One thing that keeps me interested in my career is that our industry is ever-evolving as technologies are introduced and evolve over time. After 17 years of working in the world of Pro AV distribution, I never stop learning new things. Most recently, I was tasked with learning about dvLED to help support our sales team and customers on projects. While I still have a lot to learn, here are some key takeaways that I can share based on what I have learned thus far.
Pixel Pitch & Viewing Distance
The term pixel pitch was new to me, but it is one of the key factors to think about when designing a dvLED display project. Simply put, pixel pitch is the measurement, in mm, between the individual LEDs or pixels, measured from the center of one LED to the center of the LED adjacent to it. Naturally, as the pixel pitch value decreases, the resolution in a fixed size cabinet increases and allows for a closer optimal minimum viewing distance.
For this reason, it is important that you discuss with the client where the closest viewer will be in relation to the display so that you can choose a pixel pitch that is appropriate for the specific application, remembering that as pixel pitch decreases, the equipment cost increases. As a general rule of thumb that has been shared with me, you can multiply the pixel pitch by 10 to give you the approximate closest viewing distance in feet. For example, the recommended minimum viewing distance for a 2.5-pixel pitch wall would be 25 feet.
Resolution
If you are like me, then often when you think about display resolution for common applications it is typically 1080p (1920×1080), WUXGA (1920×1200), or 4K (3840×2160), understanding that there are many others, but these are most common. With flat panel displays and projectors, the image size can vary while the resolution remains constant. For example, a 4K display can be 55” in diagonal, 98” in diagonal, or several other sizes, but the resolution will always be 4K. With projection, a native WUXGA projector, whether displaying a 110” diagonal image, a 216” diagonal image, or any size for that matter, the resolution will always be 1920×1200.
This is not the case with dvLED, as the individual LEDs (or “pixels”) mounted on the surface of the module are a fixed size, so that when the size of a dvLED display changes, so does the resolution. To illustrate this, let’s look at a dvLED panel that is 16:9, 27.5” in diagonal with a pixel pitch of 1.58. The resolution of this panel is 384×216. If you require a 1920×1080 display, you will need 25 panels in a 5×5 array making a 137.5” diagonal display, while if you require a 4K 3840×2160 display, you will need 100 panels in a 10×10 array making a 275” diagonal display, requiring four times the real estate!
Structural Considerations
In many cases, dvLED displays will either be wall-mounted or flown, although sometimes they can be ground stacked with the appropriate stacking hardware. Depending upon the size of the display, they can get quite heavy. For example, a recent 165” diagonal display (6×6 array) I quoted weighed just shy of 500lbs, and a 275” display (10×10 array) weighed over 1300 lbs. It is absolutely crucial that the structure or wall on which you are mounting the dvLED or the structure from which you are rigging can support the load.
Additionally, in order for a successful installation, the dvLED cabinets need to be perfectly aligned along the x, y, and z axes so there are no visible seams between the individual panels that make up the display. Since most walls will have some imperfections and not be perfectly flat, you will be faced with either using shims or exploring mounting hardware that provides post-installation adjustment of all three axes.
Power and Data
Unlike a traditional flat panel or projector, the display does not have a single power cord with dvLED. Instead, depending upon the size and resolution of the display, multiple AC circuits are required. If we go back to the 165” 6×6 array I referenced earlier, this display required six dedicated 110v/10A outlets. In this case, each AC circuit is powering six panels with a main connection to the first, then daisy-chaining with power jumpers to the next five.
In addition to power, every dvLED display requires multiple data connections between the display and the dvLED controller/processor using data cabling, such as Cat6. The number of data runs will vary based on the overall resolution of the display, but you can expect that the manufacturer will advise you during the proposal stage on the required cabling and power requirements for the specific project.
I am seeing more and more projects come across my desk that involve dvLED, and there has been dramatic growth in overall product sales in the category over this last year. There is no reason to believe that these trends will not continue, and I look forward to continuing my education on the subject.
Direct-view LED is a fantastic story of concept, evolution, and refinement… but someone needs to tell the tale.
