Month: October 2020

 

LG Pro:Centric^® Connect^™ is a new tool for third-party development partners or System Integrators (SI) to provide hospitals, medical centers and long-term care facilities access to videoconferencing via LG’s healthcare smart TVs. It supports peer-to-peer video calls between the patients’ in-room smart television, and desktop and mobile devices of hospital staff, doctors, family members and friends. Pro:Centric Connect also provides a scalable, secure, cloud-based video call handling platform that manages the traffic and call transactions for multiple hospital facilities.

Here’s how Pro:Centric Connect works. The built-in browser of LG’s healthcare smart TV supports the WebRTC (real-time communication) open standard and this is used by the hosted third-party interactive patient application to add video conferencing capability to the system. With the addition of a compatible webcam,* the patient can access the video calling feature through the existing user interface on the LG smart TV, navigating the menu by using existing in-room control devices such as the pillow speaker already connected to TV. The patient can originate or terminate calls at any time. Family members and friends can utilize their own personal mobile devices that run on Android^™, iOS, MacOS or Windows to reach out to patients.

LG’s Pro:Centric Connect platform is secure in that it does not require entering in patient personal identifiable information and call traffic is encrypted. The SI’s application hosts the data that connects a specific patient with a specific room number, minimizing the possibility of unauthorized users accessing the system.

Videoconferencing has become commonplace for businesses, especially since the coronavirus pandemic began. And now telemedicine has arrived and is growing, giving patients not only the opportunity to speak with their doctor, but the benefits of face-to-face contact and more frequent check-ins, where the physician can assess the patient’s demeanor and the patient can experience the assurance of personal interaction. Pro:Centric Connect means less travel time for doctors and more time to meet with patients, providing the ability to see more patients at multiple sites.

Patients alone in their hospital bed or long-term care facility can benefit from the comfort of face time with loved ones. And rather than having to hold onto a mobile device like a smart phone or tablet to view the video call, the LG smart healthcare TV allows the patient to maintain a comfortable position. Especially in these days of restricted visitor access due to the pandemic, LG Pro:Centric Connect video calling can help ensure the smiles and benefits of the all-important human connection while minimizing the risks.

For more information on LG Pro:Centric Connect click here.

*Webcam not included

 

Esports is seeing a continual rise in popularity not just with the partnership of Vindex and IMAX^®, but in colleges and high schools as well as public esports arenas and facilities, and this is driving and growing the gaming monitor business. New business models such as subscription services, an abundance of video games, and increasingly sophisticated PCs are driving the market, too.

To take advantage of the computing prowess of today’s high-performing PCs for demanding games, gamers are expected to purchase newer displays. In fact, in December 2019, the International Data Corporation (IDC) Global Gaming Industry Forecast expected the gaming monitor market to grow to 12.2 million units in 2023 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.8%.¹ That makes gaming monitors a very robust category.

What’s more, the National Association of Collegiate Esports states that more than 170 U.S. member schools have esports varsity programs and are offering around $16 million per year in esports scholarships and aid.² Through esports, students can learn digital citizenship, team building, leadership and life skills aligned with academic areas.³

Accordingly, LG has leveraged its extensive expertise with In-Plane Switching (IPS) display screen technology to design four UltraGear^™ Gaming Monitors aimed at providing an immersive, precise and responsive experience for serious gamers. These 2020 models cover the 27-, 34-, and 38-inch class and include an array of high-performance features and LG technologies geared for the win.

 

Advanced Imaging Features

LG is renowned for IPS screen technology, which is ideal for gaming. IPS delivers great color rendition, and very wide horizontal and vertical viewing angles without distorting colors. New to the LG monitor scene is Nano IPS^™ technology, which is created by applying nano-sized particles to the LED backlights that provide the lighting. The nano particles absorb unnecessary or excess light wavelengths, resulting in even richer contrast and color expression than standard IPS.

