To help broadcasters, command & control centers, retailers and other sectors conquer business challenges, NEC Display Solutions of America today announced two 55-inch video wall displays that further reduce the image gap between neighboring panels, and offer a more homogenous and flat surface for better viewing. They also contain professional grade S-IPS anti-glare panel technology that allow for less color shift in off-angle viewing and superior color uniformity across the entire digital canvas.

The NEC UN551S and UN551VS ultra narrow displays feature a new mechanical build that allows the glass of the panel to go all the way to the edge of the display. This is different than traditional video walls that have bezels to separate adjacent displays. The area separating images is now reduced to the inactive border of the panel – just 0.9mm around each display. With the new panel design and reduced gaps between active areas, the displays allow for a more consistent and seamless wall.

Here are other advantages for specific market sectors:

• Broadcasters
• 10-bit S-IPS panels deliver superb off-angle viewing, better brightness and color uniformity across the entire video wall canvas
• Anti-glare panel prevents studio lights from inhibiting images for those on set and those watching from home
• Equally adept in landscape and portrait orientations

• Retailers
• Clean imagery from close distances and elimination of pixel artifacts
• Sturdy, sealed chassis for the rigors of a bustling and dusty environment
• The ability to show UHD and to distribute a UHD signal to other panels on the video wall through enhanced daisy chain functionality and internal processing

• Command & Control
• Superb off-angle viewing and less color shift for consistent messaging for professionals at their own workstations and from all points in the command center

"Unlike older technologies, NEC Display's UN551S and UN551VS video walls reduce the gaps between displays so there is even less image interruption than traditional displays because of the lack of bezel in the design. Instead, these offer one consistent image," said Keith Yanke, Senior Director of Product Marketing at NEC Display. "The capabilities result from NEC's focus on listening to customers and delivering on their specific industry needs."

Among other key benefits of each display:

• Full commercial build with steel chassis, commercial-grade cooling fans and temperature sensor
• Direct LED-backlighting, translating to improved brightness uniformity, reduced power consumption and mercury-free components.
• Brightness of 700 cd/m2 for UN551S and 500 cd/m2 for UN551VS
• Localized dimming, enabling the displays' backlights to dynamically change based on content and improving the contrast ratio to 500,000:1
• >40 percent reduction of gap between active areas of adjacent displays
• Auto ID, Auto IP Address and Auto TileMatrix, which ease the time necessary to set up control and image properties across the video walls
• 10-bit color processing for up to 1.07-billion viewable colors
• FrameComp, which compensates for content lag in larger video walls with horizontal moving objects
• Expanded daisy chain options with DisplayPort 1.2, which enables UHD resolution across entire wall
• Carbon footprint meter, which calculates and tracks carbon savings
• NaViSet Administrator 2 software compatible, which allows asset management capabilities of the products as well as full control and task management
• Optional color calibration software, which stores information within the LUT (Look Up Tables) of the display, and ensures color uniformity and fidelity across multiple screens

The UN551S and UN551VS displays are available now at a minimum advertised price of $6,999 and $5,499, respectively. The displays ship with a 3-year parts and labor warranty, including the backlight.