Archive for year: 2017
It’s no secret that fans attend games for an experience. Today’s organizations are more focused on bringing fans an engaging atmosphere off the court more than ever. State-of-the-art venues are a key resource for teams to drive revenue and increase fan satisfaction. With this, innovative signage plays an important part of game day for any sporting event.
Fans probably never realize the impact digital, interactive signage makes during the game. Imagine announcing a starting lineup without the visual effects of a LED ribbon or quality scoreboard.
Creative uses for LED signage increase the demand for top technology and operation of these solutions. Location, content, and optimization are key elements for venue upgrades and stadium development. Today’s LED signage can be seen in elevators, at concession stands, VIP suites, and even bathrooms.
From Entrance to Exit
A fan experience begins from the moment a patron parks. Thin LED window hangs offer a new opportunity for external messaging without sacrificing internal natural light. The slim, low-res mesh design is versatile for creative design and graphics. FLEXClearTM is a unique, LED display that is 65-75 percent transparent.
Ribbon boards are the norm throughout the sports industry. They continue to evolve, increasing in size and resolution. LED ribbon boards are utilized for court activities, crowd commands, sponsorship elements and score updates.
With the help of LED solutions, the sports industry can leverage the main focal point of any event – the sporting floor. Whether it’s the court or concourse, floor graphics immerse the fan in a full 360 experience from the moment they step into the arena. In-floor lights, like LumiFLEXTM surface and floor products, can provide consistent, head-turning content from the upper deck to the hardwood. The possibilities are endless and add additional features to the entire game day presentation.
Increased Demand for Engagement
No matter the venue or event, at any given moment all signage should enforce the team brand. Features that display the logo, sponsors, and opportunities to create fan engagement are important parts of the entire patron experience.
With digital signage, fans now have an opportunity – and expectation – to be part of the action while in the stadium. The demand for fans to interact with content, such as social channels, contests, and polls through smartphones, make LED solutions more important now than ever.
PixelFLEX®, an industry leading LED solutions provider, has created LED signage solutions for many sports arenas and stadiums. PixelFLEX® is dedicated to providing top tier customer-focused support throughout the entire client experience.
Learn more about how PixelFLEX ® has been a leader in sports LED signage. Check out its portfolio of sports case studies.
Sports case studies link: https://pixelflexled.com/portfolio_entries/sports/
LAX. ORD. DFW.
These codes represent some of the busiest airports in America, but they more so represent a massive opportunity. Commercial aviation has already started an industry-wide overhaul of static signage, but there are still key areas where the passenger experience could be improved through better digital signage.
Modern travelers consistently face three challenges that can diminish what would otherwise be a very pleasant experience: navigation, entertainment, and retail experiences. The words “You Are Here” hidden behind a cloudy pane of glass represent a very real failure of signage to help lead passengers to their destination. To make their time before or after a flight as pleasant as possible, travelers must be able to easily navigate engaging content and shopping experiences.
Finding your way around the airport consists of everything from signs on the highway that let drivers know which gate to enter, to touch kiosks that intelligently display terminal maps and public transit routes. Instead of scrambling to find static signs that may be hard to see, or in odd spots, airline travelers will easily be able to locate all important information.
One inherent benefit of this system is that it can be intelligently updated and linked. Traffic, curbside pickup, and even ticketing, can be made more efficient and flexible with bright digital signage. This allows airports to post gate announcements, creative welcomes, and advertisements.
Personalizing the experience of landing in Boston or Phoenix is a fun way to make a first impression. An LED wall, an image of Boston’s Fenway Park, or a display of the Arizona desert helps immediately relax travelers, while also providing operators with an opportunity to present up-to-date information about exits and gates.
Architectural indoor entertainment LED displays are more than just eye catching. These features can entertain dozens of customers at a time, and may even prove to be navigational markers in themselves!
Los Angeles International Airport recently upgraded their Tom Bradley International terminal with a comprehensive multimedia overhaul. This project involved the creation of a multi-faceted modular storytelling experience that included welcome walls, a storyboard, destination board, and “time tower.” Time tower is a four-sided installation that is 72 feet tall and uses dynamic content software to project updates, alerts, and advertisements.
