Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) took the world by storm in 2019, as those involved in the AV industry descended from all corners of the globe to celebrate another year of innovation and success in Audiovisual technology. Experts and enthusiasts alike flock to Amsterdam each year in order to participate in ISE, and this year saw it reach record levels of ambition and scale. Turning to its expert AV partners, ISE took on one project in particular that couldn’t fail to turn the heads of attendees and passers-by. With the huge focus on projection mapping this year at ISE, an ambitious projection mapping project is the perfect way to demonstrate how far the AV industry has come in recent years.

Such a project was perfectly exemplified by the incredible projection mapping installation on the façade of the new nhow Amsterdam RAI hotel, which is adjacent to the location of the ISE exhibition. The impressive 25-storey hotel boasts 650 rooms and was developed following a tender process by the City of Amsterdam and the RAI that began all the way back in 2014. Now, after 5 years in the making, those involved in establishing this incredible building can see their vision come to life during the week of ISE through a very special projection mapping project developed by ISE and its partners, each one serving as specialists in their field, working in synergy to deliver this remarkable installation.

This ambitious display required input from a range of experts in order to successfully complete the project which was managed by LANG, hire and production specialists. They called on 14 of Panasonic’s PT-RZ31K projectors to provide the 400,000 lumens needed to project the mapped content onto 392 windows of the uniquely shaped building. 3D-mapping specialists Tenfeet worked in partnership with media server specialists, Green Hippo to deliver the content and of course, Zhongchen Electronics developed, supplied and installed the projection film required to make image reproduction possible. This incredible projection mapping project was the culmination of a lot of hard work, expert know-how and experience, and Zhongchen Electronics’s input in this enormous display was crucial.

The Projection Mapping Film is a removable dry application self-adhesive film that enabled the windows on the nhow Amsterdam RAI Hotel to receive and display the content being projected onto them. The film was essential in this window projection system in order to combat the glare and lack of image reproduction that standard glass would produce when being projected onto. Zhongchen Electronics’s film offered a solution to a very challenging aspect of the project – how to create a multi-storey projection screen that spans across 392 windows on an irregularly shaped building. Using Zhongchen Electronics’s Projection Mapping Film, the architects of this project were given an easy solution to the issue, offering a film that was able to be installed via the interior of the building.

A front projection system can be problematic for window displays; a film that can pick up and display an image through glass is not conventional, so in this case, a specialist projection solution such as Zhongchen Electronics’s Projection Mapping Film was required. Using a traditional projection film would have required the film to be installed onto the outside of the glass windows, monumentally complicating the installation process. Moreover, due to the scale of the project, it likely would have necessitated the use of cranes to install the film across the massive surface of the building. In many cases, a rear projection system would be recommended instead in order to simplify the project, but here, projection across the façade of the building was required so a rear projection system would not have delivered the desired result without significant financial implications.

It is this aspect that makes this film so special – allowing Zhongchen Electronics to proceed with installing the film onto the interior of the 392 windows with surprising ease, speed and cost efficiency. Mike Blackman, the founder of ISE refers to the challenges himself, commenting in an interview with InAVate’s ISE 2019 correspondent, Paul Milligan, ‘One of the issues we had was the reflection on the windows, or rather lack of reflection, and Zhongchen Electronics came in and did all the foil for the windows. So there was almost 400 windows that have been coated last week with the foil to actually create the projection surface […] it’s something that really marks us on the map for projection mapping.’ Milligan, obviously appreciating the scale of this project remarked, ‘It’s great to see so many big names all working together to produce this’.

Mike Blackman echoes this spirit of teamwork, commenting to us, ‘For the duration of the exhibition, attendees were treated to a daily showcase of projection mapping imagery that made use of the building’s unique profile. This was interwoven with constantly updated exhibition highlights and previews, projected onto two stories of the new hotel. It literally stopped the traffic! […] It was a real team effort and encapsulated the creative application of the latest technologies and production solutions to form a unique experience. We really appreciated the dedication and skills shown by all of our partners – as did over 80,000 attendees at ISE 2019.’

There is simply no better way to represent and mark the celebration of AV innovation than to work on a project like this, championing the essence of professional co-operation and working towards one of the biggest projection mapping projects the world has even seen. Zhongchen Electronics are incredibly proud of the part we have had in this project, strengthening bonds with ISE, Mike Blackman and ISE’s partners. To see the final installation in all its glory is a true testament to what can be achieved by experts in the AV field. It offers a great demonstration of the sheer power of projection mapping and how far the industry has advanced in recent years.

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One such project we were recently very happy to assist with was for NOW Gallery in London, who required 3 pieces of 4.6mx 2.15m High Gain Rear Projection Film to be installed in a portrait format onto their exterior facing glass façade. Using these screens, NOW Gallery are able to project images with breath-taking clarity and 4K resolution; producing sharp pictures with inherently high brightness and optimum contrast, just the result required from an Art Gallery where display truly is the ‘name of the game’. With these screens and an E-Vision 4K Laser Projector with 7500 lumens brightness and 0.8 lens per screen, NOW Gallery are able to project chosen content such as videos or images, enabling it to serve a number of functions.

For example, where the screens are placed offers NOW Gallery a fantastic opportunity at promotion, providing them with what can essentially serve as large advertising screens in a prime location to ensure maximum impact on passers-by.  Installing such screens in this location makes for incredibly versatile fixtures that can be used for whatever advertising purposes required, from advertising events, special offers, providing information or simply to just advertise a specific exhibition.

Another use for such a screen could see it utilised as part of the customer experience, displaying leading or featured art pieces for the purposes of an exhibition itself. This offers NOW Gallery additional exhibition space that is not only seen prior to most other installations, but also a premium space that enjoys the technical benefits of High Gain Rear Projection Film, benefits that interior displays do not enjoy.  Such screens offer customers a ‘taste’ of what to expect within the Gallery, with a combined brightness of 22500 lumens across all 3 screens, they shine especially brightly in the dark and at night time when the Gallery may not be as visually productive as it could be in the day time. As such, art displayed on these screens may appear more impressive when highlighted in this way compared to traditional display methods. Indeed, the gallery themselves were thrilled with their technological investment commenting, “High gain film enabled NOW Gallery to have large, sharp, moving image with definition and quality on our gallery windows. The contemporary dancers filmed are projected onto the film and come alive on the outside of our gallery which is all made of glass.  We couldn’t have hoped for a better effect.” Institutions of artistic excellence are often very well-lit interior environments with a high degree of ambient light. Using High Gain Rear Projection Film on exterior facing windows helps to bring this environment to the outside of the Gallery, conveying the message of brilliance and illumination seen inside to passers-by and entrants on the outside.

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December is nearly here and with it comes frost bitten mornings, shorter days and busier high streets; all signs of the most wonderful time of the year being upon us. The Christmas period is the perfect opportunity to spend time with family and look back on the year passed, but it’s also prime time for mass spending. British families are set to spend nearly £48bn on Christmas 2018, 2% more than last year. However, non-food sales in physical high street shops are expected to suffer this Christmas period compared to food and online sales, so how are retailers trying to combat this? By creating dazzling displays in their windows that shoppers simply can’t ignore.

Window displays and visual merchandising are a huge part of the brick and mortar retail experience all year round, but at Christmas the competition between them becomes blindingly apparent as each high street store tries to outshine the next to increase footfall. London based luxury department store giants, like Harrods and Selfridges, are well known for their flamboyant festive displays to the point where they have become a major tourist attraction during the festive period. But an effective window display doesn’t necessarily need a giant Christmas dinner or a piano fit for Elton John to entice shoppers through the door. We offer simpler, more refined and more effective solutions that can be just as eye-catching.

One of these solutions, Self-Adhesive Rear Projection Switchable Film, was used as the main feature of the festive store front window display for luxury jewellers, Anil Arjandas in Mayfair, London last Christmas. This project was overseen by Visual Displays who completed the install and chose Zhongchen Electronics’s Switchable Film for the project: the clear choice for the job. Anil Arjandas is a high end jeweller that has aimed to reinterpret the world of luxury jewellery since its establishment in 2000. This luxurious store, settled amongst gourmet restaurants and world renowned hotels in the upscale district of Mayfair, uses switchable technology in an elegant way to provide further advertising outside store hours whilst allowing a traditional window display during the hours of trading.

