Article

Plasma forecast is cool, clear...and costly

Kiosk deployers aren't rushing out to buy plasma displays just yet, but as prices fall and demand for large and vivid displays increase, demand is heating up.

November 20, 2002

Few would argue that plasma-display technology is futuristic, innovative, and easy on the eyes. But there is debate about the technology's immediate impact on the kiosk industry. Are plasma screens ready to replace tried-and-true CRT or LCD display screens?

Not yet, agreed most industry experts, though plasma screens have their advocates.

"The `wow' factor is there. But time will tell if there is real market acceptance," said Derek Fretheim, president of CeroView, a kiosk vendor which has sold plasma products since 1997.

Plasma technology is more complementary than revolutionary, according to leading plasma-kiosk designers. Plasma screens are a good way to achieve large, flat-panel displays with impressive image quality. They are also well-suited to dynamic and interactive content like advertisements meant for large viewing audiences.

But there are still major drawbacks to using plasma screens in kiosks. For one thing, they remain expensive compared with other display technologies. For another, they are heavy and difficult to transport. They also heat up rapidly and require special cooling measures.

How it Works

According to ActiveLight, a value-added distributor of digital-display systems, plasma offers the accurate color fidelity of conventional CRT monitors in a large display that is thin enough to hang on a wall. It is less than six inches thick.

"Plasmavision" is an array of cells, or pixels. Gas in a plasma state reacts with phosphors in sub pixels to produce red, green and blue light. Each sub pixel is individually controlled by advanced electronics to produce more than 16 million different colors.

ActiveLight has offered plasma screens in kiosks since it began operations five years ago.

President and founder Brad Gleeson said the technology is surging in popularity.

"Awareness and availability are up. More people see this as a cool technology with real user benefits," Gleeson said.

He said that while the technology is costly, the price has dropped through the years. Gleeson said his displays can cost $3,000 to $5,000, depending upon size and resolution.

Gleeson said that plasma is a powerful tool for attracting customers to a kiosk. Plasma screens are used for displaying digital advertising above a kiosk, and for building directories in a touch screen or interactive mode.

Seattle-based Mercury Online Solutions, Inc. used technology from ActiveLight for a kiosk project it developed for AT&T Wireless.

"Our network of more than 2,500 displays creates a compelling differentiation for specific AT&T Wireless products on the sales floors of more than 820 retail stores across the country," said John Eisenhauer, president of Mercury Online.

He said plasma screens are an important component of the display network in terms of drawing customers to the kiosks and getting them to interact with the AT&T products.

Eisenhauer said there is return on investment (ROI) for the customer when plasma screens are used for such large campaigns.

Special Applications

Apunix Computer Services started offering plasma-screen technology about three years ago, according to Peter Berens, Ph.D., president.

Apunix has designed a virtual art gallery kiosk for Evviva Virtual Art Galleries in Beverly Hills, Calif. This kiosk, which will also appear in a few weeks in a Home Expo store, allows consumers to preview art and interactively mat and frame it on the plasma screen.

"The large form factor supplied by plasma was critical in this type of application because it allows the product to be viewed at its approximate real size," said Berens.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is another customer that has purchased a kiosk with a plasma screen. Kiosk Information Systems, Inc.(KIS), designed and manufactured the DEA's kiosk. 

This kiosk uses a projection screen, a less expensive alternative than plasma screens. Photo Courtesy of Kiosk Information Systems.

Pete Snyder, vice president of marketing for KIS, said the high-profile kiosk located at the DEA's Washington, D.C. headquarters displays names of agents who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Beauty and sophistication were key goals of the display.

Snyder said it was not without its engineering challenges. Heat dissipation was an early concern, as it is in many plasma displays.

"Heat transfer is an issue," Snyder said. "These screens run very hot and need a lot of ventilation within the kiosk."

He said KIS has seen plasma designs, thanks to the falling price, become more realistic in the last year. But, he added, "It is very difficult to find a viable return on investment for the kiosk. Plasma screens are still the most expensive component in a kiosk solution by a wide margin."

Weight, Snyder said, is another issue for kiosks with plasma screens. "They're very heavy, especially when used up high in the display. There is a stability issue to overcome. These kiosks invariably have to be bolted to the floor."

He said plasma displays do not travel well, often requiring shipment in expensive containers separate from the kiosk.

Snyder said KIS has designed alternatives to large-screen displays. One uses a projector and large screen to provide plasma-sized results with at a much lower cost.

An example is a kiosk the firm designed and deployed to support military recruitment across the country. That kiosk has a projector, DVD player, and mirror-projection system with a large display that can be moved more than 50 times a year.

Snyder estimated that the price of the entire kiosk was 60 percent less than it would have been if a plasma screen was used.

For the most part, kiosk experts agree that the best uses of plasma-display technology is in cases in which ROI is not a big issue for the customer, or in which advertising can help recoup implementation costs.

The next big thing in kiosks? Hardly. But plasma screens are becoming more of a viable alternative for kiosks.