Last week, we published the March issue of Large Display Report (LDR) which documents the activity in the display industry for monitor-sized and larger displays, components and finished products.  In this issue we reviewed activities of the last month to figure out what all the individual press announcements, and news items mean.  Here is a quick summary of some of those trends and events that we think will have an impact going forward in 2009. 

          3D dominated the display news in February, as the technology stole not one but two display related shows, on two different continents.  The Digital Signage Expo (DSE) here in the US (Las Vegas) had a coming out party for 3D technology with big brands (Samsung and LG) showing autostereoscopic (AS-3D) technology, using full HD flat panels.  In fact, "lose the glasses" was the show's mantra.  Glasses-free 3D technology abounded with offerings beyond Samsung and LG that included Philips (in the 3D Fusion booth), Tridelity, Taiwan panel maker Akira (showing the largest AS-3D display at 72-inches), Alioscopy and Magnetic 3D (used by NEC and many others for their 3D solution). 

          In Amsterdam, European AV system integrators were also treated to a large dose of 3D (and 4K resolution solutions) at their Integrated Systems Europe (ISE).  The show bucked the recession trend turning out record crowds on both the exhibitor and attendee sides of the aisle.  Along with AS-3D flat panels, we also saw 3D front projection in force with both projectiondesign (dual projector) and Digital Projection (4K single projector) solutions putting out some stunning images. 

          We came away with an optimistic outlook for the AV community, for both integrators and manufacturers in 2009.  Some key observations from both shows include the importance of 3D display placement to optimize the "3D visual experience," and just how far along content creation has come for the industry.   Since the parallax barrier approach (and other 3D technology) make flat panel displays dimmer, we believe manufacturers will begin to use brighter displays to keep up the Wow factor in 3D displays going forward.  Particularly since 3D technology already garners a price premium. 

         There's much more 3D coverage beyond the shows in this month's issue -- in 3D Gaming (look for a 3D Wii to start driving in home sales of 3D displays), 3D Content creation (with evaluations of the NFL and 3D advertising), new 3D delivery standards for cable TV coming from the SCTE and much more.

          3D provides unique, compelling images that draw and keep consumers attention in an ever-growing competitive space, and this will keep Digital Signage and AV solution providers interested in this technology for a long time to come.  As consumers gain experience with the technology in OOH markets, digital cinema and other venues, the technology will begin to migrate to the home as content, like games and 3D films, become readily available. 

          On the Digital Signage front, we found the new thin bezel NEC (X461UN) display making a splash in video wall technology.  The unit boasts a 7.3 mm screen-to-screen distance that improves the image significantly over other thin bezel technology, like the Samsung UX series at a comparable 22 mm screen-to-screen (and that's not counting the inactive display border beyond the bezel).  More important, it empowers the use of these tiled display solutions in lieu of a 103-inch LCD or 150-inch PDP (Sharp and Panasonic, respectively) that can be a logistic nightmare to deliver and install.  We see the video wall niche breaking out in the near future as demand for ultra high-resolution displays (in very large sizes) continues to grow and economies of scale kick in, making them a compelling option.  

          We also found good news on the LED monitor front last month, as the use of solid state LEDs in flat panel illumination is growing even faster than in notebooks.  This will drive the demand for LEDs up (even in these times) as monitors typically require up to 5x more chips per display.  That's also good news for anyone looking to upgrade to a larger size monitor, now enriched with better color and lower power. 

          Speaking of low power, in the Green Ecosystem section this month we cover a growing trend to codify voluntary energy standards into government regulated mandates.  This removes the "voluntary" aspect from the standards, with the CE industry and some high-end system integrators crying "foul."  California, in particular, is moving in this direction with resistance coming from consumer rights groups pitted against energy supplier's efforts to avoid another grid meltdown.  In the EU, the issue seems to center more around the carbon foot print of the power hungry displays.  But like it or not, the color of flat panel displays is green and manufacturers need to work diligently to reduce those power consumption numbers. 

          The current issue is 90 pages, so there is a lot more detail than can be summarized here.  So suffice it to say, we hope you will join us throughout 2009 as we continue to track the progress and help define the future of this emerging side of the Display Industry.

Click here to review the March Table of Contents.

To order the March 2009 issue of Large Display Report for $250 USD, click here.

To sample an older issue of Large Display Report, click here .