This incredible Switchable Rear Projection Film was applied to the main window at the front of the store and framed with an elegant, festive garland of flowers and branches to emphasise the festive theme. During the day, the switchable film was turned on leaving the window completely clear, allowing passers-by to be drawn inside by the brand’s trademark sparkling brown and black diamonds on display. But at night, when the store closed its doors, the film was turned off, frosting over the window to create an opaque surface hiding the lavish jewellery behind it. The window now acted as a blank canvas, which the jewellers opted to use as a rear projection screen where their advert could be displayed on a loop outside of store operating hours.  With their store situated in a London hotspot, this illuminated, eye-catching display was guaranteed to make a lasting impression on an audience of bustling Mayfair nightlife.

Not only did our Switchable Smart Film work perfectly as an advertising space, this application also doubled up as privacy glass, protecting the view of the luxurious products inside the store outside of working hours. Mayfair houses some of the world’s most expensive brands and each store’s security is a top priority, with security breaches generally occurring more frequently when a store is closed, Switchable Film can play an important part as a deterrent by concealing the contents of a store behind its opaque covering.

But Anil Arjandas isn’t the only luxury store window we’ve helped transform for the Christmas period. The versatility of our Switchable Film, which can be applied to any existing window surface, allows for endless application possibilities, one of the most effective being for a dramatic product reveal. Zhongchen Electronics supplied Harrods, one of the most exclusive advertising spaces in the world, with Switchable Rear Projection Film to launch the Rolls Royce Dawn Drophead Coupé during the 2015 festive period. Every three minutes, a captivating countdown was projected onto the film’s opaque surface before smoothly defrosting to clear to reveal the gleaming Rolls Royce behind the glass.

Both of these switchable applications produced an exceptionally high quality image when projected onto and had outstanding switching reliability to keep the film fading from frosted to clear automatically throughout their use.

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Your customer’s experience should be as high on your list of priorities as your products, service or brand. It is well known that the customer journey is a very important aspect of sales; when managed well, it can help secure a sale or encourage repeat business. Investment in your customer’s experience is therefore a worthy cause for attention, allowing you to offer your customers a premium service from the moment they enter your premises to the moment they open or use their purchase.

A variety of technological sales tools can be used to help improve this experience and as the market for technology-based merchandising is continuously improving, it is important that you stay ahead of your competition. A fantastic way to remain competitive is investment in such technological solutions, which could not only affect your customer’s experience, but it may also encourage them to talk about your store to friends and on social media. As reason dictates, the more creative and impressive the solution, the more likely the customer is to help promote you.

With the huge recent decline in brick and mortar retail, the opening for new and innovative digital retail solutions has never been so vast. While retail giants, like Harrods and Selfridges, have put the addition of Zhongchen Electronics screen technology at the forefront of their customer experience to stay ahead of the market, other businesses are also taking note, like The Wooden Shoe Factory in Volendam, Netherlands.

The city of Volendam is visited by almost 1.5 million tourists per year in search of locals in traditional costume. This interest draws the tourists to the port, home to The Wooden Shoe Factory, a small souvenir shop specialising in the sale of wooden clogs and Volendam Costume. This quaint tourist attraction also houses a clog museum that presents a very clever use of our switchable technology. The museum features a traditional clog making workshop, with authentic machinery, sitting behind a near 2.5 meter wide panel of our Switchable Glass Projection Screen. The versatile panel doubled up as a high definition rear projection screen, creating an engaging display for museum visitors.

Alongside our reseller Showtheme, we made it possible for The Wooden Shoe Factory to create more than just a standard display, turning their museum into something more memorable and interesting for customers to see. Together our technologies transformed the attraction, giving it more meaning, at the flick of a switch the lights were dimmed and a projection of the clog making process was shown, adding context to the display in a more modern and exciting way.

Tom Claessen from Showtheme said “The effect of the glass instantly turning from a normal transparent window into a real projection screen keeps amazing visitors. The huge glass plate was very well packed and passed the journey from the UK to the Netherlands without any damage, also the installation was very easy both the physical part as well the electrical part.”

Our range of switchable technologies provides endless possibilities for customer experience application. For example our Switchable Film, which can be applied to any existing window surface, can be used to create a dramatic product reveal.

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Being chosen to take part in an ambitious project on behalf of one of the UK’s leading Art Schools is a true testament to the capabilities of switchable technology from Intelligent Glass. This project, commissioned by Ruskin School of Art, specified by Spratley Studios and installed by Invicta Window Films, is no standard privacy application, applying an inventive spin on its projection capability, as you would expect from the Fine Art Department of The University of Oxford. Serving as the hub for some of the most creative minds of a generation, certain demands from such an environment are of course to be required.

Switchable glass or film, sometimes known as ‘electric glass’, is a premium privacy solution based on the use of PDLC technology. When the glass is switched off, it’s natural state is frosted, providing an effective privacy solution, as well as projection screen or even a touch screen. Switch the glass on, and in an instant it transforms to a clear state. Popular in partitioning applications, meeting room privacy, bathrooms, residential applications, retail and merchandising; switchable film has even been used as part of art installations in the past. There are so many uses of switchable technology, serving as an incredibly handy tool for artists, with the only limit being their imagination.

Ruskin School of Art clearly understand this, as their application of our switchable film is not only creative, but it is also effective, both inspiring for students and raising awareness of their prowess in art- this project is one that offers so much more than the basic functionality of switchable glass. Operating similarly to another notable project at the DC Thomson Fleet Street building, Ruskin cleverly utilise the rear projection functionality in its external switchable glass windows to project a dissected video that appears to interact with the windows as individual screens. This helps to create the ultimate ‘blank canvas’ for them to fill with the institution’s undeniable creativity.

They also make great use of the privacy function switchable glass inherently boasts. Using it to conceal the inside of the building during night time, they are able to alternate between an environment of openness and mystery at the press of a button, shrouding the contents of the building in frosted privacy or unveiling new installations or projects in style completely within their control.

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Cost

If your business relies on signage to drive sales or footfall, effective digital signage is worth a significant investment, especially when considering long term use. The repeated costs of new large format print media quickly add up, a sum that could be saved almost entirely by using digital signage that can be updated at any moment. This is especially useful in the event of damage or a mistake or product / price change, which would normally render your print signage useless. Taking the wider costs of print signage seriously, most deployments of print media involve such burdens as the actual printing, delivery and distribution, display, misprints, administration and labour costs – most of these costs requiring further administration and business infrastructure that could be drastically simplified and reduced by using digital signage.

Effect

One of the reasons digital signage is often considered superior over print signage is arguably the light it produces. The light produced from conventional digital signage screens allows for better visibility compared to printed signage, as audiences are not only drawn by the images on display, but also the light source that is especially effective in darker environments, making it ideal for areas with less than perfect weather.

Furthermore, digital signage screens have incredibly valuable functionality that sees the advertising effect of printed signage dwarfed in comparison. The ability of making your advert move by using digital signage to display videos adds a new dimension to your adverts that stationary print media can never compete with. This allows marketers and merchandisers to bring the effectiveness of the kind of adverts they pay thousands to show on TV to the high street, your store or even place of work.

This point is enforced when considering the various HD/4K digital signage solutions available. Using incredible technologies such as holographic effect, mirror screens or switchable glass screens, the level of what is creatively possible is limitless with the wide range of specialist display solutions constantly being developed.

Reputation

There are numerous accounts that see businesses from all types of markets benefit from switching to digital signage, as businesses large and small throughout the economy report similar findings after they take their first steps towards the future of signage.

This presents a problem for those companies who have not made the switch and still rely on print signage. Using print signage in a world where digital signage is increasing in popularity is likely to put you at an immediate disadvantage compared to your competition. As consumers become increasingly used to seeing digital signage elsewhere, it is a likely consequence that expectations of your advertising output are changing as fast as the commercial landscape. Upon scanning an environment searching for information, offers and new products, consumers will eventually stop looking for dull and stationary print signage– instead, they will begin looking for light emitting screens and moving images as a signal that your business is a modern, up-to-date and successful destination. This is vital when so much of our global economy is based on aspiration.

With aspiration in mind, in a world where social media holds much weight in the advertising world, viral aspirations offer an opportunity to be as creative as possible when it come to digital signage, allowing for incredible options that would surprise viewers. For example, Transparent LED screens,  Transparent LCD screens, Mirror Advertising Screens, Switchable Glass screens, Holographic effect screens or even custom shaped projection screens can all be installed in incredibly creative ways that maximise your company’s chances of ‘going viral’.

