Barco Control Room Display Technology Selection_v1

White paper Barco Control Room- Display Technology Selection

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How to select the Right Technology for a Control Room display? Abstract Nowadays anybody interested in information displays, from home flat-panel-TV users to professional markets, knows the terms brightness, contrast , and resolution and knows that these should be as high as possible for the display to be any good. Also, in a video wall setup, users normally look for bezel size to be as small as possible. Naturally, brightness, contrast, resolution and bezel size values are regular marketing material and sometimes a sole selling point between different products! We, in the display industry, know better of course, though not all manufacturers are willing to admit it. There are many more things that make the display what it is, and many things depend on the application and the ambient conditions present. This white paper intents to explain some basic terms, concepts, and confusions frequently encountered in the display world and provides a general guide for technology and product selection. That said, this paper does not cover all aspects of video wall design, which is a far more extensive subject; this is simply a guide to assist you understanding the primary product options and their differences for consideration early in the video wall requirements or design process. We will talk in general about displays, encompassing LCDs, projection and specify the display technology only where needed. In todays new technologies, there are two primary product types1 which are typically deployed for control room video walls:

LED-lit DLP projection cubes and LED lit LCD flat panel displays.

Although both are excellent candidates for use in control room video walls, determining which type is most appropriate for the application largely depends on many key factors and considerations.

1 Some other technologies are available but cubes and LCD panels are the most commonly used.


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Table of Contents

Abstract .................................................................................................................................................................. 1

Video wall display requirements and considerations ............................................................................................ 3

Visual performance and human factors. .......................................................................................................... 3

Screen seams, gaps and bezels. ........................................................................................................................ 4

1. Real Seamless screen projector based cubes ....................................................................................... 4

high quality video wall display without the interruption of any seam or a bezel ......................................... 4

2. Seamless screen projector based cubes ............................................................................................... 4

3. Near Seamless projector based cubes, ................................................................................................. 4

4. LCD based video walls small bezel, ....................................................................................................... 4

The Operational Application. ................................................................................................................................. 5

Mission Critical applications ............................................................................................................................. 5

Non - Mission Critical applications ................................................................................................................... 6

Summary comparison between LCD and Projector based Control Room technologies: ...................................... 7

Summary .............................................................................................................................................................. 10

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................ 10

APPENDIX 1: Barco video wall display solutions .............................................................................. 11

APPENDIX 2: Barco LCD based video wall solutions. ...................................................................... 15

APPENDIX 3: Barco Video wall display - Controllers ..................................................................... 18

Author: Barco NV Dubai team, December 2014


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Video wall display requirements and considerations

Visual performance and human factors.

In a typical control room and/or office environment the prevailing ambient luminance level is around 100 cd/m2 (office walls, white paper etc.) while laptop screens and computer monitors are around 150 cd/m2. It is clear that a video wall may not have a much higher luminance compared to all the rest, otherwise our eyes will adapt to it and will get tired as we constantly adapt to lower levels around us. This would be the same effect as going out from an office to an unlit hallway. Hence, it is best to have all objects in your control room with a luminance as homogeneous as possible.

When the human eye is adapted to a prevalent ambient luminance level, it can see comfortably (meaning: reading, perceiving contrast, colors etc.) within a range of around 102 cd/m2 of ambient luminance without the need of eye re-adaptation. Any luminance outside this range requires frequent eye adaptation and will cause eye fatigue.

Therefore the selection of a suitable display technology with the right luminance is a key factor for comfortable working conditions.

To avoid human eye fatigue in a control room work environment, all sources of light shall fall within the recommended relative luminance boundaries.


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Screen seams, gaps and bezels. Homogeneity of the screen is an important aspect for the human brain when processing the

image. Therefore discontinuities such as seams and gaps should be avoided as much as

possible, especially if the user wants to show images on the wall with dimensions passing its

building blocks.

Barco is the sole video wall manufacturer providing up to 3 options of control room display

technologies for video wall applications. Each technology has its own seams, gaps and bezel

constraints.

