High Definition Display Resolutions

If you are building a video wall, you care about resolution. Whether it is for a conference, a trade show, or a special event like a concert, you need to be sure that the picture quality is beautiful. How do the resolutions of different HD displays compare? Let’s look at some HD resolution facts.

The two primary designations of HD screens are 720p and 1080p. The “p” stands for progressive scanning. The difference between this and interlaced scanning is that with interlaced scanning every other line is drawn separately. In contrast, with progressive scanning every line is drawn simultaneously. This eliminates visual artifacts. It also eliminates the need for anti-aliasing in order to reduce eye strain. Another advantage is that it allows for stills. If someone takes a snapshot of your display they will get a whole picture and not just the half that was loaded at the instant to photo was snapped video wall controller.

There are several different native resolutions for a 720p screen. 1024 by 768 is referred to as XGA. Screens with this resolution have a 4:3 aspect ration and boast 786,432 pixels. This is a standard resolution for computers. It is likely the max resolution for your screen if you have a laptop. The next native resolution is 1280 by 720. Screens with this resolution have a 16:9 aspect ratio which is perfect for viewing movies in widescreen format. Hence, this is the resolution used for 720p televisions. Due to the significant increase in the number of pixels across, the total number of pixels in a display of this resolution in 921,600. Finally there is a 1366 by 768 resolution screen. This has an aspect ratio similar to the 1280 by 720 which makes it good for some LCD HDTVs, but it is also used for computer monitors. Widescreen laptops use this resolution. The common designation is WXGA. This resolution screen has1,049,088 total pixels. It is also the most commonly used resolution for video walls.

The other HD video format is 1080p. The native resolution for a 1080p screen is 1920 by 1080. The aspect ratio is 16:9. This is considered full HD resolution. The result is 2,073,600 pixels being used to create fantastic images. Interestingly this only amounts to about 2.1 megapixels. You’re probably thinking, “My phone can take pictures in a higher resolution than that.” True, but have fun trying to play those pictures with a decent frame rate. That’s why when you take videos with your phone the resolution is dialed down to 2.1 megapixels or perhaps just 1.0 megapixel if you are recording video in 720p instead of full HD.

So there you have it. High definition resolutions in a nutshell. Just make sure your video wall controller can output the native resolution you need for all those WXGA screens.

HDTV Manufacturers Fight Blur

There are a number of different types of artifact that can occur on an HDTV set, but the term used to describe them all is blur. What are some of the causes of blur? It can be affected by many different things. It can be the result of pixel response time on an LCD display. LED displays respond faster. Hollywood production companies sometimes use a slower shutter speed intentionally adding this effect to create the feel of watching something made up rather than the picture we get when watching live TV. When watching a movie on a TV that eliminates this effect for the first time, it can be a little disorienting. Some HDTVs have a setting that allows you to maintain this effect. Sometimes blur is due to an image being re-sized to match the screen resolution. There are several other causes too. Often several of these effects work in conjunction to create what we refer to as blur. How are manufacturers working to reduce or eliminate blur?

Companies that produce screens with a refresh rate of 100 Hz or more have added technologies designed to reduce blur. Each company has it’s own name for the technology. 60 Hz HDTVs don’t have these blur reducing features which is why a 60 Hz screen will cost significantly less. In some countries 100 Hz has become a standard HDTV frame rate. In the United States the 120 Hz frame rate is used. Movie companies in this country generally film at 60 Hz. A 120 Hz TV interpolates an extra frame between every pair of frames. That’s why you can watch a movie at 60 Hz and it will look like a movie. You are watching it at the frame rate it was designed to be seen in. 120 Hz is closer to the maximum frame rate that the human eye can discern, therefore, at this refresh rate film starts to look like a live feed. The effect can be disorienting at first with the video wall processor.

Some companies have begun to offer HDTVs with a 240 Hz frame rate effectively eliminating blur all together. Samsung and Sony are at the top of the game. Their HDTVs actually create the additional three frames between frames. Other companies use their 120 Hz technology with a strobe light between frames to create the 240 Hz effect.

