Wide-Screen Displays? You Do Not Realize How Often You Use Them!

Households, transportation, retail, digital signage, or industry – in all of these areas, we use devices equipped with screens that often are in wide-screen shape. However, these displays do not always occur in the aspect ratio commonly associated with a wide-screen shape that is 16:9. In the article, we present a few applications which make use of these kinds of displays.

In the beginning, we should clarify the term wide-screen shape. For this article, it describes various displays in elongated rectangular shape with aspect ratios of not only 16:9 but also, e.g., 5:2, 15:4, 12:1, or 24:1. Usually, these are LCDs in different sizes – from 3.9- or 4.2-inch up to 65.0-inch. They are completed by other display technologies, e.g., more and more popular and desirable EPDs (Electronic Paper Displays, alias e-paper displays). However, we will exclude LEDs that currently are not totally out of use but are applied only in a few projects, generally on customer’s demand.

Some of the described applications with wide-screen displays may be operated by touch, which involves combining the display with a touch sensor and a cover glass. Then, such constructed modules can be upgraded by the application of various coatings, e.g., anti-fingerprint (AF) which prevents the adhering of various contaminations so you should not notice any fingerprints on the surface of the screen (learn more about coatings – here). You can outsource these services to Unisystem – we guarantee its best quality with our commissioned a few months ago ISO 5 class cleanroom ( contact us to get a quote).

Displays for home appliances

We use these kinds of displays almost every day – already nearly all of the home appliances combine with tiny-sized screens. These are, e.g., audio- and video- players, amplituners, or equalizers and microwaves, coffeemakers, or weather stations, etc., as well as also computer accessories, e.g., printers or scanners. More and more often, they are fit with LCDs.

These can be standard solutions with 500 cd/m² which will provide optimal readability of the content presented on display in various lighting conditions. Moreover, the full viewing angles are not required – you can choose 6 or 12 o’clock solutions as usually you look at such devices from above or below. A few displays on Unisystem’s offer can be applied in home appliances, e.g., 3.9-, 4.6- or 5.2-inch Winstar’s modules (WF39CTIASDNN0#, WF39BTLASDNN0#, WF46ATIATDNNA# or WF52ATLASDNN0#).

Displays for transportation

In transportation, e.g., at the stations and platforms as well as in the vehicles on the railway, you can come in contact with different variants of wide-screen displays. They can inform the passengers about, e.g., arrivals and departures of trains or current weather conditions. They can also be an attention-getting advertising medium.

It is worth remembering that devices intended for trains have to fulfil several requirements, e.g., operate in wide temperature range, exhibit the resistance to vibrations, or do not generate the interferences that may influence the operation of other instruments. They are defined in EN 50155:2018-01.

In the case of using LCDs in transport applications, one of the essential issues is to provide the passengers with unlimited access to sufficiently readable information presented on the displays. That is why, in such applications, the solutions with full viewing angle (89°/89°/89°/89°) and appropriate brightness (at least 700 cd/m²) are strongly recommended. In the table below, you can find the chosen wide-screen displays on Unisystem’s offer by AUO, BOE, and Litemax (each of Litemax’s products in the “H” variant sold as a set with the AD Board; the offer also includes other versions – “F” (without AD Board), “O” (in an open frame housing), and “D” (in a full housing)):

*The SSF2845-E model meets the requirements of the railway EN 50155:2018-01 standard.

An alternative to LCDs in transport applications may be EPDs. Their features (e.g., full viewing angles) provide excellent readability of presented content (as long as there is access to an external source of light). Moreover, they are energy-efficient – they do not require a backlight and consume a bit of power while the image is changing. What is more, another attractive EPD solution is coming – a 28-inch color e-paper for, e.g., transportation, developing by two companies which specialize in different display technologies – E Ink (a pioneer in EPDs) and Innolux (a leading manufacturer of LCDs). However, its premiere hasn’t been announced – the release date is still not yet known (learn more – here). In the meantime, you can use other available wide-screen e-paper displays like 31.2-inch ED312TT2 (E Ink; 2560×1440, 16:9, 0~50 ˚C).

There is also another group of transport’s devices which is worth mentioning – ticket validators. In these kinds of applications, you can use various types of displays contingent on the device’s screen size. In the case of ticket validators with few-inches screens, we especially recommend the cost-effective 7-inch models by Winstar, e.g., WF70A8SYAHLNN0#. For ticket validators with tiny displays, one can use 16- or 20-characters and 2- or 4-rows LCMs with 12 o’clock viewing direction, also by Winstar, e.g., WH1602B1-SLL-JWV# (16×2), WH1604A-SLL-CWV# (16×4), WH2002G-SLL-CTV# (20×2) or WH2004A-SLL-CTV# (20×4).

Displays for retail

One of the most common associations with LCDs in retail may be the large format displays of 16:9 aspect ratio used as an advertising medium. Besides the full viewing angle, that is 89°/89°/89°/89°, the most critical parameter of such solutions is a brightness which should come up to at least 700 cd/m² to provide optimal readability of the content presented on displays in intensive lighting conditions (e.g., in shopping centers).

