ISE REVIEW
Projections vs perceptions News in the Channel went to Barcelona to visit the Integrated Systems Europe conference and bumped into Holger Graef, general manager EMEA for Vivitek to discuss panels and projection.
Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) kicked off the European conference calendar in Barcelona this year with many calling it the return to normality after the disruption experienced since 2020. Between Samsung’s ‘The Wall’, LG’s moving display and Epson’s projected umbrella, it is clear to see that the AV industry is still innovating to find all sorts of applications. Digital signage and immersive experiences were particularly on display at the show, sparking a debate that has been raging for a long time, projection or panels? While the debate may continue, Holger Graef, general manager for EMEA at Vivitek, said that the use cases for projection are “super broad. “Each country throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa have their own ideas when it comes to applications,” says Holger. “We are still selling XGA projectors, for example, because the sale may come down to a matter of price. “We go above 65-inch displays, which means whenever we talk about big picture, a protector is still a very valid solution and that decision has to do with price, the size of the image, the number of people that you need to entertain, and application. Projection can be used in small meeting rooms, for example, maybe not necessarily in the Western world, but in the Eastern world and Africa, even in smaller meeting rooms, a projector is used. “There are applications in larger meeting rooms where the size does matter, there are indoor and outdoor mapping applications. The projector today is capable of so much more than the designer or the customer purchases it to do. That's why we still have from 4,000 to 27,000 ANSI Lumen protectors because we can address such a wide application area where protectors are still very valid.” No silver bullet It’s clear that each technology has a place within the AV industry. If Holger’s testimony
is not enough, the sales statistics speak for themselves. According to Omdia, Global shipments for the direct view LED market grew by 23.1% quarter-on-quarter in the third quarter of 2023 and by 18.5% year-on-year to roughly 500,000 square metres. Similarly, the Business Research Company’s 2024 report on the projection market found that the global projector market is set to grow by 6.1% this year from $10.68 million in 2023 to $11.33 million at the end of this year. “I'm a firm believer that each technology has its advantages and disadvantages and there is no silver bullet,” says Holger. “Otherwise, you would only have one technology and everybody would be happy. “We also should acknowledge that a new technology is not necessarily better and cheaper than the existing technology. For us and the reseller, it's super important to talk to the end user to understand the problem they want to solve or their wish for the technology, and the budget to suggest the best thing to use in our view. “To say that because projection is an older technology it will be replaced by a new one is a little bit far-fetched. Of course, when new technologies arrive, they harm the existing technologies because the market appetite will go down or the overall total available market will shrink. “But from my point of view, the best thing is for us to offer the customer the best choice for their application.” Of course, there are times when the ‘the customer is always right’ mantra is tested. As Holger points out, a lot of decision-making comes down to cost. “Sometimes we have customers that, if we were to say a projector would be the best thing for you, they’d say no, I want to have an LED wall and if they are willing to spend how much it costs, I'm happy to sell them something different,” he says. “For example, customers also need to see, when we talk about LCD, it is a mature
Holger Graeff general manager, EMEA
www.vivitek.eu
The projector today is capable of so much more than the designer or the customer purchases it to do. “ ”
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