LG UltraGear monitors are compatible with NVIDIA^® G-SYNC^™ technology, which synchronizes the monitor’s refresh rate to the computer’s graphics card (GeForce GTX-powered PCs), and delivers an amazing experience with virtually no tearing, stuttering, or input lag. Another important compatibility is with AMD FreeSync Premium, which synchronizes the monitor’s refresh rate to the graphics card with AMD-powered PCs, and equips gamers with a fluid, virtually tear-free gameplay experience at peak performance with at least 120Hz refresh rate at minimum FHD resolution.

Another key feature is 1 millisecond (ms) response time on IPS. LG’s new IPS gaming monitors have mastered 1ms Gray-to-Gray (GTG) response time, providing ultra-fast response with all the benefits of IPS.

Refresh rate is a very important function that the human eye doesn’t notice in non-gaming apps when numbers rise much above 60 Hz, but a high refresh rate can keep intensive game experiences smooth and virtually free from screen lag. LG’s 2020 lineup of UltraGear gaming monitors features refresh rates starting at 144 Hz (some can be overclocked to 160 Hz) up to a blistering 240 Hz depending on the model.

In addition to synchronization, response times and refresh rates, High Dynamic Range (HDR) color performance has also improved in LG’s newest gaming monitors. Reaching beyond simple HDR10 performance, multiple LG gaming models feature VESA DisplayHDR^™ 600⁴ which provides 10-bit image processing and a visible increase in color gamut compared to the already improved DisplayHDR^™ 400 standard.

 

Key Gaming Features

LG Dynamic Action Sync^® minimizes input lag so nearly every moment is clear.

LG Black Stabilizer^® adds resolution and clarity in the shadow areas, revealing enhanced detail in the dark scenes to give gamers a competitive edge.

LG Crosshair^® is situated in the center of the display and helps enhance accuracy in first-person shooter games.

LG Sphere Lighting 2.0 creates an ambience in the room via soft, indirect lighting from the rear of the monitor, which illuminates according to the dynamic sounds or visuals in the game.

On-Screen Control places a host of essential monitor settings into a handy window for quick, easy access. Volume, brightness, picture mode presets, Screen Split 2.0 and Dual Controller can now be adjusted with just a few clicks of the mouse.

 

The 2020 LG UltraGear Team at a Glance:

27-inch (27GN95B-B) – 4K gaming perfection for serious players. The “hot rod” of gaming monitors. UHD 4K Nano IPS with DisplayHDR 600, 1ms response time, 144Hz refresh rate, NVDIA G-Sync compatibility

27-inch (27GN75B-B) – Ideal for outfitting a gaming lab or team. A great value with IPS 1ms response time for crisp visuals and sharp clarity, NVDIA G-Sync compatibility, 240Hz refresh rate

34-inch (34GN85B-B) – Curved Gaming Nano IPS 1ms, UltraWide QHD (3440×1440), 144Hz with 160Hz Overclock, DisplayHDR 400, NVDIA G-Sync compatibility

38-inch Curved (38GN95B-B) – The gamer’s dream. Curved Nano IPS 1ms, QHD+ (3840×1600), 144Hz with 175Hz Overclock, DisplayHDR 600, NVDIA G-Sync compatibility

Looking to build an esports curriculum? One of the benefits that LG can provide to its partners is a consultative approach that can help with building curriculum at schools. LG can put you in contact with platform organizations that are organizing large tournaments and maintaining continuity with everything.

 

1. https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS45761419

2. https://nacesports.org/about/

3. https://www.nasef.org/news/blog/why-should-educators-embrace-esports/

4. Models 27GN95B-B, 38GN95B-B

 

By Jeremy Dolby
Education Tech Expert
LG Business Solutions USA

The current crisis has focused schools’ attention on enabling e-learning. During the sea change in U.S. education in the spring of 2020, LG’s education experts reached out to administrators, teachers and parents. Here are few things school districts will be considering as they explore e-learning — now and in the future.

 

E-Learning Is Based on New Ways of Delivering Education

“Our students are fortunate because prior to coronavirus, that’s how they’d been learning,” said Cao Mac, Cicero 99 School District Chief Information Officer, who worked with partners like LG to create a classroom digital learning framework. “They’re still learning in the same manner because we’ve had that infrastructure in place. Our teachers have been doing this for the last five years, so now we’re 100-percent remote learning and we’re still seeing our students connected and engaged with our teachers.”

