Georgia Aquarium Video Wall Case Study

Capture2

Case Study: LG Video Walls Engage Visitors and Streamline Georgia Aquarium Visitor Flow

GOAL

Create a digital exhibit to replicate marine life at the entrance of the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta – to deliver a visually stunning and interactive experience for visitors.

SOLUTION

LG’s amazing display of innovation came to life with its commercial-grade Full HD Video Wall, featuring a narrow bezel-to-bezel width and flexible configurations, allowing for multiple displays to be daisy chained.

RESULTS

The Georgia Aquarium created a lifelike digital exhibit with LG video wall displays that were creatively placed within an emptied aquarium tank, providing visitors with engaging and effective entertainment platforms, exceptional picture quality and an immersive experience.

THE CHALLENGE

The Georgia Aquarium is the second largest of its kind in the world, housing thousands of fish, mammals and amphibians on display within six galleries. During an intensive restoration project in which one of its galleries would be completely reconstructed, the Atlanta-based aquarium wanted to continue to engage visitors in the gallery and keep visitor flow as streamlined as possible. Aquarium executives turned to LG Electronics for a digital signage solution to recreate a live exhibit with video wall displays capable of delivering superb picture quality during the construction.

The Aquarium installed 36 LG 55-inch Full HD Video Wall Displays (Model 55LV77A7B) inside an emptied acrylic aquarium, which formerly housed the “Wall of Fish” exhibit. With the LG products’ stunning lifelike picture quality and immersive experience, the video walls provided the aquarium’s more than two million yearly visitors with an entertaining visual experience on par with a live exhibit.

“During construction of our new Sea Lion exhibit, we had to remove life support systems that supported the Wall of Fish exhibit, leaving nothing but an empty acrylic box,” said Ryan Palley, Senior Manager of Audio/Visual at Georgia Aquarium. “LG’s video walls provided the best solution with lifelike picture quality capable of duplicating the feel of a live exhibit, to maintain the underwater experience while entertaining and informing.”

AN AMAZING DISPLAY OF DESIGN

The installation process faced several unique challenges, namely the space allotted for the video walls. The in-house audio/visual team installed the 36 LG displays, in two 6×3 matrices, inside the former fish tank that measures 16 feet deep and is separated by a partition in the center. The tank only allowed five feet of working room to install mounting structure, brackets, power, data and displays.

With this limited space, the team was challenged to install product without damaging the tank and its waterproof design. The team implemented a floating support system that uses carpet pads to protect the product and the acrylic wall on which they are installed. The LG displays were carefully lifted and lowered into the tank given the narrow confinement, and then mounted with Crimson video wall mounts. A key benefit of the displays is their light weight – only 50 lbs. each for easy installation.

SUPERIOR PICTURE QUALITY FOR AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

To achieve the picture quality and operational reliability desired, the aquarium chose the LG 55LV77A-7B to display Full HD 1080p content on each display. LG’s IPS panel technology ensures excellent color saturation and contrast, resulting in a display with superior picture quality that can be installed at virtually any angle or height, while still maintaining the integrity of the image.

BIG SAVINGS AND HIGH PERFORMANCE

Designed for continuous operation in a public setting, the video walls’ IPS technology provides a temperature tolerance of up to 230° Fahrenheit (110° Celsius). This helps alleviate a common overheating problem that affects picture quality with some other digital signage screens. The Georgia Aquarium controls the LG video walls using a RS-232 system to operate 11 hours a day. It automatically powers on the video walls 30 minutes prior to the aquarium opening, and powers off 30 minutes after closing.

“We’ve benefited greatly by reducing our electrical consumption with the LG ENERGY STAR® certified displays,” said Palley. “We also chose to display the video walls in low lighting, cutting approximately 200 amps of energy for lighting alone – not to mention eliminating the energy typically needed to support aquatic life in the tank where the screens are installed.”

AN ENHANCED EXPERIENCE

The video walls became an integral solution of the signature experience the aquarium offers, which is grounded on entertaining, engaging and educating. The video walls have also been well received among staffers, as they require very little maintenance, a testament to LG’s amazing display of reliability.

“The LG video walls are the first visuals that our visitors see when they walk into the Georgia Aquarium. It was imperative to choose the right signage and above all, the right partner, that could work with us to display our content and maintain a high quality experience for visitors,” concluded Palley.

