Commercial Integrator August 2022 - 12

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AV BRAINS & BRAWN
Direct-View LED: Know the Unknowns
DVLED is quite different from flatpanel LCD displays and projection, and it's critical for
AV professionals to identify and understand the divergences. By Alan C. Brawn
FOR THOSE AMONG US who don't have
our heads buried in the proverbial sand,
we recognize direct-view LED (DVLED)
displays are one of the hottest topics in
commercial AV (and digital signage). We're
seeing double-digital growth in technology
acceptance and integration in both indoor
and outdoor applications. As I like to say
(or, in my case, preach), when technology,
applications and prices converge, opportunities
are created. And, in DVLED, they are
being created daily.
The benefits of DVLED are front and
center for all to see. It is seamless and
nearly limitless in size and shape; what's
more, DVLED produces colorful, high-contrast
images with brightness levels to suit
high-ambient-light environments. What's
not to love? Count me as a big fan!
But, in the process of " fandom, " there
remains a lot to learn. Think about an
iceberg, where the unknown two-thirds
of it is beneath the surface, unseen. What
we don't know can come back to haunt us.
Please permit me to explain.
DVLED is Different
Most of us are, at some level, experts in
projection and traditional flatpanel LCD
displays. With decades of expertise in
mainstream displays, we are comfortable
with what we know. This is admittedly
oversimplified, but projection is all about
screen size, lumen output and ambient
light. For LCD flatpanels, it's about fixed image
size, ambient light and duty cycle. The
decision-making variables are well known,
and we are accustomed to working with
them. As DVLED comes into more and more
prominence, we must break out of our paradigms
and realize that it's quite different.
Let me begin with the manufacturers.
With projection and flatpanel LCD displays,
we know the major players. They have been
clearly defined for us over many years. With
DVLED, we don't have that history and
experience, as we do elsewhere. There
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As DVLED comes into more and more prominence, we must break out of our
paradigms and realize that it's quite different.
are currently around 2,000 companies that
claim to be manufacturers of DVLED.
But is that really true? Well...yes and no.
It depends on the definition of " manufacturer. "
Research shows that most of
these companies are assemblers, buying
components from others and then integrating
them into a finished product. But
even if we put those aside for a moment, it
leaves an enormous number of true DVLED
manufacturers.
Currently, there are more than 100
DVLED companies attempting to do business
in the U.S. Suffice it to say, this has
injected substantial confusion as to whom
to buy from and, more importantly, whom
to trust. File this under " caveat emptor. "
Commercial Integrator AUGUST 2022
Some of the major players in projection
and flatpanel LCD displays have entered
the DVLED market under their own brand
names. This is certainly a place to start.
Keep in mind that there is a lot of OEM
business out there. Companies (mainly
out of China) are manufacturing for known
brands selling in the U.S. Before you ask,
I cannot report who manufactures for
whom, but I do know that this is a fact
of life in the market. And beyond the
confusion among manufacturers - who
does what and whom to buy from - there
is more to consider. As noted, DVLED is
different. And how it is different falls under
a " need to know " set of parameters.
Perhaps it's time to get acquainted!
commercialintegrator.com
TARANUKHIN ALEX/STOCK.ADOBE.COM

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Commercial Integrator August 2022

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