Big name-brands carry with them big reputations. Developed over many years, they form the core of their brand identity and help mold the company’s values. So, when the technology juggernaut IBM wanted to update its main auditorium display in the Thomas J. Watson Research Center, the company needed a solution to match its world-class quality and performance.
One of the largest industrial research organizations in the world, IBM has pioneered scientific breakthroughs across many promising and disruptive technologies. Today, the company is leading research in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and quantum computing. This includes IBM Watson, the company’s suite of enterprise-ready AI services, applications, and tooling.
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One location spearheading these innovations is the Thomas J. Watson Research Center, the headquarters of IBM’s Research Division. Researchers at the center often need to present findings in executive and client engagement meetings which take place in its 240-seat auditorium, designed by neo-futuristic industrial designer, Eero Saarinen. Tackling some of the world’s most complex problems and promising opportunities, IBM requires presentation displays that are effective and inspiring to truly communicate the importance of its projects. To do this, it selected a Digital Projection Radiance LED Video Wall for the primary display.
The previous display technology utilized in the auditorium was a Digital Projection TITAN Pro Series projector with a motorized screen. The client’s vision involved upgrading to direct-view LED technology to create a brighter, more color-rich, and dynamic presentation space, uninhibited by ambient light, and capable of delivering ultra-high resolution up to 8K. The modular Radiance LED solution also allowed IBM to benefit from a totally seamless image across the entire front wall.
In order to achieve the desired resolution, and to ensure a clear viewing experience from every seat in the venue, the 1.2mm pixel-pitch Radiance LED Performance Series was selected. Designed to be maintained completely from the front, and needing only a few inches of depth, the Radiance LED system required very little modification to the auditorium wall infrastructure. The actual LED display panels fit perfectly where original wood paneling was installed.
The result was an immersive LED display measuring 34 feet wide by 16 feet tall, installed to match an architecturally significant curved wall, which was important to the aesthetic of the auditorium. In partnership with HB Communications, Digital Projection provided design engineering and installation of the curved wall, ensuring a successful deployment of the enormous, near-8K resolution display.
“We believe that profound breakthroughs come when businesses, governments, academic institutions, and others work together to tap into diverse points of view and expertise,” said Lorraine Herger, former director of research integrated solutions at IBM. “Our vision was to provide a stunning, ‘jaw-dropping’ image that would make presentations more memorable to the audience. The full screen image with its immense size (34’x16’) is amazingly lifelike and impresses the audience.”
Collaborating with HB Communications, a new state-of-the-art presentation and production system was developed to complement the fine-pitch LED video wall.
“We included an Analog Way multi-layer premium seamless switcher, Ross SDI routing system, Crestron NVX network AV encoding/decoding system, Shure MXA910 Beamforming Ceiling Microphones, Meyer Sound surround sound speaker system, and Panasonic HD PTZ camera systems, just to name a few,” said Tim Hutton, senior account executive at HB Communications. “One of the main challenges for this application was meeting the client’s technology requirements while preserving the architectural integrity of the auditorium. The front wall of the auditorium consisted of wood paneling, which IBM wanted to retain, so an ingenious solution was needed. Multiple high-resolution pictures of the front wall were taken and combined into a single background image that perfectly emulated the wood paneling when displayed on the Radiance LED Video Wall. Digital Projection was engaged from project inception to completion. DP engineering and sales worked seamlessly with both HB Communications and IBM on the design, structural requirements, installation, and system commissioning to make this impressive installation possible.”
When the installation was finished, IBM’s guests and staff were “stunned,” according to Herger. “During our opening event, we displayed a high-definition image of our original wall on the LED wall and our community did not know the original wall had been removed and replaced with an image. The colors, brightness, clarity, and depth of vision that can be achieved are amazing!
