The 360 degree LED television

22:00 October 28, 2005 PDT

The 360 degree LED television

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If you’re looking for a new centrepiece for your new entertaining area, the new 360 degree LED display from Dynascan offers exactly that – quite literally. Taiwanese-based Dynascan has been developing the 360 degree LED display for several years now and it is initially being used as an advertising medium in shopping centres and public areas, with an outdoor version just launched too. The first time you see one of the screens you’ll understand what the fuss is about – the quality, colour, contrast and definition is extraordinary and the screen is absolutely huge – the third generation of the new LED screens is being introduced at present with the largest being a 2.5 metre high, 5.46 metre circumference screen and capable of being viewed clearly from 30 metres away. Interestingly, the screens can actually display one image around the full 360 degrees, so it would be possible to use them as output for a 360 degree camera. In their commercial configuration the screens are usually configured as three identical images, with each image claiming 120 degrees of the surface. Two 180 degree screens is also possible and … if the ambitious Tholos Project hadn’t died, it would have had an ideal screen.

The media mix has been growing with new cost-efficient advertising alternatives to main media (TV, radio, and print) for several decades now. The emergence of the internet has been the major change though there’s a relentless trend to plaster advertising almost anywhere where there’s enough eyeballs to warrant the effort. One quite compelling new player in out-of-home media has been the emergence over the last two years by Taiwanese-based Dynascan of a 360 degree LED display. The first time you see one of the screens you’ll understand why – the quality, colour, contrast and definition is extraordinary and the screen is absolutely huge – the third generation of the new LED screens is being introduced at present with the largest being a 2.5 metre high, 5.46 metre circumference screen which reaches new levels of impact as a visually arresting medium thanks to its size and the quality of the display. Interestingly, the screens can actually dispolay one image around the full 360 degrees, so it would be possible to use them as output for a 360 degree camera. In the short term, the screens are forming an advertising chain and are usually configured as three identical images, with each image claiming 120 degrees of the surface.

The latest addition to the growing media network using Dynascan screens was launched today in Australia by Cinema Advertising Company Media Planet and will be known as 360tv; a digital television network which will beam content provided by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation including ABC news, sport, business and weather to purpose built 2.5 metre high, seamless 360° LED screens in flagship shopping centres throughout Australia. The 360tv network will go "live" on Monday December 5 with advertising run on a 12 minute loop, 5 times an hour, 50 times a day. 360tv's format ensures each advertising slot will either be preceded or followed by non-advertising content, guaranteeing advertisers a premium position. The digital cable delivery system, interspersing news, sport, weather and entertainment content between advertising slots allows advertisers to make changes to their ad right up to the moment it is screened. A scrolling news ticker will also run with each bulletin. The screens will provide a seamless 360° viewing surface, enabling ads and content to be viewed from any angle. The resolution, colour, brightness and sound quality all exceed that available on conventional, plasma or LCD screens. The 360tv format is currently in operation in the US, Europe, UAE, China and Japan in a number major retail environments such as airports, railway stations and shopping centres. Advertisers who use the technology to create significant impact in these markets include, McDonalds, Motorola, Calvin Klein, Ford, Nike, Pepsi, Universal Studios and Apple (ipod).