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Sharp intros new low-cost LED edge-lit digital signage displays

Sharp Imaging and Information Co. of America, a division of Sharp Electronics Corp., is introducing the PN-Y series of professional-grade LED edge-lit displays, according to a company announcement.

September 10, 2014

Sharp Imaging and Information Co. of America, a division of Sharp Electronics Corp., is introducing the PN-Y series of professional-grade LED edge-lit displays, according to a company announcement.

Available in 55-, 47-, 42- or 32-inch class sizes, the PN-Y series is intended to offer businesses a commercial-grade LED display solution at an affordable price, the company said. This collection provides an intermediate range of options between consumer AQUOS televisions and the higher-end PN-U series of LED displays, aimed at small and mid-sized businesses.

Businesses often opt to use consumer televisions in commercial settings due to their lower price, forfeiting the functionality and engineering designed specifically for commercial use, Sharp said, but this latest series of displays provide a high-definition, tech-forward solution while remaining cost-effective for most commercial applications. 

Able to display content in both landscape and portrait installations, the PN-Y series is equipped with the standard features of traditional commercial displays including fanless architecture, built-in temperature sensor, and RS-232C control and monitoring. The models also incorporate a thin bezel and are designed to be operated 20 hours a day, seven days a week.

"The PN-Y series allows us to bridge the gap between our AQUOS consumer-grade televisions and our professional-grade displays to provide our customers with an affordable middle option," Mike Marusic, senior vice president, marketing and operations, SIICA, said in the announcement. "This series is incremental to our product line and gives customers many of the features of these higher-end professional displays plus additional capabilities designed for this target audience."

The PN-Y series also includes features new to this class of displays including a mirror display mode, or daisy chain capability which allows users to have the same onscreen content displayed on a series of PN-Y monitors, the company said. Also available in this series is the ability for PC-free playback of content through the inclusion of an integrated USB media player.

The PN-Y 325 is currently available. The PN-Y555 is scheduled to be available in the U.S. by late September; PN-Y 425 by mid October; and PN-475 by late November.