Elevating displays to the next level
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Laser TV is advancing with new applications across multiple industries, all while meeting the needs of Generation Z.
While Hisense has been known for developing the Laser TV industry, it is also working across multiple industries to develop innovations for new business and consumer applications. Entertainment is just one facet of Laser TV, other uses for the technology include laser scanners carrying out intelligent mapping in town planning; the use of laser cladding to protect mining equipment; and commercial laser projections for businesses, entertainment venues and academic institutions. Further to this, more exciting use cases and applications for lasers are emerging.
“On one hand, we are developing displays that can work anywhere, like gaming monitors and cloud platforms for various industries; while on the other, we have verticalised our R&D efforts, from the Tcon display driver chip and picture quality chip, to our operating systems, apps and terminals that can work with different technologies like LCD, Laser display and ULED,” says Dr Liu Xianrong, chief scientist and general manager of Hisense Laser Display Co. Ltd.
“In future, displays must not only be used to ‘see’, but also as a point of
contact between humans and machines, and humans and services.”
Holographic dreams come to life
Technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality and 3D holograms are maturing. As they enter mainstream use, there will be increased demand for cutting-edge laser projectors able to generate and convey these images, to assist businesses in bringing to life authentic experiences, live shows and large arena advertising. Laser TV, and the projection technologies behind it, are best placed to assist the development of spatial stereoscopic displays and 3D holographic displays.
“In future, displays must not only be used to ‘see’, but also as a point of contact between humans and machines, and humans and services,” says Dr Liu. Partnering with chipset manufacturer Texas Instruments, Hisense has developed sophisticated laser displays so museums, art galleries and even restaurants can provide fully immersive experiences.
Hisense has successfully joined multiple laser projection displays together using a technology called ‘edge blending’. This method combines several projected images that are spliced and fused to make a single seamless image, which can be used to create huge visual displays covering 50-60 metres of wall and floors at once. To support this, Hisense developed debugging software that quickly supports geometric correction, image fusion and screen splicing.
“Our partner, an entertainment company that was building an exhibition to show the metaverse needed tens of computers to join the image together,” says Dr Liu. “The traditional method took them two weeks. We took our laser projection technology and combined it with Texas Instruments’ technology—it helped the client to save a lot of money and we could build it in only two days.”
Rob Sabin, editor-in-chief of US projection industry trade magazine ProjectionCentral, thinks this use case has great promise for the future of entertainment and live experiences. “Immersive projection is definitely a big deal, it’s one of the things projectors can do that regular TVs and micro-LED tiles can’t do without great expense.”
“Our partner, an entertainment company that was building an exhibition to show
the metaverse needed tens of computers to join the image together.”
Bigger and better
When it comes to buying a TV, consumer behaviours do differ across generations. Compared to older buyers, younger consumers tend to conduct more thorough research before making a purchase decision. Kantar, a market research firm, identified that Gen Z (people born 1997-2012) and Millennials (born 1981-1996) tend to be more engaged when buying a TV and will hit multiple touchpoints, including looking at the manufacturer’s website and online reviews, before they buy. “Gen Z, as first-time buyers, are also more likely to listen to advice from friends and families,” says Piers Moore, senior global consumer insights director at Kantar. “In contrast, Baby boomers [people born 1946-1964] are most likely to wait for their TV to break before purchasing again.”
While behaviours differ, when it comes to selecting a TV there’s usually a demand for big screens and good imagery. “What most people want is picture quality… and as big a TV as they can get in their space,” says Mr Moore. According to 2021 research from Kantar, 61% of consumers identified ‘screen size’ as the most important criteria, while 41% said ‘picture quality’ was important.
Meeting the needs of Asia’s Gen Z
Asia has some of the most digitally connected, social- and mobile-first young people in the world. Early adopters of technology, Asian teenagers have led the way when it comes to discovering new, unusual uses for technology.
To stay ahead of this hard-to-predict innovation curve, Hisense has closely followed the trends of how young people work, play, live and move, with a focus on China. It noticed that Gen Z young adults are behaving differently to Millennials. When they get their first jobs, Gen Z young adults move to large cities where they typically share accommodation with several housemates. But when they come home from the office, they no longer want to congregate around a flat panel TV based in the living room, says Dr Liu.
Instead, young people in China now want a portable entertainment device that they can quickly set up and enjoy a large display experience for online streaming content in their rooms, take to their friends’ homes for parties or on trips away. To meet this need, Hisense developed the Vidda C1 4K Full Color Laser Projector, a tiny smart projector using its signature TriChroma laser technology. “Young people prefer taking the small smart projector with them when they have to move,” explains Dr Liu.
“Young people prefer taking the small smart projector with them when they have
to move.”
While this use case is yet to take off in Europe, Mr Sabin is seeing similar trends amongst Gen Z in the US. “My adult children now have a conventional flat screen TV in the living room and a smaller projector set up in their bedrooms to stream content.”
Mini-LEDs are transforming medical displays
Another field where high-tech displays make a difference is medicine. In April 2022, Hisense launched the world’s first 55” mini-LED medical endoscopic display. The result of eight years of R&D efforts, the technology enables doctors to detect sudden bleeds and look inside difficult-to-see cavities during surgery more easily. Hisense says the technology also enables doctors to make out deep tissue details and legions more clearly with a greater depth of field, by greatly improving the contrast ratio to 200,000:1.
To help speed up the detection of bleeds and nerves, Hisense has also increased the colour gamut of the screen, particularly focusing boosting the detection of the colour red up to 100% BT2020, while other colours are at 85% BT2020. These are amongst the highest colour standards ever achieved for a medical display product. Hisense’s computer-assisted surgery system is currently being used in more than 200 hospitals across China.
With these strides in technology, there is much good that Laser TVs can contribute to the world, according to Yu Zhitao, vice-president of Hisense Group. “We believe that Laser TVs will outperform all types of panel displays in the near future, and that this technology presents myriad opportunities for many industries. But it hasn’t been easy to invent this new category of display technology, and we know that more international cooperation is needed to help the global Laser display industry continue to grow.”
“My adult children now have a conventional flat screen TV in the living room and
a smaller projector set up in their bedrooms to stream content.”
Whether for work, play, or dreaming for the future, Hisense is covering all the bases when it comes to display.
Produced by EI Studios, the custom division of Economist Impact