Environmental

Environmental concerns are also incredibly important in today’s world, as more and more companies adopt planet friendly policies in order to work towards corporate responsibility targets. With this in mind, many companies look to digital signage to help minimise their infrastructure waste output. Print signage takes an incredible amount of inefficient energy to use, not just in the printing or production but also the delivery, distribution and disposal. The environmental impact that the wide range of chemicals, solvents and toxic substances used to produce print signage are also well documented to be highly damaging to the environment.

Many companies see the switch from print signage to digital signage as a corporately responsible upgrade, one which will not only reduce costs in the long run, but also help minimise the company’s long term negative impact upon the environment. For this reason, amongst many, the popularity of energy efficient display solutions such as LED and projection-based digital signage are increasing.

Customer Engagement

The engagement of your advertising is arguably the key to increasing sales. An advert is not worthwhile without it being engaging and your sales will likely reflect this. But how do businesses create engaging content? One of the best ways is to deliver your content through a method that is likely to engage customers at a glance. The emission of bright light or the visual wonder of a specialist display solution such as a 360° Dual Image Projection Screen may tickle a consumer’s interest enough to take a good look or at least double-take. If the first look didn’t do the job, a second look may just be enough to encourage them to purchase your product.

It is also incredibly important to consider the extended functionality of the various digital signage solutions that are available. For example, as mentioned previously, switchable glass projection screens offer not only a digital signage solution, but also an effective and stylish privacy solution. Likewise, specialist projection technology such as Clearview holographic effect screens or Transparent LED/LCD screens gives your signage the ultimate wow factor as customers take note of the display – and by extension your content – rather than solely relying on the content itself to engage.

One of the biggest advantages that digital signage has over print signage is the capability of interactivity – the advertising ‘gold standard’ in customer engagement. Touch capability offers customers more reasons to take interest in your display; whether you are looking to increase brand awareness, communicate offers or simply entertain your customers, interactivity significantly improves on what basic digital signage is capable of and completely overshadows the impact of print signage.

Developments in the digital signage technology market have not only allowed advancements in the actual hardware involved, but also the software used for digital signage systems. Content management software has become a vital tool for businesses who have adopted digital signage, allowing for a range of content targeting options such as centralised or localised targeting. It also gives users a time scheduler option – allowing for even more control over when content is displayed and to whom.

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Amazing retail technology is constantly evolving, adapted and designed specifically for display purposes, offering companies an endless supply of branding and merchandising solutions.

Zhongchen Electronics specialises in innovative display products, many of which are perfect for the retail industry. From highly functional interactive kiosks, to stunning transparent screens, Zhongchen Electronics has seen some of the most creative uses of the market’s leading display technology. In this article, we will take a look at the top 5 retail technologies to watch out for this year.

5. Digital Glass

Whilst providing a fantastic solution as a basic interactive rear projection screen, Digital Glass is also a perfect alternative to video walls. Providing better value than many other video wall solutions, this technology boasts a unique versatility with no join lines or bezels, offering sizes up to a massive 8m x 3m. The impressive size that Digital Glass can be offered at is what really differentiates it from the rest, but it’s specifications and features do not leave you wanting. With high brightness and unsurpassed contrast, even in brightly lit environments, this screen is ideal for a very wide range of retail applications that will be sure to see you standing out from the competition.

Specifically designed for high-end projection and edge blending, this screen is made all the more impressive when combined with Zhongchen Electronics’s touch frame, granting it multi-touch capability. At its maximum size of 8m x 3m, Interactive Digital Glass provides users with one of the largest touch screens in the world, offering an impressively creative array of applications at their disposal. Digital Glass is certainly one to watch in the retail environment, as Zhongchen Electronics ushers in a new generation of immersive large-format interactive displays.

4. Sunscreen Technology

This revolutionary technology has been specifically built to perform in direct sunlight. Zhongchen Electronics’s Sun Readable Rear Projection screen is the ideal solution for window displays or very bright retail environments. Offering sharp, crystal clear images, the screen uses a light rejecting optical filter which deflects external light, allowing the image to cut through direct sunlight and display with superior clarity.

As the only true technology which offers such high performance in direct sunlight, Zhongchen Electronics’s Sunscreen Film or Acrylic Screen is worth considering for applications that require such functionality. Exciting window displays are an invaluable tool for the retail industry to entice customers into a store- there really is no better solution to stand out, especially somewhere such as a high street, where competition is vast.

3. Interactive Touch Kiosks

As one of the more frequently seen retail technologies on this list, Zhongchen Electronics’s Interactive Touch Kiosks makes no.3 for some very good reasons. The creative uses for Touch Kiosks are constantly evolving, and having a free standing display terminal at your disposal allows you to communicate in ways that you may have not even considered before. As the capabilities of software and methods of visual delivery expands, so does the uses of this unit. Comprising of a 50″ or 55″ inch touch screen with a built-in PC that runs either Android or Windows, the terminal also comes complete with HDMI and VGA connections, allowing you to input any compatible device. Manufactured using a toughened glass fascia, this product is built for public display. The integrated timer provides you with the ability to assign timed schedules which automatically powers the unit down when it is not in use, aiding efficiency.

Areas which enjoy high-footfall are the ideal places for an Interactive Touch Kiosk, used to their most effective when communicating information, providing entertainment or even displaying multi-media content. But the versatility of this technology is what has secured its place on this list. With such a functional product, it could completely revolutionise the way your store runs, providing you with an alternative to many applications you may look to other solutions to solve. Zhongchen Electronics can even offer bespoke custom terminal solutions built for your requirements. A great example of this would be a custom solution self-service kiosk- allowing customers to process and even pay for orders without having to interact with a member of staff.

2. Transparent Screen Technology

Transparent LCD Screens

Transparent screens are some of the most impressive and captivating display innovations seen from the Audio/Visual industry in recent years. Digital content being displayed on a transparent screen is something which many of your customers will be amazed to see. As an extremely effective display solution, this technology is ideally used for applications such as product launches, product showcases and anything you wish to put on display in a dynamic and captivating way.

Zhongchen Electronics offers Transparent screen technology in a variety of products, such as Transparent LCD screens in sizes 32″-84″ or purpose built Transparent LCD Display Cases. The creative scope for using these screens is incredible, allowing merchandisers to integrate digital content with real-life objects behind the screen. On this screen, white pixels in digital content appear as transparent, serving as a fantastic way to control the visual delivery of information and your featured product. Making it even more impressive, these screen options can be integrated with touch capability to form Zhongchen Electronics’s Interactive Transparent LCD screens, providing your customers with the ultimate in engagement when it comes to content.

Switchable Glass

Switchable glass is an incredible technology which enables glass to appear as either clear or frosted, offering a whole host of creative applications for retail. Switchable glass is manufactured by Zhongchen Electronics’s switchable glass division, Intelligent Glass. Primarily used for privacy, this technology offers the opportunity to provide a ‘safe space’ for your customers away from prying eyes, making it perfect for retail applications that require privacy, such as changing rooms or clothes fitting rooms. Further to this, Intelligent Glass even offers Acoustic Switchable Glass, for applications that necessitate audio privacy too.

Switchable glass may be an excellent privacy solution, but it serves a plethora of other functions that make it ideal for retail. One of the best uses of switchable glass is derived from its ability to ‘unveil’. Product launches, product showcases and other creative product display ideas can make switchable glass your greatest asset. Also, by integrating with a sensor, it allows you to unveil your products as customers walk past, for example.

Your options regarding the delivery of your message to your customers are only limited by your imagination. A common use of this technology can be seen in many car showrooms, where the glass is frosted on the customer’s approach, switching to clear to unveil their new purchase. Switchable glass also functions as an interactive projector screen, allowing you to project adverts, entertainment and other multimedia content on to it, maximising engagement to ensure that you are really making the most from your investment.

Transparent LED Screens offer an effective and striking display solution serving as an alternative to Large Format LED Screens. The image on the screen is produced by programming LEDs to work together, and by displaying the relevant pixel colour on the mapped LEDs, the lights come together to create an image. This effect is especially powerful when integrated into a glass facade, allowing designers to offer a screen solution for retail buildings with a focus on glass architecture without detracting from the overall design.

Transparent LED Screens are also ideal for indoor window displays and are commonly used for reinforcing a brand. To advertise or to inform, these screens are an excellent option for anyone who wishes to display content in style without blocking out light or the view on both sides.

