Planar Systems has announced that the Portland Trail Blazers have chosen the Planar Clarity Matrix LCD Video Wall System to boost fan excitement, brand loyalty and sales of season tickets at the Rose Garden Arena.
Planar’s Clarity Matrix video wall is prominently featured in the new Rip City United Headquarters on the main Rose Garden concourse. This area was designed as a special customer service location where the video wall will showcase different content to appeal to potential season ticket holders and provide existing ones with a variety of unique membership services. The 132 square-foot Clarity Matrix LCD video wall features information about exclusive events with players and alumni, highlights season ticket holder discounts, and provides high-resolution videos and images from Trail Blazers games. The nearby 30 square-foot Clarity Matrix Wall of Fame depicts life-sized images of players.
“The size, resolution and format of the Clarity Matrix media walls generate a level of energy and excitement that simply isn’t possible with any other type of display,” said Portland Trail Blazers CIO Chris Dill. “They let Rip City United visitors follow larger-than-life game action away from the arena and allow us to service these important customers in a manner that is both personal and impactful.”
Choosing Clarity Matrix over other LCD video walls was an easy conclusion, according to Bob Barnett, project manager for Vulcan Sports and Entertainment, the investment and management company that oversees the Trail Blazers: “It really came down to Planar offering the highest quality video wall solution we’ve seen in the industry.”
According to Clarity, the Matrix attributes and features that have impressed the Trail Blazers include:
Image quality. The Clarity Matrix screens deliver (1366 x 768) resolution, with three times the brightness and 10 times the contrast of other large-format video displays. Regardless of environmental lighting, video highlights from games, and any other content displayed is sharp and clear from anywhere in the viewing area.
Nearly seamless images. The large video wall is comprised of nine separate screens with an ultra-thin bezel that narrows to gap between the screens to a mere 7.3 millimeters, to create extremely realistic large visuals across multiple screens.
Easy Access. The EasyAxis™ Mounting System makes front-serviceability, behind-screen access, individual screen replacement and perfect panel-to-panel alignment quick and easy.
Rugged build. The Clarity Matrix with the ERO™ (Extended Ruggedness and Optics) feature provides a bonded front glass and smooth touch surface that delivers a unique level of durability, as well as ambient light rejection optimized for the rigors of high-traffic spaces. This dramatically reduces the chances of damage if fans get up close or touch the screens. “With over 170 events a year, we needed a video wall specifically able to meet all the requirements of high-traffic areas,” Barnett said. “We wouldn’t put in equipment that is going to cause us problems.”
Digital signage is becoming an essential way for professional sports teams to market themselves, create innovative spaces that are interesting and appealing to their target audience and provide additional advertising revenue away from the court. The Clarity Matrix LCD Video Wall System is available through Planar’s valued channel partners and the screens are offered in two sizes, 46” and 55” diagonal. The MX-46 and MX-55 high-bright media walls are ideal for spaces with ambient light. The low-power LX-46 is an ideal energy-saving option and the MX-46 or LX-46 with Planar’s proprietary ERO technology offer extended ruggedness and optics.