Read the full case study here.

Thick, Thin, or Zero Clients?

Thick-thin-zero-blog-banner-1

What’s the Difference?

Is your head spinning trying to determine which is the best client for your users?

In the world of virtualized desktops there is a plethora of clients to consider. To host virtual desktops, you can select from: PCs or Re-Purposed PCs, Thin Clients, Zero Clients and Smart Clients, tablets or mobile devices for your employees who are on-the-go.

Are you tired of the time it takes to image PCs (traditional thick clients) for employees? We’ll help you set the story straight so you can better understand what’s the best choice for your IT environment and staff.

In this recent blog post, we’ve put together a quick client comparison table, and as you’ll see at first glance it’s pretty clear PCoIP Zero Clients are the leading choice in all aspects including lifespan, performance, ROI and operational cost savings.

Plus, tablets (e.g. Chromebooks) or mobile devices may be the best options for mobile employees; except some devices have limited capabilities available e.g. can’t use a mouse with an iPad.

We hope the blog post helped you narrow down your choices.

With over three million PCoIP Zero Clients deployed worldwide, it’s no wonder why this client is the obvious choice for organizations seeking high security, along with outstanding performance.

If you want the advice of VDI and Cloud client experts, please email us at sales@teradici.com and we’d be happy to explain which PCoIP Zero Clients or Optimized Thin Clients would be best suited for your environment.

Thanks,

The Teradici Team

Form Follows Function with LG OLED Displays

Since its inception, the digital signage industry has largely been a case of function following form. The form (i.e., the LCD flat panel display) came first; then it was pushed out in an attempt to satisfy all needs.

Today, businesses are looking to create better customer experiences and stand out from the competition. And so, there is now a huge demand for display solutions that go beyond the ‘me too’ look of the LCD flat panel. The great news is that revolutionary LG OLED commercial display technology delivers better-than-ever imagery in innovative new form factors that can transform, enhance or blend seamlessly into virtually any environment.

With LG OLED, form can now follow function. Because an LG OLED display uses self-lighting pixels, it does not require a built-in backlight unit or edge-lighting array. The LG OLED pixels are so tiny that the depth of the display screen is very small—and less depth has many advantages. Less depth for each display means less weight for each display, which translates into easier and less costly mounting and installation. More importantly, because LG OLED is also flexible, it means users can be much more creative about where they place displays.

For example, LG OLED is not restricted by gravity and can be mounted facing down from a ceiling, side mounted from a wall, freestanding on the floor or even placed face up underneath a clear floor.

Dan Smith, senior director of sales at LG, says, “It all comes back to form factor. Form follows function in the best way possible. The form of this new LG OLED technology—thinness, light weight, the ability to curve, and to mount anywhere in any fashion—means that now the designer, working with LG and the end-user, can make the solution fit the need, not the other way around. That is what great product design and innovation is all about.”

Not only is LG OLED superior in image quality and form, but when have you ever seen a dual-sided display in a retail store, airport, or company lobby? With LG OLED, you have a display that is less than one centimeter in depth. You can also have separate content on each side.

Indeed, LG OLED provides numerous applications that cannot be served by LCD flat panels. It opens up exciting new possibilities for branding and messaging in retail, corporate, educational, museum and transportation spaces.

Stay tuned. We’ll be telling you more about LG OLED commercial displays, including the new LG OLED Wallpaper and LG OLED Video Wall, in the coming weeks.

LG OLED Wallpaper scores rAVe awards for 2017

LG OLED Wallpaper scores rAVe awards for 2017

First it was ISE.

Last month we told you about LG’s mind-blowing exhibition at the ISE (Integrated Systems Europe) 2017 expo in February at the RAI Amsterdam.

We’re pleased to announce that the revolutionary new LG OLED Wallpaper and LG OLED Wallpaper In-Glass were awarded by rAVe Publications as 2017 Best of ISE in three categories:

Most Creative New Product: LG OLED Wallpaper

Best New Flat-Panel Display (Overall): LG In-Glass Dual View OLED

Best New Digital Signage Display: LG 55″ OLED Wallpaper

According to rAVe, “We didn’t just pick these ‘on the show floor’ during the show or by using spec-sheets distributed prior to the show – we picked these by actually looking at each and every product and comparing them to the competition. In fact, this is why it took us an entire month to award these… You truly are the BEST of ISE!”

