Taking place in a city that I think we should formally rename LED Vegas, InfoComm 2024 broke visitor attendance records for the first time post pandemic. 30,271 verified attendees visited from 125 countries. The aisles were busy and positivity filled the halls as everyone was eager to find out what was new, not just at the show, but also in the wider playground of Vegas itself.
Software
New hardware seemed to take a backseat at InfoComm 2024, yielding to its software counterpart. Software innovations are widely being used to differentiate products and give hardware a new lease of life with advanced features and capabilities. As the industry works to more deeply integrate AV functionality and improve compatibility with video collaboration platforms, enhanced control and automation software has stepped up to advance the hybrid meeting experience. Additionally, large-format meeting room displays, especially interactive-touch versions, are layering a UI/UX software environment to facilitate functionality which enhances video collaboration. And on the network side, cloud- based solutions were especially prevalent and credited with helping to streamline operations, enhance support and preventative maintenance and improve connectivity across an ecosystem.
Sustainability
The advancements in software are having an interesting impact on the longevity of hardware. The trends from manufacturers at the show indicated that we won’t be seeing the quick turnaround of products that we have come to expect. Software enhancements are being used to deliver new features, giving products a new lease of life that helps them to stay relevant for longer, which is a great result for the environment.Intelligence
Intelligent operation and algorithmic development, from camera tracking to voice recognition and background noise filters were prevalent features being unveiled in meeting room devices at InfoComm 2024. It was a refreshing change to see these being called ‘intelligent’ rather than ‘AI’, which has become an overused buzzword in recent years. This intelligence is increasingly being pushed to edge devices which have the processing power to perform some AI functionality locally, thereby reducing the demand on the network and often the complexity of the in-room system. These features will provide great enhancements as we continue to be a hybrid culture, helping to improve meeting equity and inclusion.All-In-One
LED manufacturers continue to focus on reducing pixel pitch in order to deliver a higher resolution indoor experience which can open the door to an expanded array of applications. At the same time, there is a continued focus on delivering a fixed display size solution for LED that can be installed easily and quickly. Samsung has led the way in installation efficiency with The Wall LED line of products—other vendors are following their lead. At the extreme, LED products are being delivered in mobile solutions, with foldable panels and motorized mobile stands, that are ready to plug and play. This removes any installation complexity and makes large-format displays more accessible for end users.
Creativity
Thinking outside the box, display manufacturers were also presenting eye catching configurations that break free from conventional 16:9 surrounds. Aimed largely at digital signage, these were brought to life with creative content formats such as anamorphic to present 3D illusions, generative, interactive and even with kinetic moving parts to really capture attention.
The Sphere
I couldn’t write about technology trends in Vegas without mentioning The Sphere, which certainly took center stage as the hosting venue for a kickoff gathering to InfoComm 2024!
With an acclaimed 16,000 × 16,000 resolution, The Sphere boasts the highest-resolution LED screen in the world. Immersive audio, atmospheric simulations such as scent and wind and haptic technology combine to complete the multisensory experience for up to 17,500 seated guests. All accounts I’ve heard say the experience at The Sphere, whether during its inaugural film, Postcard From Earth, or for a gig, say that the experience is sensational. My question is whether this is a repeatable guest experience or a one trick pony? Time will tell.
Overall, InfoComm 2024 served up a plethora of opportunities to absorb all facets of North America's AV industry, including the amazing community that we are all part of. From our perspective at Prysm, and specifically from my seat as Head of Product, It was clear that our proprietary Laser Phosphor Display (LPD) technology continues to offer an extremely viable alternative to LED. And with our forthcoming next-generation full solution coming in the near future, I couldn't be more excited about the chance to push the envelope.
