It’s really not that complicated. I’m talking about the modern video wall systems that everyone is buying for their control rooms, ops centers and alike. The audiovisual integration business used to be mired in cumbersome electronics that seemingly did the job, but cost a bundle to buy, integrate, install and service. And then after all of that effort and expense, many of these display systems ended up as “eye candy” to impress visitors. These large screen displays looked great at the time, but the operators didn’t have much use for them because they didn’t help them do their jobs better. During the dot.com era I saw a ton of money spent on expensive projection systems for “star wars” style control rooms intended to create perceived value for the tech company that bought them.
Today things have changed with the advent of modern DLP projection cube and LCD flat panel video walls. These video walls benefit both the users and companies like ours who provide them. Now we don’t have to deal with large projectors, switches and the miles of cabling needed to make everything work as expected. That means less complexity and less time to design and install. For this reason alone, owners are getting a bigger bang for the buck than ever before.
That said, the real benefits from advances in control room video wall technology are the simplicity of videowall design, operation and the ability of the operators to see and manage more information at the same time than ever before. This means the technology is serving the user and allowing us to package and price video wall systems accurately and quickly. Yes, there is a substantial price tag that goes with these products; however the value is soon evident in low cost of ownership and improved operational capabilities. Otherwise, you get your money’s worth.
For example, our Visionmaster DLP and LCD video walls are designed in a modular fashion so that they are freestanding with all components contained within a customized cabinet. Because both DLP projection cubes and LCD flat panels can be accessed for service from the front side, these videowalls can be placed with their backsides against the wall and secured. Our freestanding Visionmaster videowall cabinet solution is relatively fast to install and made operational.
No need to mount the displays on the wall. Wall mounting requires that the wall be fortified to support the weight and conduits have to be created behind the displays. And then the supporting electronics have to be stored in either a separate cabinet, or another room. Sometimes property managers don’t even allow wall mounting in their office spaces. Wall mounting also makes expansion and relocation more difficult. Why go through the hassle of wall mounting when you can have a beautiful video wall cabinet in place and operational in less time?
All of what I’ve said goes to the simplicity of modern video wall technology and its application when handled by an integrator that knows what they’re doing. “No smoke and mirrors”. Learn more about latest LCD video walls at controlroomsusa.com.