Video wall, Grand Hyatt, San Francisco

The Grand Hyatt Hotel, located in the heart of San Francisco’s Union Square, needed to replace an existing video wall that had been temperamental for nearly two years. The challenge? Budget (of course), and the 3×8 array of screens was mounted 20 feet above the lobby floor – and installation of the new video wall needed to happen during the holiday shopping season to reach completion by the December 24 deadline.

AV Structural was awarded the project, and quickly went to work constructing a 20-foot-high, 34-foot-long scaffolding apparatus that enabled the team to work virtually around the clock, while maintaining safety for their crew and for the guests walking beneath the scaffolding at all hours of the day and night. The new video wall also required a unique installation to provide easy access to the displays for periodic maintenance and eventual replacement.

AV Structural overcame the mechanical challenges of the installation and proposed traditional AV components including a video wall processor and several video distribution amplifiers plus HDBaseT extenders. On paper this design would have sufficed, however the solution exceeded the allocated budget by several thousand dollars – this is where BrightSign came into play.

A second proposal using 24 XD1132 players with BrightSign’s BrightWall™ and BrightAuthor software allowed AV Structural to create a high-definition, 1080p-resolution-per-display video wall, all controlled by a single Apple iPad Air 2. The project was delivered on time and on budget. With the XD1132 units wall-mounted directly under the video wall and hidden behind a matching wood veneer under the stairs, the entire system is conveniently maintained from this easily accessible equipment area versus dealing with individual components high above the floor, or mounted behind the displays. The system includes high redundant power, remote system monitoring, and a dual-network switch to reduce downtime. Using features of BrightWall™ and BrightScript™, the video wall’s functionality rivals that of a traditional video wall processor at a fraction of the cost. And the Apple iPad Air 2 interface provides a very user-friendly method of control for IT and other facility staff.