LEDs Magazine Review - Beriled

DISPLAYSFull-color video LED billboards feelthe impact of alternative technologiesSmaller LED display manufacturers couldstruggle in the face of decreasing prices andthe emergence of competing technologiessuch as digital ink, according to Peter Pihosof EDG Research and Consulting.LEDSMAGAZINEIt is hard to imagine that only five or so years ago, when the large-areavideo display industry was transitioning completely to LED-basedtechnology, that anything in the near future would affect the directionor potential that almost all were expecting.The outdoor market has been having great success, with the saleprice of displays dropping annually, allowing for much larger displaysto be built along with many new interesting applications. The indoormarket seemed to be growing well, servicing applications that neededhigher resolution. LED technology produced displays with outstandingpicture quality, albeit at very high pricing, serving niche marketswhere other technologies such as projection had difficulties, particularlywith ambient light issues.So life and business was good, LED was king, and display manufacturersand component companies anticipated a long run withoutmuch interference. The LED video industry has enjoyed a 7–10%annual sales growth rate despite continuing price reductions, and theproduction of LED displays measured in square meters has grown ata rate of approximately 25–30% annually. Most people believed thatit was unlikely for anything to strongly influence this trend.In fact, EDG Research and Consulting started to see a possibleanomaly to this trend four years ago when we were researching LEDvideo displays used in advertising networks. We interviewed the topdigital display networks, ad agencies and national advertisers to gainan understanding of what was involved. They shared with us both theiroptimism and concerns about the viability of the media.Still images not videoEDG discovered that a large majority of advertising systems were notshowing video images. Some had minimal animation, but most werepredominately showing simple, full-color images.There were several reasons for the absence of video, such asregulatory issues surrounding moving images near motorways. Also,it seemed that clients did not want to go to the expense of creating acustom-made video advert without supporting audio that could not beused elsewhere.It occurred to EDG that the practical usage of the displays in thisenvironment did not take advantage of the main performance featureof LED video systems; that is to say, if you were not showing videoon the display then why should one want to purchase a technology thatincorporates video capability as a selling feature?Clear Channel has unveiled a network of LED billboards inLas Vegas, comprising six 14 × 48 foot displays from YescoElectronics that each contain 449,280 LEDs with a pitch of 20 mm(see www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/news/3/5/9). However, thecompany is also using Magink technology – see “Clear Channelworks with Magink and LEDs” box.Viacom, one of the world’s leading entertainment contentcompanies, is building a digital signage network at railway stationsin the Netherlands using LED displays supplied by LighthouseTechnologies. A P10 10 mm LED video screen measuring 6.4 mwide × 3.84 m high has been installed on the main concourse ofUtrecht Central Station, the country’s busiest railway station.Viacom believes that advertisers are more interested in, and will getmore return from, this type of captive audience medium. The fullydeveloped system will consist of LED screens in the network ofstation’s central halls, along with LCD screens on the platforms(more details at www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/news/3/8/5).ledsmagazine.com August 2006© Copyright 2006 IOP Publishing Ltd www.iop.org and Cabot Media Ltd. All rights reserved29