Read the full story and see all the ISE 2017 winners here.

And then we went to DSE.

lg_booth_award_4-14-2017

At the end of March we created a huge buzz and loads of excitement at DSE (Digital Signage Expo) 2017 in Las Vegas, where we showcased our awe-inspiring new LG OLED products and more. And once again, rAVe was there.

On April 12th we received more great news. The LG OLED Wallpaper won Best New Product Overall, and the LG Dual-View Flat OLED won Best New Indoor Display for rAVe’s Best of DSE 2017 Awards. The LG DSE 2017 booth also tied for Best Booth at the show:

Best New Product Overall: LG OLED Wallpaper

Best New Indoor Display: LG Dual-View OLED Display

Best Booth (TIE): Sharp AND LG

rAVe’s full list of winning companies and products from DSE 2017 can be found here.

At ISE and DSE, rAVe sent reporters to every booth/stand, saw the products demonstrated or launched, and selected the top products that outperformed the others in their respective categories.

We are very proud to have been hand-selected by rAVe for
these prestigious awards. And we applaud and congratulate all the winners.

About LG OLED Wallpaper

Razor-thin, lightweight and flexible LG OLED Wallpaper and the elegant LG OLED Wallpaper In-Glass are innovative new applications of the proprietary LG OLED technology. LG OLED is renowned for delivering awe-inspiring pictures with perfect blacks and incredible color, even from wide viewing angles, unlike any LCD/LED display can.

With no elaborate mount required, LG OLED Wallpaper blends into a wall or curved structure without protruding, for a truly customizable approach. LG OLED Wallpaper In-Glass is double-sided, enabling two multimedia experiences from one wafer-thin unit. It can be suspended from a ceiling or used freestanding as a podium, saving space.

Why LG OLED Display Technology will Define the Future of Hospitality Experience

BJ-

 

Peter Sena II is an entrepreneur, angel investor, and Yale University Venture Mentor who founded Digital Surgeons, a design-driven innovation agency that accelerates business growth through co-creation, consulting, and award-winning execution.

 

Today’s traveler expects more.

Conditioned by AirBnB, they expect unique, local experiences.

Conditioned by Uber, they expect one-tap service of their wants and needs.

They care less about the chocolate on their pillow, and more about how their hospitality provider is going to curate the best of their destination and create a trip worth sharing.

They don’t want pampering, they want personalization.

Just think about how the old-fashioned elevator operator was replaced by the press of a button. Sure, it’s more cost effective for it to be user-operated, but if it was something travelers missed, every hotel would still have white-glove elevator service. The reality is elevator rides are kind of awkward — it’s a tight space to be in with a stranger. That friction was eliminated by the press of a button.

Today’s traveler expects the elimination of even more friction from their experience. Given recent advancements in internet connected devices (the internet of things or IoT), why shouldn’t someone be able to step into an elevator that is able to read the key in their pocket and be automatically taken to their floor?

Functional, unique, and digitally-powered amenities are musts for hospitality providers that don’t want to be left behind.

But how can hotels begin to create these experiences without disorienting their guests? The same way a UX (User Experience) Designer guides someone through software or a website: with constant visual feedback. Components that you can interact with hover under your cursor, the navigation menu displays clear choices, arrows or curves may even explicitly chart the intended path. There are constant visual indicators to guide you toward valuable outcomes.

As our hospitality experience becomes increasingly personalized and digital, it will be more important than ever that hotels provide similar visual indicators throughout their common areas and within guest rooms — LG’s commercial OLED displays are ready to meet this challenge.

OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode. What that means in English is that each pixel of the screen emits its own light to produce the image. This serves two very important functions.

For one, the picture quality is gorgeous. It’s a dramatic improvement over common LCD displays in contrast, color saturation, and viewing angles (a factor all too important in hotel lobbies or other areas where the display will be viewed from all over a room).

Two, since there is no backlight required, OLED screens are extremely light and thin (less than a centimeter deep) — meaning installers have much more flexibility about where they can be placed. They can even curve and/or display content on both sides of the display.

Powered by LG OLED, hospitality experience designers finally have a display equipped to satisfy the needs of today’s travelers. Rich picture quality to draw their attention, and flexibility of placement that allows hospitality organizations to guide guests through an experience they’ll share and remember.

