With the AV world seemingly obsessed with sustainability in sectors including education and digital signage, it might come as a surprise that there are many other trends in flat screen technology. We take a look at some of the most interesting and promising for the longer term.
Arguably, recent issues surrounding energy costs has prompted a raft of innovations around rethinking the way that we use energy. Traditional thinking sees a flat screen connected to a power socket, and even in eco mode, left to hopefully consume energy to a greater or lesser extent. But what if we had a technology that only needed to draw power when absolutely necessary and drew nothing when it didn’t need to?
Sharp NEC Display Solutions has such a technology. In principle, E-Ink itself only consumes energy when the content to be displayed changes. As long as the image is static, no energy is required. This is a fundamental difference compared to both LCD and LED technologies. In order to transmit and manage the content, additional electric circuitry may be required, but the power consumption is very minimal and may only be needed to update content.
Tobias Augustin, Manager Product Management, Sharp NEC Display Solutions Europe GmbH explains: E-ink for professional use has not so far been widely available and both manufacturers and system integrators have only just gained access to this key technology. Sharp Electronics and E-Ink in Japan have collaborated to combine their key technologies to make E-Ink ready for more types of applications. More and more developments and improvements are being implemented now which means E-Ink is getting more mature and ready for the professional market.
Sound too good to be true? Due to the nature of the technology, static images and information especially in public places is the target application. Scenarios range from bus schedules and airport check-in or gate info, to nutritional facts or basic wayfinding. The technology has the potential to bring many benefits and far more opportunities in the future though.
Sharp NEC argues that the construction of EInk displays makes life easier for the installer: ※Due to the overall lightness of products, installations are very easy, no complex wiring is needed, and no local power lines may be needed. Readability is excellent under any ambient brightness level and power consumption will be negligible.
But surely there must be some limitations? Currently the sizes available are below 10-inch: approximately 13-inch; and approximately 25-inch. There are more size classes under development though in order to be able to offer the right sizes and product concept for various kinds of applications.
Unplug and play?
With a development of this magnitude, it is a safe a safe bet that a number of vendors will be working on parallel developments concurrently. PPDS has announced an efficient digital signage series tagged the ＆zero power＊ Philips Tableaux range at ISE 2023 Philips a brand-new product category, As such, Philips became the first leading display manufacturer in the world to deliver full size and full colour ＆ePaper digital signage display to the AV market.
Furthermore, PPDS announced a complete range of ＆game-changing and industry-advancing of full size and full colour ＆zero power, Philips Tableaux advanced colour ePaper (ACeP) signage displays. Each is capable of delivering 24/7 vivid content, while running entirely unplugged and without using a single kilowatt of electricity. Part of a relentless focus and deepening commitment to bringing high impact, highly sustainable and more eco-friendly solutions to market, the new Tableaux displays from PPDS are the world’s first 60,000 colour (including blue) ePaper signage solutions launched by a leading display manufacturer.§ Designed to deliver an array of exciting new opportunities〝 including cost and energy savings〝 for customers operating in a variety of verticals, such as retail, corporate, public spaces, and transportation.
Philips Tableaux displays are available in 25 16:9, and 28 32:9 stretched variants at launch, They are described as an ideal energy saving solution for businesses across the sectors looking to digitise their paper-based signage delivering messaging such as store opening hours, timetables, and menus, or promotions and offers, or for those looking to swap out their current digital models (where features may far exceed day-to-day requirements, adding unnecessary running costs) with colourful, power-free, easily updatable Android SoC displays.
Applications are said to include any environment with limited or no access to power sources. The Tableaux range will show content without even being plugged in or using power at all. Light enough to be moved around easily when required, the displays only require connection to an electricity source when content is being updated, and immediately revert to zero power upon completion. Content updates can be managed manually, or entirely remotely using PPDS in-house or third-party professional display control and management platforms. The Philips Tableaux Series will also soon be compatible with the evolutionary PPDS Wave cloud-based fleet management platform, designed and built exclusively for Philips professional displays.
Further Philips Tableaux display sizes will be added in the coming months. Martijn van der Woude, VP Global Marketing and Business Development at PPDS commented: There are very many instances where digital signage is used only display still images, which may change only once a day, and sometimes even less. For these, you do not need a solution that offers a refresh rate of, for example 60fps, or to invest in a technology that far exceeds the capabilities required to achieve the desired impact. With the Philips Tableaux Series from PPDS, businesses can achieve their aims and ambitions at a fraction of the running cost, bringing immediate savings for themselves and for the environment.
Sustainability is a top priority for many businesses. In a survey taken during our Global Access: Future Tech event, 68% of end customers said that it is business critical and 59% of Sis said the same. At PPDS, we feel it is our duty to lead the industry with this challenge, bringing products that deliver on energy and environmental savings, without compromising customers＊ digital display objectives.
