It is not hard to understand why LCD displays screens are rapidly being adopted by retail stores and restaurants. InfoTrends conducted a digital signage study where they polled consumers and found that “digital signage displays have a 47.7% effectiveness on brand awareness, increase the average purchase amount by 29.5%, create a 31.8% upswing in overall sales volumes, generate a 32.8% growth in repeat buyers and generate 32.8% more in-store traffic”. LCD display screens are being used by restaurants for displaying the menu and entertainment, by garment and clothing retail stores to show videos of fashion shows and to showcase various products, and by automobile dealers as video walls to provide the feel of the car on the road and to keep the customer occupied as they wait for sales agent or other people.

LCD Display Usage in Restaurants: When visiting KFC Hyderabad (India), what grabs your attention is not so much the smell of food but the vibrant colours of the four 42-inch LCD display panels which serves as the overhead menu board. KFC Hyderabad sought the help of Sharp Business Systems India (http://www.sbsil.com) to set up the digital signage solution. LCD digital menus can be maintained from a remote central location or a local PC set up in the store. The benefit of remote central management is that menu, promotions, video, pricing and other items displayed on the LCD displays in the retail outlet can be managed from one central location to provide consistency and to make sure that the changes are made consistently across all stores at the same time. Consumers receive dynamic previews of the offering with potential for positive impact on sales. If restaurants have the networked point-of-sale cash registers collecting time based purchased data, marketing can get instantaneous feedback on how different promotions and pricing are having impact on sales. Restaurants are also using LCD displays as televisions to spruce up the restaurant atmosphere. It is now a common expectation to have LCD TVs in restaurants that show the local sports or the news.

LCD Display Usage in Showrooms: Whether it is women clothing store, automobile showroom, convenient store or a department store, LCD displays are appearing in all these locations. A typical store has up to four LCD displays per site. InfoTrends study showed that business that had installed displays in their showroom, predominantly expected the display usage in their showrooms to increase. To grab and hold consumer attention, retailers are using LCD displays in a video-wall format or in a daisy chain format along with stand alone units. The content could be a mixture of video along with text or a combination. The goal is to target specific customers with specific information and this information may change with the time of the day – creating a retail company-owned, closed-circuit television network that runs nothing but the retail company programming.

Why do Retail Businesses Select LCD Displays vs. Plasma Displays? There are a number of reasons why retailers and restaurants are selecting LCD display over plasma displays.

· Fan-less Architecture of LCDs: LCD displays do not have a fan potentially resulting in less noise and distraction. This is less of an issue with newer higher end plasma displays, however it is worthwhile to keep track as you evaluate the two options.

· Rugged Design of LCDs: LCD displays are closed-box units and more rugged. There is less chance of oil fumes, dust or other elements getting into the unit and reducing the life of the unit.

· Resolution and Picture Quality: (A) Video resolution on LCD displays and plasma display are comparable but computer data is better observed on LCD displays. (B) LCDs are better to view in ambient light or in brightly lit rooms. As businesses usually work during the day in ambient light, LCDs are more desirable for most business applications. (C) Plasma manufacturers have made much of their viewing angles. However with new LCDs the view angles are 176°. There is not much difference between the two technologies in viewing angle. (D) There have been concerns with burn-in for Plasma screens especially for static images. However, many Plasma manufacturers have improved their anti-burn in technology. There are no burn-in issues with LCD screens.

· Life of the Display Unit: LCDs can be operated 24×7 for 50,000+ hours equivalent to 5+ years of continuous viewing. Plasma, on the other hand, typically has a half life of 30,000 hours. At half life, the phosphors in a plasma screen will glow half as brightly as they did when the set was new. There is no way to replace these gases; the display simply continues to become dimmer with use. An LCD TV will last as long as its backlight – and in many models the backlight bulbs can be easily replaced!

· Power Consumption: Plasma TVs use more power than LCD – twice as much Technology for both plasma and LCD display continues to change. Be sure to check updates to the technology for apple to apple comparison

More details about the LCD and plasma displays visit http://lcddisplay.sbsil.com

Financial institutions are using technology to improve the quality of services being offered. LCD screens are prime contributors to quality improvement and improving the overall “look and feel” of various financial institutions like banks and stock markets trading centres.

