CE Pro January 2023 - 38

5 TECHNOLOGIES TO WATCH
MicroLED
Upselling $20K Job to Install $800K
Samsung Residential Video Wall
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW how to turn a $20,000 sale into $800,000? Just ask Joseph
Akhtarzad, founder of CE Pro 100 company Just One Touch/Video & Audio Center based
in Santa Monica, Calif.
The company recently made history with the first-ever residential installation of a new
219-inch Samsung The Wall microLED videowall. The Model IW-008A features true black
and an 0.84mm pixel pitch that is double the picture quality from the original The Wall
commercial version (which Video & Audio Center was also the first to install back in 2019).
It also has HDR 2000, which is four times improved from the previous version.
" For over 41 years, my
mission has never been to
worry about price, but to
always try to market the
new technology to customers,
because there is
always going to be someone
interested regardless of
the price. We have a niche
in the marketplace, " says
Akhtarzad.
" We had a client reach
Just One Touch/Video & Audio Center says affluent
early adopters enable the company to not worry about
price when pitching solutions such as microLED.
out to us who was initially
interested in a much smaller
size large-screen TV. We
realized that this client can
afford and would appreciate
the new Samsung microLED
video wall where you can build it as large as you want. In this case, it was 219 inches at a
retail of $800,000. We explained the full potential of the TV and the client trusted us. We
sold it and installed it, and the client could not be any happier, " he adds.
In all, the installation took the Just One Touch crew about three days to complete. For
the companion audio solution, in-ceiling architectural speakers were used. The technicians
did not have to do any wall reinforcement to support the weight of the unit.
" We already have a couple of more sales of these big sizes in the works that are referrals
directly from this client to his friends, " mentions Akhtarzad.
Akhtarzad is excited about the growing potential for microLED technology in residential
settings. He touts the flexibility to be able to make the picture any size the client
wants, the suitability of the technology in both dedicated theater rooms as well as
high-ambient light areas of the home, the quality of the microLED tiles that are completely
invisible, and the overall picture quality that eliminates artifacts using Samsung
Motion Smoothing technology.
The advancement of Samsung's video technology has been fast paced in recent years. In
2015 the company debuted the Fine Pixel Pitch LED, 2017 the LED HDR, 2018 the Onyx
Smart LED digital signage, and in 2019 the first commercial microLED. Samsung recently
unveiled its The Wall All in One that includes 110- and 146-inch versions. In addition to
the 219-inch version installed by Video & Audio Center, Samsung has 255- and 292-inch
versions available.
Video & Audio Center puts its employees through weekly training on the newest
products available and has them practice a two-minute sales presentation on the latest
technology, why people are buying it, and why the customer should consider it.
38 | CE Pro January 2023
the dot pitch gets smaller,
more pixels can be
grouped together for a
clearer picture at closer
viewing distances, and this
will help with image clarity
regardless of whether
integrators are assembling
a 75-inch display or
a 24-foot display. One
other important performance-related
aspect to
the use of microLED displays
Dustal underscores
is that as the content
community starts to produce
120Hz programming,
microLED will be ready to
display things like sports
broadcasts and gaming
content that will immediately
take advantage of
higher frame rates.
" My prediction is that
in five years, microLED will
continue to approach the
same price point as a twopiece
projection system.
When this happens, more
people will be open to it as
an option. To add, microLED
will not be limited
to screen size, but wall size.
The only limitation will be
the system designer and
customer's imagination, "
Dustal says.
" There are many possibilities
for microLED to be
more than just a TV. Imagine
a wall-size piece of
art, imagine being able to
change wall colors in your
home depending on your
mood. Imagine being able
to simulate your favorite
vacation spot from your
living room, or being able
to watch multiple sources
on the display without
the complexity of current
switching systems. The
possibilities are endless. "
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