“Our video wall is critical to our Cyber Security Operations Center," explained James Holland, UK technical manager at Khipu Cybersecurity. "We are extremely pleased with the performance and ease of use of VuWall’s PAK and TRx solution. Learning to operate and manage video wall content took minutes. The intuitive software and rich feature set will certainly improve response times and increase productivity in our control room. Knowing how easy it will be to increase the size of our video wall with PAK, as our demands change, is very reassuring. The fast and easy deployment was impressive, and we are confident that our integrator made the right choice with VuWall.”

[AV Network's top stories, product news, and expert insights] 

“As one of the very first PAK customers, we are now confident that this technology is the future of video wall deployments," added Rebecca McCartney, operations manager at Clear Visual Communications. "We were extremely impressed with the quick and easy installation of the system and the ease of system configuration, yielding to a low-risk deployment. The feedback from the end user’s cybersecurity control room operators has been extremely positive, especially with respect to performance and ease of use. We clearly made the right choice and look forward to many more control room and video wall projects with VuWall.”

VuWall will demonstrate new KVM control technology available within the TRx centralized management software platform at ISE 2023 in booth 5E370. The new technology will enable KVM control and multi-mouse capability on video walls. The company will also demonstrate other robust features and benefits of TRx for the first time at the show, including Genetec and Milestone plugins, SDVoE multi-view and USB routing capabilities, and carousel functionality. The booth will feature Samsung's The Wall MicroLED display and a 3x2 Samsung LCD video wall, driven by VuWall's TRx and PAK video wall solutions.

"We've entered an age of visualization where organizations need nimble systems that allow them to collaborate, create layouts, pull in a variety of sources, and react to events at a moment's notice," said Paul Vander Plaetse, CEO and founder of VuWall. "We've addressed this need with our easy-to-install and scalable PAK processing appliances and our feature-rich TRx video wall management software platform. We will have a lot of exciting technology advancements attendees won't want to miss at our booth."

[The AV Network ISE 2023 News Hub] 

The ISE 2023 VuWall booth experience will include a demo of the new TRx KVM functionality. The new technology allows operators to collaborate directly on shared video walls while working from their personal desks. Organizations can bring in KVM sources, in addition to virtually all other sources, on a PAK video wall. This feature offers dynamic collaboration between operators to the video wall and operator to operator. The company will show this new capability and the VuWall PAK appliance on the 3x2 Samsung LCD video wall and two operator desks. PAK is a networked multi-decode node that can also operate efficiently as a stand-alone device and is certified as fully compatible with The Wall. For large displays, PAK nodes can be easily stitched together to build an IP-based video wall that is infinitely scalable and can function as a single large canvas. PAK simplifies video wall integration by reducing the need for long video cables and eliminating single points of failure to minimize risk and improve reliability.

[SCN Top 50 Systems Integrators 2022] 

VuWall will also highlight TRx's support for SDVoE multi-view mode, video wall mode, and USB routing on Samsung's The Wall for high-quality, zero-latency video distribution over 10G.

Millions of pixels, as well as hundreds of thousands of components, chips, circuits, wires, and boards—the complexity of dvLED displays can be staggering. When looking at a display, most viewers do not consider just how many components are working in tandem to create the content they are enjoying. As an LED buyer, however, there are dangers to ignoring these details when placing an order for your venue.

[Above It All: A dvLED Ceiling Display]

Almost every component that is produced to create a final dvLED display is manufactured in batches to preserve the color reproduction as each component is placed side-by-side in a finished display. When dvLED diodes (the RGB component of display that actually produces color) are manufactured, they are produced of natural crystal substrate, plastics, and epoxies that vary the color output properties of each individual diode.

Generally, batching occurs by testing each individual pixel (in the case of standard SMDs) to determine its variance +/- from what is determined to be “color 0.” A single manufacturing run of diodes may contain billions of individual diodes that ultimately are sorted (or batched) into hundreds of different bins based on the +/- tolerance specified by the manufacturer.

All About Accuracy

Batch matching doesn’t just occur with diodes—it also takes place in the many other components that are used to create a final display. IC drivers, PCB components, plastics, and even the finish coatings on cabinets themselves all are produced in batches to ensure a consistent performance or appearance.

As you can imagine, when many dvLED panels are placed side-by-side in a completed display, each module or cabinet must look like the ones surrounding it in order for the image to be accurate. If one cabinet has a slightly different hue, color temperature, brightness, etc., the effect of the overall display will be diminished. By batch matching the components at the time of manufacturing, these types of concerns are unnecessary.

[Why dvLED Is Gaining Market Share]

When purchasing a dvLED display, it is important to place an order of all same-batched materials. This should also include many overlooked components and spare parts, from spare diodes to plastic masks, to ensure that even future repairs use the same batched materials.