Organizations not quite ready to outfit their hotel with artificial intelligence and internet connected devices can begin taking smaller steps toward a more personalized, digital experience.

It’s easy to imagine how LG OLED screens can create a better experience within a hotel — beautiful displays, as large or small as they need to be, curving across walls, ceilings, or through a lobby speak for themselves.

But, LG OLED screens can also help hospitality organizations create better experiences outside their four walls. Today’s traveler expects their hotel to curate the best of their local community. AirBnB is betting big on “trips”, a tool that lets guests eat at their host’s favorite local hidden hole-in-wall restaurant or grab a coffee from their favorite corner barista.

Hotels can give the concierge a hand with a two by two OLED video wall that displays the best of the local community. Guests will be delighted when they are steered away from tourist traps toward something they’ll never forget. With LG’s Pro:Centric platform, content can be personalized from a central location and displayed throughout common areas or into individual guest rooms.

Hospitality providers equipped with a rich CRM integration (customer relationship management software) can even leverage what they know about each guest to better personalize the messaging. If a guest is a known business traveler, content that helps help them succeed at their job is going to go a long way toward establishing loyalty to that hotel or chain.

Sound tough to start implementing? It isn’t.

“LG is always looking at options that help simplify selection, purchasing, and length of deployment for all display products. A great example is the two-by-two video wall bundle that LG developed for the hospitality sector. This bundle was developed based on feedback from our hospitality customers who were asking for simple solutions for video walls that could easily be selected, purchased, and deployed. The LG video wall bundle includes all items needed to get the project started— displays, cabling, and mounts. In addition to simplifying the purchasing process, the end users have also enjoyed a lower overall cost.

Integrators benefit from bundling for numerous reasons, including reduced purchasing time, since products have already been selected to work together, eliminating the need to research or double check compatibility. Bundling also eliminates the need for the integrator to kit the projects or have to worry about the delivery schedule of all the separate products. Lastly, integrators can often find additional savings when purchasing a bundled option versus purchasing all the components separately.”
Garry Wicka, LG’s Head of Marketing for Commercial Displays

When paired with LG’s Pro:Idiom content delivery system and Pro:Centric personalization platform, OLED commercial displays are uniquely equipped to define the future of hospitality

experience. OLED technology allows hospitality providers to display breathtaking images precisely where they will deliver the personalized service that today’s digital traveler demands.

Nobody does black like LG OLED

LG SIGNATURE OLED TV OLED77G6P infinity-contrast

One of the amazing attributes of LG OLED commercial displays is the ability to reproduce perfect black. It’s a feat that not even the world’s best LCD commercial displays can achieve. But how is this possible?

It has to do with the technology and structure of the display. An LG OLED display does not require a backlighting unit (i.e., a fluorescent bulb or LED configuration that is always on) to produce the image. Instead, LG OLED displays feature individual self-lighting pixels that can turn on, brighten, dim and turn off completely. You can’t get any darker than turning off completely.

So when LG OLED pixels turn off completely to reproduce a black area in the image, there is no light bleed from a backlighting unit to turn that deep black into more of a deep gray.

With LG OLED, if we had a completely black screen with only one pixel lit, we’d see that single pixel clearly because there is no light bleed to affect the surrounding pixels and distort the image. It’s that precise.

Perfect black also gives LG OLED the ability to reproduce the details that appear just above black, because it can turn the pixels fractionally on.

What’s more, perfect black enables infinite contrast, so LG OLED can maintain incredible image sharpness when bright objects are next to dark areas.

Regarding color, perfect black can enable truer color reproduction because there is no light bleed from other pixels to wash the color out.

Indeed, perfect black has major advantages. But what can it do for businesses?

Let’s say for example, we need to display fine jewelry content for a premium retailer. With an LG OLED display we would see the intricate facets of a diamond in crisp clarity with outstanding contrast. Whereas on an LCD the same facets could appear a bit soft, and might even display a halo effect from the light bleeding from lighter to darker parts of the image.

With LG OLED commercial displays, perfect black, infinite contrast, vivid and accurate colors, and wide viewing angles all add up to the pinnacle of picture quality—that can make products, logos, branding elements and other content look their absolute best, and attract and hold customer attention like never before. And the greater the customer attention, the greater the potential to boost your bottom line.