This approach is not only engaging, but it’s profitable. In addition to the cost of traveler inefficiency, digital signage maximizes the revenue of on-site retailers, concessions, or events. Some savvy airports are also integrating text message alerts and campaigns into their operations to capitalize on smart phones.
Great airport experiences are about making sure that customers are informed and engaged from the time they arrive until the time they depart. LED signs often last as long as a decade and have flexible programming options that can deliver on target content. If you are interested in learning more about how PixelFLEX can support your airport signage needs, visit us here.
It’s late in the fourth quarter and a bead of sweat drips from Lebron James’s head onto the hardwood. The headband that was a staple of his wardrobe for years has been conspicuously absent this season and with the score tied 89-89 in the 2016 NBA Finals game 7 versus the Warriors, the entire stadium can feel the mounting pressure.
Kyrie Irving drives toward the bucket, completes a beautiful hop step with gracefulness not seen in mere mortals, and lofts up a high arching floater. The ball bounces into the basket, and right back out. Perennial 6th man of the year Andre Iguodala rips the ball down and starts the fast break. He quickly flips the rock to Stephen Curry who takes a dribble and delivers a flawless bounce pass right back. As Andre Iguodala goes to lay in what could be one of the final shots of the game, the massive hand of Lebron appears out of nowhere and pins the ball to the glass. The crowd erupts and the Cavaliers regain possession and go on to win the game.
Moments like this are why millions of people a year flock to sports stadiums. The energy of tens of thousands of fellow fans watching their favorite team is an almost unmatched experience. For centuries, these venues have been able to capitalize on world class competition to draw massive crowds.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for even the best sports teams in the country to sell out. Why? Two words: consumer choices.
We are living in what is perhaps the golden age of entertainment. Customers have a plethora of ways they can consume high quality content including cell phones, flat screen TV’s, VR, La-Z-Boy recliners, gaming consoles, and even their local sports bar, just to name just a few.
To create an immersive and successful experience, sports stadiums need an integrated digital approach that brings the game to life, creates additional revenue, and can even potentially affect the outcome. The solution is dynamic LED display systems.
LED displays can impact an arena in the following ways:
Creating New Spaces That Draw Visitors
LED signage can transform unproductive areas into destinations that create very high revenue per square foot. The Miami Heat, for example, took what was an empty outdoor concrete plaza and used digital signage to create the Miami Heat Xfinity Plaza. Using five custom built cylindrical displays, the Heat created an area that now generates profits for hours before and after games. They can even rent this space out separately for an additional income stream!
Increasing Fan Engagement
Did you know that nearly 83% of sports fans say they check Social Media while they are at the game?[1] By offering live feeds of fans posting pictures, videos, and comments on social media, digital signage can be used as an opportunity to heighten the shared experience. It’s important not to forget that chances for engagement are not limited to just the big screen. The reFLEXion model is a portable and customizable display, perfect for a space like the team gear shop.
Directing the Flow of Traffic
LED displays can act as great traffic managers. A clear and bright display is the best way to get spectators to where they need to be whether that is their seat, the restrooms or the concession stands. While they might not know it, fans are there for more than just the game. LED displays can make sure they know about everything the stadium or arena has to offer.
Providing Additional Advertising Revenue
As stadiums and arenas look to diversify their revenue streams, digital display solutions offer an extra opportunity for advertising dollars. Both local and national sponsors can use integrated digital displays to target key customers and offer unique deals.
The driver behind these possibilities is Fine Pixel Pitch technology.
Fine Pixel Pitch technology has an extremely high pixel density, dynamic high-definition display, enhanced brightness, and can be curved for custom or unique displays. The pitch on these screens which can range from 1.2MM – 2.5 mm, allows fans to clearly see displays from dozens of angles and substantial distances. HD video quality provides a high-end experience that trumps any handheld or digital experience a fan might have at home.
PixelFLEX is an AV industry leader that offers three fine pitch solutions that can be customized for a variety of products.