 

1. Mirror Screens & Interactive Mirrors

Mirror screen technology is expanding at a phenomenal rate at the moment. As people switch on to the amazing benefits of mirror screen technology, we are seeing more creative applications being used in retail. Ideally used as a substitution for either a traditional mirror or a digital signage screen, this versatile technology can be adapted to produce amazing results, serving a variety of needs, depending on the product.

Mirror Overlays

Zhongchen Electronics’s Mirror Overlays coverts any existing LCD or LED screen into a mirrored screen, which displays a mirror when not in use yet allows the images on the screen to shine through the glass when the screen is switched on. This cost effective solution is perfect for upgrading installations of existing screens with a premium yet practical edge, coming complete as an easy-to-install retrofit kit for both permanent or removable solutions.

Mirror Advertising Screen 

For those looking for a complete solution, Zhongchen Electronics offer their Mirror Advertising Screen– a commercial grade mirrored screen with a built-in Plug & Play media player to boot. This product is simple to install and use, offering untold rewards in customer wow factor. Ensuring this screen still offers something when the monitor is switched off, it serves as a traditional mirror when not in use, making it the ideal ‘mirror’ to purchase for retail changing rooms. One of the most common places to find mirrors in a retail environment is the bathroom or toilets. By installing Zhongchen Electronics’s Mirror Advertising Screen instead of a traditional mirror, it offers the chance of increased customer exposure to adverts, allowing owners to advertise their own products or even generate revenue from advertising other businesses. One thing is certain- a mirror advertising screen is hard for customers to ignore!

Mirror Glass 

For custom or bespoke applications, Zhongchen Electronics offer their special Mirror Glass as a separate product, cut to your required size or in wholesale sheets. This allows you to combine it with your existing systems and hardware, creating exciting custom panels, purpose built for applications such as selfie mirrors, shop fitting and other integrative projects.

Interactive Mirror Overlay

Further innovating mirror screen technology, Zhongchen Electronics’s Interactive Mirror Overlay offers unparalleled benefits over standard solutions that see these technological features fair on their own. Combining the functionality of touch and mirror screen technology offers a result which is sure to see customer engagement taken to the next step, offering you creative avenues not available with either a standard touch screen or even a standard mirror display. Used to upgrade any existing LCD or LED display with a permanent or removable interactive mirror overlay, engagement of your audience is maximised to allow for a greater return on your investment.

Interactive Mirror Screen

As a full solution, Zhongchen Electronics’s Interactive Mirror Screens come complete with an HD or 4K commercial grade screen, Mirrorvision optical glass and a keen 6-point multi-touch capability. Ready to integrate into both modern and traditional interiors, this option is intended for simple applications that require a full solution or a replacement for an existing mirror. Ideal for changing rooms, exhibition display stands, car showrooms and so much more, this option offers you all the benefits of interactive engagement and mirror screens.

The post Amazing Retail Technology Worth Investing In For 2018 appeared first on Zhongchen Electronics.

Energy Consumption

One of the biggest drawbacks with LCD Video Walls is their undeniable energy demands. Video Walls contain multiple screens, each one requiring independent power. A projection display system, however, is a passive solution that simply requires power to a single projector that draws an energy consumption not much higher than an average LCD screen. Using a projection system could result in a lot more than 10 times the saving in energy costs, depending on the application.

This rather remarkable comparison is made even more impressive when considering the various projector and screen options that vastly increase a projection system’s energy credentials. For example, Zhongchen Electronics’s primary alternative to LCD Video Walls is their revolutionary Digital Glass – an extremely robust Ultra Short Throw projection screen made for high-end projection and large format edge blending. Polished edges allow Digital Glass panels to be installed side-by-side, creating enormous seamless screens and serving as a real alternative to LCD Video Walls. Digital Glass is available in standard sizes up to a whopping 185″, with custom sizes up to 8m x 3m – a monumental size that would require a significant number of LCD screens to achieve.

Another screen option that would outperform LCD Video Walls in terms of display and exposure is Zhongchen Electronics’s 360° Dual Image Projection Screen, which can be manufactured up to a huge 132” and displays 2 images – one on each side of the screen, enabling for impressively eye-catching large format displays. These displays can be produced at a fraction of the cost to run when compared to LCD video walls, which would require 2 banks of screens of equivalent size to match the visual impact of a 360° Dual Image Projection Screen display. The range of projection screen and projector technologies that are available can significantly improve energy consumption compared to LCD Video Walls, whilst at the same time, they can also deliver a solution more appropriate for your application than an LCD Video Wall can achieve.

Image Quality

There have been undeniable strides in LCD technology that has seen image quality improve at an incredible rate, with screens now supporting HD and 4K resolutions. However, there have also been huge advancements in projection system technology, as both projector and screen products bring unique innovations to a display system. Many of Zhongchen Electronics’s projection screens are HD and 4K compatible, and as projector technology improves, we have seen a steady increase of HD and 4K projectors hit the market over recent years.

A projection system’s duality also allows for far greater customisation when it comes to your display requirements. Through the combination of these system technologies, we are able to provide customers with projection solutions ranging from holographic effect to switchable glass screens – solutions that would be difficult to recreate using standard LCD screens.

Furthermore, one of the biggest advantages of using a projection system over LCD screens is the lack of bezels that are associated with LCD screens. A projection system displays a single image that is not dissected by unsightly bezels, resulting in a perfect picture without being partitioned by multiple screens.

Maintenance

The more electrical components you have in a display system, the higher the chances of something eventually failing. This presents numerous problems, one of which being the sporadic cost of replacements that may not be subject to the same economies of scale that your initial unit cost benefited from. It is also worth considering that there may come a time when the manufacturer of your chosen screen discontinues production, potentially putting an expiry date on your investment. LCD screens are also well known to face degradation over time, especially in 24/7 commercial applications. This degradation may result in picture inconsistencies throughout the Video Wall or even the total failure of one or more of your screens. This higher chance of component failure presents a nuisance particularly when your screens should be productive. When it serves a business purpose such as advertising a new offer in your store, you obviously want to get the most use from your investment, so with a screen failure being a likely outcome in time, LCD Video Walls are proven as not ideal, especially if the failure occurs in a screen that happens to display important information.

However, a projection system’s electronic makeup is usually confined to a single projector, limiting the risk of failure drastically compared to that of an LCD Video Wall. Also, whilst a projection system may require duality to work, most do not require exclusivity between the screen and projector. This makes upgrading much easier, as customers can often upgrade the screen or projector without having to upgrade the other. The independence of projection system components presents an obvious advantage over LCD Video Walls, which are required to all be similar, if not the same models in order to achieve the best consistency possible. Upgrading an LCD Video Wall is most likely going to require a full system upgrade, which could be considerably costly to that of a single projector or projection screen.

Laser projection technology has also allowed for greater efficiency in display systems, even compared to standard bulb-based projectors. With up to a massive 20,000 hours of maintenance-free operation, laser projectors dwarf a standard projector’s bulb life span of anything from 1,500 to 5,000 hours operation.

Space

Space is possibly one of the main concerns where LCD Video Walls may offer a superior solution to a projection system in certain applications. However, this entirely depends on the application and indeed, there are many situations where a projection system is still a preferable solution. On face value, the very nature of LCD Video Walls means that they do not have a throwing distance. The image source is native to the screen so the space it takes up to produce the image is limited to the screen. However, a projection system works by ‘throwing’ the image onto the screen, often requiring a throw distance to achieve optimum image quality. Whilst this may present complications in terms of space, the versatility of a projection system can negate a lot of these complications.

Despite the space required to ‘throw’ a projected image at a screen, the size of image that can be produced with a small distance is vast. Using Zhongchen Electronics’s Platinum Vision® UST Laser Projector, clients are able to display a 100″ image from only 700mm away, demanding a relatively small distance in order to produce such a large image could be seen by many as a fair compromise on space.

LCD screens are also surprisingly heavy compared to a projection screen, and where they may be required to be mounted using expensive industrial wall mounts, a projector and screen can simply hang from a ceiling without the obtrusive heavy-duty wall mounts required for LCD screens. What’s more is that as projection technology improves, throw distance is continuously challenged. Short Throw and Ultra Short Throw projection screen technology has allowed for even shorter throw distances, and as laser projection also improves, the 2 combine to create unparalleled image quality.

Whilst a projection system takes up a certain amount of space to produce the image, the space a projection screen can adapt to makes it a major asset, especially for environments such as retail. Where an LCD Video Wall is rather large and imposing with limited dimensions and aspect ratios, a projector screen can be cut to exacting requirements, meaning it can take on unconventionally sized areas and shapes that LCD Video Walls would not be able to satisfy.

