The LED trends uncovered at ISE 2024
Our expert LED team attended ISE 2024 and they uncovered the top 3 LED solutions to watch out for. In this blog, find out more about what our leading partners had on show at ISE and how they’re not just keeping up to date with the latest trends, but leading the way.
LED trends
There are three clear LED technology trends dominating 2024 – MicroLED, all-in-one LED and LED for virtual production.
MicroLED
According to Omida, MicroLED displays grew 31.1% YoY globally. All the manufacturers we work with at PSCo have rapidly expanded their MicroLED offering to accommodate this growth. MicroLED and its core technology – flip-chip LED – enable our brands to offer much lower power and lower heat LED products than ever before, delivering significant power efficiency. It also significantly boosts visual performance with higher brightness and contrast ratios. And with durable pixels sealed inside the display surface, MicroLED is a compelling long-term investment.
This year, we expect to see more 0.7mm, 0.8mm and 0.9mm pixel pitch LED options on the market.
All-in-one LED
Research from Omida suggests that all-in-one LED displays grew 57.4% YoY globally, making it the fastest-growing LED category in 2023. That’s why we introduced 14 new all-in-one models to our PSCo portfolio this month.
What makes them so popular? It mostly comes down to its simplicity and cost. The fixed sizes and the fact that everything you need is included makes the solutions easy to sell and deploy. As an all-in-one solution it enables mass production, driving down the cost of LED and making it more accessible.
The adoption of large LED displays for meeting rooms is a key driver for all-in-one LED. Another trend associated with this demand is the introduction of all-in-one displays with a 21:9 aspect ratio. With a focus on Microsoft Front Row in hybrid meeting spaces, the 21:9 aspect ratio is also attractive as it offers 33% more screen area, allowing space for more content and easier multitasking.
LED for virtual production
Virtual production uses LED to capture the virtual world in-camera, wrapping the virtual world around the actors and props on set rather than using green screens and amending in post-production. Mixed reality (xR or extended reality) uses LED displays to immerse presenters and real-world objects inside a virtual scene. While AR extends the virtual world or places virtual objects in front of the presenter – this is commonly used for immersive broadcast studio environments.
The demand for LED in virtual production and mixed reality has led to the development of not only higher-performance displays but also the adoption of higher-performance processing systems with advanced colour control features and in-camera synchronisation.
The growth of this technology can unlock potential for other applications such as race simulators and Esports displays requiring high frame rates and low latency or high-end signage and presentation applications demanding extreme colour accuracy and control.
There is also an increasing trend to rent virtual production LED temporarily, building the size and shape of LED volume required for each production.
How are our leading LED partners keeping up to date with these trends?
Absen LED
At ISE 2024, Absen’s theme was Smart Space Revolution, showcasing high-quality, reliable solutions for rental and fixed install applications and for the first time at ISE, DOOH. On show was more MicroLED than ever, including modular and all-in-one display solutions, and their smallest ever pixel pitch 0.7mm MicroLED display.
The AbsenLive stage demonstrated Absen’s new Pixel Reality series PR1.9 designed for virtual production, powered by the powerful Brompton LED processing platform and featuring high contrast ratio, low scan mode, high frame rates, high bit depth and high brightness. The stage was also made up of the Pixel Reality PR3.9 model for LED ceiling and the Absen Mars MR2.5 LED floor.
Supported by immersive, 3D, VR and simulation experts Cave, the race simulator proved exceptionally popular. Featuring the genuine car from Aston Martin’s 2018 LeMans, it was alongside Absen’s NX 1.8mm pixel pitch LED, 7m curved display and powered by NovaStar A10s Pro high-performance receiving card.
Absen had a wide range of all-in-one display solutions including the Absenicon MicroLED, demonstrating all the benefits of quick and easy installation, mounting and bezel kits, embedded audio, remote control handset, built-in media playback and screensharing functionality.
LG LED
ISE 2024 was home to LG’s biggest stand yet. Its theme of Reinventing the Future ensured attendees were queuing to see the latest solutions. The stand-out display was the 7m high Kinetic LED display, creating 3D immersive experiences.
LG is renowned for taking attendees on a journey through all applications. In the luxury suite, the new LSAL series all-in-one MAGNIT 4K TV showcased the future of MicroLED consumer TV technology. We’re still awaiting the UK launch date.