FLEXUltra
These 2mm curve-able LED displays create unmatched opportunities without sacrificing the resolution of the screen. The FLEXultra has a slim design that can be wrapped around curved surfaces and tiled for perfect video ratios.
TrueFLEX
TrueFLEX is a revolutionary product boasting fanless construction. This means that TrueFLEX can be wrapped around anything while maintaining high resolution.
reFLEXion
The reFLEXion LED stand is a plug and play video display designed for commercial users. This stand can be moved throughout stadium spaces to maximize viewer experience and is the perfect replacement for outdated backlit signage.
Sports aren’t going anywhere, but if stadium and arenas want to keep the games as compelling for fans as possible, they must embrace new digital signage solutions. Let our team help you come up with ideas on how to upgrade your visitor experience! See how PixelFLEX created a unique and exciting experience for Nashville Predator fans in the Lexus Lounge by clicking the link below!
[1] https://www.dailydot.com/via/morgan-2013-rise-of-sports-fan/
When buying an LED display, no one wants to overpay by purchasing a higher resolution than is required to do the job. On the other hand, you want to purchase a display that delivers a crisp, clear picture to the intended audience. To ensure you are buying exactly the display you need and no more, it is essential to understand how viewing distance and resolution correlate.
Recommended viewing distances are somewhat subjective, but can be roughly calculated based on the resolution, display type, application, and intended use. The higher the resolution you have, the clearer your content will appear. Text size is another important consideration. In general, larger characters can be viewed from a longer distance at a lower resolution.
Resolution in an LED display is the result of a specification called pixel pitch. Pixel pitch describes the spacing of individual pixels. In the case of a color display, it is the physical distance measured in millimeters between the center of an LED diode and the next closest diode on the board. Generally speaking, the larger the pitch number, the lower the resolution of the display with more pixelization. Likewise, the lower the pitch number, the higher the resolution will be, resulting in less pixelization. As a rule of thumb, each time pixel pitch is reduced by a millimeter, a viewer can stand one meter closer to the display.
Resolution is proportional to the number of pixels contained in the physical area of your LED display. The more pixels you have per square meter, the more detail your wall will display. When viewed from the recommended minimum viewing distance, these pixels will appear connected, giving a smooth, colorful image, without the appearance of any spaces between pixels or separation of the LEDs. In addition to pixel pitch, the effective resolution is also influenced by display size, pixel technology, and viewing distance.
Each display has a recommended minimum viewing distance that may vary based on the application and the intended use. Understanding how viewing distance and resolution correlate can help you choose the right product to meet your unique needs, potentially saving you a ton of money. When choosing a digital display, consider the ideal viewing distance from the sign to help choose the correct pixel pitch.
At PixelFLEX ®, we want to educate our customers so they purchase the correct product and don’t overbuy. We offer a large variety of award winning LED display systems that provide clear and detailed images in virtually any size and shape screen you desire. The experts at PixelFLEX ® will help you choose a quality solution that makes your creative vision a reality.
To learn more about how PixelFLEX ® can help you meet your business goals, visit PixelFLEXLED.com today! Also, Visit our LED University page to get a little more in depth on this topic above.
The Texas-based live event production provider invests in FLEXLite Plus 8.9mm LED video technology for its rental inventory to create powerful production designs
Nashville, 5/9/2017 – Located in Weatherford, Texas, Piranha Productions is a full-service production company specializing in all the design elements needed to create a powerful, live event production designs. With LED video becoming a consistent component to many of their most successful designs, the decision was made to make an investment in the technology for their rental inventory. Needing a high-resolution and durable solution from a trusted provider, they called upon Nashville-based PixelFLEX and made an investment in FLEXLite Plus 8.9mm LED video.
“Piranha Productions began in 2000 as an event production company providing sound, light and event management, but as the technology has progressed we began to get into video design and production as well,” began Greg Teagarden, Vice President of Production. “Previously we had sub-rented the LED video screens through other companies, but we recently decided it was time to invest in the technology for ourselves. I’ve kept an eye on PixelFLEX over the years so when it came time for us to make the purchase, it was a quick call to discuss what they had to offer and the FLEXLite Plus 8.9mm was exactly what we wanted.”
