Planar Unveils Industry’s First Family of Large-format, Zero-bezel LCD Displays for Digital Signage

Planar UltraLux Series meets the growing demand for 60 to 80” displays in retail, airports and other digital signage environments

Today, at InfoComm 2012, Planar Systems, Inc, a global leader in digital display technology, announced the debut of a first-of-its-kind family of large-format LCD displays designed for digital signage.

The Planar® UltraLux™ Series is the industry’s first family of 60”, 70” and 80” LCD displays that feature a unique industrial design and forward-thinking engineering which brings current consumer electronics styling to the commercial digital signage market. With a range of display sizes, Planar UltraLux Series is available in wall-mount or free-standing models, providing customers a wide range of display options for their digital signage applications.

“With the Planar UltraLux Series, customers finally have the eye-catching scale and configurations needed to create truly immersive digital signage experiences that capture the imagination of consumers and, ultimately, build brands,” said Jennifer Davis, vice president of marketing for Planar Systems. “The range of screen sizes, touch interactivity, and design flexibility are unprecedented. And the strong early market reaction to Planar UltraLux is an indication that this type of design is an important performance criteria for buyers of digital signage displays.”

Modern design

The Planar UltraLux Series mirrors the style and aesthetics of today’s most popular consumer electronics. The zero-bezel, all-glass design, extends to the edge of the display, similar to popular smart phones and tablets. Planar UltraLux displays are available with white or black edge trim color options, offering customers the option to select the color that best suits the design aesthetics of their environment.

The ultra-thin profile of the Planar UltraLux displays when wall mounted is less than 3 inches, making it thin enough to meet rigorous Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility guidelines in buildings and facilities. Free-standing Planar UltraLux displays feature the same modern and elegant industrial design that allows it to fit well into any public environment.

Low cost of ownership

The Planar UltraLux Series was engineered to reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) compared to other large-format digital signage displays. The built-in UltraLux Mounting System™ allows for simplified installations with no additional hardware required. The UltraLux Mounting System incorporates a kickstand feature that tilts the display away from the wall for easy access to the electronics. Eliminating the need to remove the display for servicing reduces complexity, cost, and service time by up to 70 percent.

With edge-lit LED technology, the Planar UltraLux Series delivers reduced power consumption by up to 60 percent compared to CCFL technology, saving operating costs over the lifetime of the display. For further reliability, the Planar UltraLux Series features a redundant power supply design, helping to ensure uninterrupted operation.

In addition, each Planar UltraLux display comes standard with Planar’s proprietary Extended Ruggedness and Optics (ERO™) protection glass for enhanced durability in public spaces, while providing improved view ability in bright ambient environments. Unprotected LCDs can be damaged in retail stores, airports and other high traffic public environments, resulting in increased service, maintenance or replacement costs.

Planar UltraLux displays include a full serial and network command set for automated notification and control and also supports SNMP for integration with enterprise management systems.

Options for every digital signage application

The Planar UltraLux Series features a variety of options for tailoring the display to the environment:

• Selection of sizes. Available in three commercial grade display sizes: 60, 70 and 80 inches
• Multiple configurations. Displays can be wall-mounted in portrait or landscape orientation, and are available in free-standing, single or double-sided displays
• Color choice. Displays are available with white or black edge-trim color options
• User interaction. Available with optional six-point multi-touch for interactive applications
• Media player storage. Incorporates a media player storage compartment enabling a fully-integrated digital signage display system

Clear Channel Airports selects Planar UltraLux

“Clear Channel Airports is excited to be working with Planar to launch the UltraLux line in our airports,” said Bob Lovell, Vice President of Operations for Clear Channel Airports, the world’s top marketer of airport advertising. “The quality of design and engineering we have seen from Planar helps us deliver award-winning ad programs to our clients.”

The Planar UltraLux Series will be available in late summer through Planar’s global network of authorized resellers. Visit Booth #C7536 at InfoComm 2012 to learn more about the Planar UltraLux Series and to see a demonstration. Additional information is available at www.planardigitalsignage.com.

About Planar

Planar Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: PLNR) is a global leader in digital display technology providing premier solutions for the world’s most demanding environments. Retailers, educational institutions, government agencies, businesses, utilities and energy firms, and home theater enthusiasts all depend on Planar to provide superior performance when image experience is of the highest importance. Planar solutions are used by the world’s leading organizations in applications ranging from digital signage to simulation and from interactive kiosks to large-scale data visualization. Founded in 1983, Planar is headquartered in Oregon, USA, with offices, manufacturing partners, and customers worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.planar.com.

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