Functionality

How an LCD Video Wall works limits its functionality to basic display solutions. However, a projection system has the capability to be a lot more versatile. Ultra Short Throw Digital Glass, for example, offers a projection screen up to 8m x 3m with touch capability. Creating an interactive screen this large allows for an enormous range of capabilities that are difficult, if not impossible, to recreate as effectively with an LCD video wall.

Options such as Surface Sound, Sun Readability and Anti-Glare are either more effective or far cheaper through a single projection screen than they would be with multiple LCD screens. The sheer range of projection technology available makes creative options possible using specialist projection technology such as Transparent Projection Screens, CAVE Projection Screens and Simulation Screens, options that again are impossible or more costly to create with LCD Video Walls.

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As the UK’s largest construction trade event, the Zhongchen Electronics team were eager to build many connections with the 35,000 trade visitors who attended. Zhongchen Electronics’s highly visual stand showcased the innovative technology on offer and brought a distinct creative dimension to the 650+ exhibition stands at the show.

This popular event, known for celebrating the very best of the dynamic and exciting construction industry, took place at the NEC in Birmingham on 10th – 12th October 2017, attracting some of the industry’s leading organisations, showcasing the latest innovations, discussing the industry’s biggest or most current issues and of course, conducting business. As a celebration of innovation in the industry, Zhongchen Electronics were welcomed with keen interest, being able to offer some of the most innovative display technologies on the market. Such technologies serve as invaluable investments to many who were in attendance, offering superior solutions to many applications currently in existence, helping to drive forward innovation in the construction industry.

If you weren’t in attendance at UK Construction Week this year or would simply like a refresher, we detail some of the products we were demonstrating below.

Featured Products at UK Construction Week 2017

Switchable Glass

Switchable Glass, as its name suggests, is operated by a simple electrical switch, controlling the opacity of the glass from clear to translucent. It can easily be integrated into automation systems too, giving you even more control.

Switchable Glass usually attracts many visitors at the shows we demonstrate at. However, many architects in attendance at UK Construction Week had never seen this technology in action, in real life or up close, offering an engaging dimension to our stand that saw the power of switchable technology placed in their hands, helping to educate the wider construction industry on practical and alternative privacy methods that mean architects and designers do not have to compromise on style.  This technology is available as fire resistant glass, sound resistant glass, coloured glass and a whole range of other features, which drastically alter how architects and designers can apply privacy.

Switchable Film

Switchable Film allows you to transform existing glass windows, partitions, acrylic screens, plexiglass or other transparent surfaces for instant switchable privacy and security.

This technology was of particular interest to designers and architects for its game changing functionality, versatility and ease of installation. Switchable Film’s applications are only enhanced compared to Switchable Glass in that it can be retrofitted to existing surfaces, allowing for far more flexibility in where it can be applied, making stylish privacy easier than ever to obtain.

Switchable Door Vision Panels

An exciting recent innovation in the construction industry is Switchable Door Vision Panels from Intelligent Glass. This product saw a high level of interest at UK Construction Week due to its versatility and ease of install, neatly fitting into door cavities creating minimum disruption during the installation and powered by standard AA batteries. This application of switchable technology is of particular relevance to designers in the construction industry, providing a cutting-edge room privacy option where style, theme and technological provision is important.

Freestanding Mirror TV

This Freestanding Mirror TV is ideal for designers who not only have a limited amount of space at their disposal, but also those who may wish to hide or disguise technology with a contemporary design amongst a present or specified theme. Allowing you to pack an HD/4K TV screen or monitor into a mirror with a wide variety of frame choices, this mirror offers designers a way to fill an environment with cutting edge technology without having to compromise between having a classic theme and having contemporary amenities.

Mirror TVs and Mirror Glass from Zhongchen Electronics offers users the best of both a luxurious mirror and a top of the range TV. When the TV is switched on, the enhanced HD quality images magically appear through the glass surface. When switched off, the screen reverts back to a decorative mirror.

Designers, architects and audiences of all kinds were intrigued by the Mirrored TV on display, not only for its undeniable presence, but also for the wide ranging capabilities and solutions it offers.

Interactive Mirrored Wall Panel

Mirrored Wall Panels offer architects and businesses in construction an incredibly engaging tool, from showcasing projects, demonstrating plans, working through design processes with clients, advertising or even entertaining, these screens offer users a stylish way to communicate and present which can then be extended when its interactivity is considered. The decorative panel with a range of finishes adds a huge degree of creative versatility, allowing users to style their fascia with a chosen theme. With its mirrored finish, the unit blends into the environment as a stylish design feature when not in use as a screen, an important attention to detail of the customer journey and design environment that can help clients distinguish a firm from competitors.

Interactive Touch Tables

Zhongchen Electronics’s new range of multi-touch tables and furniture utilises PCAP technology, offering 10 touch points and the most responsive and sensitive surface for 24/7 applications. A number of standard products are available and we can custom design both tables and furniture to meet with a customer’s specific requirements.

At UK Construction Week 2107, Zhongchen Electronics were exhibiting a standard Touch Table model, boasting a designer table and a 50″ multi-touch display. Drawing attention for its ability to transform the way users introduce customers to their products and services, offering them the ultimate in collaborative presentation technology. 10 touch points on PCAP technology ensures this product offers the most responsive and sensitive surface for 24/7 applications.

Delivering memorable visual pitches and demonstrations is made easy with this table, but its design and planning capabilities make it ideal for interior designers and architects also.

Transparent LCD Screens

Transparent LCD screens open up new creative display options that have not been so easily obtainable in the past. This exciting technology combines HD LCD technology (4K on our 84″ version) with a transparent screen substrate, providing an enthralling screen solution that is considerably superior to traditional LCD screens when it comes to design considerations. Solid black pixels on a transparent background can be used in intriguing ways to hide (and gradually reveal) whatever is behind the screen, making it ideal for display purposes, allowing designers to integrate products or items behind the screen with media content being shown over the top, creating a powerful effect when it is unveiled through white pixels. Fascinated with the technology at work and admiring the effect it produces, Transparent LCD screens were of particular interest to audiences at UK Construction Week this year.

This technology has been especially prevalent in design, being used to showcase items in a highly premium way, allowing designers and architects to not only display their most impressive models, but also offering them an innovative display option they can recommend to customers, particularly those who are design conscious.

Transparent LED Screens

Transparent LED Screens offer a high brightness alternative to preexisting transparent display technology. With the emergence of transparent screens in recent years, Transparent LED screens are revolutionary in that they do not require a back-light for visibility. The image on the screen is created by programming the LEDs to work together, and by displaying the relevant pixel colour on the mapped LEDs, the lights come together to create an image.
Housed in a screen box, these screens are ideal for indoor window displays, and work excellently with architectural glass buildings. Perfect for reinforcing a brand, to advertise or to inform, these screens are an excellent option for anyone who wishes to display content in style without blocking out light or even the view on both sides, allowing for more creative options for designers and architects.

Ultra Black Rear Projection Film

Ultra Black Rear Projection Film is the newest addition to our range of rear projection films. Designed to offer excellent contrast, black levels and colour reproduction, it is ideal for high-end applications where image quality is of high importance.

This black tinted diffusion screen served brilliantly at UK Construction Week, built outwardly facing the stand, drawing people over. Fulfilling its primary function beautifully, this screen did an amazing job demonstrating its effectiveness in such a setting.

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Last week, businesses, charities and individuals across the region converged at the Barnsley & Rotherham Business Awards 2017 in a celebration of enterprise, creativity and community. With 480 guests in attendance, this prestigious event, sponsored by RNN Group and hosted by BBC Radio Sheffield’s Andy Giddings, took place at the ‘Steel City’s’ World of Science Adventure, Magna on the infamous Friday 13th 2017.

Thankfully, the day brought Zhongchen Electronics good luck, being very proud to have received the ‘Highly Commended’ Award in the ‘Made in Sheffield Manufacturing Excellence’ category. In recognition of our dedication to Audio/Visual manufacturing in the region, Zhongchen Electronics received acclaim amongst South Yorkshire’s best honoured businesses.

An excellent night was had by all and we were pleased to have had the opportunity to share the experience with other local businesses who represent South Yorkshire on the national and international stage.