FLEXLite Plus from PixelFLEX is one of the highest resolution curve-able LED displays on the market and is capable of a 15-degree curve in any direction. With its bright, dense display and high refresh rate, FLEXLite Plus photographs and videos extremely well and its tiles are calibrated directly out of the box to decrease failure, and ensure the perfect color and brightness of any LED video design.
“Over the years, I’ve seen so many different iterations of video screens and within the past few years everything had progressed to the small, lightweight LED video panels,” continued Teagarden. “For our designs, we needed a solution that was durable enough to be mounted on a trailer, but also had the ability to create custom, modular configurations. We also wanted a product that was a higher resolution than what we have dealt with in the past, and it was great to be able to look through the PixelFLEX catalog of products to get down to the precise 8.9mm pixel pitch we needed for our shows.”
As FLEXLite Plus was identified as the ideal LED video solution, there was another characteristic that Teagarden was looking for in a technology partner. Wanting to make an investment in a company known for quality products and support, the industry reputation of PixelFLEX solidified the new relationship.
“In making this investment, I really wanted to partner with a company that was established in the United States with plenty of inventory and a proven ability to respond to any service needs,” admitted Teagarden. “I didn’t want to have to send product overseas or wait for spare parts to arrive from another country, and I knew the PixelFLEX technology has been road-tested over the years so we purchased 70 FLEXLite Plus LED video panels.”
With the purchase now complete, Piranha Productions wasted no time putting their new LED video panels out on the job. Often placed in challenging outdoor and rodeo arena environments, the FLEXLite Plus has performed in every situation and is providing Piranha Productions with the powerful LED video solution they needed.
“Since we’ve taken the new panels into inventory, we’ve had them out on a number of projects and our calendar is quickly filling up with summer events,” concluded Teagarden. “We love how easy the system is to configure onsite and how quickly it all goes together and comes down. Even though we haven’t had any issues with the system whatsoever, should we need to service the panels, it is extremely serviceable in the field, and it that makes the FLEXLite Plus a quality LED video solution.”
For more information on Piranha Productions, or to inquire about their FLEXLite Plus 8.9mm LED video panels, call 817-598-0511 or visit www.piranhashows.com.
An American-based LED manufacturer, PixelFLEX offers creative solutions, reliable products, and dependable service for our industry-leading LED display technologies and solutions. Driven towards excellence to meet your standards, PixelFLEX offers a one-of-a-kind design for your tour, event or installation through our award-winning line of LED video walls and video screens. Working with architects, designers, engineers and consultants, PixelFLEX is proud to develop custom LED solutions for each and every customer while also providing top-tier customer support throughout the entire experience. For more information on the complete line of PixelFLEX LED video walls and video screens, visit PixelFLEX at pixelflexled.com, follow us on Twitter at @pixelflexled or find us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
Nashville-based LED video manufacturer and Dallas-based digital media solutions provider work together at the DSE and GlobalShop industry showcases in Las Vegas
Nashville, 4/27/2017 – The world’s largest trade show dedicated exclusively to showcasing digital display and interactive technologies is DSE (Digital Signage Expo). The annual show features over 200 exhibitors and gives key decision-makers the opportunity to experience all the latest technology in one location. To attract attention on a crowded tradeshow floor, exhibitors at the show must utilize innovative digital displays themselves to create an eye-catching trade show environment. At the 2017 expo, digital media solution provider Reflect needed a dynamic display for their booth entrance, so they enlisted the assistance of Nashville-based PixelFLEX and chose FLEXLite II 3.9mm LED video to help capture the attention of those in attendance.
“Over the years at DSE we’ve seen tremendous growth in the digital technologies on display,” began Tracie Wilbanks, Reflect’s Vice President of Marketing. “This year, we decided to include LED video in our booth design to creatively showcase our market position as a turn-key provider of creative digital solutions and to help announce our new Reflect AdLogic™ ad trafficking software. With these objectives in mind, we needed a high-resolution display technology that would attract people to our booth on a crowded show floor. The FLEXLite II LED display was the ideal solution.”