For example, ICICI Bank in India is using LCD monitors to showcase the bank products and to show the token number for waiting clients, all on the same screen. New York Stock Exchange is using LCD Information Display screens to show stock information and news. The screens provide a clear, continuously updated status list of stock prices, currency exchange rates and other financial information

Financial institutions are also using LCD screen for security purposes where multiple security images are seen on one large screen to give a full panoramic picture of the activities happening in a bank branch or other financial institution.

When buying LCD screens financial institutions are purchasing LCD Information Displays and not LCD TVs. Below please find an analysis of why financial institutions are buying LCD Information Display and what they consider when purchasing theses screen.

What to Consider When Purchasing these LCD Screens for Financial Institutions? LCD Screen Price: Price is always important however financial institutions are increasingly evaluating the Total Cost of Ownership. Even though LCD TVs are cheaper, their life span can be shorter, especially if operated for extended number of hours in a day. TVs unlike displays are meant for limited number of hour viewing unlike LCD information display that are meant for 24×7 operations.

Ruggedness and Extended Operation Capability: LCD Information Displays unlike LCD TVs are fan-less closed box units. As a result it is harder for dust and other contaminants to penetrate the box. Further LCD informational displays are made for 24×7 operations while LCD TVs are made for limited viewing. Ruggedness and life of the LCD screen is very important to reduce failures of the LCD screens. For financial institution operations where failure of a screen can create significant inconvenience or loss of business, it does not make sense to risk using a LCD TV.

LCD Network Capability: Please make sure that the LCD screen features RS-232 and LAN network connectivity. The network connectivity enables remote monitoring of diverse LCD screens. You can also set alarms if an LCD screen is switched off or not working. Remote monitoring of power and other controls can also be done easily. For example, incase there is no signal, a power save mode can be activated to reduce the brightness of the LCD backlight by activating an energy saving feature.

Picture Quality: Most large LCDs are high definition. High definition LCDs offers better picture resolution, contrast ratio, brightness, colour reproduction and fast response time which results in enhanced picture clarity. High definition, brightness and contrast ratio are vital features for LCDs to have in financial sectors as they have crucial pricing information and other related details. Further, the non glare feature of LCDs allows for easy viewing in ambient light or where there is background light being reflected on the screen. Most new LCDs have 176° viewing angle, making it easy for viewing. Check viewing details to ensure that it meets your quality requirements.

New LCD screen features are continuously emerging in order to attract the prospective users on a large scale. You can read other related articles in order to make the right decision for your LCD purchase.

More details about the LCD and plasma displays visit http://lcddisplay.sbsil.com

Business Process Outsourcing (”BPO”) and Information Technology Enabled Services (”ITES”) companies are using LCD screens to improve productivity, quality of service and the “look and feel” of their operations.

For example, many LCD monitors have been sold to BPO companies such as ICICI Bank’s Hyderabad call centre, EXL Service, and WNS India. These LCD screens are being used for displaying incoming calls to be addressed, call centre performance as a feedback loop for individual call centre executives, training information and local customer market information, among other usage. Since LCD monitors (or LCD Information Displays as they are called) are sleek and occupy less space than conventional solutions like Video Cubes, and with real estate space in a call centre or network operation centre being a premium, LCD monitors are an ideal fit for the BPO and ITES industries. LCD monitors also consume ~50% less power, emit little heat or radiation compared to PDPs. For large screen sizes, LCD displays provide better image and sound quality compared to all other conventional display technologies.

Below please find an analysis of what BPO and ITES Companies are considering when purchasing these LCD screens.

What to Consider When Purchasing these LCD Screens for BPO and ITES Companies?

Price: Price is always a vital factor for making a purchase decision however BPO and ITES companies are increasingly using a high quality LCD monitors vs. LCD TVs based on the Total Cost of Ownership. Even though LCD TVs are cheaper, their life span can be shorter, especially if operated for extended number of hours in a day. LCD monitors are meant for 24×7 operations and are rugged devices with longer life and lower total cost of ownership.

Rugged Devices with Extended Operations Capability: LCD Information Displays are made for 24×7 operations while LCD TVs are made for limited viewing. LCD Information Displays are fan-less closed box units and hence it is harder for dust and other contaminants to penetrate the box. LCD TVs have fans and are not closed devices. For BPO and ITES Companies where failure of a screen can create major problem or loss of business, it’s not advisable to risk using LCD TVs.

Network Capability: Make sure that the LCD screen has RS-232 and LAN network connectivity, which allows remote monitoring of the various LCD screens. Alarms can be set incase an LCD screen is not working or if there is an imminent failure in the LCD Unit (eg. unit is overheating). Power and other controls can be monitored remotely and devices and switched off or dimmed when not in operations to conserve energy and reduce electricity bills.

