The Clarity Matrix LCD Video Wall System had already established itself as a linchpin of Planar Systems‘ family—a “very important product for Planar” and “one of the fastest growing products the company has ever had,” said product marketing manager John Dixon.
The goal in launching a next-generation Clarity Matrix with what it calls G2 Architecture, according to CEO and president Gerry Perkel, is take “the key elements that everyone loved” about the original and “[make] them even better, combining them into a next-generation product that meets the needs of today and tomorrow.”
The areas in which integrators and end users will notice step-up features in the G2 line are in design, ease of installation, service access and visual performance. However, Planar is also launching a 55-inch Clarify Matrix model with tiled bezel width down to 3.7mm.
Planar says the Clarity Matrix with G2 Architecture will begin shipping Q1 2014 and will be on display at Integrated Systems Europe 2014 and Digital Signage Expo 2014. Getting the very first public glimpse of the G2 Clarity Matrix line, however, were the folks who attended GovComm in Washington, D.C., December 4-5—unbeknownst to them.
That’s where Planar offered CI a sneak peek at the Clarity Matrix with G2 Architecture.
G2 Step-Up Features
Planar’s Clarity Matrix family has “really expanded our marketing opportunity for video walls, Dixon said at GovComm. “It’s really in line with a lot of growth objectives that he company has in that it’s creating high-impact digital signage.”
Where Planar excels, Dixon added, is in details that integrators tend to appreciate. “You’ll see lots of different vendors with similar technology but we’ve really optimized the product to make it look as good as it possibly can, make it last as long as it possibly can and then make it as easy to service and install as possible.”
The G2, he said, reflects a “leap forward in generational improvements.”
Visual Performance: Integrators will find better 4K UltraHD performance with the G2 solutions, said Dixon while demonstrating on Planar’s Clarity Matrix display in its GovComm booth. “It incorporates a lot of built-in processing capabilities that allows you to take a 4K image, like we’re seeing here, and spread it across four displays. You don’t need any additional hardware to do that.”
From the press release:
The Clarity Matrix with G2 Architecture also provides outstanding image quality with stunning 4K ultra high definition (UHD) input capability and 10-bit color processing. Planar’s Big Picture Plus processing is built into the system, allowing content to be scaled across the entire video wall or any sections of the video wall.
Ease of Installation: The G2 video walls include Planar’s EasyAxis Mounting System, which provides an installed depth of 3.6 inches, calling it “thinnest in the industry.” The think depth makes the G2 line compliant with American Disability Act requirements for protruding objects of less than 4 inches.
Another benefit for installers, Dixon said, is the service capability. “You can kind of tilt it up and service the components and cables behind it. You can just take a little screw driver and adjust it.”
Reduced Cost of Ownership: Planar’s Clarity Matrix line already offered integrators “remote power supplies and electronics that are normally behind the LCD,” pointed out Dixon. The G2 iteration maintains that while “easing the implementation.”
Dixon referred to the GovComm exhibit to illustrate. “For the previous generation it would take three cables for each panel. Here we’re reducing it. To this 2×2 wall, there’s a total of five cables where before you would have had 12 cables. That’s a huge impact for integrators. It lowers the total cost of ownership to the end users. It simplifies the cabling. No fans at the displays. It takes away the weight that’s behind it and the depth that’s associated with those components. Placing those components that are more likely to fail off to a remote service location really adds a lot of value.”
Photos: Planar’s Clarity Matrix LCD Video Wall with G2 Architecture