FLEXLite II is the next generation of the FLEXLite Series of LED panels from the award-winning LED video manufacturer PixelFLEX. Available in 500mm x 500mm or 500mm x 1000mm panel sizes, the FLEXLite II offers resolutions from 2.6mm-6.25mm pixel pitch, and its die-cast aluminum frame provides durability, quick installation, and modular construction for ease of maintenance.
“Digital signage is definitely the fastest growing segment in the AV industry,” added Chas Thornhill, CTS, Reflect’s Senior Systems Engineer. “The market is growing beyond the traditional, single-screen digital experiences to include more complex applications utilizing interactive applications, multi-screen, large format displays, and much more LED.”
Wilbanks continued, “In today’s market, digital media is a common theme. Technology, marketing, and IT managers are under pressure to do it right. In the past, digital signage meant simply hanging a screen, but today, focused strategy, measurement, and optimization are needed to maximize the value and effectiveness of digital media networks. A key part of our strategy is matching the display technology to the opportunity.
While the 2017 DSE was taking place inside the Las Vegas Convention Center, the GlobalShop trade show was happening simultaneously inside the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. With PixelFLEX on site to showcase their LED video technologies to the retail industry, Reflect and PixelFLEX continued their successful technology partnership with the implementation of an interactive touch screen application.
“We developed an interactive video on demand application using two BrightSign media players for the PixelFLEX trade show booth,” explained Thornhill. “This custom touch screen application allowed attendees to easily launch video content specific to retail, restaurant, or sports arena verticals.”
“Over the last few years, we have seen a significant investment in LED video and control technologies from retail professionals and commercial designers around the world,” stated David Venus, PixelFLEX Director of Marketing. “By using the interactive application created by Reflect, guests at our booth could quickly identify the LED video technology solutions ideal for their designs and applications, and it was our great relationship with Reflect that made the visually engaging display possible.”
The LED industry experiences continuous technological advancements while the cost to deploy LED is declining. Once viewed as an overly-expensive branding solution, digital media networks have now become an affordable and viable marketing platform for multiple industries.
“LED displays, media player technology, and content management systems have begun to mature. And as the overall solutions become more affordable, more companies are deploying comprehensive digital media networks,” concluded Thornhill. “Not long ago, LED display experiences were isolated and expensive, but with the development of products like FLEXLIte II from PixelFLEX, the overall cost is now comparable to LCD video walls. That allows us to deploy them in a broader range of opportunities with far better results than LCD.”
An American-based LED manufacturer, PixelFLEX offers creative solutions, reliable products, and dependable service for our industry-leading LED display technologies and solutions. Driven towards excellence to meet your standards, PixelFLEX offers a one-of-a-kind design for your tour, event or installation through our award-winning line of LED video walls and video screens. Working with architects, designers, engineers and consultants, PixelFLEX is proud to develop custom LED solutions for each and every customer while also providing top-tier customer support throughout the entire experience. For more information on the complete line of PixelFLEX LED video walls and video screens, visit PixelFLEX at pixelflexled.com, follow us on Twitter at @pixelflexled or find us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
At long last, it’s time to install that show-stopping video wall you’ve been planning. You want it to be bright, flexible, energy-efficient, and cutting-edge—something truly unique and exciting!
But which kind of display should you use?
Until recently, most large-format video walls were built using LCD displays arranged in standard configurations: 2X2, 3X3, 4X4 and so on. This was the preferred method for achieving large video images due, in part to the cost of LED display technology. But now, with efficient, brighter LED technologies and manufacturing techniques, large-format LED displays are economically comparable with the older LCD matrix video walls they so easily outperform.
Liquid crystal displays (LCD) have been popular for years in both the video wall and consumer electronics markets. You have probably already used LCD technology several times already today and the technology is perfect for smartphones, computer monitors, and television screens. But when LCD displays are tiled together to create a video wall, the bezels (or visible edges of the cabinet) create “mullions” which interrupt the video image. Even when expensive “ultra-thin-bezel” displays are used, the mullions are still there dividing the image. Direct View LED panels assemble together with no visible bezels forming completely seamless video walls.
