ISE 2025 Recap - personal overview
Overwhelming, inspiring and crowded as usual. Over 85.000 visitors from 162 countries, 1.610 exhibitors, 9 halls, covering 92. 000m2. Didn’t manage to cover everything. Can't have it all..
I focused on suppliers of all sorts of displays, audio or surprising visual innovations. Projector manufacturers featured new models combining RGB laser and phosphor laser for improved colordepth.
Here’s what caught my attention. It is absolutely no complete report.
Many of the new stuff I reported in my recap 2024 have now been adopted as regular products by the major suppliers or have further improved such as mesh LED and E-Paper.
Looking forward to your feedback or to help you with questions about AV solutions and trends.
Please feel free to
contact
me.
LED there be more
While Projector manufacturers feature innovations combining RGB laser and phosphor laser for improved colordepth, LED manufacturers seek innovation by showing new shapes, larger displays and decreasing pixel pitches.
Pixel pitch
Pixel pitches are getting smaller and smaller. Most premium manufacturers will offer you a pixel pitch from 0,78mm and up. This means you can have a UHD LED wall with a size of only 3 x 1,7 metres.
Transparent
2024 Featured the premiere at the South Gate Entrance of a fixed installation of a huge see through 3.9 mm LED mesh. Most LED suppliers big and small now provide such a product with integrated invisible cabling. If you look closely at the products it actually seems there are only a few real unique manufacturers.
Shapes
LED displays and panels in all sorts and forms are the (blinding) eye catchers of ISE. In size, brightness and original shapes.
There is no limit in the shape or size for your display. Geometric shapes, Christmas trees, domes, bottles, you name it.
Textured LED panels
An interesting feature is applying a custom print on LED panels. When inactive this print will be visible and could make your LED wall dissolve in the background of the wall it is mounted on.
Large and transparent displays
Micro LED panels seem to be taking over the Large Format Display (LFD) market with decreasing pixel pitch like the LG 136” Micro LED LFD.
LCD and OLED Large Format Displays continue to be available in sizes up to 110".
Transparent displays continue to increase in size up to 77” although most models are available until 55”.
Holographic visuals
Many exhibitors presented the earlier mentioned LED mesh as a Holographic screen. However most of the 'holographic solutions' are basically a transparent video display or LED mesh. The see-through helps you create an effect of an image floating in mid-air.
Samsung HoloDisplay provides a véry realistic 3D vision in mid-air from its display. You need to view it from an angle. No 3D glasses needed. I think this display has great potential for retail, art and experience centers. Unfortunately it is hard to show the real 3D effect on my webpage.
This link features a review.
E-Paper
There is clearly a breakthrough in energy saving E-Paper. In 2024 first (beta) versions of E-Paper were carefully presented. All major suppliers now fully adopted this technology ranging from mini shelf to full size 75” Outdoor E-Paper.
An answer to the ongoing demand for sustainability.
I even saw E-Paper that could be charged wireless via InfraRed light or solar panels.
Interesting fun
Where’s my banana
Security software can also be used for fun and art applications. This example shows bag and banana detection coded using Touchdesigner and Blobtracker
Previously I have collaborated in the PLPLPL.PL art project of Matthias Oostrik, which ‘rewards’ suspicious or extraordinary behaviour using source code of such security software.
Let me hear some noise
3D Matrix Array loudspeaker
Holoplot presented their Matrix Array loudspeaker. An array product that can not only align audio vertically (like a line-array), but also horizontally, providing the possibility to aim audio in large venues wherever you want. There are simpler solutions for individuals like sound showers, but these fail full bandwidth and sound pressure.
The Matrix Array is installed in the Las Vegas Sphere dealing with the difficult acoustic environment.
How about aiming different soundscapes, voices or language to different areas of your exhibit?
Listen with your elbows
An interesting and original solution that conducts audio via your own bone structure to your ears. When you lean on the conductor with your elbows and hold your wrist bones to your ears you will hear the played audio track. Obviously not with full bandwidth, but perfectly audible voices are possible. I can imagine this being used in a museum exhibit. E.g. lean against a wall, a tree, a building and it will tell you about its history or what has happened in its surroundings over time.
AR Technology
Regrettably Augmented Reality (AR) was not a topic at ISE. For this you will need to visit CES. I believe AR technology will emerge further for events, museums and experience centres. Most solutions are currently limited to pre-loaded apps and 3D models of an environment. However, AI technology combined with a real time camera will soon enable real-world object recognition and elevate the useability of real time use of AR on mobile phones and personal AR glasses.
Crowdpixels
I reviewed crowdpixels last year and saw the potential of rendering moving images on stadium crowds, not just LED bracelets lighting up similarly. PixMob presented their MVT moving head which does exactly that. You might have seen the animated chariot moving over the crowds during the closing show of the Olympics 2024.
Here's an explanation on the Coldplay tour.
Want to know what else could be seen at ISE or read back on
ISE 2024?
I will be happy discuss it and think about the right application in your AV design.
Please feel free to
contact me.