Once a display has been manufactured and purchased, additional panels are typically not able to be reproduced that match the existing display, unless the purchase was part of a larger batch and the manufacturer has additional panels of the same batch. Factors such as runtime, UV exposure, manufacturing materials, etc., also play a factor in the final output of both displays and whether they will match.

What About Calibration?

In order to have a display that meets not only immediate needs but also is future proof, the following factors should be considered.

• Know what tolerances to expect from your manufacturer if you question the quality and/or price of a specific display. Some manufacturers will cut costs by using batched diodes that have a very wide spread of variance that—even after calibration—may not be satisfactory.

• Always ask for same-batch items such as plastic masks, etc., to ensure that even when the display is off, there aren’t variances in the plastics used on the front of the display (which can cause an unsightly patchwork of black plastics).

• Other than the display you originally spec, know if you would like to expand that display in the future—and, if so, how you plan to expand it with the same batch product. Discuss with the manufacturer for the best strategy.

[Digital Signage: The Future Is Bright]

If you absolutely find yourself in a situation where you have no other option but to add to a display with unbatched product, strategize for the best placement of the new panels. Placing them all on one side of the display, or in a single row or column, can alleviate the overall effect of different color properties—instead of placing them randomly in a patchwork throughout the display.

When in doubt, always discuss your current and future display needs with your manufacturer, and always use a trusted source for manufacturing or procurement. When using the right batches and components, your dvLED display will last for years, producing the same great image quality from Day 1 to Day 3,000.

Nanolumens has received DCI certification for its Engage Series dvLED product. The certification's primary purpose is to ensure a uniform and high level of technical performance, reliability, and quality control.

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“We are thrilled to receive this certification from the DCI consortium for our 2.5mm Engage series," said Kurt DeYoung, CRO for Nanolumens. "For a dvLED product to be certified it must meet the criteria for color space, brightness, security, and more. Our research and development team tested all qualifications of our Engage direct-view display, which garnered this coveted certification and potential opportunities for theatre, screening rooms, and exhibition projects where consistent and repeatable image quality is required. 

"Half of a cinematic experience is audio, and the other half is visual. Engage offers a narrow pixel pitch for up-close-and-personal viewing at its absolute finest with razor-sharp attention to details."

Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) was created in March 2002, and is a joint venture of Disney, Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal and Warner Bros. Studios. DCI has established and documented voluntary specifications for an open architecture for digital cinema.

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Nanolumens’ Engage series is a reliable and long-lasting product best suited in the most critical environments to maintain content uptime. Its Nixel to Pixel Warranty coverage covers the entire display down to the pixel, ensuring the display is 100% covered.

Planar has a new edition to its portfolio of outdoor fine pitch LED display solutions. Meet the Planar Luminate Ultra Series LED video wall display  designed for up close viewing. The new display features coated LEDs to deliver ruggedness and exceptional image detail for high-ambient light environments.

The Planar Luminate Ultra Series is designed to enhance viewing angles, providing nearly 140-degree visibility with limited interference, even in direct sunlight. Featuring models in 1.5 and 1.9-millimeter pixel pitches and up to 3,300-nit brightness, the Planar Luminate Ultra Series supports comfortable viewing from as close as six feet for applications spanning transportation signage, retail exteriors, poolside cinema, entertainment, hospitality, and other large-venue facilities.    

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“We have seen strong demand for high pixel-density LED displays designed to perform in sunlight and outdoor conditions,” said Steve Seminario, vice president of product marketing at Planar. “Planar Luminate Ultra Series brings together fine pitch, high brightness and a coating technology that protects while delivering beautiful outdoor viewing. It’s a unique combination we are excited to bring to customers.” 

In addition to supporting wall-mounted, corner, convex and concave installations, the solution offers customers the flexibility to create a video wall of nearly any size. With full front-side and rear installation and service, Planar Luminate Ultra Series customers also benefit from enhanced deployment versatility and simplified maintenance.

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Featuring an IP65 Ingress Protection Rating, the displays incorporate protective treatments designed to withstand weather conditions, dust and water. For added assurance and ruggedness, Planar Luminate Ultra Series displays include a protective coating that fills the gaps between LEDs. This not only strengthens weather protection, but also increases visual contrast for deeper black levels.

Planar will demonstrate the new solution for the first time at CEDIA 2022 in Dallas September 29 through October 1 in Planar Booth #15003.

Christie has launched two new pixel pitches to its MicroTiles LED family.  The new 0.75mm and 1.0mm models add to the existing line-up of 1.25 and 1.5mm pixel pitches, and offer increased reliability, efficiency, and enhanced durability.

Shown in technology previews at ISE 2022 and InfoComm 2022, the two new models continue the tradition of the original MicroTiles LED by combining innovative mechanical design with the development of the most advanced LED technology available.