At Cicero 99, every classroom has an interactive screen, connected to the district’s online learning resources. Students are able to wirelessly “cast” what they’re seeing on their one-to-one devices to the classroom display in order to share ideas with teachers and classmates. Cicero 99’s Sherlock School even has an immersive video wall from LG that lets groups of students experience the subjects they’re learning about. Yes, today’s generation of students is already digitally savvy, but experience using technology for education can help ease the transition to e-learning. “Our transition has really been seamless not just for our staff, but also for students, because they’ve been learning in a 21st-century learning environment,” concluded Cicero 99’s Chief Information Officer Cao Mac.

 

Access Is Critical

School districts have spent years implementing one-to-one learning. Even prior to the coronavirus outbreak, schools made tens of millions of mobile devices available to students. But the device is just one component; Internet access — especially now, when learning is often 100-percent online — is equally important. And not every student has access. It’s estimated that 98 percent of U.S. schools have high-speed broadband to support e-learning in their buildings, but millions of students don’t have the access they need to work from home.⁷ Districts can work with internet service providers to help facilitate free or affordable connections. Others, like Cicero 99, offer portable WiFi hotspots with their students’ one-to-one devices. Regardless of how students and teachers connect, to the extent e-learning takes place over their networks, districts also need to ensure they have the robust infrastructure needed to deliver increasingly multimedia-rich materials from their learning management systems to students.

 

Security Is Equally Critical

And when students and teachers take advantage of e-learning, it’s incumbent on schools to make data privacy and security a top priority. Especially in challenging times, when schools can expect to see an increase in online scams, phishing attempts and other potential cyberattacks, it’s important to have procedures and policies in place that protect students and district networks. Technology such as content filtering, single sign-on authentication and mobile device management can help school districts maintain trusted connections between one-to-one devices and online learning systems. School districts need to work with solution providers to maximize the security settings on their platforms and teach students and facility to be aware of cyberthreats and how to protect themselves online.

When schools get back to normal, it will likely be the “new normal” people talk about. E-learning will help the nation’s school districts though the current crisis, and it will also lay the foundation to tap into new classroom technology opportunities, while at the same time helping to enhance learning outcomes 365 days a year.

“As a district, we have all the key components to ensure that, pedagogically, we’ve changed our mindset on leveraging technology tools in the classroom. We’re seeing the benefits today,” said Cicero 99’s Cao Mac. “The online enrichment exercises and activities students used to do in class, they’re now doing from home.”

LG Business Solutions USA is a leading provider of technology solutions for the U.S. education market, from digital signage and desktop monitors to interactive digital white boards and video walls.

7 https://www.educationsuperhighway.org/announcements/98-percent-public-school-districts-connected-to-high-speed-broadband/

 

By Jeremy Dolby

Education Tech Expert

LG Business Solutions USA

 

When Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker ordered schools closed throughout the state in response to the coronavirus pandemic, sending home millions of students to learn remotely, Cicero School District 99 was ready. The K-8 district of 14,000 students, southwest of Chicago, was already five years into its mission, driven by Superintendent Rudy Hernandez, of changing the way it delivers education through technology in the classroom and beyond. Cicero 99 has embraced one-to-one learning by putting computing devices in the hands of all its students. It adopted Google Classroom and the Schoology online learning management system as foundational education tools. And it charted a professional development path for its staff that included Google Educator certification, with nearly 300 teachers certified at Level 1 or 2 so far. When Cicero 99 students and teachers began sheltering at home, they were ready to continue their studies.

