When it comes to big, bright pictures, it’s simple: nothing beats direct-view LED. The technology is opening exciting doors for creative and immersive display applications in every vertical, and Sony is working to make it easier than ever to bring it to your clients.
Branded as Crystal LED, or CLED for short, Sony’s technology uses ultra-fine micro-LEDs measuring 0.003 mm², 100 times smaller than traditional LEDs, according to the company. Because of this, the majority of each module is black, enabling stunning contrast. The technology is modular, so it can be installed in sizes and aspect ratios tailored to customers’ needs. It’s even capable of being built to a staggering 790 diagonal inches and displaying 16K images.
Soon the company will begin offering the CLED in turnkey packages with all the components bundled for various screen sizes, simplifying the process for integrators to sell this next-generation display technology. “The cool thing about CLED is it’s basically like a really big Sony TV, but you put the pieces together for it,” said Jayson Savage, western regional technical / sales specialist for custom install and premium products at Sony Electronics. “We’ve actually taken the same motion flow and the pixel interpolation and scaling technology that we have in all of our high-end TVs and it lives in the CLED in a video wall format.”
Brighter than Bright
While CLED is a great alternative for two-piece projection in dedicated home theaters, its real home is in media rooms—the bright living spaces where people spend more time and watch the most TV. “It’s really exciting for customers who just want to knock it out of the park in terms of a video installation that doesn’t have to have the lights off,” Savage said. With 800 nits brightness in the 1.2mm pixel pitch high-contrast model, the LEDs are more than bright enough to handle even the most sunbathed environments.
More than just a TV, Sony’s CLED is also fantastic for making an artistic statement in high-traffic areas of a home. On one particular 14-foot-wide, 193-inch diagonal installation, Savage said, the client plays a live aquarium video when he’s not watching TV or movies. “They’re the best fish in the world,” the client says. “I don’t ever have to feed them. I can change them out anytime I want, if I want an octopus in there, I can get an octopus.”
Indeed, Sony’s CLED displays have seen extensive use in rendering lifelike ambient scenes for professional applications, from corporate lobbies to replacing the green screen in Hollywood productions. This improves realism and immersion of the actors into virtually any setting. “You could use it for video as decor,” Savage said. “You can make it look like a forest scene in your hallway or make it look like you’ve got a waterfall pouring down over a doorway in your house.”
Stunning, Simplified
Delivering this experience is now more accessible than ever before. Previously, a Sony team would need to design and install the system; starting early next year, dealers will be able to order pre-configured bundles and install the CLED themselves. “The dealer can go into their Sony account, and if they know the customer wants a 110 inch or 137 inch, or one of our pre-configured bundles, they can literally click a box, say that’s the one that I want,” Savage said. “And those boxes are going to appear at their door, and they can start installing it and commissioning the system.”
The bundles come with all of the modules, cabling, and an installation kit with tools for alignment, as well as the controller and software for running the display. Installers must provide their own mounts, but Savage said that there are a number of options available and that the bundles are engineered to make installation as straightforward as possible. There are some third-party companies that will be certified to be trained in CLED installation that can execute the installation.” Sony is also working on a training program to certify dealers in its installation. It’s also designed for easy service – and replacement panels are included with the kit,” Savage said.
And for dealers, CLED is more than just a stunning, massive video screen, this product opens the doors to the highest end clientele,” Savage said. “Offering a product like the CLED adds to your credibility, it builds your reputation, and enables you to deliver the absolute latest in video technology for discerning clients.”