Just a note on the application of this technology. If you’re setting up a video wall display, you’ll have to make sure that the video wall controller can handle the refresh rate for your screens in order to keep blur to a minimum.

Get Your Team Together Anywhere

Video conferencing has been in use by corporations for years now, but it is becoming increasingly important since even small family owned businesses are starting to take on an international approach to business and video walls. Travel is a part of our lives and so is the world wide web. That has made the world smaller in some ways, but larger in others. Some business persons simply can’t travel as much as their company needs them to. How can you keep in touch face to face with all of the employees, clients, and vendors that you need to? Video conferencing is the answer. If you need to speak to multiple key personnel in several locations then Cisco may have the solution to your business needs.

The TelePresence System 3010 is perfect for connecting a lot of people together. You can link up to 48 people from 6 different locations using this system. It is great for those necessary collaborations between coworkers who are spread across the country or even the world. You can use it to meet with customers and still at least have some of that personal touch. Regular team meetings can be more personal and productive. You can even use it to keep everyone abreast of how the company is being seen in the media world. Groups, large and small, will benefit from this system. Let us examine more closely a few of the features of this product.

If you are concerned about trying to set up your own video wall then have no fear. This system includes a table with three attached 65 inch plasma screens. It will feel like all of you are sitting at the same table with 6 seats on either side. The only difference is that across from your six seats will be the three screens conveying the appearance of your colleagues.

Do you need to share a presentation or additional content with those on the other end of the conference? You can do so using the additional smaller LCD screen that is built in to the specially designed table.

The lights, microphones, and cameras are all built in to the set up. Having everything integrated lets you focus on people rather than on looking into a camera, speaking towards a mic, or adjusting the room lighting.

In may not be the cheapest solution to your business needs, but you’ll agree that it has a professional look and feel to it. Once you have these at all of your company’s locations, you’ll wonder how you ever had a business meeting without them.

Gefen ex-tend-it 4×1 DVI Switcher Review

I recently set up a four panel video wall, and chose the Gefen ex-tend-it 4×1 DVI switcher to run my panels. I had heard from a friend who set up a large entertainment system in his home. My friend had tried another switcher before deciding to spend the cash on the Gefen, and he was glad he did. So, I took that lesson and bought one as my first switcher that I’ve ever used. As someone who needed an easy to use introduction into the world of DVI switchers, this was a great choice and an excellent buy.

With four screens set up, I wanted to be able to use all four screens at once as one, or have the ability to switch different screens and have different views on each screen (this set up is used for security surveillance in my retail store place of business). On top of this, I needed to be able to show other people how to use the switcher and operate separate cameras on their own. The Gefen has been able to do all of these things, and I know it can do more.

Set up was extremely easy. I bought my unit on Amazon, so I contacted Gefen directly for help with the set up outside of the instructions it came with. With a little help from a representative of Gefen, I was able to have my switcher hooked up to my camera system and working the way I wanted to with my video wall in one day (granted, since I’m not the most technically gifted, it was a long day). The Gefen switcher is very straight forward- just plug in and program with a central computer. My video wall monitors came with window’s based software, and I was able to hook up the switcher and program it on my Apple computer at the same time (something I was worried about). Since I didn’t need audio (my surveillance cameras don’t support audio anyway), I didn’t have to worry about that for my video wall.

Everything about the Gefen ex-tend-it 4×1 DVI switcher is extremely straight forward and easy to set up and use. It’s cross-compatibility and universally easy to understand installation process is doable, even by old guys like me. I’d recommend this switcher for any multiple-media needs that need to be simplified- even multiple monitors for a desktop computer. This switcher intelligently puts everything in one place, and is very much worth the money!