K-12 school districts and service providers throughout the country have stepped up heroically to try and facilitate remote learning during the pandemic. By late March, New York City had distributed 175,000 laptops, Apple iPads and Chromebooks to students so they could study from home.¹ Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland set up drive-through distribution days for students needing mobile devices to participate in the county’s new Continuity of Learning initiative.² Online conferencing company Zoom gave schools free access to its platform and lifting time restrictions for its basic accounts.³ Google and Microsoft have also offered free access to their collaboration platforms.⁴ And internet service providers such as Comcast are addressing the digital divide by offering free connectivity to low-income families.⁵

To be sure, the current crisis has focused schools’ attention on enabling e-learning. When the pandemic subsides, districts that haven’t already will likely take a closer look at e-learning and the skills and solutions that make it possible. A study by Deloitte found that educators, students and parents want more and better access to e-learning.⁶ Not only does e-learning allow education to continue in times of disruption, whether due to a public health crisis or natural disaster, it creates new opportunities for students and teachers to improve learning outcomes.

During the sea change in U.S. education in the spring of 2020, LG’s education experts reached out to administrators, teachers and parents. In the next post we’ll discuss a few things school districts will be considering as they explore e-learning — now and in the future. Stay tuned.

 

1 https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2020/3/23/21196118/the-new-reality-of-coronavirus-here-s-what-nyc-s-first-day-of-remote-learning-looked-like

2 https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2020/03/marylands-largest-county-loans-laptops-to-students-for-remote-learning/

3 https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2020/03/13/zoom-video-coronavirus-eric-yuan-schools/#78e932954e71

4 https://www.techradar.com/news/google-and-microsoft-offer-free-teleconferencing-tools-to-combat-coronavirus 

5 https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/comcast-free-broadband-low-income-households-coronavirus-1203532765/

6 https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/technology-media-telecommunications/us-tmt-digital-education-survey.pdf

 

Secure government facilities need secure displays, and the LG US340C Series IPS TV Signage is an ideal solution for facilities taking measures to improve the privacy of their meetings.

Why? Because the US340C series has removed Wi-Fi functionality to be highly resistant to hacking. This non-Wi-Fi design makes it a great choice where network security is a priority, like government agencies, financial institutions and some education applications.

The series provides options to fit a variety of spaces from huddle rooms to large conference areas, with models in 43-, 50-, 55-, 65-, 75- and 86-inch class sizes. In addition to enhancing security, the US340C series offers a host of high-performance features.

LG’s In-Plane Switching (IPS) panels used in the US340C series (except 50-inch model) deliver wide viewing angles with little image degradation or color distortion. The 50-inch model utilizes a standard LCD panel. All models offer Ultra-High Definition (UHD) resolution (3840 X 2160) and HDR10 capabilities for vivid, realistic colors and rich black levels. The series also supports HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) that compresses or decompresses high-capacity 4K content, providing ultra-high quality video playback with roughly half the network traffic of the existing H.264 codec.

For user-friendly operation during meetings and presentations, the US340C series is compatible with Crestron professional AV systems, for virtually seamless integration and automated network-based control for efficient business operations.

Setting up and managing multiple displays is efficient with USB data cloning, which allows integrators to configure each display in the same way through a USB plug-in. The series also allows for a customizable welcome screen with a variety of greeting messages. The US340C series supports LG SuperSign^™ Control for easy content management, and includes two integrated 10-watt stereo speakers.

Learn more about the LG US340C Series IPS TV Signage here.

Read why LG Business Solutions is the right choice for government here.

 

It’s setting a new standard for high-end commercial display technology. The new LG MAGNIT MicroLED Signage (model LSAB) is designed to deliver groundbreaking picture quality and durability thanks to LG’s own Full Black Coating technology, as well as streamlined installation with its cable-less block-assembly design and front service access.

What is MicroLED? In a nutshell, compared to other types of LED signage MicroLED has a higher concentration of smaller LEDs designed to produce an outstanding picture. The LG MAGNIT features self-emissive micrometer-scale pixels applied directly to the substrate board, to deliver sharp 4K images with high contrast and a wide horizontal/vertical viewing angle that minimizes off-axis color distortion. Pixel pitch is 0.93mm and the contrast ratio is 150,000:1 (@ 10 lux).

LG MAGNIT’s picture quality is boosted by an AI-powered Alpha 7 intelligent image processor found in state-of-the-art LG TVs. The intelligent processor analyzes the content and source and automatically optimizes image clarity and sharpness. What’s more, with HDR (HDR10, HDR10 Pro*) support, content becomes vivid with great visual impact. The wide color spectrum and high contrast allow viewers to fully enjoy dynamic content.