Power Consumption: LCD monitors consume less power than any other display technologies. The electricity bill for a large BPO may run into several Crores Indian Rupees annually. Shifting from less energy efficient displays to LCDs have shown savings of 20% or more on the total electricity bill for a NOC Room. Also, since LCD screens emit less radiation than PDPs, BPOs prefer them to protect the health of their employees who need to spend long hours in front of monitors.

Picture Quality: Most large LCDs are high definition. High definition LCDs provide better picture resolution, better contrast ratio, high brightness, high colour reproduction and faster response time resulting in better picture clarity. LCD screens cause less eye fatigue and hence it’s easy to work for long time. They emit zero radiation, which will ensure lesser or no eyestrain even at times of continuous use and are not even affected by magnetic interference. Further, the non glare feature of LCDs grants easy viewing in ambient light or where the background light is being reflected on the screen.

Learn about new features by checking out details available at most LCD screen manufacturers websites. Sharp is the LCD information display industry leader and more details can be found at their site. Information can also be found at NEC and Sony sites. You should also read other related articles to make the right decision for your LCD purchase!

More details about the LCD displays visit http://lcddisplay.sbsil.com

Businesses are rapidly adopting large high definition TVs and monitors for advertising, video conferencing, conference rooms, entertainment and information display, among other uses. We talked with a number of audio visual consultants, system integrators, distributors, vendors and customers and found there was confusion and misunderstanding as to what is better – LCD or Plasma for large screen use for various applications. Understandable, considering the rapidly evolving technologies, numerous choices, the gamut of reviews and the various applications these large screens are being used. We are hoping we can clarify but research the technologies yourself and make the knowledgeable choice.

Quick Introduction to the Technology: Plasma screens use a matrix of plasma gas cells which are charged by electrical voltage to create a picture. LCD screens are made up of liquid crystals placed between two glass plates. Below we compare the two technologies on features important to businesses.

LCD vs. Plasma Comparison: Size

LCDs are generally lighter and thinner as they don’t contain the gas-filled chambers and heavy glass panels present in plasmas. Historical wisdom was that larger size screens available were Plasma while smaller size screens were LCDs. Today, commercially, Panasonic has 103” plasma while Sharp offers 108” LCD. Smaller size Plasma screens are currently not available. A draw for large size screens. Smaller size Plasma screens are currently not available.

LCD vs. Plasma for Screen Size: A draw for large size screens.

LCD vs. Plasma Comparison: Picture Quality

A number of variables go into picture quality. We will outline them and summarize the findings.

Video Resolution: High resolution is available for both Plasma and LCD screens and resolution is usually comparable for both technologies (1920×1080 is considered as high resolution and available in both Plasma and LCD screens). Lower price models for both Plasma and LCDs have lower resolution and typically for <45” screens they are 1366×768 in resolution or lower. Be sure that you compare apples to apples. Overall: A draw between the two technologies.

Data Resolution: Data resolution for LCDs is much better than for Plasma. The number of pixels per square inch on an LCD display is typically higher than any other display technology including Plasma, so LCD monitors are especially good at displaying large amounts of data. For the same reasons, LCD screens will also be better screens for video gaming than Plasma screens. Plasma displays produce a very jaggy image when viewing static images from computer images. Users may want to consider a commercial version plasma if their application calls for a lot of computer use.

Color Accuracy: Plasma color richness and naturalness will prevail in rooms with lower to normal lighting due to higher contrast ratio. LCD screen contrast ratio is relatively lower, but with anti-glare & brightness features of LCD screens, LCDs will be better in ambient light or in brightly lit rooms. As businesses usually work during the day in ambient light, LCDs are more desirable for most business applications.

Viewing Angle: Plasma manufacturers have made much of their 160° viewing angles. However with new LCDs the view angles are 158°. There is not much difference between the two technologies in viewing angle.

Burn-in: There have been concerns with burn-in for Plasma screens especially for static images. However, many Plasma manufacturers have improved their anti-burn in technology. There are no burn-in issues with LCD screens.

LCD vs. Plasma for Picture Quality: LCD wins.