We would like to thank the Barnsley & Rotherham Business Awards for this recognition and for organising such an enjoyable and eventful evening. It is not often that neighbouring businesses are afforded the chance to celebrate their business community – such events help to encourage regional business cohesion as well as contributing to the reputation of the enterprising and ever-growing business environment that South Yorkshire has to offer.

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As with all projection applications, there is more to a cutting edge display than just the projector. An effective display solution relies on several factors that are essential to maintain a setup that serves your requirements to the best standard possible. One such component is the projection screen, something which Zhongchen Electronics and Eclipse Installations know all too well. One of Eclipse Installations’ most recent projects required an innovative alternative to conventional large video walls in order to avoid the dissecting bezels that cuts content into parts. The Chalhoub Group were seeking a single screen solution for their luxury shoe store, Level Shoes in Dubai Mall to display high quality content, without the usual join lines that are so often seen on traditional video walls.

Zhongchen Electronics rose to the challenge by supplying our unique optical screen technology for ultra-short throw rear projection applications – Digital Glass. Digital Glass is a rather special screen that displays incredibly high-quality images. Manufactured using a special process that coats our advanced proprietary optical projection layer directly onto ultra-clear glass or cast acrylic, Digital Glass is a cost effective large format Ultra HD screen that is specifically designed for Ultra Short Throw applications, allowing it to be used in areas where space is limited and at a premium. In this case, it served as a high-quality alternative to video walls alongside an Epson EB-L1405U projector, which is a large-venue projector that combines a laser light source and 3LCD technology for powerful, uncompromising images, meeting The Chalhoub Group’s requirements.

Epson comments, “Eclipse Installations’ concern was to find a trusted vendor that could provide a high-quality projector for this prestigious project. They decided to meet with Epson’s team in Dubai to understand whether they could provide an apt solution and, for the Rear Projection surface, the UK based company Zhongchen Electronics.” Zhongchen Electronics’s reputation in AV innovation is one to behold. We pride ourselves on our commitment to the development of our technologies, operating for over 25 years in optical screen Research & Development. Digital Glass falls amongst one of our newest innovations, catching the interest of major projector manufacturers all over the world for its outstanding image quality and performance.

David Fell, the director of Eclipse Installations, comments on the collaboration, “clients come to us because they know we source the very best equipment possible for the solutions we design and, with that, that we will not compromise on performance or quality; choosing to work with Epson and Zhongchen Electronics for a project like this was therefore a natural choice.” He adds, “Quality and performance have always been our criteria when choosing our technology partners.”

Zhongchen Electronics are proud to have contributed to this amazing project, and look forward continuing to collaborate with Eclipse Installations and Epson in the future. Ben Hadfield, Zhongchen Electronics’s sales lead on this project explains “Zhongchen Electronics have a great working relationship with partners. We have worked hard over the years to build a solid global reseller network which sees our products sold all over the world. We are delighted to be able to work alongside companies such as Epson and Eclipse Installations at each stage of a project’s life, allowing us to be a part of some of the world’s most exciting and pioneering AV installations, as well as putting us in a position to offer advice and support, ensuring the project is completed to the highest of standards.”

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Most agree that traditional mirrors are useful, but there are several ways we can make them more useful. By turning your mirror into a screen, you can enjoy more effective use of your space. Mirror screens can be used for a variety of purposes, from advertising to entertainment- you will not be stuck looking for uses for this amazing technology.

Types of Mirror Screens

Mirror Advertising Screens are a fantastic way to fuse the benefits of an advertising screen with a mirror. Ensuring that your investment is still offering something even when the screen is off, it’s not hard to find its uses. Special ‘Reflections’ technology magically transforms the display into a mirrored screen, so that when it is switched on, the images on the screen appear through the glass with superior clarity. When switched off, the screen reverts to a normal mirror.

With a range of frames to suit any interior, a mirrored screen provides you with a surprisingly versatile solution to your signage requirements.

Mirror Advertising Screens work perfectly in restaurants, bars & clubs, hair & beauty salons and pretty much anywhere that would normally accommodate a traditional mirror. In these environments, Mirror Advertising Screens are great for displaying adverts, customer information or even entertainment, making sure that your space is being used to maximum effect and your customers are wowed.

We also see Mirror TVs work well in residential or hospitality environments, perfect for anyone looking to add that premium feel to their environment, whilst not detracting from an interior theme. A Mirror TV provides you with an effective solution for combining innovative technology with style. In keeping with our excellent service record, we offer customers the choice of a range of makes and models of TVs in either LCD or LED, with screen sizes of 22” to 75” diagonal.

Making Mirror Screen technology even more accessible, Mirror TV overlays come as an easy-to-install retrofit kit that magically transforms any LCD or LED display into a mirror. If you are looking for something permanent or removable, that’s no problem as our overlays are versatile and offer both options. Mirror overlays are a great solution for anyone who already has an advertising screen installed but is looking to give it a premium and practical edge, whilst wowing customers and visitors.

For installations requiring custom designs or applications, you can source our special Mirror Glass from us without the screen. Zhongchen Electronics’s Mirror Glass utilises an innovative optical coating, which, when combined with any LCD or LED screen, displays the screen on the mirror surface. Our Mirror Glass is perfect for anyone wanting to utilise a screen as a part of a mirror, rather than making use of the full mirrored surface. We see this technology work perfectly as part of changing room mirrors, hair & beauty salon stations or even selfie mirrors.

As if Mirror Screen technology wasn’t fascinating enough, you can also grant installations touch capability, creating an Interactive Mirror Screen to engage your customers like never before. Working well with a range of applications, this allows you or your customers to interact with your mirror screen, offering the ultimate in engaging displays. Combining interactivity with your mirror screen sees it make the most of the full package on offer with mirror screen technology.

With a keen 6 point touch functionality, innovative display technology as well as versatile styling, you can fulfil your wildest creative ideas whilst increasing the capability of this technology by an immeasurable degree. Turning your mirror into an interactive touch screen gives you far greater control over the delivery of information or entertainment. With touch capability, the user is able to engage directly with the screen, making things such as interactive touch games possible. Not only this, but with the user in the ‘driving seat’, they are able to control the flow of information themselves, helping them efficiently obtain what they are looking for, allowing the next person to use it far quicker than if they were having to wait for a slide or ticker tape information flow.

A great example of how creatively interactive mirrors can be used is seen from the world’s largest international children’s charity, World Vision in The Story Shop. They used one of our 55″ Interactive Mirrors to help spread awareness about their The Story Shop campaign. You can learn more about this amazing project here.

Application Examples

Selfie Mirrors

Selfie Mirrors and Selfie Mirror Booths are fast becoming a popular feature at a variety of events, venues and businesses. This genius application sees Mirror Glass used as part of a booth or installation where users can pose/position and see themselves through the mirrored surface before taking a photograph. Until recently, this has largely been achieved commercially using a basic webcam-screen set up that often does not provide a desirable resolution or user experience.

Using Mirror Glass gives you the ability to integrate a screen behind the mirror, not only allowing you to position for your photograph using a real mirror, but also allowing users to display images on top of their reflection, giving them a real-time preview of how their photograph will come out if they have opted to overlay any images. The uses of this range from everything including fun or events-based applications, to clothing stores and fitting rooms.

Mirror TVs in Hotels

Interior design themes are incredibly important to the hospitality market, and sometimes, if the theme is of a premium feel, it can go a long way in helping to justify the premium price tag of your services.

Mirror TVs offer a perfect solution for hotels looking to give their environments some edge. Ideal for use in rooms, or even in the lobby, using Mirror TVs gives you a great opportunity to advertise or inform in a premium way. For use in rooms to entertain, Mirror TVs provide you with an executive touch prefect to communicate to your customers that they are dealing with a quality establishment. This, on top of the practical benefits that Mirror TVs bring, ensures that you are making the most out of the space that you have to help your customers feel that their stay has been worth every penny.

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The Future is Transparent

Consumer’s technological and style tastes have been primed perfectly for this technology for decades through TV and cinema. However, transparent screen technology is not something you see every day- just yet. This puts transparent screens into a very unique position, where most people will know exactly what it is, but few will understand how it works. This ‘mystery effect’ alone can be enough to impress, but the beauty of transparent technology is 2-fold. Your customers will notice not only the technology itself, but also how you use it.

The versatility of transparent screens offers you an excellent opportunity to think up creative and innovative displays that competitors are unlikely to match. The ability to integrate media content with physical products is an area that few have explored to date- meaning that applications don’t even need to be that imaginative to be original.