Direct-view LED technology began its story on the biggest stages. Between pixel technology which offered only wide pitches (ergo further away viewers) combined with a cost-of-entry which was prohibitive to many spaces, direct-view technology was only realistically available in arenas, billboards, and certain high-profile spaces. Initial displays had poor power-balancing between their red, green, and blue elements resulting in massive power consumption. Initial dvLED also had limited viewing angles due to the early pixel-shader styles, which created discoloration and loss of image if you looked at a display from an oblique angle.
As direct-view technology has refined, so have the needs to implement it. The newest direct-view models boast fine pixel pitches, with robust and ruggedized pixel technology. Displays can run 24/7, while not emitting enough heat to require costly HVAC. Displays are light-weight, often requiring nothing more than a plywood backing for mounting, and a small handful of standard 110V circuits to power. This once mysterious and complex technology is now so modular and stable that many manufacturers now offer mobile cart options which sport full HD resolution, plugging into standard wall outlets.
In order to realize the full benefits which dvLED has over alternative display technologies, the conversation will need to eventually change. Direct-view technology deserves a new narrative from spokes-people familiar with the ease at which a variety of parts can quickly become a beautifully uniform and truly seamless display.
The best avenue to creating these technology evangelists is a simple certification, which can be earned in as little as three days. For many manufacturers, becoming certified requires an understanding of how data and power works with the technology, often including hands-on exercises. There are educational offerings out there to help installers get comfortable with the technology before jumping into a certification course. Almo Pro AV is offering a full dvLED installer education track at each stop of their 2020 E4 Experience. Certification in dvLED can be a powerful tool to becoming an ambassador, telling the story of a technology that does not require extraordinary mounting needs, complicated site-surveys, or extreme power handling capabilities.
Absen’s Senior Director of Sales, Mitch Rosenberg, recently had a podcast interview with MarketScale about the history and future of direct-view LED technology. Mitch paints an exciting picture of where the industry is heading, explaining in detail how we got here.
Full-spectrum direct-view LED initially came out the gates in the late 90’s, with a pixel pitch and cost that made it available only to very large venues where the audience was 50-100 feet away. As the technology has evolved, it’s now becoming the dominant digital display technology with no signs of slowing down.
Direct-view LED was once a very expensive display, requiring special content and engineers to get running. It’s now light-weight, easily configured, easily serviced, and has fine pixel pitches. Mini-LED and micro-LED technology will bring those pixel pitches down to around the same as a laptop monitor, with a durability that fine pixel pitches have never before had. Building on the same robust backbone, direct-view LED displays will continue to thrive where they’ve already been adopted, and will enter new markets previously not appropriate for dvLED.
Where other technologies have reached their optimization, dvLED will continue to advance into the future. Hear Mitch’s thoughts on the industry, the evolution of direct-view LED, and why anyone wanting a display should only be looking at one solution.
As Almo Professional AV prepares to celebrate 10 years in operation as business unit of Almo Corporation I feel grateful and proud to be part of this great organization. Looking back to 2009, at the origination of the division we had no vendor partners and no customers while today we have thousands of loyal customers and amazing partnerships with approximately 50 of the most desired manufacturers in the industry.
While many key factors have contributed to our mutual success with our customers and vendor partners, one key driver is our intentional strategy to keep our line card relatively narrow and focused compared to other distribution companies. When it comes to displays and projectors we aim to partner with a wide range of vendors to support the demand in the marketplace, however in other product categories we have chosen to partner with only a small number of manufacturers that we feel to be the best in class. This strategy has helped Almo to remain important to our existing partners as well as enabled us to better support a more narrow set of vendors.
With this, you won’t see very many new vendor partnerships announced by Almo each year. However, when it makes sense for a new partnership in the eyes of Almo and the potential vendor and we feel the partnership will bring value to our loyal customers then we will move forward with a new product offering. The last six to nine months we have found ourselves in a situation where there were several new partnerships taking place including D-Link, Ecler, VDO360, and Vivitek.