1. Real Seamless screen projector based cubes

high quality video wall display without the interruption of any seam or a bezel

2. Seamless screen projector based cubes

high quality video wall display without the interruption of a seam or a bezel. Hence, there is a 0 (zero!) gap between adjacent screens.

3. Near Seamless projector based cubes,

high quality video wall display with as little as 0.015 screen gap between adjacent screens (modular@30 C)

4. LCD based video walls small bezel,

high quality video wall display with the smallest bezel in the industry available today

(3.5mm)


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Barco Real Seamless ( No gap or seam at all )

Barco Seamless (Zero gap)

Barco near seamless ( 0.015 mm gap)

Barco LCD ( 3.5mm Bezel)

The Operational Application.

Video wall displays are utilized in a variety of application areas which can be categorized in two main categories, including: Mission Critical applications In applications where life and mission critical situations are monitored, the technology is driven by the specific professional and industrial markets (such as: surveillance, crisis management, emergency operations, utilities management, process control, traffic management, network operations etc.)and their related requirements Although these applications seem to be very diverging, the overall display requirements are very similar. For instance: - The video wall is in most cases required to work in a 24/7 operations while staff are situated

in front of the display wall for an entire working shift.

- The ergonomic considerations such as wall brightness and viewing angles will be carefully

looked at during the design phase (e.g. the operators shall be able to look at and

comfortably see the content for 8 hours a shift, every day , all year!)

- The reliability, and expected lifetime and overall appearance and quality of the display wall

are important and where the display quality degradation over time need to be minimum.

- The frequency, duration and ease of service, in addition to future spare parts availability are

key.

- The redundancy on the display and controller levels is required.

- Dust and/or noise are an issue on site.

- The system total cost of ownership (e.g. cost of operation and maintenance on top of

equipment initial cost) need to be reasonable.


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Many standards already exist to guide the designer through these aspects. The selection criteria of the suitable video wall technology shall take into account the above requirements and considerations. Please refer to appendix 1 for more details about what makes Barco projector based video wall displays a perfect fit for mission critical 24/7 applications. Non - Mission Critical applications In such applications the technology trends are normally driven by the consumer market demands (such as Digital Signage, retail advertising & leisure activities, corporate branding / lobbies, meeting rooms and remote small control rooms or action rooms etc.) Also, here, the overall display requirements are typically similar as most of these applications has no requirements for 24/7 operations. For instance: - The video wall has no requirement for 24/7 operation , it can be switched off after normal

working hours , also operators and viewers dont need to look at the display for long hours

during work shifts.

- The ambient environment light levels are considerably higher than normal office

environment ambient light, this creates a need for a brighter display wall than what is

required for mission critical applications where ambient light is comparable to office ambient

environment light levels.

- The redundancy is not a must requirement.

- Dust and/or noise are not an issue on site.

- The frequency, duration and ease of service are not an issue since work interruption is

allowed and/or service can be done during normal operation or after normal work hours.

- The initial Capex investment is more relevant than total cost of ownership including service

and operational costs, since the display wall is normally completely replaced every 3 to 5

years to cope with interior design changes.

Please refer to appendix 2 for more details about Barco LCD based video wall displays and their features , also explaining the limitations of LCD technology in general if used in mission critical 24/7 applications. The next few pages show a table with an appreciation per technology (LCD versus Cube) for a list of the most important requirements and considerations.


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Summary comparison between LCD and Projector based Control Room technologies: Requirements and Considerations 50 LCD Based Projector

50 Cube Based

Viewing Angles + +

Contrast + +++

( Better black levels)

Colors + +++

( True Colors)

Brightness +++

( higher brightness for high ambient light

environment)

+

( less bright but more suitable for human eye

comfort in 24/7 applications )

Brightness & Color uniformity over the full screen

+

( calibration is possible with Barco LCD technology)

+++

(Automatic and continuous without work interruption , also un-

noticable)

Brightness & Color uniformity over time +

(Quality degradation over time)

+++


noticable)

Auto brightness & color calibration ++

(needs operator intervention, some work interruption

needed)

