Setting the Agenda: Don Kim, LG

• Features

• 06/03/2018

Don Kim from LG Electronics talks about the growing display market in Asia Pacific and how the panel manufacturer is investing in research and development for OLED to capitalise.

Don Kim, senior general manager of Asia home entertainment (HE) B2B business department at LG Electonics, is responsible for LG’s information displays in Asia. His remit includes, but is not limited to, looking after the markets in Australia, New Zealand, Northeast Asia, Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Bangladesh. Due to his position in one of the largest panel manufacturers in the world, he is uniquely placed to comment on the state of the display market in Asia Pacific.

Don says: “Within the APAC region, the trend for growth has been positive, specifically in verticals such as transportation (22% growth), hospitality (8% growth), and retail (3% growth).”

Specifically talking about the transport sector, he says: “Airports in Asia are in the process of upgrading and new terminals are being added. Terminal 4 at Changi airport (in Singapore) is a good example. These developments and refurbishments are also driving the trend of adoption of digital displays for air travel information and opportunity to increase revenue streams by providing digital screens to attract more advertisers. More advertisements can be displayed on digital screens as opposed to the traditional static billboards and wall stickers.”

The hospitality market in Asia Pacific is modernising and this is offering panel manufacturers an opportunity for growth. Don says: “As the third largest market in the world, hospitality has been shifting towards digitalisation rapidly. From analogue displays, the industry has since moved towards digitalisation in 2015.

Therefore, commercial hotels are replacing their TVs with new hotel TVs and creating new revenue streams through facilities rental such as meeting rooms and lounge areas, which require digital display for presentation and conferencing needs.”

However, while growth in the retail sector is slow for now, Don believes the rate of growth will continue to increase. He says: “The retail vertical in the digital signage market is projected to increase by 20% year-on-year in market growth rate. This is projected based on two trends. Firstly, large-scale shopping malls are sprouting in Asia as the ‘mall’ culture becomes more prevalent. Retail building management is looking to install large-format videowalls and even creative display installations to enhance the retail experience. Secondly, infl ation in retail rental cost. Given the rising operational cost, retailers face space constraint for information display as fl oor area is maximised for more products to provide variety for customers. Hence there is a need for space- saving signage solutions.”

Digital signage is a common application for displays and one that panel manufacturers are increasingly looking to enable. Don states: “With the increase in globalisation and technological adoption in Asia, businesses are looking for more technological advancement with network capability to handle larger volume of content. This creates a demand for more complex systems to handle the load. For example, with large-scale deployment of over 1,000 screens, considerations such as server load balancing, complex IT network systems, network security in remote management and advanced scheduling come into play. LG tackles this through its suite of SuperSign Solutions that makes content management more convenient in terms of scheduling, sorting, distributing via Network and managing the player.”

The increasing popularity of LCD displays for digital signage also means that end-users are looking to differentiate their signage systems from the crowd. LG is responding to this by developing OLED technology.

Don comments: “LG has chosen to delve into the unmet needs of businesses. In providing these unmet needs, LG has created new display innovations that transform the way information is being delivered and consumed. LG being the fi rst to commercialise OLED displays, has grown its OLED offerings, from fl at displays which have since expanded to dual-view, arc and wallpaper, videowall to name a few. This broadens the range of commercial OLED displays and showcases its rapid technological advancements to push the envelope of where digital signage can go.”

LG’s curved OLED screens have already been deployed in Asia. Don details: “At Lotte World Tower, two sky shuttles were installed with a total of 60 units of LG 55-in OLED displays. Covering three walls and a ceiling, except the elevator door, the signage shows tourist attractions in Seoul in accordance to the Sky Shuttle moving upwards. The video starts from two stories below the ground to floor 118 in a minute, creating a bird’s eye view as if the visitor is looking down at Seoul realistically. This concept takes digital display to another level where it engages and interacts with the customer through interactive displays. This almost a creates a virtual reality- like simulation that pushes the limits of where creative OLED installations can go.”

Don believes that OLED displays are the way forward and will be used for a range of applications in the future. He elaborates: “One particular area where the OLED display will be appreciated more is in the space of digital art. LED and LCD displays are not able to refl ect true representation of artworks in terms of colours, whereas OLED digital signage can display colours that are truer to life, bringing the artists’ visions to life.”

The success of OLED screens hinges on the research and development efforts of manufacturers. Don says: “The popularity of OLED screens is not linked to price or cost because the technology is different. Perhaps, at the end of this year 4K displays become similar in price to full HD displays. Maybe by the end of next year OLED costs are closer to the cost of 4K displays. But OLED technology for public display requires a lot of development. They are suited for indoor use but we must develop them to become suitable for outdoor use in some case as well. How much we can drive the technological advance is the main point.”