LCD vs. Plasma Comparison: Life of the Screen

LCDs can be operated 24×7 for 50,000+ hours equivalent to 5+ years of continuous viewing. Plasma, on the other hand, utilizes slight electric currents to excite a combination of noble gases (i.e., argon, neon, xenon), which glow red, blue, and/or green. This is an essentially active phenomenon, so the phosphoric elements in plasma displays fade over time. Typically half life is 30,000 hours but some manufacturers state a new half life of 60,000 hours. At half life, the phosphors in a plasma screen will glow half as brightly as they did when the set was new. There is no way to replace these gases; the display simply continues to become dimmer with use. An LCD TV will last as long as its backlight – and in many models the backlight bulbs can be replaced! Since this is nothing more than light passing through a prismatic substrate, there is essentially nothing to wear out in an LCD monitor.

LCD vs. Plasma for Screen Life: LCD wins.

LCD vs. Plasma Comparison: Power consumption

Plasma TVs use more power than LCD – twice as much. Plasmas use electricity to light each and every pixel you see on a screen – even the dark ones. Also, note Plasma TVs get heated up quickly and require fans to cool the TV.

However, some manufacturers point out that the power use of a plasma TV is directly dependent on picture brightness, whereas an LCD picture requires a constant source of illumination. The theory goes that plasma should use less power over time. But in reality plasma TVs require significantly more power to achieve the same brightness level as an LCD. This is significant, since your investment on UPS (higher KVA) will have to be much larger to give similar backup to a system using Plasma. No wonder, IBMs & HPs never even considered Plasma for their Laptop screens!

LCD vs. Plasma for Power Consumption: LCD wins.

LCD vs. Plasma Comparison: Lightness and Versatility

Both types of flat-panel screens can be wall-mounted. Plasma sets weigh a lot more than LCD screens (even those of comparable screen-size), so setting them up or moving around could be a problem, especially wall mounting in new houses with stud walling. Further the bezel for LCD screens can be removed and a video wall solution can be created – can be quite valuable for advertising and monitoring

LCD vs. Plasma for Lightness and Versatility: LCD wins.

To summarize, while for home video solutions, Plasma may be an OK choice, but for office and professional usage, LCD is definitely the correct choice!

For more information about LCD Monitors visit http://www.sbsil.com/professional-lcd-display.htm

Large LCD screens can be found on the train, at the railway station and in railway control rooms. Recently, January 9, 2009, the Indian Western Railways announced that they will install 4,000 large panel LCD screens in 67 trains. The LCD screens will be installed by an OOH media company who will earn revenue from the advertisement on the screens and Western Railways will get a license fee of Rs 7 Crore (approx. US$1.75M) per year for the duration of the contract (which is 5 years). These LCD screens will play a mix of entertainment, information and advertising for 18 hours a day in all trains. LCD screens can also be found in the railway stations. Trivandrum Central, the biggest railway station in the state of Kerala in India, is considered “swanky” by most visitors as a result LCD flat screen televisions contributing to the overall look and feel.

However the LCD display needs for these railway displays are usually similar. Below we outline key needs of LCD screens for railways:

Price: Price is an important criteria however many OOH media companies, to their detriment, usually buy the cheapest LCD screen available for a given format size. Railways require rugged closed LCD displays. Buying cheap LCD displays or LCD TVs which are not closed boxes, may result in premature failure of the screen.

Ruggedness and 24×7 Operation Capability: LCD screens for railways need to be rugged. For this reason, it is important to have LCD informational displays vs. LCD TVs as LCD informational displays are fan-less closed box units that can offer protection from dust and other contaminants. Further LCD informational displays are made for 24×7 operation while LCD TVs are made for limited viewing. Ruggedness and life of the LCD screen is very important to reduce failures of the LCD screens. LCD failures will cause inconvenience to passengers and may disrupt traffic flow at railway stations.

Network Capability: Be sure that the LCD screen has RS-232 and LAN network connectivity. The network connectivity allows for remote monitoring of the various LCD screens. Alarms can be set if an LCD screen is switched off or if it is not working. Power and other controls can be monitored remotely. For example, an energy saving feature can be activated so that when there is no signal, a power save mode is activated to reduce the brightness of the LCD backlight.

Picture Quality: Most large LCDs are high definition. High definition LCDs provide better picture resolution, better contrast ratio, high brightness, high colour reproduction and fast response time resulting in better picture clarity. High definition, high brightness and high contrast ratio are important features for LCDs to have in railway environment for easy picture viewing. Further, the non glare feature of LCDs allows for easy viewing in ambient light or where there is background light being reflected on the screen. Most new LCDs have 176° viewing angle, making it easy for viewing. Check the viewing specifications to make sure meets your quality requirements

Slow-scan (legacy) Signal Capability: If the LCD screens are being installed in the old chassis of the old CRT television or in a mixed network of CRT televisions and LCD displays, the LCD screen needs to be slow-scan legacy signal compatible. New LCD screen features are continuously emerging. Check with the LCD screen manufacturer to learn about new features. Read other articles and make the right decision for your LCD purchase.

