Go big, go bold. That could be the mantra for GoVision TV, which showed off its giant modular LED displays designed for residential applications at CEDIA 2016 for the first time.

The Argyle, Texas-based company has been providing massive scoreboard-sized LEDs in commercial markets like concert halls and sporting venues for years but just recently decided to bring a system designed for residential use.

The timing could be just right … there is no question that outdoor entertainment is one of the fastest growing segments of the business for custom integrators.

The GoVision TV LEDs are certainly spectacular and larger-than-life video screens experience. The personal, jumbo LED screen, designed for outdoor viewing, is weatherproof (IP 65-rated), viewable in full sunlight (greater than 5,500 nits), contains integrated speakers and multiple inputs and is compatible with most existing home and commercial audio/visual systems.

Building Out Rep, Dealer Network

The company has been in business for 14 years, building a reputation as the largest LED rental company in the U.S., doing more than 1,000 events per year, erecting massive structures for the NCAA championships across multiple sports, the Pope’s recent U.S. visit, and several Presidential inaugurations.

It recently designed and installed the world's largest outdoor, free-standing, center-hung digital display screen, dubbed “Colossus,” which debuted at Bristol Motor Speedway earlier this year.

The company builds the units in China and Korea, then the GoVision team installs these “jumbotron” scoreboards themselves at music and sports venues. Mobile signage is another key market. Faciane says the company currently serves 38 different vertical markets, from golf tournaments (including the Ryder Cup next week) to rodeos to corporate events.

But the go-to-market strategy for the residential space is different. It will be through custom integrators, who would act as resellers and be trained to install the LEDs. GoVision could also be subcontracted to do the installation if desired. The company is building a rep network led by Chris Pruet of CSP Marketing. Six reps are already in place with two more shortly onboard.

“A normal LCD TV produces 300 to 400 nits of brightness. A super-bright outdoor LCD has 700 to 800 nits. These have 5,500 nits of brightness. Other outdoor TVs are made to be watched in the shade and they are not even close to the brightness levels the GoVision TVs can get to,” says Pruet. He adds that it also is much brighter than is achievable with a long-throw two-piece outdoor setup, especially for daylight viewing.

“Also, conventional outdoor TVs have to be placed in enclosures to make them weatherproof outdoors, these do not. And even then, they are not truly weatherproof … humidity can affect them,” says Pruet.

Kevin Faciane, executive vice president, explains that GoVision TV can be viewed in full sunlight without any deterioration in picture quality, very similar to the outdoor video boards seen in professional sports stadiums.

Mounting, Assembly, Shipping

GoVision TVs can be mounted to most existing structures and walls, or configured as a stand-alone viewing system using an available design kit featuring wood, stone and other structures. At CEDIA, the company showed off a 6- x 10-foot wide unit, which would retail for about $120,000 installed … a nice paycheck for a CE pro who might have a client with deep pockets. The TVs can be scaled even larger using the modular LED panels.  The individual tiles, which consist of multiple LED plastic polymer diodes, are pieced together so that it is nearly impossible to detect the seams between them, and the TVs themselves can be hung from a stage or various rigging systems.

In the commercial market, the TVs ship intact, but for the resi space, Faciane says they will likely be divided into two, three or four pieces and require re-assembly on  the jobsite. Other sizes planned for the resi market are 8×12 feet and 9×16 feet. The units have a 140-degree viewing angle and can withstand temperatures from -4 degrees to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.  The massive units require three 20A 110V circuits. They have auto-dimming capability so the brightness corresponds with the ambient light.

“This product is ideal for upscale homes as well as country clubs, sports bars with large patios, golf courses and other outdoor entertainment venues,” says Faciane. “And because we are one of the nation’s leading outdoor LED screen providers, we have the expertise to design and install an LED screen that perfectly fits the available space and will provide the highest-quality viewing experience possible.”

“GoVision TV is a truly unique product in the outdoor television market,” says Faciane. “Most products advertised for outdoor applications use modified indoor consumer televisions that are encased to protect the delicate electronics from the elements. GoVision TV is manufactured specifically for outdoor use, meaning it is weatherproof and nearly seven times brighter than the leading outdoor ‘super bright’ TVs.”

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