+++


noticable)

Technology Lifetime +

3 years typical on LCD panel

+++

10 years typical ( 5 years tyipical for consumable LED light and cooling

pump )


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Requirements and Considerations 50 LCD Based Projector

50 Cube Based

Availability of spares over time +

Short life cycle of LCD panels

(typical 3 years only)

+++

Easy to upgrade projectors in the

future

Gaps/Seems/Bezels between the screens +

Barco LCD bezel is the smallest in the

LCD market

+++

Smaller than LCD

Image retention ---

Due to a limitation of LCD technology, a previous picture

might remain visible on the

screen

+++

No Image retention

Image degradation ---

limitation of LCD technology

+++

No image drgradation with time

Video wall footprint +

Slightly smaller than 50 Cubes

+

Slightly bigger than 50 LCD

Initial system price ++

Lower initial cost

+

Higher initial cost

Total Cost of ownership +

More or equal over 5 years

++

Less or equal over 5 years

Redundancy during normal operation +

only power supply redundancy

+++

Fully auto redundant on several items (LED,

PS, I/P, Controlleretc.)


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Requirements and Considerations 50 LCD Based Projector

50 Cube Based

Attraction of dust ---

attracts more dust

+++

attracts less dust

Solution against dust ---

+++

liquid cooled engine

Automatic input switching in case of input failier ---

not available

+++

Noise levels + +++

liquid cooled (silent operation)

Serviceability ---

Whole screen need to be removed for

service (except remote power supply option)

+++

Module Level for Entire Cube, Easily

Accessible From the Front & Back

Upgradability ---

+++

The Building Blocks can be upgraded to newer technology.

The Mechanical Structure can be

reused & Redeployed

Designed for large video walls in Mission Critical 24/7 applications

--- +++

Used world-wide in large video walls for Mission Critical 24/7 Applications

--- +++


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Summary We have seen throughout this white paper that the technical display specs are not always reflecting real demand, and that there are many other important factors to take into consideration when building a good information display.

The design decisions are not only about the technology part, it is the combination of several as important factors, such as : - Human factors and ergonomics.

- Application of use and which technology is a better fit for this application and for the

operators looking at the display wall.

- Corporate branding and prestige for large projects (being the best and having the best

technology)

- Mission Critical or not.

- Redundancy requirements on the display and controller levels

- Modularity and serviceability during normal operation.

- Ability to maintain an excellent image quality for many years.

- Initial Capital Expenditure versus total operational Cost of Ownership.

- Upgradeability versus compatibility with future technology trends.

- Technologies available, and which technology fits the requirements best.

Conclusion

Taken into account the reliability requirements, the ambient luminance, ergonomic factors of a 24/7 operation, the Projection Cube technology gets a plus versus the LCD technology. LCD technology is technically speaking acceptable but is to our findings not really suited to be heavily used in critical environments. Nevertheless, LCDs will do the job but with less reliability and operators satisfaction.


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APPENDIX 1: Barco video wall display solutions

a. Barco Projector based video wall solutions (Cubes)

Barco projector based cubes are designed for and intenssively tested in 24/7 applications, it is a proven technology suitable for mission critical application in many ways:

- Innovative structure design

o Most shallow cube available - 450mm for OL-521 - 622mm for OL-721

o Super lightweight materials o Eco-friendly Green product

The small footprint is also a small carbon footprint

Low weight and shallow design makes also transportation more eco-friendly

o Wall fixations for higher walls available o Easy motorized alignment remotely from front side with the laptop o Flexible curved setup in steps of 1 degree

- Sense6 with spectrometer.


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Automatic, Accurate, Real - time and no user intervention .

o Fully Automated color spectrum and brightness adjustment. o Works seemlessly without affecting normal display operation. o Color correction algorithms that:

Give better color matching Dont throw away light (and thus energy)

o Barco uses real spectrometer and not color sensor, a 3 color sensor sees 3 values only while Barco spectrometer sees and controls the full color spectrum which results in a superp color and brightness uniformity all over the display wall at all times.

