SignageWire

Engadget has this news about an interesting new product in prototype. They note:

Surely you remember Shinoda Plasma and its obscenely large PTA display, right? Unfortunately, this one's no 142-incher, but 125-inches of curvaceous screen real estate still isn't anything to sneeze at -- especially when we're talking about an actual prototype. The 3- x 1-meter display consists of three PTA (plasma tube array) modules connected together, and it features a rather uninspiring 960 x 360 resolution but weighs just 7.9-pounds. The actual "display part" measures just one-millimeter thick, and while this unit is likely to make a veiled appearance at InfoComm next month, a mass produced version will reportedly be produced in conjunction with Hibino. Honest opinion? We're still feelin' the resolution of Alienware's curved monster, but digital signage fans should certainly dig where this one is headed.

Our take:

Plasma tube arrays are still relatively uncommon, but will probably gain popularity as companies look for ever thinner and less-expensive ways to make very large screens without having to do so on a single, giant piece of glass (as you might have to with current-generation LCDs, for example).  While this display sports a relatively low resolution, as Engadet notes that isn't really a problem for many digital signage installations that are seen from more than a few feet away.  In these cases, size, brightness and viewing angle trump resolution every time, and the PTA's very light weight would be an added bonus during installation (and even for shipping -- sending lots of plasmas and LCDs cross country can get really expensive these days)