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Issue #9/2009
LED video screens and global financial crisis
part 1
September 2008 is when the global financial crisis entered the acute phase with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac losing control to the US Finance Department and Lehman Brothers filing for bankruptcy. A year later we decided to look at the LED video screen industry and see how the major LED video screen manufacturers weathered the financial storms.
Naturally, the topic is overwhelming and we have to limit the article to just a handful of major brand names. We are not trying to list all installations of this or that company. The task is simply to show how it is still possible to work successfully in the area of LED video screen advertising even on the depressive market of 2009.
Lighthouse Technologies
“Lighthouse Technologies” (www.lighthouse-tech.com) is a good example of excellent management. Unlike the innumerable but featureless Chinese manufacturers of LED video screens, this company boasts long history, good quality and strong team in design and sales. All this helped the company to maintain its position in the LED video screen market even during the feverish period for the advertising and entertainment industry. Traditionally Lighthouse is strong in two areas: sports facilities and casinos. Here are some examples and photos.
In Dallas (USA), the company is building a whole network of LED video screens at the American Airlines Center, including a high-resolution square video cube (1080 dots) with 4.4 mm pitch, several LED scoreboards based on 10 mm LED panels, an octagonal curving 16 mm LED display for advertising and replays as well as huge flat LED screens (20 mm panels) at the opposite sides of the arena.
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| LED video screens at the American Airlines Center in Dallas (USA) Photo credit: www.prnasia.com |
Indoor LED video screen for the Cinecity Arts & Cinemas Center in Parma (Italy) Photo credit: Lighthouse Technologies |
In Parma (Italy) Lighthouse received a contract for the indoor LED video screen for the Cinecity Arts & Cinemas Center. Built with 10 mm LED panels, the 5.76х3.36 meter LED screen can run film trailers in excellent quality and resolution.
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| “Make Me a Millionaire” at LED video screen Photo credit: Lighthouse Technologies |
Two 3.84х3.84 meter square on-wall LED video screens made of 10 mm LED panels – is an adequate response to the financial crisis of the «Jack’s Casino» in Nijmegen (Holland). Another interesting project recently completed by Lighthouse is a long 10.0х3.6 meter banner-type LED video screen on a stage for filming “Make Me a Millionaire” TV lottery in California (USA).
Barco
For Barco (www.barco.com) such minor events as global financial crisis are obviously of no importance. Though no new technological innovations were unveiled this year, the company remains firmly among world leaders in sales. Here are some interesting projects.
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| LED video screen by Barco at Level 5 Stadium (Japan) Photo credit: Barco |
LED banners by Barco at Lokeren’s stadium (Belgium) Photo credit: Barco |
A 152 sq. meter LED video screen (built on 14 mm LED panels) for Level 5 Stadium (Japan) for the professional soccer team “Avispa Fukuoka”. Modern LED video screens are so versatile that they can easily combine functions of a score-board, TV and advertising screen, thus allowing owners to save on additional equipment.
At home in Belgium Barco installed state-of-the-art perimeter LED banner display for Lokeren stadium with the total length of 108 meters. On top of one of the oldest hotels in Australia Barco installed a huge 100 sq. meter LED video screen that dwarfs all nearby advertising banners. Now, Young & Jackson's in Melbourne will be even more noticeable to tourists from all over the world.
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| Curved LED video screen by Barco on top Young & Jackson's hotel in Melbourne Photo credit: Barco |
Gigantic round LED video screen by Barco for the U2 world tour Photo credit: Barco |
Naturally, we cannot leave out the gigantic round LED video screen of changing geometry that was specially designed and manufactured by Barco for the U2 world tour (500 000 transformable FLX-24 LED pixels which are integrated into a transformable structure).
Daktronics
Daktronics (www.daktronics.com) has probably the longest list of LED video screen installations in 2009. To list them here will be a waste of time and space. What is worth doing though is to stress the innovative character of Daktronics’ projects. The company does not allow itself to enjoy the status of the world leading LED video screen manufacturer but continues to challenge competitors by constantly expanding product range, functionality of LED video screens, inventing new applications. It is such proactive approach to developing new technology that allows the company to prosper in spite of the crisis in US and world economy. Here are some choice projects.
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| The world largest HD LED video screen at the Kansas City Stadium (USA) Photo credit: Daktronics |
The huge LED banner at the Kansas City Stadium (USA) Photo credit: Daktronics |
Daktronics installs the world largest HD LED video screen in the Kansas City Stadium. The screen measures 31х25 meters, which makes possible to broadcast HDTV with incredible image clarity. In addition Daktronics installs at the stadium huge LED banner (Field-level LED display ) 2.7х39 meters with 96х1696 pixel resolution and LED ribbon display 1.2x114 meters.
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| LED ribbon display at the Kansas City Stadium (USA) Photo credit: Daktronics |
LED informational signs and LED video screens of Rogers Sportsnet in Toronto (Canada) Photo credit: Daktronics |
Another innovation from Daktronics is the network approach. The company has long started setting up local networks of LED video screens for such chain-store clients as McDonalds, drug stores, filling stations and others. Recently a well-known Sports TV channel Rogers Sportsnet (Canada) started broadcasting on-line on LED informational signs and LED video screens manufactured by Daktronics specially for this project. This is in fact a precedent of real outdoor TV , something that in future will make our time spent out-of-home more interesting and informative.
Toshiba
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| Outdoor LED video screen Toshiba Vista-Light Photo credit: Toshiba |
And here is Toshiba (Toshiba International Corporation). Judging by the Web news the company lost its prime position in the LED video screen market. It’s enough to access the company official web-site (www.toshiba.com/led/news_main.jsp): to see news announcements of one year back - 2008. Not very professional. Among the previous achievements of this powerful LED video screen manufacturer it’s worth to mention Vista-Light Series – outdoor LED screens on basis VL-6 LED module with effective 6.25 mm pixel pitch and 160x128 pixel effective resolution. But this expensive toy is not for companies with limited budgets.
We will continue to offer our readers digests about leading world manufacturers of LED video screens in other issues of our magazine.
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