In the control room, the new MAGNIT LSAQ modular MicroLED with off-board power, combined with Datapath Aetria, saw the complete control room solution. For corporate xR spaces, the flagship LBAG series worked with megapixel LED processing and an LED floor solution – showing how it could be used for advertising shoots and product launches.
The café and bakery space demonstrated the 79” stretch LED display, and the meeting room zone showed the new LAED Ultrawide all-in-one display with a 21:9 aspect ratio and Microsoft Teams Front Row format and new LAAA007 all-in-one MAGNIT 136” MicroLED display.
In the education xR studio, LG showed what you can do with a regular LED screen for entry-level xR applications. The LSBE is 30% cheaper than LSCB, and the setup had a lower technical and operational overhead than a full xR workflow. But working with a tracked camera adds a parallax effect to content for a ‘through the window’ viewing experience.
Samsung LED
Samsung cemented its market-leading MicroLED market position at ISE, making a firm stand with its stand entrance – the IWC MicroLED 1.2mm display. It’s estimated to quickly become Samsung’s biggest-selling modular MicroLED product.
We got a first look at Samsung’s transparent LED showcase. Presented as watching a football match through a window with in-game stats and advertising augmented over the real-world view, it opens the possibility of headset-free AR applications and digital windows.
Samsung all-in-one was showcased in the auditorium with their IAB series, proving how the all-in-one MicroLED can be deployed in ultra-wide applications using a more cost-effective approach than modular MicroLED. The all-in-one IAC display was displayed in the office, replacing the 130” IEA bundle. The IWC MicroLED series was showcased in the command-and-control space and the design lab, showcasing incredible image depth and detail.
The corporate xR stage demonstrated the new MicroLED platform for virtual production and xR applications. The new S-box and dedicated VPM software offer greater control of pixel mapping, colour space, 3D LUT, HDR tone mapping and camera synchronisation.
Sony LED
Sony is our newest LED display manufacturer: we launched our partnership in September 2023. As we move into 2024, Sony’s latest 3rd generation Crystal LED BH and CH series offer a truly unique and exciting MicroLED experience. The BH series is available for demo at Innovation House, giving you a unique opportunity to experience and compare Sony Crystal LED in a multi-brand environment.
ISE 2024 gave us a first look at the Sony CH high contrast Crystal LED at scale – a huge 220” 4K canvas. It showed Sony’s proprietary Motion Flow technology, 22-bit processing, super detailed images, vibrant colours, deep black contrast and ultra-low power and heat. The BH high bright Crystal LED series was presented as an all-in-one bundle, complete with an aesthetically pleasing mobile stand solution.
Jumping on the virtual production experience, Sony Verona Crystal is MicroLED with incredible black levels and low reflectivity. It also has an incredible 70% lower power consumption than other leading brands in the virtual production space. Available with class-leading Brompton or Megapixel processing, it was use at ISE in a virtual production demo experience paired with Sony’s award-winning Venice 2 high-end cine camera.
Although it wasn’t at the show, Sony has developed a unique virtual production toolkit, giving users the ability to previs their Venice 2 camera with Verona LED and Unreal Engine.
Register for our Sony Crystal LED event coming up in March.
Sharp/NEC LED
The focus for Sharp/NEC at ISE and throughout 2024 is sustainability. The booth was made from 100% recycled materials and featured real trees. Sharp/NEC’s premium FC MicroLED series features 40% lower power than traditional LED, and the new FE 3rd generation series features a patent pending design with 66% power efficiency compared to the current design. The new Remote Power Switch ensures LED displays are 100% turned off, eliminating power consumption during standby.
The NEC LED experience at ISE was centered around MicroLED and the flip-chip technology it’s built upon. The edge-to-edge MicroLED FC 0.7m was available for a first look at the show, delivering deep blacks with a 20:000:1 contrast ratio. It’s an upgraded solution to previous high-bright LCD, offering higher contrast, lower power and longer lifespan. It was displayed a totem format at ISE, but you can make it any size or shape.
Watch our LED walking tour at ISE
Get in contact with the PSCo team
To book a demo at Innovation House or to find out more information on any of the technologies listed above, get in contact with our expert LED team.
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