There is one advertising medium that is especially worth noticing – an attention-grabbing videowall. It consists of a few large-format bezel-less displays. You can use it to present one image divided into individual displays.

In retail, we can use various types of interactive kiosks, e.g., information points, vending machines, ticket machines, parking meters, POSs (Point of Sales), etc., which usually include LCDs with touch screens to operate these devices. The display’s parameters predominantly depend on the device’s intended use, e.g., there is no need to use a display with a full viewing angle in self-service checkouts – usually, their screens are below the sightline, so 12 o’clock viewing direction will be sufficient. There are plenty of displays for kiosks on Unisystem’s offer – in the table, we present a few 16:9 or 16:10 models by AUO, Winstar, and Litemax (each of Litemax’s products in the “H” variant sold as a set with the AD Board; the offer also includes other versions – “F” (without AD Board), “O” (in an open frame housing), and “D” (in a full housing)):

Another group of displays designed for retail is solutions for shop’s shelves like, e.g., e-paper price tags, which often replace paper ones. There are, e.g., E Ink’s models: black and white ET014TT6 (1.43″) and ED029TC1 (2.9″) as well as with additional color, e.g., EL029TR1 (2.9″, with red pigment). There is also worth recommending 2.9-inch EL029TC1 which may be used in shop’s refrigerators and freezers due to the -25~10°C temperature range. Other solutions for shop’s shelves are smart shelves – the ultra wide-screen LCDs of two aspect ratios: 12:1 (G229HAF01.0 (22.9”) and G229HAF02.0 (22.9”) by AUO) and 24:1 (DV471FBM-N10 (47.1”) by BOE) intended to present advertisements next to the promoted commodities.

Other applications with wide-screen displays

The mentioned devices for transport or retail can be included in another paramount category that is digital signage. It is a group of solutions used to manage and distribute the up-to-date content matching the receivers’ current needs. They are more and more popular in other areas such as, e.g., HoReCa (use to present the offer, place orders in cafés and restaurants, or coordinate the conferences in hotels).

The wide-screen displays can also be applied in industry, e.g., in control panels (HMIs – Human-Machine Interfaces) which currently consist of not only gauges, buttons, and knobs but also screens (usually with touch panels). One of the crucial parameters in industrial applications is operating temperature which should be adapted to the device’s functioning environment conditions. If the module is exposed to the adverse impact of, e.g., dust or water, it should be protected by at least partially dust- and waterproof enclosure. The Polish EN 60529 norm (corresponds to an international IEC 60 529 norm) describes the degrees of protection provided by the enclosures (learn more about protecting the electronic against dust and water – here). Finally, it remains to customize the appropriate brightness (at least 1000 cd/m²) and viewing angles (optimally 89°/89°/89°/89°).

In this review, we are not able to regard all applications with wide-screen displays. It can be extended, e.g., by gaming machines. They are usually located in shady rooms (e.g., casinos), so the brightness requirements are not very restrictive. Then, these kinds of devices can go well with even 250 cd/m² brightness displays. Moreover, there is no need to apply full viewing angles in many gaming machines as the viewing direction depends on the screen’s exposure to the sightline (above the line of sight – 6 o’clock and below the line of sight – 12 o’clock). One of the most popular models choose for such applications by Unisystem’s clients are two displays by AUO – T215HVN01.1 (21.5”) and M238HVN01.0 (23.8”).

It is worth underlining that all mentioned parameters pertain to indoor applications. In the case of outdoor applications, other parameters like, e.g., operation temperature, should be adjusted to the weather conditions to provide proper operation of the device in sweltry summer and frosty winter.

What is more, some of the described devices, e.g., for digital signage, are intended to operate in continuous mode (24/7); therefore, you should check the display’s lifetime to avoid its frequent maintenances. On Unisystem’s offer there are some Litemax’s LCDs which lifetime is estimated up to even 100 000 hours, e.g., 4300-L (43.0”, 16:9, 2500 cd/m²), 5500-L (55.0”, 16:9, 2500 cd/m²) or 6500-A (65.0″, 16:9, 2000 cd/m²) of Durapixel series and 3665-I (36.6”, 16:2.4, 1000 cd/m²), 4485-I (44.8”, 16:4.5, 1000 cd/m²) or 5745-I (57.4″, 16:3.4, 1000 cd/m²) of Spanpixel series. 

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We described each mentioned application by potential requirements of the module, so it can provide not only the proper functioning of the device but also the optimal readability of the content presented on display. Usually, we focused on brightness and viewing angles, but these parameters are not the only ones that should be considered while choosing the display. No doubt that every project requires an individual approach. We should always analyze all factors in the device’s ambient so we can choose the display technology that will go well with the application (and will be in favorable prices). We should not be afraid of using atypical shapes like for smart shelves use in retail. They are still not so popular, so they can be used as an eye-catching advertising medium that attracts potential customers (especially when displays are mounted next to the promoted products). It is also an excellent opportunity to stand out from the competitors. Moreover, there are no obstacles to install the smart shelves both in the vertical and horizontal orientation. The sky is the limit!

Are you looking for a wide-screen display? We are here to help you find the best solution for your device. Just give us a shout!