Features of Video Wall Software

Video wall software is a kind of software that allows you to handle a video wall single handedly without getting you into the technicalities of the system. These are meant for the systems that regulate the display on the wall. It has various features such as:

  • Input control: These video wall software applications control the input on each window of the wall and hence contribute the bits to finally make the big picture.
  • Selection and alteration of the inputs: In case of any ambiguity the input sources can be altered just by selecting and switching of the input sources. A quick swap process makes all of this much more easy and convenient for the user.
  • Re-size: These help you re-size the windows which together make the video wall so that each part is appropriate in size and overall the image looks perfect.
  •  Correction of bezels: It is very important for the bezels to be nipped right so as to prevent the image from seaming bizarre and getting it to be absolutely perfect.
  • Drag and place: This video wall software allows you just select your inputs, drag them to the wall and discreetly place them in your desired location preventing any kind of difficulty in the process.
  • Secure usage: These video wallsoft wares are completely user friendly and the need for authorization has been hindered to. The software is based on a user account which can be prevented from any pirated use.
  • Capture and use: You could capture any outside footage that you wish to use as a part of the video wall and use it with compliance with all other input sources on the wall. All you need to do is save the captured footage on your hard disk and use it anywhere you want, according to your convenience.
  • Personalized modifications: In case you in need of a specific kind of video wall software, you could just tell us your need and we could design the software specializing in the kind of features you require. We will try to reach to the most appropriate kind of software to suit your needs. Rather than babbling away a list of blatant technical instructions, we meet our clients with simplified structures suitable to their needs, hence making your experience all the more comprehensible and hence interesting.
  • Reliability: We assure you that our video wall software is completely safe to use and will not cause any king of damage, mechanically or otherwise, to system. Moreover, this software has some properties which could help you additionally apart from building your own video wall.

The main purpose of video wall software is to make the user less dependent on any outside source for multiple screen arrangements so that the desired effects and the acute vision of the user can come out perfectly well. Our aim is pure satisfaction and we certainly believe that you’ll be completely happy after using our software. Your own video wall will surely be an enriching experience.

Extensions of Video Wall Usage

Videos are sure to make a deeper impact on a person’s mind than any written stuff. The essence of a video wall lies in this fact: Video walls can lend great help in promotion activities, advertisements, and can spread awareness among the masses in general.

Earlier, video walls were most commonly used in stadiums, control rooms, and board rooms. Over time, video walls have found significant acceptance and admiration from different industrial and commercial sectors. This has proved to be an amazing tool for advertising, and advertisers world over are elated to find such technology through which they can reach a greater number of consumers.

Recently, video walls have been successfully installed at the international airport of Las Vegas. Apart from contributing to the beauty of an airport, a video wall can be very informative to passengers coming from various parts of the world and flooding the airports. Also, it is a good source of entertainment for many. Passengers waiting at the lounge for delayed flights and those waiting near the luggage belts for their luggage to arrive can find the video wall to be very valuable. Mothers find respite when they can divert the attention of a crying child to the colorful contents of a video wall.

Having a video wall at a prominent place in an office can be very helpful. Information about the current events of the company, new products launched by the company, the major customers of the company, and so on can be put up for display on a video wall placed in an office. Such a variety of information can be continuously updated on the respective screens of the video wall with the help of the video wall controller.

A video wall can also be used for maintaining a work-in-progress status for a project on which many individuals are working as a team. By doing this, the team members can promptly update their managers or seniors on the status of project and provide them accurate and clear information on which aspects of the project are being taken care of by which members and how far the project is from completion.

A video wall’s use for the purpose of entertainment has, so far, been most widely acclaimed. The cafeterias of many offices have video walls which features current news, sports matches, fashion shows and various other interesting programs. With the help of a video wall controller which is supported by the video wall software, the video wall can also be used for playing games. Such light activities after long working hours can be a real stress buster and an amazing way to resume work with renewed energy and vigor.

It is clear from all of the above uses of a video wall that it is truly an amazing creation of science and technology. In this age of stiff competition in all sectors of business, video walls have become a necessity in almost all business sectors to keep up with the continuous flow of information and knowledge in each and every field.