If you have had the opportunity to attend any of our recent E4 Experience events you likely heard our keynote speaker Gary Kayye talking about the emergence of AV over IP solutions. If you think about it, all sorts of professional A/V products now have a network port and can live on an IP network. The addition of D-Link now gives our customers the ability to include the networking solutions (i.e. switches, wireless routers, etc.) along with the rest of the gear they are sourcing from Almo for their given project.
Ecler, while probably not a familiar name to you here in the United States has been providing high quality commercial audio solutions in Europe for over 50 years. Through our partnership as the exclusive distributor in the United States Almo can offer our customers high quality proven products including loudspeakers, amplifiers, DSP, mixers & more at competitive pricing all while helping dealers to maintain healthy margins on their projects.
When it comes to soft codec based video conferencing, Zoom has taken the world by storm so it’s only natural that manufacturers are offering products that integrate with soft codec platforms. One of the challenges is including different components from different vendors that may or may not be tested or certified by Zoom potentially leading to support issues post installation. One of the things that attracted us to VDO360 was their single SKU, single box ZoomRoom kit that includes the camera, audio conferencing, PC, tablet controller and all required cabling, leaving out only the display.
While we were already well served with our existing projector manufacturer relationships, the addition of Vivitek adds a little more depth to our line up and will provide our customers with quality projector hardware at price points that may have not been previously available, with strong programs to enhance dealer’s margins.
Please visit www.almoproav.com or contact your Almo Account Manager for additional details on these solutions. Next stop, InfoComm 19. Register with code ALM123 for a free pass.
I was recently asked my opinion on guiding principles for content prepared for close-up viewing versus long distance. My immediate response was that there was a category missing there. The Almo Content Design team looks at viewing distance as three different categories, not two. We design for 3 feet/1 meter for close up viewing screens, such as wayfinders, 10 feet/3 meters on informational screens and greater than that for retail/outdoor.
The “10-Foot Rule” demands legibility and clarity to ensure content at a distance is delivered accurately within the moments it takes for a simple glance. When my team works on informational screens such as menu boards or employee communication screens this is an important consideration that will drive font and icon sizing, color contrast and animation principles. We are careful to use timelines instead of cramming the screen with too much at once. In fact, our mantra is “less is always more when it comes to design on informational screens.”
When you’re working on content for touchscreens, design principles follow mobile app design guidelines. Consistency within the overall user interface (UI) becomes extremely important. Every day we all interact with a touch screen UI that breaks consistency rules. For example, an ATM where the “OK” button changes location from prompt to prompt not only confuses the viewer, it slows the interaction.
For larger screens, especially outdoor, the rule tightens. The message must be legible, of course, but more importantly it must be concise. The “5-Second Rule” isn’t really five seconds anymore – it’s less. Color, contrast and concise messaging become key.
Do you have any “rules” you follow when determining your digital signage designs?
Leave me a comment and let’s start a conversation. And stay tuned for more of my expert advice as I come back each month with a brief thought on a single aspect of digital signage.
It’s only fitting that the world’s largest shopping mall should have the world’s largest LG OLED video wall.
The mall is the Dubai Mall, the city’s shining landmark. Home to 1200 shops, the multi-million-dollar mall contains the area of 50 football fields filled with rows upon rows of opulent spaces and stores.
The Dubai Mall also hosts the world’s largest acrylic panel aquarium, the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, which is 107.8 ft. wide x 27.2 ft. high x 29.5 in. thick, and weighs 245 tons.
Sitting atop the aquarium is the world’s largest LG OLED video wall, and it has officially received three Guinness World Record titles. Thanks to the partnership with LG, the screen has set the record for being the world’s largest high definition video wall, the world’s largest OLED screen, and the world’s highest resolution video wall.
The LG OLED video wall has 820 ultra-thin 55-inch panels and 1.7 billion pixels that emit their own light; no backlighting required. Taking advantage of LG OLED’s flexibility, the mammoth video wall is also beautifully curved, mimicking the curve of the aquarium below it.
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