Recently, Sharp Electronics announced they would be leaving the consumer flat panel display market.  Their reason: the consumer television market is saturated with competition and there is no longer any room for them to generate a profit.  Sharp’s solution to this dilemma is to exit the market and license their brand to Chinese manufacturer Hisense.  For many years, Sharp has been at the top of the television market.  This change has been coming for several years; it is but one example of a market that continues to be in flux.

How does this changing market impact businesses that use flat panel displays in their meeting rooms, collaboration spaces, and offices?

IMS Technology Services has been helping clients navigate their ever changing flat panel options for years.  Models, options and connectivity change several times each year.  To further complicate matters, the transition period between old and new models is often sluggish.  IMS strives to be nimble react to these changes quickly.

When specifying a flat panel display, or looking for the appropriate replacement for a discontinued model, industry professionals look for several key factors:

• Serial / Ethernet Control
• Resolution Options / EDID Tables
  • Professional displays can handle various laptop video resolutions without the addition of a scaler.  This means that professional displays can show the image correctly on the screen without additional signal processing.
  • Better contrast ratio which improves the clarity of the image and makes text easier to read.
• Operating Hours
  • Professional displays are manufactured to operate for more hours per day than consumer televisions.
• Warranty

While most professional grade displays include these functions/options, there are also a number of consumer displays that have met these requirements, including several of the Sharp Aquos models.   Customers often chose consumer grade models due to a lower price point and a familiarity with the brand name.  These options are now changing and it may impact your future decisions.  As you plan your technology deployments, be aware that the changes in the market will impact your:

• Schedule
  • Longer lead times to receive displays will require orders to be placed earlier than in the past.
  • Product transition can result in backorders pushing your schedule by weeks.
• Budget
  • Opting for Commercial grade displays in order to maintain your schedule may increase your cost.
  • Expedited freight charges for backordered displays will increase your overall project cost.
• Experience
  • Changes in product lines that are minor for video and television viewing may have larger impacts on PC presentations.

These changes in the flat panel display market will impact some organizations more than others, but it is safe to say that most will be impacted.  We hope the information above will prepare you to make well informed decisions and minimize any potential difficulties.  Your IMS team is here to help.  Please contact us if we can be of assistance.

Your IMS Support Team

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