Dual Displays – Similarities to a Video Wall

Dual display is a type of multi-monitor display or video wall. Though it cannot be completely considered as a video wall, its workings and applications are similar to that of a dual display. However, video walls may have display devices ranging in number from two to twenty at one time and hence the configuration and settings for dual display as well a as video wall is one and the same. Even the dual display needs graphics cards, connections, and software which also true if a video wall.

The main reason for using dual monitors is to increase productivity and decrease work load on a single computer. With dual monitors, it becomes convenient to share work space in both the displays such as having large spread sheets and using two different applications in different monitors with the video wall processor. Also, having dual displays is user friendly. All that is required for dual display is video cables, video adapters, and connections for analog and digital use. Also, the display devices such as LCDs, CRTs, plasma or flat-screens, whatever may be the display device. The video adapter should be compatible with the connections of the display device used. Sometimes some video adapters do not have dual connections, hence, it is better to either purchase a new one or replace the old with a new version. This is a far more simple process than installing another video card with a single connection. In addition to this, check the hardware compatibility and the operating system in use for the dual monitors because, unless the software is compatible with the operating system, having other components is of no use.

However, having a dual or multi-screen display has its own advantages such as increasing the display area and inexpensive usage of the computer. The monitor used for dual display is generally different from that of the single monitor and both the monitors should work simultaneously, spontaneously, and in a synchronised manner. Thus, each monitor should have a complementing configuration. Once a computer is upgraded into a multi-display or a dual display unit, its configurations should be adjusted with respect to the size, resolution, texture, and color, according to the number of monitors used. Each of the dual monitors may have a video graphics card which is a removable card fitted in the motherboard as a part of the GPU unit. Other components, such as connections to a monitor, require a video card which could support the individual outputs or can utilize a motherboard which could manage both monitors at a time. To use more than one monitor, software should be installed which will enable in providing compatibility of the other monitors with the operating system of the central or main monitor.

Having dual monitors has become very common nowadays. With so great a workload and advancing technology, it is not a big deal to be operating dual displays. At some places quad (four) displays are also seen. These have become an essential when it comes to using them in places requiring security such as airports, malls, and other places which attract a large number of people.

Display Walls (or Video Walls)

A display wall is also known as a video wall. As the name suggests, the display wall is an area which has many units of display devices arrayed in a tile layout. These display devices may be LCD, plasma panels, flat-screens or CRT screens which are arranged in a rectangular fashion. All these screens are interconnected and are synchronised to work as a single logical display. These media walls are used in many fields and are commonly seen being used for advertising or in conference halls.

The best aspect about the display wall is that it has the feature to upload information easily, at a fast rate, and with great resolution. Not only that, it can also provide picture in picture display by using a graphics card and a video processor which enlarges the image across the logical screen or spreads multiple images on the logical screen creating a picture in picture combination. With the use of display walls, the video or the image has to be modified to meet the entire logical screen. As a result, the picture tends to be of more high definition quality and has greater 3D impact. These display walls are suitable to attract large masses at the same time in one place without much fuss. These produce clear images and are user-friendly. It is easy to operate them, even for an amateur. Instead of going for a single screen, people tend to choose these multiple logical screens due to their higher life-expectancy and cost-effectiveness.

Though the display screens used in display video walls are either LCD or plasma, these are modified to last for a longer time. Generally, the LCD panels have the disadvantage of direct view, that is, the human eye cannot adjust to the direct view feature of the LCD and hence the image size and geometry has to be adjusted according to our convenience. Also, the bezel of the LCD creates lot of gaps between screens leading to discomfort to the viewer. Furthermore, the plasma screens have a reputation of constant burn-in problems. However, all these problems cannot be entertained in case of display walls since any burn-in in any of the screens may cause disruption of the entire image. Hence, LCD panels were modified to have a more narrow bezel and, due to the interconnection of the screens and use of graphic cards, the image is adjusted to meet the expectations of the viewer.

