LG Electronics launched the world's narrowest bezel UHD video wall at GITEX Technology Week in Dubai.

With its super slim bezel size, the VH7B Direct Backlit LED Display video wall measures 0.9 mm and caters to sectors including airports, shopping centres and hotels.

The ground breaking video wall display features LG's webOS for Signage smart platform, which takes advantage of the built-in high-performance system-on-a-chip (SoC) sync playback that eliminates the need for an external PC or media player to play contents for daisy chain, helping to reduce the total cost of ownership.

LG's webOS for Signage enables a variety of web-based applications across multiple platforms, as well as the ability to write applications using HTML 5. The advantage of this platform is the ease of management and customisation for third party solution providers which makes lives easier for all stakeholders.

In addition to the global debut, LG showcased the 98" ULTRA HD 4K premium signage display, 84" 10-point touch white board, the new ultra-stretched 86" display, and the innovative LG beacon solution demonstrated on 10" compact touch screens.

Also on display was the UHD premium Hospitality TV UX960H designed to provide a connected guest in-room experience. These solutions cater to a range of vertical industries including retail, education and hospitality.

Go LG’s VH7B Direct Backlit LED Display Video Wall

Christie launches its Christie FHQ552-T, Christie FHQ842-T and Christie FHQ981-L flat panels in three sizes (55”, 84”, and 98”).

All three are ideal for meeting rooms, offices, lobbies and architectural displays, and can be banded with Christie Brio, Christie Spyder and the Christie Pandoras Box media server.

The Christie FHQ552-T features 10-point touch capabilities, built-in speakers and an Open Pluggable Specification (OPS) slot.

Replacing the FHQ841-T is the Christie FHQ842-T -- a versatile 84-inch display, perfect for large-format presentation and collaboration applications. With built-in 10-point multi-touch capability, the Christie FHQ842-T can be used in interactive applications or whiteboard and meeting room scenarios.

“For an affordable LCD solution with multi-touch capabilities, end users should look no further than the Christie FHQ552-T and FHQ842-T,” says Andy Clipsham, senior product manager, Christie. “Both models are plug-and-play, offer professional-grade durability for peace of mind and are compatible with Crestron or similar systems.”

UHD, premium performance, low cost of ownership…the Christie FHQ981-L 98-inch flat panel suits business, education, houses of worship, small control rooms and digital signage applications. Providing a seamless canvas and an alternative to traditional 2 x 2 tiled 46-inch displays, the 98-inch flat panel is compatible with digital signage devices and media players including Christie Spyder and Christie Pandoras Box. The FHQ981-L is equipped with built-in speakers, multi-window capability, along with an OPS slot for compatibility with digital signage devices and pluggable media players.

“The Christie FHQ981-L delivers premium performance and image quality for commercial applications at a low cost of ownership,” Clipsham added. “This versatile ultra-HD flat panel display offers plug and play simplicity and manages up to four feeds simultaneously.”

All three Christie flat panels have a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Go New Christie Flat Panels

Coming soon to a projector near you… HLD (High Lumen Density), a new LED solid state light source developed by Philips Lighting and branded under the trade name of ColorSpark.

A new digital projection technology that removes the need to turn off lights or close curtains, Philips ColorSpark is 3X brighter than existing LED projector technologies

This technology breaks through the Etendue limitation of current LED projectors that have limited their light output. HLD technology now allows projectors to reach the 3000 ANSI lumen level with the prospect to reach beyond 4000 lumens in the future.

In early 2016, the first announced projector brands, Optoma and Hitachi, will bring HLD-enabled projectors to market with more than 3000 ANSI lumens.

Philips ColorSpark High Lumen Density (HLD) LED is a user friendly technology that powers up and down instantly, requiring no start-up or cool-down time, and provides the ideal color representation for home entertainment, as well as classrooms, conference rooms, entertainment venues, retail stores and malls. The scalability, ease of installation and maintenance, energy use, cost and overall performance should prove highly appealing to the digital projector market.

“Until now the projection market has not seen projectors capable of exceeding 2500 Alm with LED technology,” said Leo Schouten from Philips Digital Projection Lighting. “Now, for the first time, LED based projectors will also be able to compete with non-projection display technology in any environment with the lights on and curtains open.”

In a new white paper, Insight Media explains some of the limitations with solid state projection technology and then details how the HLD technology solves these problems and the benefits that this breakthrough enables.

Insight Media also made a survey of 300 people to compare the images of four different unmarked projectors using different solid state lighting technology. The survey examined if a new LED-based light source developed by Philips Lighting would be bright and colorful in a normally lit room and if the images might be preferred by the survey participants.

Details of the test set up, calibration, test images, survey questions and results are all contained in a white paper prepared by Insight Media.

Insight Media says, “We believe this truly is a game changer for the projection industry that will reshape product development plans for all, so understanding how this technology works and its potential impact is important. That is why this white paper has been written.”

Go White Paper on the ColorSpark HLD LED Solution

Many industry observers will tell you that InFocus created the market for projectors by developing and selling the first digital projector. Yet, isn’t it a little ironic that "the inventor of the modern day projector" has had to spend the last 10 years diversifying (as the projector market matured into a huge competition distinguished by dwindling margins.)

Of course, InFocus still sells projectors, lots of projectors. But new InFocus products and services now focus on bringing people and teams closer: from MVP100 video phones to Mondopad (the first-ever large-format, touchscreen), to all-in-one video conferencing and collaboration solutions.

Continuing that trend, the company recently announced LightCast Technology, which allows users to display content from laptops, smartphones and tablets on a variety of InFocus devices, including Mondopads, JTouch Whiteboards, and the new DigiEasel smart displays.

And now the transformation of InFocus may be complete: new CEO Mark Housley (a long-time board member promoted at the end of September 2015 to CEO) announces the acquisition of Jupiter Systems, adding video wall, control room, and smartphone solutions for end-to-end collaboration.

InFocus Corporation has acquired video wall and enterprise collaboration innovator Jupiter Systems.The acquisition expands InFocus’ offering to include display wall processor technology and "bringing a 360-degree view of operations to any control room, conference room, and mobile device."

This acquisition says the company, enables InFocus to provide end-to-end collaboration solutions and become the single provider for customers’ collaboration technology needs.

“We know our customers need collaboration technology on their smartphones and tablets, at their desks, in their conference rooms and in their control rooms. With one provider offering simple, enterprise-ready solutions that work together seamlessly, we can serve the full set of our customers’ requirements with powerful, integrated solutions. The convergence is inevitable and we intend to lead it,” says Housley. “Now InFocus can be that one-stop-shop for complete end-to-end solutions.”

Effective immediately, Jupiter Systems, which operates and manufactures in Hayward, CA, becomes an InFocus’ branded product line for control room and enterprise collaboration solutions. All Jupiter employees are now InFocus team members and both the Jupiter product line office in Hayward, and InFocus corporate headquarters in Portland, Oregon will operate business as usual.

No word yet of the significance for European distributors: but one can assume the current distributors of each company will stay in place while the company explores any possibility of synergy.

Go InFocus Buys Jupiter Systems