[Christie's Latest Projectors Deliver Bright, Bold Visuals—Here's What to Know]

“Attendees to ISE and InfoComm were able to get up close to our new models and see what a difference the finer pixel pitch makes in resolution, color saturation and seamlessness,” said Chris Kee, executive director of product management, Christie. “MicroTiles LED can be configured in near-limitless ways—from curves and corners to architectural displays—and these new models are especially ideal for up-close and highly-detailed viewing with brightness up to 2000 nits.” 

Reliability of the new models has been improved with flip-chip technology, which is easier to maintain and increases the life of the LEDs by dissipating heat more efficiently, and common cathode technology reduces power consumption resulting in Christie’s most energy efficient MicroTiles design to date.

The new 1.0mm model features LED encapsulation, which provides a protective surface that improves optical performance for improved black level performance and perceived contrast, and protects the display from dust, dirt and scratches. The increased durability gives the option to design an interactive touch wall.

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Christie MicroTiles LED deliver superior visual performance with powerful processing including 12-bit input sources, 4K@60Hz, and HDR10 compatibility. The proprietary QuickMount system reduces installation complexity, while the proprietary cabinet-free Click-n-Go LED tiles can be arranged in near unlimited configurations. MicroTiles LED are ideal for environments including mission critical control rooms, corporate lobbies and meeting rooms, auditoriums and event spaces, and premium hospitality and retail applications.

Compelling and attention-grabbing mosaic video walls are becoming increasingly popular in venues including hotels, theme restaurants, upscale retailers and malls, casinos, car dealerships and houses of worship, both for branding and to artistically decorate large spaces. 

Enter Key Digital. The company offers cost-effective, scalable technology that, combined with the wide availability of high-resolution video monitors and televisions at commodity pricing, brings the creation of captivating mosaic video wall displays within the budget of most any project.

“With a traditional monitor-based video wall, several video monitors are configured together to multiply the display area, creating a large, often huge, display,” explains Jonathon Ferry, vice president of product education and experience at Key Digital. “Video or images to be displayed in full across the entire monitor array are dynamically scaled to fill the entire display area. With a mosaic video wall, a rectangular display ‘canvas’ size is defined, and the image is scaled for that canvas; however, the displays mounted within the canvas boundaries are not limited to fully filling the canvas.” Mosaic display positions are commonly offset vertically and/or horizontally, and the displays may be spaced with gaps between them with the video flowing across the entire canvas. Monitors used may also be oriented either horizontally or vertically or in a mixed combination of both orientations. 

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“Each monitor receives a pixel-mapped portion of the source image to display,” continued Ferry. “The result is similar to having an image behind a piece of paper. If you cut squares and rectangles anywhere on that piece of paper, you would see only the portion of the image visible through the holes. With a mosaic video wall, the displays are windows into the image – displayed video would move smoothly across the canvas, disappearing in the blank spaces and appearing on the monitors, like looking through multiple physical windows at the landscape beyond.”

The Key Digital hardware used to facilitate a mosaic video wall installation are the KD-IP1022ENC AV-over-IP Encoder and the KD-IP1022 Decoder. In typical installations, the source video is input to, and processed for display by, a single KD-IP1022ENC. A KD-IP1022DEC decoder per monitor is used to extract the mapped image for each monitor in use. Interconnection and power are provided by a managed gigabit switch with Power Over Ethernet (POE).

“Any HDMI source content can be fed to the mosaic video wall via the encoder input,” Ferry explained. “For flexibility, additional KD-IP1022ENC Encoders can be added to system where it might be desirable to alternate content on a select monitor or monitors in the mosaic video wall, such as a live sporting event or a static image like a logo or event graphic.”

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As with all of its AV-over-IP product applications, Key Digital provides simple ways for users to preconfigure their projects. For mosaic video walls, an easy-to-use spreadsheet tool lets users define a canvas and to virtually place as many monitors as they like within that canvas based on a pixel map of display and monitor bezel dimensions. Templates are available for the most commonly used mosaic video wall configurations such as an offset horizontal “brick” layout using landscape-oriented monitors, or portrait-oriented monitors offset vertically to form a “zipper” pattern. Key Digital’s System Design Group is a phone call or web request away to help customers build custom layouts. System configuration programming is performed by Key Digital based upon customer input.

“There are single chassis video wall processors on the market that can prove quite expensive, particularly for a relatively simple mosaic video wall installation that doesn’t use all the processor’s power or I/O,” shared Key Digital vice president of sales, DeWayne Rains. “The Key Digital solution is modular, so hardware capability is purchased only as needed. That makes the approach an awesome value for smaller installations. But our AV-over-IP video wall systems are also scalable, allowing for highly sophisticated designs limited only by your imagination.”