All the screens in the display wall are interconnected. As a result, the installation process is very easy and there is a centralised monitor which is connected to the other display devices. Any information in the main screen is converted into an enlarged version on the display wall. The display wall provides high-brightness, good clarity, and inherent redundancy. These display screens can be easily viewed from any corner of the room due to their sleek and slender finish. Nowadays, these display walls have found their application in various fields such as meetings, presentations, and architecture. As a result, display walls have become the recent trend-setter in boardroom meetings.

Digital Photo Frames – Worth A Look

Do you like to look at pictures? Do you like to see the smiling faces of your closest friends and family? Many people do, as evident by the popularity of social networks. But what about when you are not online? You may want to have your pictures readily available in your home or at work for you and others to look at. People have had picture albums in their homes for years. It wasn’t until recently thought that we have been able to display our photos on digital photo frames just like a video wall software. Have you tried one yet?

Digital photo frames have numerous benefits. One is summed up in a word; variety. While photo albums can hold maybe a few hundred pictures, digital frames can hold thousands. Most can be programmed to cycle through pictures at varying speeds. This allows you to display many different pictures at the speed you want. Or you can display just one picture. It’s your choice.

Another advantage of a digital frame is the ability to easily move it to any location you want. You can set it on a shelf or table, mount it on the wall, or even make a wall of pictures with multiple frames. If you decide you want to move it, just unplug and move it, then plug it back in. It’s so easy and convenient.

Photo frames are cost effective. You may not automatically think this is true, but consider this: If you want to show your pictures off in photo albums, you have to continue buying album after album as you continue to take new pictures. If you invest in a digital photo frame, you will more than likely not have to buy anything else. Besides, if you do use up all of the space, you can always store your extra photos on a memory card or on your computer’s hard drive.

Give digital photo frame technology a try. I think that you will find it to be not only an efficient and cost effective means to show off your photos, but you will also enjoy its variety and attractiveness.

Check out your local electronics or department store. Look online for good deals. You can pick one up for less than a hundred dollars or even cheaper. Get ready to enjoy all of your cherished pictures in a totally new way.

Desktop Video Conferencing

The new wave in video conferencing is to have the conference without a conference room. To do this, many companies are starting to employ the use of desktop video conferencing systems. This allows your employees to connect across the country, or even the globe, without leaving the office. For less critical applications, this can save your company a ton of money in travel expenses. Costs of these systems are coming down while travel costs are skyrocketing. That makes these desktop systems more cost effective than ever before. What are some features of a desktop video conferencing system. Let’s examine just a few reasons to look into this type of technology.

You don’t need a wall for this kind of conference room. Even in a small cubicle you can use a system like this. Now don’t get me wrong: This doesn’t replace the board room with it’s fancy video wall. You’ll want that for impressing upscale clients at sales meetings. It has many other applications too. What we’re talking about here is day to day communication throughout your company. It is said that as much as 70% of human communication is nonverbal. That means that colleagues will understand each other much better if they can not only clearly hear, but also see one another. That means more productivity which is something all businesses strive for.

You don’t have to worry about key personnel missing out on company meeting with this sort of set up. Even if they are currently traveling, most airlines have wifi about 10,000 feet. These desktop systems can easily be converted for laptop use. You never have to cancel plans for an important meeting again. You just need a few minutes and a place to get set up.

HD webcams and screens can be used to have an HD experience at the office, at home, and even on vacation. It doesn’t matter if you have to communicate with someone one on one or in a group setting. This will give you the flexibility that you require to operate.

These are intuitive and easy to operate systems for the most part, so you won’t have to worry about your employees losing days or weeks of work time to learn how to operate the communication software.

It adds a personal touch to intra-business communication. It allows you to stay connected. It’s far less expensive than having loads of conference rooms set up at offices around the world. It doesn’t replace your video wall, but it is a great complement to your video conferencing room.