For more information on LCD monitors, check out Sharp’s official LCD monitor site! http://lcddisplay.sbsil.com/

Technology is improving patient care and increasing revenue per bed and overall cost structures of hospitals. LCD screens are key contributors to cost improvement and improving overall “look and feel” of hospitals

For example, the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital is using LCD Information Display screens to improve patient flow and increase family member awareness about patient location. In any large hospital, a great deal of coordination is required to move patients through the operating facility efficiently and seamlessly, from the pre-operative through to the recovery areas. Which treatment rooms are available? Which patients are ready for surgery next? Has a procedure in the operating room been completed ahead of schedule? Tracking each patient and coordinating resources requires staff to have immediate access to patient case data, at any time. The idea behind installing the LCD Information Display screens was to provide doctors, nurses and orderlies with better visual access to the operative status of each patient in its operating facility – without having to find a terminal and log in. The screens would provide a clear, continuously updated status list of each patient in the operating and treatment areas. These digital signs would tell staff which rooms are available, which patients are ready for transport, and what actions need to be taken for smooth operation of the facility. Patient safety and quality of care were also elevated with this solution Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in India is using LCD Information Display screens for medical imaging and collaborative medical diagnosis. The key needs for deploying LCD information display screens vs LCD TVs were picture quality, large size and no fan noise in the operating theatre room. Large LCD displays are also being deployed in hallways, waiting areas, nurse monitoring centres, and video imaging diagnostic centers. The display needs for these hospitals large screens are usually similar. Large LCD information displays are the technology of choice for large screens due to their low radiation emissions, low power usage compared to Plasma, increased ruggedness and high resolution.

Below we outline key needs of LCD screens for hospitals:

LCD Information Display vs. TV Price: Price is an important criterion however many hospitals, buy on price versus functionality important and length of usage. As a result they will buy an LCD TV rather than a LCD Information Display as they can find cheap LCD TVs. LCD TVs are not closed end boxes so they result in premature failure or desired functionality is lacking resulting in the LCD TV being replaced sooner than it should be.

Internet Connectivity: Increasingly patients are demanding Internet connectivity to their rooms and are willing to pay for such facility. LCD screens need to be equipped with computer inputs such as VGA, HDMI or DVI inputs. The computer inputs are available on LCD information displays and usually not available on LCD TVs though some new LCD TV models do not have this issue.

Reduced Biological Pollution, Ruggedness and 24×7 Device Operations: LCD screens for hospitals need to be rugged and closed. LCD Information Displays are rugged (vs. LCD TVs) as LCD Informational Displays are fan-less closed box units that can offer protection from dust and biological pollution, which is very important for hospitals. LCD Informational Displays are made for 24×7 operations while LCD TVs are made for limited hourly viewing in a day.

Network Connectivity: The network connectivity is required for remote monitoring of the various LCD devices.Be sure that the LCD screen has RS-232 and LAN network connectivity. Having this connectivity, alarms can be managed if an LCD screen is switched off or performing poorly. For example, an energy saving feature can be initiated so that when there is no signal, a power save mode is activated to reduce the brightness of the LCD backlight.

No Sound or Tuning Capability in Individual LCD units: No need for internal TV speakers as sound is output through pillow speakers which control noise in the patient room and hallway by limiting individual TV volume. Individual TV tuners are not required as TVs channels are fed through cable tv tuners to provide better image and selection.

Picture Quality: Picture quality is an important criterion in hospitals. Select high definition LCD screens. High definition LCDs provide better picture resolution, better contrast ratio, high brightness, high colour reproduction and fast response time resulting in better picture clarity. Most new LCDs have 176° viewing angle and have non glare features for easy viewing in daylight. Check the viewing specifications to make sure that the LCD screen you are buying meets your quality needs. LCD display market is continuously evolving New LCD screen features are continuously emerging. Check with the LCD screen manufacturer to learn about new features. Read other articles and make the right decision for your LCD purchase.

For more information on LCD Screen, check out Sharp’s official LCD monitor site! http://lcddisplay.sbsil.com/