Recent innovations in LED manufacturing allow more brightness, higher resolutions, greater reliability and energy-efficiency than LCD displays with the best color accuracy and refresh rates of any display type available. For large-format video experiences, Direct View LED is the obvious choice. Here’s a quick comparison:
- LCD monitors have bezels which interrupt the image
- LCD monitors can exhibit “burn in” of an image type over time
- LCD video walls require special pullout mounting brackets that allow precise physical alignment and are typically pretty thick
- LCD monitors require frequent color calibration and physical alignment to keep them looking good
- LCD monitors by their very nature prevent smooth curves
- LCD monitors used with complex, non-standard designs require expensive image processors with outputs for each display
- LCD video wall displays typically have much lower brightness levels than LED
- LCD video wall displays are not available in outdoor configurations
- LED displays have no bezels to interrupt the image
- LED displays don’t require pullout brackets and the entire display including the framing can be 3″ thick or less
- LED displays typically don’t require color calibration and the physical alignment does not change over time
- LED displays offer greater shape flexibility including non-standard flat displays, curves, cylinders, thin ribbons, and outside corners
- LED displays are controlled differently with a single processor and only a few outputs required to drive very large displays
- LED displays perform better in high ambient lighting conditions than LCDs (even outdoors)
- LED displays provide a wider viewing angle due to its direct emission of light
- LED technology Is very robust and reliable, even in high humidity and in a wide range of temperatures
Numerous display technologies are available today. Each has value, but the unique characteristics of LED displays may better suit your needs. And LED provides a lower total cost of ownership. LED is more energy-efficient, requires virtually no periodic maintenance, installs quicker, and has a longer usable lifespan than LCD video walls.
America-based LED manufacturer PixelFLEX offers creative solutions, reliable products, and dependable service for our industry-leading LED display technologies and solutions. Driven toward excellence to meet your standards, PixelFLEX offers an award-winning line of LED video walls and video screens to fit your every need. To learn more, visit PixelFLEXLED.com today!
Blog in conjunction with Reflect Systems.
Although a vast majority of shoppers still prefer to buy at bricks-and-mortar stores, smart retailers are finding creative ways to digitally enhance customer experiences. In previous posts, we have already discussed omnichannel commerce and several pioneering digital engagement tools for retailers. Now let’s look at more powerful ways to enhance the customer experience with digital signage to improve in-store sales.
Humans are very visual, and the internet only seems to be making us more so. That means brands, in order to stand out in a competitive environment, need to attract the eye. Here is where digital signage comes into play. If you want to successfully engage customers with digital signage, you need to make sure your signs are well-designed, with good color and pitch, and strategically placed throughout the store so customers can notice new products, promotions, and discounts. The key is engaging your customer’s senses—if you can get them to touch a screen and interact, even better.
The important thing is to make the experience memorable. Part of doing so requires you to know your audience. Since your customers will change throughout the day, adjusting the message on your digital signage can make them feel special. You want your customer to feel a particular sale or promotion is just for them. Digital signs can also allow you to display social media recommendations and show product reviews from a variety of high-impact sources. LED signs allow you to do so with the highest quality and with maximum flexibility.
Employers can also use digital signs to improve employee relations and productivity. Display company announcements, training videos, updates, events, and other company-related information in every break room in every store—or in target stores, if the information is local.
Digital signage is a powerful tool for retailers, helping management communicate with employees and ensuring the benefits of online shopping can be brought into physical stores around the world to create better shopping experiences. People’s need for physical space and for the best information available at the time means digital signage is a win-win for customers and retailers alike. And when you adopt LED digital signs, you get numerous extra benefits, not the least of which is lower costs to run the signs. Less electricity use means lower costs for you, and it also means a lower carbon fingerprint—LED benefits both the bottom line and the environment!
PixelFLEX offers a one-of-a-kind design for your store through our award-winning line of LED video walls and video screens. Working with architects, designers, engineers, and consultants, PixelFLEX is proud to provide custom LED solutions for each and every customer, while also providing top-tier customer support through the entire experience. Your standards are our excellence. To take your store into the future, visit PixelFLEXLED.com today!
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