For those looking to really excite, our transparent technology can be integrated with our interactive touch technology, giving your screens the added benefit of touch capability. This makes for a truly remarkable display, allowing you to take customer engagement to a whole new level that will see audiences raving about you and your products.

Types of Transparent Screens

Transparent LCD Screens

An innovative and high impact way to engage with your audience. A Transparent LCD Screen sees LCD technology fused with a transparent screen substrate, enabling white pixels to appear as transparent. Using this, merchandisers can produce media which hides or gradually reveals products behind the screen. Requiring a backlight to display properly, our Transparent LCD Screens can come integrated with a display case, perfect for encasing new or leading products and unveiling them at your will.

As mentioned above, our Transparent LCD Screens can be granted touch capability, adding interactivity alongside its benefits. Combining touch, stunning visuals and customer anticipation is a perfect merchandising mix that will see your products brought to life like never before.

As with all of our transparent technology, Transparent LCD screens are incredibly versatile and can be applied in many different sectors. You can integrate the screen into display furniture, appliances or vending, shop window displays and even as part of a trade show display, product launch or visitor attraction.

(T-OLED) Transparent OLED Screens

Transparent OLED, or T-OLED screens are a new development in display technology. With a fully transparent surface, viewers can see what is displayed on the screen whilst still being able to see through it, allowing designers to overlay content like videos and images onto physical products behind the screen.

What makes this technology special is that unlike Transparent LCD screens, it does not require a backlight or enclosure. Whereas Transparent LCD screens rely on backlighting to produce an image (and therefore require an enclosure or display box), T-OLED screens are made up of light emitting diodes which each emits their own light. There is also a subtle design difference in that T-OLED Screens display black content as transparent instead of white, like Transparent LCD.

Because this product does not require a backlight to operate, the options of where you can apply it are considerably increased. We have seen Transparent OLED screens used in interactive booths, digital signage, display cases, interactive games, vending solutions- the uses for this technology are limited only by your imagination.

Clearview Holographic Effect Rear Projection

Clearview is a highly transparent optical diffusion projection technology which creates a holographic effect. So impressive are its features, that we have seen it specified on some of the world’s most impressive AV projects, including the 83^rd annual Academy Oscars Awards.

This technology is offered as an acrylic screen or even as a self-adhesive projection film, making it flexible to your requirements. With no critical angle of projection, Clearview enables visibility even in brightly-lit environments due to its bright, sharp and vibrant display.

Clearview offers a unique solution for those looking for something extra special. The Pepper’s Ghost style that it produces can be used for a range of applications, including window displays, glass walls & partitions, POS displays, museums, visitor attractions, exhibitions, live events and even concerts or theatres. We always encourage people to come forward with new and innovative ways to use our Clearview technology. If you can think of a great application, please get in touch.

Switchable Technology

Wow your audience with our remarkable glass technology. Supplied as a glass or retrofit film and offering both privacy and practicality, Switchable Technology is one of our most versatile products. It operates using a simple on/off button, which switches the glass between transparent and opaque in an instant. Typical applications include office partitions, glass walls or meeting rooms, residential home improvements, hospitality style applications, healthcare privacy solutions and in live events or entertainment.

We have seen some incredible applications of switchable technology, from use in furniture to motor yachts. To make it even more functional, it can be granted touch functionality, and when considering that, in its frosted state, switchable glass or film can be used as a high definition projection screen to display anything from corporate presentations to backdrops for live events.

Project Focus

• Zhongchen Electronics’s Transparent LCD touch screen helps Ouno Creative to deliver an engaging interactive centrepiece in the GKN Aerospace pavilion at this year’s Farnborough Airshow.
• Zhongchen Electronics’s Clearview transparent projection screens play a starring role in stage performance ‘Signal To Noise’ by artist collective pulp.noir.
• Switchable Film looks Dandy in DC Thomson Windows

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It may be tempting to think that the digital age has helped to slowly erode the value of your brick and mortar store. You may find that you are not pulling in the same levels of footfall as you enjoyed on previous years, and the savvier business owners may also have simultaneously seen growth in their online sales. This can result in many people assuming that there is a causal relationship at work here, and even cause them to question their investments in visual merchandising and digital signage. But do not be fooled- your displays are more important now than ever.

Whilst the advent of the internet saw many customers convert to buying things online increasingly often, it also brought other opportunities which were not possible previously. Social media and viral marketing has exploded in recent years, leaving merchandisers and marketers puzzling over how to make the most of it.

It is a known phenomenon that real-life photographs tend to be more engaging on social media than graphics, as photos usually bring in a human appeal that audiences relate with more, as well as giving you more credibility, saying ‘I exist!’. This reassures your customers that should they have any issues with your products, there is somewhere for them to go and get it sorted. Graphics are useful in helping to form a branding theme or injecting some personality into your media- but it’s your photos that help to sell your products. Customers taking photos of your displays are invaluable to your brand, that is, if your display is good, of course.

Giving your products some visual context can help to promote them far more effectively than if they were to be displayed on their own. Your brick and mortar store provides you with the unique opportunity to display products in groups to maximise certain features or appeal, rather than displaying them as a standalone product, which you regularly see when shopping online.

This is perfectly exemplified by the rainbow displays often seen from the likes of Le Creuset, which helps to bring out the visual benefits of the colours of these products far more effectively than if we were to see them individually. Like-wise, the awe-inspiring synchronicity of displays for products such as TVs, when all playing on the same channel, for example, are lost when viewing them individually. Without a display contextualising these products in an ‘all things being equal’ environment, there is little to assess its quality against, as and such, may put people off, especially at the higher end of the price scale.

Engagement is the key to good merchandising

Visual merchandising displays are the perfect opportunity to allow retailers and merchandisers to get their brand message to a wider audience- helping to establish their store as a top destination to visit. The more visually impressive your display is, the more likely it is to get people talking and posting their photographs online.

It’s as simple as that.

By using state-of-the-art technology such as our Transparent LCD Screens or our Interactive Mirror Screens as part of your merchandising display, you are engaging audiences who are present, making them far more likely to purchase from you. In addition to this, if they were impressed by what they saw, they are more likely to spread the word to their friends and family, as well as posting online.

In the past, we have written an in-depth guide about some of our products which would help a store put together amazing displays that places them head and shoulders above their competition. Our unique and innovative range of display technology can help usher your business into the digital era, providing you with the means to wow your in-store and online audience with stunning displays they will want to see again or in real life.

When applied in the right context, many of our products are primed to maximise engagement from your audience. Our display innovations are fairly new technologies which people don’t tend to see regularly, and often leaves intrigued onlookers wondering how they work. This element of mystery and awe can be a very powerful merchandising technique which you are missing out on by using traditional display solutions.

In fact, our digital signage and display technologies boast more benefits over traditional solutions than just the wow factor.  On flexibility alone our display products offer you a superior solution. Traditional displays can get stale very easily and very quickly. Once a customer has seen it and evaluated their purchase decision, it can be difficult to convince them to change their mind if they have decided against purchasing. In this case, your display has failed, and to get them to notice the product again may require you to change your display. This can be costly in both physical display solutions as well as your employee’s time.

Using products such as digital signage as part of your display allows you to create new content for your audience, keeping it fresh and eye catching without a significant investment in finances or time. With traditional display signage, a simple typo or error can prove a costly waste, and when combined with the fact that it can age and fade, digital signage offers a superior solution in that it can simply be updated with new content. This saves you in the long term on shipping, printing, processing and labour costs.

One of the biggest benefits of using our innovative display products is that it grants you the ability to fine tune your displays. Updating your signage in real time allows you to experiment with your merchandising techniques to achieve optimal results. This also allows you to be responsive to changing situations instantly, everything from seasonal demand to fluctuating demand throughout the day.

Below is an outline of some of our products which would be perfect as part of your visual merchandising strategy-

Digital Glass

Whilst holding its own as a unique solution, Digital Glass is also a great alternative to video walls. Offering better value and a better solution, digital glass boasts no bezels or join lines for sizes up to a huge 8 x 3m. It can also be combined with infrared multi touch capability, creating an impressively large touch screen that will be sure to leave your customers wowed.

Transparent LCD screens

An impressive and versatile technology that can also be granted touch capability. Allowing you to integrate digital content with real-life objects behind the screen, this solution can have an extremely powerful effect. Transparent LCD Screens are a great way to help you regulate the prominence of your products against the visuals displayed on the screen, offering you more control over how and which products are displayed at any given time.