- Six redundant LEDs for each primary color

o Drasticly reduces the risk of loosing image on the display wall incase one LED is becoming faulty. o Easy replacement of the LEDs in minutes. Prefilled and sealed cooling cycle. o Sixfold redundant LEDs per color o Sixfold redundant LED driver per color o End to end redundancy concept for additional operational safety

- Liquid cooling extends lifetime of electronics and improves qulaity

o Active liquid cooled LEDs for extreme long lifetime and better color stability o Liquid cooling is necessary and is industry standard

Graphical cards CPU Cars

o Experience from CRT and Digital Cinema Any digital cinema manufacturer will use liquid cooling!!!

o Pumps are rated beyond 5 years 24/7 Accelerated testing

o Tubing is rated for virtually no permeation Pump has small reservoir is compensate

o All tubing connections are leak tested before leaving factory o Coolant liquid is not harmful o Liquid cooling guarantees long life time of LED o Drastically reduces the effect of dust due to the absence of heat pipe fan cooling

- Motorized DMD for a pre-aligned geometry

- SNMP for health management & API for higher applications

- Barco low temperature design

o Direct backside cooling of the LEDs


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o Constant temperature means little color shifts o Lower LED temperature means longer lifetime 10deg less, double the lifetime o Build-in spectrometer self calibrates the colors over the lifetime for maximum display uniformity

- Networked solution - Full loop through and dual source support

o 2x dual link DVI in/out up to 300MHz o Two sources connected to one display o Redundant controllers for maximum operational safety o Configurable auto-switch-over o Loops signals up to 8 cubes o Integrated scaling and cropping o Genlocking for synchronized videos

- Additional dust protection / filtering

o To reduce dust effects in higher dusty conditions.

- FXS screen gives larger half gain angles o FXS screen replaces old Cross Prism screen

- No color break up through 24x speed pulsed LED

- Minimal latency mode < 1 frame

- Front access possible

- Most shallow cube

- Easy replacement of LED chain after 5-6 years


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- Projection Cube Spare Parts


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APPENDIX 2: Barco LCD based video wall solutions.

Barco LCD based display wall solutions are designed for quality image reproduction compared to others available display solutions in the market.

The LCD based displays in general are more suitable for corporate branding, digital signage, retail advertising & leisure activities, lobbies, meeting rooms. Although it is technically possible to build large video wall displays using LCD screen technology, LCD technology is commonly used in smaller size control rooms in less mission critical applications due to the limitations of LCD technology and the fast developments (especially panel sizes ) , and also due to ergonomic factors related to human eye response to LCD higher light output (than cubes) which can cause eye fatigue. Also, the technology of LCD panels industry is driven by the huge demand from consumer market, this makes the lifetime of LCD technology relatively short since consumers are always demanding for new ideas.

For the professional market of LCD based video wall displays , Barco is addressing this market seriously and is coming up with innovative LCD display wall technologies ( OVD and KVD series )

- SMALLEST BEZEL 3.5mm

- AUTOMATIC COLOR AND BRIGHTNESS CALIBRATION FOR THE ENTIRE WALL o INTEGRATED SENSORS TO MEASURE COLOR AND BRIGHTNESS o FEW MINUTES TO RECALIBRATE AN ENTIRE WALL

Calibration SW (running on internal processor) allows to automatically maintain colour and brightness uniformity among screens in a video wall

The TRADITIONAL way to resolve the problem is to use an EXTERNAL sensors to measure each screen behavior and set each screens with different parameters in order to ensure that the visual behaviour of the screens are back similar.

BARCO WAY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM is SenseX . This is an UNIQUE BARCO FEATURE where the sensors is located inside the LCD that can measure brightness and color of the screen and pass the information to the SenseX software running on the BCMC box.


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Each screen is having the same parameters, but different aging (age difference is only few months)

Result after calibration using Barco SenseX, all screens are looking similar.

