International. A recent research study that Futuresource Consulting conducted for Sony in September 2016 predicted that European shipments of large format screens (LFDs) over 60" will increase to 192,000 units in 2018, an increase of 32% compared to 2015.
This demand for large screens in professional environments is driven by the desire to enjoy big-screen experiences with digital signage applications, as well as the replacement of projectors with flat screens. This is just one example of how changing needs in a variety of sectors, from corporate environments to education and retail, have led to rapid growth in the adoption of new av technology.
Advances thanks to laser projection
The research study showed that last year, European sales of commercial large format solutions (LFD) reached 748 000 units, representing a year-on-year growth volume of 19%. And while the overall B2B projector market has experienced a significant decline over the past few years, sales of installation projectors (5000+ lumens), not including digital cinema, continue to be positive. From 2014 - 2015, shipments to the European market experienced a year-on-year increase of 1%. Innovations such as solid-state lighting (SSL) are on the scene in those sectors where lamp-based projectors were not profitable, such as theme parks or auditoriums in higher education institutions.
"The European professional audiovisual market continues to show healthy growth and research indicates that it has been favoured by the combination of changing needs of different sectors and new technologies that are making audiovisual solutions more attractive," explains Thomas Issa, Product Manager for B2B Monitors at Sony Professional Solutions Europe. "This has led to a clear redirection of the solutions developed, especially in the B2B flat panel market, where manufacturers are looking to develop solutions that respond directly to the needs of certain vertical markets. Whether it's interactive displays developed for the education sector, designed to enable effective learning, or solid-state light source (SSL) projectors that require minimal maintenance in busy commercial environments, custom solutions are driving the expansion of the av market."
Increased adoption of 4K
The adoption of 4K technology in flat panel and projection solutions is another important area of development. The adoption of 4K technology in the TV market is growing rapidly, as 4K resolution becomes cheaper and the availability of 4K content increases. The commercial flat panel market is expected to follow a similar trend, with luxury retailers and product design environments opting to replace mosaic solutions (used to generate pixel counts above 1080P) with 4K products with large screens.
The promise of the professional consumer
Like the changing needs of key sectors, the needs of SMEs are also influencing the market. More and more SMEs are looking to replace the projectors of corporate meeting rooms with flat screen solutions, and for this they are betting on digital signage. But they want this equipment at a significantly reduced cost. For this reason, manufacturers are turning to solutions that are running daily at half the price of commercial products. So much so, that the volume of products for professional consumers shows a year-on-year growth of 40% since 2012, and this category already represents more than 30% of sales of large format screens.
"End users demand visually stunning visual images, effortless interaction and the ability to easily share impactful content," concludes Sony's Thomas Issa. "For this reason, we are seeing an inevitable increase in flat panels and solid-state projectors everywhere. And with the development of these areas, now numerous markets can take advantage of the greater ease of installation and the lowest price, in addition to operations tailored to their specific environment and use, through a single supplier."
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