InfoComm is always an incredibly stimulating show, with manufacturers showcasing their impressive audio and visual products that are intended to attract attention and impress listeners and viewers. However, the show floor is also very loud, so unless you’re in a soundproof room getting a demo of a new speaker or soundbar, it is the displays that typically get the most attention at InfoComm, and that was no different for the show’s 2023 outing.
Booths from digital signage, videowall and projection companies typically get the most attention, with passersby often stopping to take photos of these impressive displays.
That was again the case this year, as display manufacturers stopped at nothing to bring impressive, jaw-dropping visuals to the more than 29,000 attendees.
LG
On trade show floor littered with huge, eye-popping displays and visuals, LG’s new 272-inch MAGNIT 8K Micro LED display was one of the more noticeable. Essentially the answer to Samsung’s The Wall, the MAGNIT 8K Micro LED features a 0.78mm pixel pitch with LG’s Deep Black Technology and an impressive 150,000:1 contrast ratio.
“Customers are asking for size, scale, quality, microLEDs,” says David Bacher, head of marketing for LG Business Solutions USA. “This is really LG’s answer to that.”
Also featured at LG’s booth were other MAGNIT displays, including a 163-inch MAGNIT display, designed for corporate use cases, with remote power supply options. Elsewhere throughout the booth, LG was showing off other models with a range of pixel pitches from 0.68 to 1.56 millimeters.
These models included a residential-specific MAGNIT display, which the company offers in various sizes from 118 inches to 217 inches. The residential display features a consumer-oriented controller, which makes it operate “just like a normal TV,” Bacher says.
Samsung
Of course, we can’t talk about large format displays without mentioning Samsung’s The Wall series of microLED displays. While Samsung largely focused on commercial applications at InfoComm 2023, the display manufacturer made sure to highlight The Wall series, including an interesting new use case: virtual production.
According to Samsung, The Wall for Virtual Production is based on modular technology for a variety of installation options, including a flat screen or up to 6,000R curvature, based on environment and needs. It comes with an integrated Virtual Production Management (VPM) solution to make it easy to manage and ensure high quality picture with an easy interface, the company says.
In addition, The Wall for Virtual Production uses 3D lookup tables (LUTs) for color correction, wide color HDR gamut change, and color adjustment between individual cabinets or modules. The VPM can also detect any LED issues for easier troubleshooting.
Samsung’s The Wall All-in-One.
Samsung also showcased its new Wall-in-One LED, a 130-inch full HD LED screen with 16:9 ratio in a pre-assembled frame kit that allows users to install the display simply by hanging it on the wall. The display comes with everything needed for installation, including mounts, LEDs, stairs, screws and more.
Inside the box is a paper template that that is taped to the wall that tells the installer where the cleats and screws go, and the company says mounting the wall brackets, docking background plates, hanging preset modules and completing the installation takes about two hours. The display also includes a built-in control box for simple configuration.
Christie
Speaking of eye-popping visuals, we hope you had a chance to stop by Christie’s booth and see the company’s 4K50-RGB pure laser projector offering 50,000 lumens, which the company claims is the brightest currently available.
Also on display at Christie’s booth were the company’s M 4K25 RGB projectors, shown in a double-stacked display. The company calls these a reimagination of the M Series projectors.
Christie also showcased its new 4K22-HS 1DLP laser projector, featuring 22,500 lumens for venues that require high resolution, higher brightness and color accuracy, but for a more budget-conscious application.
Throughout the show, we saw examples of the AV industry innovating to make setup, management and use easier, and that was also on display with the new Christie Intelligent Camera. The camera, which pairs with the Christie 1 DLP projector, includes a background compensation features that automatically adjusts the image color to better fit the color of the projection screen. When used with the Mystique Lite software, it can automate warping and blending of up to three projectors in a horizontal array.
Planar
Planar, known for its large-scale displays, was showing off a range of LED and LCD visualization solutions aimed at a wide range of applications at InfoComm 2023.
