News

NEC intros NFC-enabled 3rd-gen P Series digital signage displays

November 4, 2013

NEC Display Solutions of America, a provider of commercial LCD display and projector solutions, announced today the latest generation of its flagship P Series commercial-grade displays. The 40-inch P403, 46-inch P463, 55-inch P553 and 70-inch P703 displays feature a new thinner chassis, LED Edge-lit backlights, two expansion slots and Near Field Communication capabilities, the company said.

The new P Series displays are LED edge-lit, which means displays are thinner, lighter and consume less power, according to the announcement. The new generation of displays is up to 56 percent thinner, 50 percent lighter and consumes up to 33 percent less power, which adds up to reduced installation costs and reduced total cost of ownership, NEC said.

P Series displays are intended to be ideal for harsh install environments, including quick-service restaurants, airports, public information areas, healthcare facilities and retail stores. These displays boast internal temperature sensors with self-diagnostics and fan-based technology to prevent overheating and to maximize the lifetime of the displays. And they deliver up to 700 cd/m2 maximum brightness and full high-definition image quality.

With new connectivity and new sensors, P Series displays are helping customers to be more creative and flexible while reducing installation and maintenance costs, the company said. The built-in NFC sensor (which NEC said is "unique"), in combination with NEC's new Android app, reduces installation and maintenance costs, the company said.

The displays also support two expansion slots — one with Open Pluggable Specification technology and a second slot for additional connectivity. The OPS slot adheres to the Intel Corp. specification for standardizing and simplifying slot-oriented digital signage installations. The second slot allows for customizable input options.

"The P Series displays are proof that quality is never an accident," NEC Senior Product Manager of Large-Screen Displays Rachel Karnani said in the announcement. "These displays are designed to work 24 hours a day, (seven) days a week in the most harsh environments while the new chassis delivers LED backlighting and an enriched feature set. The P Series really is in a league of its own."

The P Series displays include the following features:

• LED Edge-lit backlight technology for reduced power consumption and a thinner chassis
• Dual expansion slots for express connectivity
• Faster response times for no blank screen downtime when switching inputs
• Human sensor accessory, which detects the presence of a person and can adjust input, brightness and audio volume
• NFC capabilities, which allow a smartphone or tablet to communicate with displays for setup and servicing
• Improved daisy-chain capabilities for video and control signals (DisplayPort and LAN), which reduce cabling requirements
• Improved input switching speeds, which mean less down time when switching sources
• Multiple programmable gamma correction settings, which save time as displays don't have to be recalibrated every time requirements change
• Improved browser control, which means users can control each display through a LAN or via a tablet
• Simple point-and-zoom feature, which allows a presenter to zoom in to parts of a presentation via the remote
• Auto TileMatrix capabilities, which save tremendous time and cost for video wall set-ups
• DisplayPort 1.2, which enables users to create ultra high-definition video walls or to supply different content to up to four different displays with a single source
• Memo function built into the on-screen display, which allows information to be stored in the on-screen menu to communicate installation, service or location details
• Enhanced Picture-in-Picture, which provides flexibility for displaying two sources simultaneously
• IR lock capability, which allows the end-user to control only certain parts of the display while protecting other important settings from inadvertent adjustment
• Proof-of-play feature, which enables confirmation that paid content was actually displayed.

The P403, P463, P553 and P703 displays will be available in November 2013 at a minimum advertised price of $1,449, $1,829, $2,699 and $8,399, respectively. All four displays ship with a three-year parts and labor warranty, including the backlight.

Learn more about digital signage display technology.