WATCHOUT drives world's highest resolution video wall

You can't miss the latest record-breaking attraction at The Dubai Mall: the new curved video wall above the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo measures a stunning 700 square meters with 1.7 billion pixels on 820 OLED displays. Behind the scenes, you'll find Dataton's award-winning WATCHOUT multi-display production and playback system, WATCHNET manager software and WATCHPAX 4 servers delivering breath-taking, high-resolution content for the mall's 80 million or so visitors. 

The new video wall at The Dubai Mall, unveiled in August 2017, takes digital signage into a whole new realm and has already scored a hat-trick of world record titles: Largest OLED screen, Highest resolution video wall and Largest high-definition video wall. The wall is a magnificent, 50-meter wide, wave-like configuration that is two storeys high and fully visible from the ground floor at The Dubai Mall, the world’s most visited retail destination. Dataton’s WATCHOUT multi-display system and compact WATCHPAX 4 media servers handle content production and delivery, while LG’s flexible OLED screens provide the vibrant colour range and wider viewing angle necessary at the location. Show control onsite, including show selection and power cycling, is via Dataton WATCHNET manager software. All functions and the user interface were tailored to meet the venue's specific requirements.

“The wall is designed to promote the aquarium, but will also provide a visually-exciting canvas for other content and companies, and with such a high-profile installation there are, of course, great demands on content quality and reliability,” said Lars Sandlund, CEO at Dataton. “WATCHOUT with WATCHPAX 4 was likely the only system in the world that could pull off such a complex installation. The system needed to be flexible and scalable, and requests for future functionality left other clunky systems far behind, making our solution the best choice for the installation."

At Dubai's latest attraction, WATCHOUT is teamed with 52 of Dataton’s WATCHPAX 4 media servers, each pushing content to sixteen 55-inch LG OLED panels. Lars Sandlund, Dataton, continued: “Besides high performance, the media servers needed to be robust to handle almost 24/7 use and have a compact form factor. Space is incredibly tight behind the video wall – virtually non-existent – and extensive cabling to a server room was never an option. That meant each server had to sit close to the screens. With quad 4K video outputs and a trim A4-size footprint, the WATCHPAX units were eminently suited to the task.”

The Dubai Mall video wall is part of owner Emaar Entertainment’s ongoing strategy to provide world-class edutainment using innovative platforms. Dubai-based systems integrator, DigiComm, supplied the technical specification, solution and installation expertise for the project, coordinating with key suppliers Dataton, LG, and the client, Emaar Entertainment.

Maitha Al Dossari, Chief Executive Officer of Emaar Entertainment, said: “Emaar Entertainment continues to push the boundaries and achieve greater heights through innovative installations and attractions. We’re committed to delivering the best in the industry and are honoured that the new OLED screen at Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo has received three world records achievements, underpinning our commitment to pioneering innovative attractions, continued advancements in technology and digital attractions, and inspiring joy.”

Footnote: 

Dataton WATCHOUT is no stranger to record-breaking installations. WATCHOUT is also the content delivery system used at The Big Picture, Suntec Singapore, a previous holder of the title “Largest high-definition video wall.” The Big Picture features 664 LG panels in a two-storey standalone exhibit which greets visitors to the exhibition and convention center.More about WATCHOUT at Suntec Singapore.

WATCHOUT was also the system chosen for "The Next 100 Years" for BMW Group, holder of "Highest resolution projected image," "Largest media kinetic sphere sculpture" and "Lightest projection." WATCHOUT was teamed with 149 projectors at this event! More about "The Next 100 Years".