LG's Stretched Display

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Ruth Rushworth had a chat with Roeland Scholten, Commercial Director of LG’s B2B Business Group.
 
DS EUROPE: What makes LG so special as a manufacturer of digital signage?

ROELAND SCHOLTEN: Whilst LG are undoubtedly one of the market leaders in LCD display technology, it is important that people don’t forget that one of our strengths is that we do actually make the screens ourselves: LG is not simply the name or logo on the front of the display – we own and run the factories which make those displays. For LG, the three most important factors to bear in mind concerning digital signs are the quality, the specifications and the price tag of our displays.

DSE: LG is certainly an extremely well-known name in electronics, but how do you see yourselves placed in the European market at the moment?

Although LG already have a large market share in Europe, we are a relatively new contender in the European commercial market. As such, this is an area in which we recognise that we still have a lot of potential to fill. We know that we have competition in Europe in the digital signage market, but, for us, this is an opportunity not a threat, as it gives us the means to fulfil that potential. We want to particularly focus on becoming a major player in the use of digital signs in the European hospitality market. The European digital signage market is a challenge we can rise to meet. It’s interesting though, that in terms of the global market, Europe as a whole is actually still rather behind other continents, like Asia and America. Europe, not just us, certainly has room for growth. We can build on our success in the US and Middle Eastern markets to become as prominent in the European market too. We are committed to the European commercial market, and have invested a lot in research and development as well as quality management. We are already engaged in partnerships with major system integrators and customers across Europe.
 
DSE: You install a significant number of signs into retail premises, such as supermarkets. Why is DS so effective in this kind of environment?
 
RS: Digital signs have a lot of potential for effective deployment in supermarkets, not just as an informational or advertising tool, but also as a means of reacting to stock levels and ensuring smoother stock control. At a simple level, if the weather is hot, then digital signs should be promoting ice cream, but as a means of reducing wastage, digital signage can be used to get rid of products which are just about to go out of date or to shift surplus products which are cluttering up the warehouse, simply by promoting them to the customers and by offering a discount on these items. The targeting of content on a digital sign needs to be improved for people to get the most out of digital signage installations.

DSE: How do you expect digital signage installation to develop or mature over the coming years?

RS: I think we will definitely see digital signage become more and more interactive, not just in its own right as touch screens become more predominant, but also through the addition of kiosks to digital signage installations. LG has reacted to this – we’re working on a moveable totem/kiosk, which is on the roadmap for 2009, and which combines aspects of both a digital signage and kiosk installation. Touch interactivity is another direction in which digital signage will be moving. We will be launching a whole new touch-screen digital signage system at the start of next year, and which will be on show at ISE. This includes a 42" multi-touch sensitive display.

DSE: So where next for LG?

RS: Speaking at the start of August, Yong Nam, the CEO of LG, announced the three main directions in which LG plans to concentrate its efforts in the coming months: a) on the growing business-to-business market, where the fast rate of development means there is a potential for high profits; b) continuing our focus on solution-based business rather than on the creation of technical devices themselves; and c) looking at specific markets and issues which we have not yet thoroughly explored, such as energy, environment and healthcare. We will be showcasing our complete line of digital signage solutions, LCD and plasma monitors and televisions at ISE, as well as our latest products, including our new touch-screen digital signage system.

The Stretched Display

The stretched display is something which Roeland Scholten actually laboured over himself, proudly unveiled to the world after a nine month phase of research and development, and is available in Europe right now. Based on the belief that the best location for a digital sign is one placed in the line of sight of where a customer is walking, LG have made this display to fit in the awkward places where digital signs cannot normally squeeze themselves, such as in the narrow gap between door frames and ceilings. As most ceilings are 260cm high, this is not normally a practical location for existing displays. Placing a digital sign face on to the flow of customers as they move around an environment means that they will look at the sign with more attention and for a longer time. The stretched shape of this display means that content and information can be absorbed very quickly by the customer. The screen is available in sizes of either 765mm x 305mm or 988mm x 331mm, the height being less than half of its width in either case. The display can be positioned either vertically or horizontally, in either portrait or landscape orientations.
 

Case Study: Pronto-TV

Pronto TV and their partner hvilePULS have used LG’s LCD displays as a means of communication and entertainment in the waiting areas of doctors’ surgeries, dentists’ waiting rooms and other waiting areas for health specialists. The digital Health Channel hvilePULS has been installed in these waiting areas across Norway, reaching an audience of more than 5.5 million patients every year. These waiting areas have been fitted with various sizes and numbers of screens, depending on their specific requirements and arrangements. Over all, around 500 units of 42" and 32" LCD monitors have been installed.
 
Out-of-date magazines and torn newspapers are a familiar sight to anyone who has had to sit in a waiting area to see their local doctor, and, with frequent delays, these customers are an audience well-suited and well- disposed to receive information or news via a digital sign in order to help the time pass more quickly or give them information that might be relevant to them. Bored and stationary audiences are ideal candidates for the optimal communication of information to the public, as they have the time and the attention to absorb the information presented to them. Indeed, the attention rate for this digital signage project has been calculated at 84%, which is far more than the average digital sign in a public space might receive.

By providing relevant information transmitted in a careful balance between editorial and commercial content, these signs have been a great success so far. The channel provides news and weather feeds, practical information from your doctor, relevant commercials and even information from the National Health authorities.

As Tore Hayda, from Pronto TV, explained, "Pronto TV has chosen LG Displays for their excellent picture view combined with a high brightness and contrast ratio, along with the infrared control and the hidden function to lock the buttons on the display."