By MARK MILLER
A Bluffton-based company that produces “dvLED video walls” was recognized with a best “new product of the year” award that was also designated as a “world’s first.”
“We’re pretty excited,” Neoti CEO Derek Myers said, and it is clear in his voice that is an understatement. “These are products we’ve been working on and it’s neat to see them in use and being recognized like this.”
The award was made at the annual “NABShow” — the National Association of Broadcasters’ annual gathering in Las Vegas in mid-April. Concurrently, the Pantone Company, which has set the standards for color reproduction in print and video since the mid-1960s, awarded Neoti’s new product, titled the UHD ProXF+, the world’s first Pantone validated skin tone designation.
“Our color experts worked together with Neoti to test and validate their ability to authentically reproduce Pantone Colors and Skin Tones,” said Iain Pike, senior global director of product and licensing at Pantone in the announcement.
Myers explained that a new technology they have dubbed “Infinitecolor technology” was developed in a new partnership with a German engineering firm. “We’ve merged our different market talents,” Myers said, combining Neoti’s video wall technology with the German control systems. Together, the new products “have a significant market share” of indoor video wall installations in studios, government and video broadcast production. For example, the weather map displays that NBC weatherman Al Roker utilizes in their New York studios is a Neoti product.
“We have a number of displays in what we call ‘three-letter government projects,’” Myers shared. “So, we’ve had to get classified government clearance, which was interesting.”
Neoti video walls can also been seen on such television networks as ESPN, the ACC and Big-10. They have what is called a virtual studio production facility at a Georgia location utilizing a curved video wall that is 92 feet wide and 11 feet tall with a 180-degree view.
“This is being used to produce 45 different television and web-streamed shows, mostly by faith-based organizations,” Myers explained. These screens are also increasingly being used as virtual backdrops for full-production movies and television programs, rather than building a traditional “sound stage” or movie set.
“It’s really pretty amazing, so realistic,” Myers said. “Even for us who have been a part of this process.”
Neoti, founded by Myers in 2006, has now grown to 14 employees in the U.S., one in China, and 30 more in Europe including the new partnership. There are 10 employees at the Bluffton headquarters where the firm’s research and development and service departments operate. Manufacturing of the video components take place in China and a new location Europe.
But the “biggest news,” Myers continued, involves the further development of the dvLED product itself.
Technically, “dvLED” stands for “direct view light emitting diodes” although the process actually utilizes liquid crystal displays — LCD — with the diodes in the background.
“It’s like a million flashlights shining directly into your eyes,” Myers explained. What’s new is that the space between each diode has now been reduced to 0.8mm, which is roughly equal to three one-hundredths of an inch.
“This has allowed us to infinitely control the color and achieve these new benchmarks,” he told The News-Banner. In the Pantone news release, Myers referenced the new products to “authentically reproduce Pantone Colors and Skin Tones… and deliver true color fidelity.” He added that it is essentially “making those flashlights smaller and smaller.”
Myers has also recently become involved in another video-related company that is making inroads in helping people with macular degeneration. “This is exciting as well,” he said, “we’re doing some groundbreaking work in that field.”
miller@news-banner.com
