Originally developed for the military as a method for space command to track orbiting debris and shuttle missions, the video wall concept quickly made its way into the public mainstream markets. A strong majority of people have seen a video wall or know what a video wall is, but just might not know how to describe it. Some other terms you might have heard are seamless video walls, frameless video walls, video grids, and plasma walls.
A video wall display can be as few as two monitors next to each other or as many as the facility can accommodate. The monitors can be any form of current display technology, from CRT (Cathode Ray Tubes), to LED and plasma displays, with each individual monitor being controlled by a separate computer.
A video wall can also be a series of plasma screen monitors that are arranged together to form one large screen. It might be easier to think of it as putting several TVs together to form one giant TV. The plasma monitors used to create a video wall, however, are frameless, or have very small borders or edges. This allows each individual monitor that makes up a video wall to get very close to the other monitors and creates a more seamless picture. Typically, when looking at a video wall, you can notice where the individual plasma screens come together, although the overall impact on the video or picture being displayed is minor.
Video walls are popular at trade shows, exhibitions and conventions for drawing a crowd and presenting a 'larger than life' video experience. Individual screens can be configured in a variety of ways to create a horizontal, vertical, or grid-like pattern depending on the intention. Since a video wall is made up of individual displays there really is no limit to the size of a video wall, although the most common seem to be 3x3 grids comprised of nine 42" plasma monitors. These monitors can display video independently or act as one giant monitor and display video across all the screens as if it were one monitor. Most of the time you will see a combination of different ways video is presented on them.
Digital screens and video walls will soon replace most of the traditional posters and promotional signs you see in store windows. Plasma screens in store windows can display visually captivating presentations designed to attract your attention and showcase the products the store offers. Maps and Customer Service Counters will also be replaced or supplemented with interactive digital signs, designed to quickly answer a customer's questions or direct them to the store or restaurant they are looking for.