- OPTIONAL (REDUNDANT) EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLY

o The external supply boards will reside in a standard 19 rack. o It allows doing wall maintenance not in front of the wall, hence no wall usage interruption. o Allow reduction of installation costs in certain countries o Reduces screen heating when necessary o No degradation if long cables (number of external SPMS in function of the distance) o Lower Noise and Heat Levels

Limitations of LCD technology in Control Room work environment:

- Image retention o Within LCD type displays, image retention is caused by impurities inside the liquid crystal

material, this phenomena results from the prolonged exposure of the liquid crystal material to the same static image ( e.g. which can be some text, a logo, a frame around video camera image, a structural item such as a door or a floor photographed by a security cameraetc.)

- 24/7 operation. o ALL LCD panels use organic materials, therefore no matter what measures are taken image


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retention remains an issue and the LCD screens need to be switched off frequently from time to time ( depending of the type of content displayed ) in order to reduce the image retention issues.

o Although some manufacturers claim that LCD technology is good for a 100% 24/7 operation with no image retention, this claim may be made as typically these companies come from the world of digital signage, where content continuously changes.

o Using an LCD in a true 24/7 control room operation ( where some static images are part of the content ) will cause any brand of LCD panel to suffer from Image Retention.

- Dust issues. o LCD panels attracts dust due to electrostatic nature of the LCD panel. o The panels are fan cooled , this allows dust to get inside the LCD screen through the backside

ventilation air inlets, and when the inlets are blocked with dust the failure risk becomes considerably high due to improper ventilation and overheating.

- Technology life time .

o The average life time of an LCD panel in a 24/7 operation is typically about 3 years , then a full replacement will be required.

o The LCD panel technology and sizes keeps developing and changing due to the high demands from the consumer market, this creates a problem in the availability of the same technology after few years of operation ( e.g. long term availability of spare parts can be an issue )

- Service and spare parts

o Most failures in LCD screens are either in power supply or the LCD panel, repairing a faulty panel will require the removal of the complete screen from the video wall (except when the option of remote redundant power supply is foreseen ) this process will cause interruption of normal video wall operation.

o When the LCD panel itself fails, it needs to be completely replaced, the challenge is to have the same panel size and specifications after a couple of years of operation since the LCD panels technology is continuously changing.

o After several months of operation, and when static and bright images are continuously displayed for long hours in a 24/7 operation, due to the organic nature of LCD panels, all brands of LCD screens will tend to have image retention and burning effects, also dark hot spots can start showing on the LCD panel.


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APPENDIX 3: Barco Video wall display - Controllers

a. NGP200 as Output Node Loop through

One NGP200 can drive 4 cubes with only 2 cables between the controller and the projector inputs (loop through) , reducing the number of cables required.

b. NGP200 Mounting o Pedestal mount (cube structures) o For OL/OVL and MVL

Pedestal mount of the controller will reduce the cable distance between cubes and controllers, and will eliminate the need for additional active components to drive signal over longer cables .


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c. N+1 Redundancy Perfect match cubes-controllers

N + 1 Redundancy concept only works with Cube technology ( not with LCD ) since the cubes have a second input which is intelligent enough to detect input signals failure and automatically switches to the second input in case of input 1 failure.

N+ 1 Redundancy concept helps reducing redundant system cost substantially by decreasing the number of needed spare controllers to only one controller per video wall. This is only possible with cubes solution (not LCD)

AbstractAuthor: Barco NV Dubai team, December 2014Video wall display requirements and considerationsVisual performance and human factors.Screen seams, gaps and bezels.1. Real Seamless screen projector based cubeshigh quality video wall display without the interruption of any seam or a bezel2. Seamless screen projector based cubes3. Near Seamless projector based cubes,4. LCD based video walls small bezel,

The Operational Application.Mission Critical applicationsNon - Mission Critical applications

Summary comparison between LCD and Projector based Control Room technologies:SummaryConclusionAPPENDIX 1: Barco video wall display solutionsAPPENDIX 2: Barco LCD based video wall solutions.APPENDIX 3: Barco Video wall display - Controllers

Barco Control Room Display Technology Selection_v1

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