Projects: 110 MicroTile Wall Courts Michigan State Hoops Prospects

May 6, 2014 by Dave Haynes

Big time NCAA college hoop recruiting has a lot to do with impressing the hell out of the athlete prospects when they do campus visits, making them leave with the conviction that they want to play college basketball there.

That means bling, and in the case of the  Michigan State University Spartans, a 30 foot wide by five foot tall video wall in a main corridor of the Berkowitz Athletic Complex, home of Spartans basketball.

 The Christie MicroTiles wall was put together by Integrated Design Solutions (IDS) and BlueWater Technologies.

Says a Christie release:

With athletic recruiting a highly competitive endeavor, the Spartans wanted something extra to bring the best prospects to their program. The plan was to install a video wall – but not just any video wall – into the long, narrow corridor 20 feet above the basketball court leading into the athletic complex. LCD flat panels were the first choice but the school was concerned about the quality of the images that would show on the display – especially when viewed close up.

“There are several trophies at the end of the corridor, including two men’s NCAA championship trophies, but the college wanted to be able customize the experience for visitors. Coach Izzo and his staff are well known and respected and the school wanted a digital display system to highlight that and the successful history of the program. They wanted to show off what Michigan State does and can do for potential recruits,” said Dean Harris CTS, designer technology services, Integrated Design Solutions.

The school was also concerned about the larger bezels of flat panels interfering with the cohesiveness of the display they wanted. Familiar with Christie MicroTiles, Harris had some MicroTiles’ samples brought in.

“We took the MicroTiles demo out to the coaches, the athletic director and others at MSU,” explained Harris. “They said, ‘if we are going to do this, we have to have the right product so the content will be crystal-clear up close.’ The visuals on the MicroTiles are very sharp even when you stand just a few inches away from them. Everyone’s reaction was ‘Wow!’ We blew them away. It was the tiny seams, the clarity of the images, the fact that they are serviceable from the front – the MicroTiles just looked stunning and did exactly what they wanted – they were the right choice.”

Located two feet off the floor and fitted into the wall, the Christie MicroTiles video wall comprises 110 tiles in a 22-unit wide by 5-units tall array and – using a Christie-designed pedestal – seamlessly blends into the architecture.

The content is control using a Christie Spyder X20 as the video wall processor.

I like how the wall is dominant, nested into the structure and takes you into a larger rotunda. Nicely done.