The company introduced the Planar UltraRes L Series display. an all-in-one LED display combining Planar UltraRes features with fine pixel pitch LED technology. The Planar UltraRes L Series introduces a seamless, easy-to-use display solution featuring integrated video and audio electronics, 20-point IR touch technology, on-board processing, an ultra slim bezel and 24×7 reliability. Measuring 136 inches and available in Full HD resolution, the new display offers flexibility with a wall mount for permanent installation or a rolling floor stand for mobility, making the Planar UltraRes L Series all-in-one LED display well-suited for environments spanning corporate, education and beyond.
In addition, the company showcased its LED videowall platforms with higher brightness and high bandwidth video transport, outdoor LED videowall displays featuring the finest pixel pitches, LED display solutions optimized for on-camera broadcast and in-camera virtual production (VP) and extended reality (XR).
Planar’s Luminate Ultra Series.
Attendees also got a chance to see Planar Luminate Ultra Series line of outdoor LED videowall displays. The newest addition to the series delivers the finest outdoor pixel pitch by using MicroLED technology to enable a 1.2 millimeter pixel pitch while also achieving superior performance in an outdoor-rated LED videowall display. MicroLED technology enhances the image with increased black levels and delivers 150-degree visibility while a proprietary coating ensures outdoor ruggedness and enhanced visual performance in high ambient light outdoor environments.
Planar also presented a XR stage with sister company OptiTrack. The stage demonstrated how customers can use VP and XR for content creation in corporate applications and beyond, highlighting OptiTrack motion capture technology and fine pitch LED display solutions designed for on-camera and in-camera environments.
Sharp NEC Display Solutions
Speaking of large displays, Sharp NEC Display Solutions was highlighting a range of new displays at InfoComm 2023, including the centerpiece of its booth, the FE Series, a 0.9 millimeter direct-view LED display that was four modules wide by 12 modules high in a custom configuration.
In addition, the company was showing off its recently launched FC Series of direct view LED displays featuring flip chip technology designed to make the screen more durable. However, the company partnered with touchscreen manufacturer TSI Touch to develop overlay IR technology that provides up to 12 points of touch to an LED surface. This takes the typical touchscreen capabilities from a plat panel display and rings it to direct view LED, the company says.
Elsewhere in Sharp NEC Display Solutions’ booth, the company was showcasing a range of other displays, such as its new 4P-B Series of commercial TVs that come in sizes up to 86 inches. Its new 75-inch and 86-inmch 4K UDH E Series displays, a new N Series line of displays replacing the V Series product, a 98-inch E Series line of displays, and several other displays and projectors for a variety of uses cases and markets.
Epson
Epson’s booth at InfoComm 2023 took showgoers through various scenarios where flexible, large, bright, and colorful displays are essential – from high-impact projection with up-close viewing to hybrid meeting spaces and collaborative classrooms where an ultra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio is important in allowing all participants to see and do more.
Epson’s BrightLink interactive displays transform meeting spaces and classrooms into immersive collaborative environments. With images up to 120˝, flexible displays breathe new life into ordinary walls and dry erase boards, eliminating the need for dedicated electronic boards or space consuming flat panels.
In addition, Epson showcased its new EB-PQ Series 4k projectors with the company’s 4k crystal motion technology with panel thermo-control and double micro-lens array technologies to provide up to 20,000 lumens, vivid color and 4K resolution on-screen.
Epson’s new EB-PQ Series 4K projector
The company also showcased its new PowerLite 810E – its first extreme short-throw with 4K enhancement capable of delivering images of up to 160 inches.
Epson also showcased a new cloud-based projection management software for remote monitoring. Ideal for AV professionals, IT managers and systems integrators, this new service allows for managing, controlling, monitoring, and receiving critical notifications from projectors remotely.
Optoma
At Optoma’s booth, the company showcased its ultra-portable ML1080 and ML1080ST projectors that feature RGB triple laser light source technology to meet the various needs of installation environments and professionals on-the-go. Having the lowest carbon footprint of any Optoma product, the projectors have a chassis made from 50% post-consumer recycled materials. Moreover, the laser technology is designed to cut power consumption and ensures a long product lifespan. The ML1080ST projector weighs only 2 pounds and delivers up to 100-inch images from five feet away from display surfaces for use in smaller spaces.
Powered by Optoma’s VIOSO Nano 6, the ML1080 and ML1080ST projectors displayed an immersive dining experience featuring 360-degree visuals developed in partnership with Zanim8tion.