The surface structure of the LG MAGNIT utilizes several layers of advanced film coatings. The LG Full Black Coating technology along with anti-glare and anti-fingerprint coatings, are applied to the front of the display and designed to deepen black levels, improve contrast and color accuracy, help protect the tiny LED pixels from moisture, dust and some physical impacts, minimize distracting reflections and make it easy to remove unsightly fingerprints and smudges. The protective coatings also give the LG MAGNIT the potential to be used as a touch display.

In addition to spectacular images and enhanced durability, LG MAGNIT offers the benefit of hassle-free installation and configuration with front service access. Each MicroLED cabinet measures 23.6 inches wide by 13.3 inches high by 1.8 inches deep and links wirelessly to other cabinets, allowing technicians to quickly erect large-scale displays on site. Offered as a 163-inch display, the LG MAGNIT can be expanded further by adding more cabinets.

The ability to smoothly send and receive signals wirelessly is due to LG’s non-contact connector technology. LG’s block-assembly design allows power to be sent to each cabinet via pin connectors located on the edges of the LED cabinet hub. And LG MAGNIT cuts the time needed for cable management, with only a few wires on the back of the displays to link the cabinets to system controllers and power supplies.

Featuring LG’s webOS^™ 4.1 smart signage platform, navigation and control of functions, features and presets offers a familiar look and feel for users of other LG digital signage products. With resolutions over 1280 x 720, the UI allows the user to access the settings by using a handheld remote control instead of connecting to a PC.

LG MAGNIT is compatible with LG’s SuperSign^™ CMS, an all-in-one content management solution for content editing, scheduling and distribution. Managers can operate LG’s commercial displays including LG MAGNIT all at once, enabling systematic and efficient control.

With its combination of picture quality, expandability and convenient setup, the LG MAGNIT MicroLED is an ideal signage solution for convention centers, corporate and hotel lobbies, high-end retail, broadcast studios, control rooms, exhibition halls and museums. The versatile LG MAGNIT is also an attractive home cinema solution for luxury consumers seeking a premium, large-scale expandable 4K display.

Learn more about the LG MAGNIT MicroLED Signage here.

*HDR10 Pro is LG’s own HDR solution to process the HDR signal by using enhanced dynamic tone mapping.

 

From large retail stores to small shops to video conference rooms of all sizes, there are needs today for versatile digital signage solutions that are easy to install, integrate and manage. LG’s slim and sleek UH5E series digital signage fits the bill, with models in 98”, 86”, 75”, 65”, 55” and 49”, all with smart signage functionality.

The wide range of sizes and extent of features should place the UH5E series high on the recommendation list of resellers, systems integrators and installers, and high in the interest of business owners and designers of corporate spaces.

With superb Ultra-high Definition (3,840 x 2,160) picture quality the UH5E series brings content to life with crisp details, vivid colors and brightness to easily capture the attention of passersby, or keep meeting attendees engaged. What’s more, LG’s In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel delivers a wide viewing angle, both horizontally and vertically, that renders content clear and colors rich regardless of the viewer’s position. The wide viewing angle is even more important in these days of social distancing, as people are more spread out than usual.

With convenient advanced usability, the UH5E series allows users to control and manage the displays remotely in real time. Content management is simplified with LG’s embedded webOS^™ Smart Signage platform and SuperSign content management software, eliminating the need for media players and the associated hardware and cables. The webOS Smart Signage platform also supports connections with external sensors such as GPIO, NFC/RFID, temperature sensors and more, via USB plug-in. There’s no need to purchase additional software or media players for creating value-added solutions.

When giving a presentation you want to focus on the content and attendees, not on the technology. The UH5E series is compatible with professional AV controls to achieve virtually seamless integration and automated network-based control, boosting business management efficiency.

As a wireless solution, the UH5E series can enable content mirroring among devices, real-time promotions with Beacon and Bluetooth^® Low Energy (BLE), and operate as a virtual router to serve as a wireless access point for mobile devices.

Learn more about this versatile digital signage series and view the specifications here.