Mirror Screens & Interactive Mirrors

The ideal choice for retailers looking for digital signage with a difference, our Mirrorvision Display range comprises of mirrors that come to life. Great examples of uses of this technology involve placing them in fashion retail changing rooms, toilets or even in place of standard digital signage. This allows businesses to not only leave a lasting impression, but also make the most out of all the wasted space that standard mirrors take up.

Interactive Touch Kiosks

Our wide range of Touch Kiosks can meet a variety of requirements for display purposes. Most effective when used in areas that benefit from high-footfall, our kiosks are ideal for communicating information or providing entertainment in an innovative and engaging way. As this product is integrated with our infrared touch technology, a custom solution can allow it to be used for self-service applications, helping to improve efficiency and therefore, the productivity of your staff.

Interactive Touch Foils

A uniquely distinct technology that grants almost any glass or acrylic surface touch screen capability. Use our Interactive Touch Foils to turn those dull window displays into something people will be queuing up to engage with, bringing your store added publicity. You can even use touch foils to drastically improve efficiency by applying them to commerce and self-service applications.

SunScreen Technology

This revolutionary Sun Readable Rear Projection technology has been specifically designed for applications in direct sunlight. Previous uses have seen our Sunscreen being involved in some really exciting displays that entice customers to come inside your store, making it invaluable on a crowded high street or in environments where competition is fierce.

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As our very own ‘screen innovation centre’, you can visit the Screen Gallery to see an overview of some of the top AV technology the world has to offer.
We understand that when you’re looking to buy a piece of technology like ours, quality is of the utmost importance. We have a solid collection of products on display for you to explore at your own pace, for your reassurance.

Get hands-on with our range of intouch touch screen technology, witness the magic of Switchable Glass, lose yourself in our vivid LCD screens and experience the impressive features of our specialist projection screens.

Relocating to a more convenient site, our showroom is now directly opposite Wakefield Westgate train station, making it easy to get to from most places in the UK.
During your private visit, you will be our team member’s sole focus, giving you the time and opportunity to run through any concerns or questions you may have. Whatever your project, one of our team members will be on-hand to guide you through the relevant products that you are interested in, as well as providing you with an insight into the other areas we may be able to help you with. Our experts are prepared to answer any questions that you may have pertaining to our products, allowing you to assess in real time whether they suit your requirements- this is undoubtedly an important element in your purchasing decision. If you already have content prepared, we can test this for you simultaneously on our screens so you can ensure you choose the right solution for you.

Featuring all of our most popular products, including our extensive range of projection films and screens and exciting interactive technologies like our Interactive Touch Tables and Mirror Displays, you’re guaranteed to walk away feeling inspired. We also have examples of some of our large format solutions like our Outdoor LED Perimeter Systems and Mirror LED Walls as well as our Interactive Digital Glass Rear Projection Screen, available in sizes up to 8m x 3m.

Our Screen Gallery is made to impress, with a comfortable environment and added refreshments available to all visitors. We encourage you to bring your clients along as well- there is no doubt that they will leave feeling reassured that you have sourced a quality manufacturer in us.
If you would like to visit, please get in touch so we can arrange a viewing.

Visits by appointment only, please!

Contact us on +44 1226 740 007 or email sales@prodisplay.co.uk to arrange your visit.

 

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The sacred grounds of places of worship are amongst the last environments you would expect a cutting edge technological presence. However, as technology develops, in the projection screen industry especially, there is every reason that churches and other places of worship should benefit from the advantages that these advancements can bring them. However, projection solutions for churches can be a difficult area, often due to limited space, an unsuitable physical environment or even due to styling concerns.

Zhongchen Electronics specialise in audiovisual / digital signage screens, switchable smart glass and interactive touch products, many of which are versatile and discreet, yet incredibly effective, making them ideal projection solutions for churches.

Our products have been specified on projects for some of the world’s leading brands. Countless installations have been as creative as they have been successful, but in a lot cases, they have been installed with merchandising or sales in mind. Our products offer an extremely functional aspect that makes them suitable for a range of applications, particularly as church projection screens.

Switchable Smart Glass

As one of our most effective and versatile products, switchable smart glass is the answer for anyone looking for discreet yet powerful projection solutions for churches or other places of worship . Switchable smart glass is a perfect example of how technology can enhance a facility without detracting from or clashing with its traditional styling.  This technology has a switchable opacity, transforming from clear to frosted at the press of a button. It offers superior clarity to even our Clearview screens, making it undeniably more discreet and one of the more versatile projection solutions for churches.

It’s the versatility of our switchable smart glass that makes it so special. When opaque, this technology doubles in function as a privacy screen, enabling well placed installations to function as partitions or even a solution for venues which require a private area. With the preservation of traditional styling a top priority, switchable smart glass has the ideal combination of subtle design and versatile functionality, ensuring that your investment is well used.

Project Focus

Christ Church, Guildford

This application of our switchable glass delighted those at Christ Church Guildford. As a replacement for an old hinge down screen, their options were limited since they had nowhere to hide a standard projection screen when it was not being used, ruling out many of the traditional projection solutions for churches. Hazelwood Sound & Vision proposed the unique solution that our switchable glass can be used instead of traditional church projection screens.

The church’s project manager and Treasurer, Ian Kenyon was pleased with the results, even 11 months on, saying “It’s proven to be reliable, really simple to use and seamlessly switches large high quality images between four different sources. It can even be used by the minister on his own, driven from his iPad”.

Ian continued “We’ve used Blu-Ray DVDs for church cinema nights and our summer Holiday Club.  We’ve streamed videos from the Internet as well which really makes a topic relevant to both younger and older generations. The high level remote control camera is wonderful for relaying baptisms from the back of the church, and from a unique perspective.  We couldn’t manage without it now – we plug in a laptop with one cable and the picture appears on the screen with high quality sound filling the church.  All in all it’s really moved our church forward with topical and relevant communications, and we now use it every weekend in services.  If we want to hide the screen we just press a button and it instantly disappears”.

St Andrews Church, Leyland

This Grade II listed building has seen a very beneficial makeover from the use of our switchable glass helping to integrate modern church projection screens into a traditional structure sympathetically, all whilst meeting the church’s specific display requirements.

As a building that dates back to the 12^th century, the structure of St Andrews is beautiful. However, its interior lighting conditions did not provide an adequate environment to appeal to a 21^st century audience. A solution was needed that would bring services to life for an audience with a wide variety of needs, meaning many of the traditional church projection screens were not suitable. Vicar David Gibb wanted the atmosphere to reflect his style of service to attract a wider audience, saying “We knew we wanted something different and engaging, but at the same time it had to work with the existing architecture. This is a good example of how cutting-edge technology can work together with the oldest structures, and sensitively bring the two together to update even the most traditional settings.”

The switchable projector screen solution enables the church to keep the screen in a prime viewing location, whilst providing an unobstructed view of the beautiful stained glass windows behind it when not in use.

Clearview

Our Clearview holographic effect projection screen is ideal for information display purposes, making it one of our most popular church projection screens. Since it is a transparent screen, this incredible technology boasts the utmost discretion whilst commanding your audience or congregation with an impressively bright, sharp and vibrant display, even in brightly-lit environments. Coupled with a contemporary design, these church projection screens create images that appear to float in mid-air, whilst offering superior performance, definition and no critical angle of projection.

Pro Diffusion

As our biggest selling rear projection screen worldwide, we know how well received Pro Diffusion is by our customers. Providing unparalleled brightness and excellent colour reproduction, this screen is an ideal choice for information display and video applications, making it one of our recommended projection solutions for churches. Pro Diffusion recreates a stunning high definition image with a perfect mix of brightness and contrast, and it is the only diffusion screen technology that provides true horizontal/vertical 180° visibility, making it superior to many traditional church projection screens.

Our Pro Diffusion screen is a perfect example of how well our projection solutions for churches can work, being used to display lyrics to hymns, pertinent sermon videos, reminders for the congregation as well as a variety of daily venue functions.

Other Options

Zhongchen Electronics offers a wide range of products to ensure that you can get the most out of church projection screens. In addition to projection solutions for churches, we offer many products which may be suitable for your place of worship, including but not limited to-

– Our Soundpod Surface Speakers which transform almost any solid resonant surface into an audio speaker

– Our range of touch screen technology which can also grant almost any surface interactive capability

– Or even our Mirror Vision range for versatile functionality and premium styling

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