Planar Adds Super-Fine Pitch MicroLED To Video Wall Line-up

June 2, 2021 by Dave Haynes

Portland-based Planar, and by extension its Chinese parent company Leyard, has formally joined the growing list of display companies offering super-fine pitch, microLED-driven video wall displays.

The company’s new DirectLight Ultra Series has pitches ranging from 0.6 to 1.2mm. I don’t know if these products meet the display nerd purity test of what’s technically microLED, versus what’s called microLED.

It’s a bit of a departure from how companies like Sony, Samsung and LG are marketing their “microLED” products these days – talking much less about pixel pitch and more about the amount of black created between the tiny LEDs.

In this case, the focus is on that pitch – which in the case of the 0.625mm one is about as fine as I have seen for LED video wall products. The thing with fine pitch using conventional LED is the light chips are in electronic packages and crammed together. With microLED, the light chips are super-teeny and not in a package, so there is much more of a gap between the lights – showing more of the black background and therefore resulting in better contrast. More, better black tends to result in better, richer visuals.

Here’s what Planar says:

The Planar DirectLight Ultra Series presents several display technology advancements that, in combination, deliver big performance, including models with MicroLEDs, off-board power supply, proprietary alignment technology and built-in processing.

Offering models in 0.6, 0.7, 0.9 and 1.2 millimeter pixel pitches, the Planar DirectLight Ultra Series is ideal for close viewing distances and high-precision visual images and video. It is well-equipped to support mission-critical applications in environments such as control rooms, government, corporate board rooms and high-end residential.

Featuring superior color reproduction and high brightness, most Planar DirectLight Ultra Series models incorporate MicroLEDs that are much smaller than standard LEDs but deliver better black levels and up to three times more brightness while consuming much less power per unit of brightness.

“The Planar DirectLight Ultra Series is really a culmination of marrying requirements from our most discerning and ambitious customers with the latest advancements in LED display technology,” says Steve Seminario, vice president of product development at Planar.

The series’ patent-pending self-adjusting module alignment technology also maintains perfect pixel alignment over time, combating issues such as vibration and thermal expansion, which can cause LED modules to shift. Plus, Planar DirectLight Ultra Series LED displays implement technology that reduces light blockage and ambient light reflection, resulting in better blacks, higher dynamic range and enhanced dark content performance.

Requiring less power and producing less heat, the premium line of fine pitch LED video wall displays delivers a more energy-efficient solution that is easy to maintain and supports long life, 24×7 reliability and superb image performance for the most refined applications. The Planar DirectLight Ultra Series also includes Planar Remote Power Supply, allowing customers to relocate heat, depth, noise, weight, service points and electrical outlets away from the video wall and into a rack room.

Plus, with built-in video wall processing via the off-board Planar WallDirector Video Controller and corresponding software, users can capture multiple 4K sources and arrange content windows while securely controlling and monitoring the video wall via user interface or leading room management systems.

The product launch also includes a nod to the trend towards packaged or bundled solutions – turnkey, fixed-size displays and supporting gear that are easier to sell through the channel and by AV integration companies that don’t do a lot of LED day to day.

Planar DirectLight Ultra Complete is a line of pre-packaged LED video wall displays designed to reduce the time, complexity and cost of deploying a 4K or 8K MicroLED video wall. Planar DirectLight Ultra Complete is available in 108-inch, 136-inch and 163-inch diagonal 4K resolution and 217-inch diagonal 8K resolution display sizes. Planar DirectLight Ultra Complete arrives ready to install, providing customers a package complete with LED display cabinets, cables, spare modules, wall mounts as well as a video controller, remote power supply and remote control.

The Planar DirectLight Ultra Series also features precise front installation and serviceability for easier access and installation versatility. With an installed depth of less than four inches, organizations can place Planar DirectLight Ultra Series video walls against the wall to minimize the solution footprint and maximize floor space.

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