Franck Racape, VP Global Commercial at PPDS added: At PPDS our mindset is to listen to the market and lead from the front in delivering the solutions customers need, when they need them. Sustainability and energy consumption are both becoming an increasing part of our conversations and this is something we have focused heavily on in the past 12 to 18 months. Today, the latest examples of that strategy are on display, and we’re delighted to be the first leading display manufacturer in the global market to introduce these full sized, full colour Tableaux displays. These provide incredible opportunities, allowing businesses to digitise their business communications and messaging in ways they never thought possible. The Tableaux Series is the perfect, complementary solution to our wider range of incredible Philips professional displays, providing customers with a full portfolio of choice and opportunity to fit their everyday 〝 and extraordinary 〝 needs.
Martijn van der Woude concluded: We have already been overwhelmed by the interest of our Tableaux displays. This display is a game changer for our customers and the wider AV industry’presenting results that speak for themselves.
The bigger the better?
With the advances made by Sharp NEC and Philps in the areas of power consumption and sustainability it would be easy to overlook one of the basic drivers underpinning digital signage 〝 impact! And for impact, read scale. Bigger and bigger displays carry with them problems of transport and deployment. Much the same can be said at the micro scale about the mobile phone 〝 larger display is desirable, bur not ro the point where it undermines the raison deter of the phone, to be mobile. Hence the enthusiasm from Samsung and others for the foldable display.
In the digital signage world, different but related problems occur. Transporting large displays can be expensive and logistically complex, involving significant cost and effort. Additionally, external audio equipment is usually required for applications demanding reasonably good quality sound. Due to the complex configurations of various AV systems, trained professionals are required to operate and maintain large displays. Furthermore, a dedicated space to assemble and manage the equipment is also needed. Customers constantly seek greater agility for event spaces in the dynamic hospitality and event industries. As a result, fully fixed installations of large and bulky displays are seeing decreased demand.
ViewSonic has tackled the problem by creating a large display that is both foldable and self-contained. The company’s foldable 135 All-in-One LED Display provides a seamless large screen and fast and seamless setup. It offers higher mobility without the logistical issues associated with big screens, making it an ideal solution to provide better convenience, flexibility, and outstanding visuals for various events.
A significant amount of time and a specialized workforce is usually required for professional audiovisual installations. Large displays are often wall-mounted and limited to one location. Even if some are installed on a floor stand, they are still difficult to move, requiring a compromise between size and movability. ViewSonic’s foldable All-in-One LED Display was developed with precisely these challenges in mind. Its pre-assembled and mobile design significantly simplifies the setup process and offers a range of benefits, including:
Thanks to its mobile design, the large display can be relocated freely to various locations, allowing a single screen to serve multiple spaces〞rather than installing multiple fixed units across different rooms and saving the hassle of revamping the space. For instance, hotels and restaurants can use it to serve various occasions, from screenings of sporting events and movies at the rooftop bar to displaying promotions for upcoming activities in the lobby. It can also be used as a digital backdrop at banquets, ceremonies, or trade shows.
With a foldable screen, the massive 135 LED display can easily fitminto traditional freight elevators and larger passenger elevators when moving. This reduced form factor makes transport a breeze- between rooms on different building floors. This high level of flexibility and mobility also assists rental businesses in meeting clients＊ needs for one-time or occasional use. The massive foldable screen came contained in a mobile flight case with wheels to facilitate safe and easy transportation between venues in different cities.
Compared to other displays of a similar size, ViewSonic’s foldable LED display with reduced packaging size is a cost-efficient solution for event organisers and exhibition companies to reduce both logistics costs and labour. For instance, it eliminates the need to rent a humongous vehicle and forklift to deliver and unload it. The foldable All-in-One LED display is pre-assembled with LED modules, cabinets, a system control box, and an adjustable motorized floor stand, all fitting into a mobile flight case. Once unboxed, the display can be set up easily by two people for instant use in just 10 minutes〞even by staff with little-to-no knowledge of audiovisual technology. With a built-in operating system and wireless connectivity, users can directly stream content onto the display from mobile devices.
With its premium aesthetics and incredible audiovisual performance, the 135§ LED display’s bezel-free and grid-free design offers a seamless and unique viewing experience. The display’s vibrant colours are boosted by ultra-high brightness levels, which allows audiences to see images clearly in various lighting environments. Built-in Harman Kardon speakers round out the audiovisual package, providing a detailed, rich sound right out of the box and negating the need for additional audio equipment.
Conclusion
Developments in energy efficiency and sustainability have seen flat screen display technology advance by leaps-and-bounds. The challenge is to ensure that these goals can be met while still achieving the primary objective of displays in applications including digital signage. Hospitality and entertainment. In forthcoming generations of display technology we are confident that we will see user demands for scale and impact combined with energy efficiency and sustainability.
