Clarity Matrix Video Wall is Key Marketing and Selling Tool
Being recognized as the nation's premier builder of luxury homes – a designation Toll Brothers has earned repeatedly – acknowledges many things about the company, including the unique manner in which it markets its properties to its target customers. This is particularly evident in New York City, where Toll Brothers City Living is marketing its newest condominiums at Brooklyn Bridge Park using video wall technology from Planar in its Brooklyn sales gallery.
"A condominium at Brooklyn Bridge Park comes with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer a one-of-a-kind view of the park, the East River and the Manhattan skyline. The Planar video wall gives us the ability to present this view in the presales setting," says Todd Dumaresq, Toll Brothers City Living Marketing Manager. "It could not be done more dramatically or effectively in any other way, and as far as we know, no other developer is using digital video wall technology in the manner that we are. It truly is a unique tool that has allowed us to market very successfully in a business environment that is among the most demanding and competitive in the country."
Clarity Matrix video wall supports key business objectives
The Planar video wall concept for the Brooklyn Bridge Park project came from Communications Engineering Management (CEM), the Paramus, New Jersey-based systems engineering company. After reviewing various options, CEM chose Planar's Clarity™ Matrix LCD Video Wall System, and recommended a design using 32 Clarity Matrix MX46HD LCD displays, installed in a four-wide-by-eight-high (4 x 8) orientation. The design accommodates time-lapse video (in 4K resolution) that portrays the view from a condominium window as the owner would see it at any season of the year and any time of day.
"We could see that Clarity Matrix would digitally create the breathtaking view a condominium provides, and deliver the wow factor that Toll Brothers City Living was looking for," says Eric Olsen, Managing Partner,) of CEM. "Clarity Matrix is the best solution for this application because of its image quality and the fact that it avoids shadows you get with projection systems, and ambient-light washouts that are common with other LCD video walls. So it really supports the customer's business objectives."
Mounting system speeds and simplifies installation
The Clarity Matrix video wall in the Toll Brothers' sales gallery is installed on a wall replicating that which a potential buyer sees in an actual condominium. The installation began in the late summer of 2013 and was completed in the fall. CEM's Eric Olsen says the installation went smoothly, in part due to the use of Planar's EasyAxis™ Mounting System. This is an installation solution unique in the industry and one designed to speed and simplify the mounting of small video walls and large ones such as Toll Brothers City Living. EasyAxis is a cam-based mounting system that allows for very precise alignment of video wall panels in relation to each other. The system takes advantage of the ultra-thin bezel of the MX46HD, allowing panels to be positioned within 5.5mm of each other, creating a virtually seamless electronic canvass.
CEM's Olsen likes the EasyAxis Mounting System for other reasons as well. "The frame mounts very quickly to virtually any surface, and also provides space behind the wall through which we easily can run cabling to a remote rack room. A video wall of this size can be installed by two people in about half the time it would take with other mounting systems. That makes our jobs easier and supports our cost, time and profit objectives. It also made Toll Brothers happy since we could have their video wall up and operational quickly so they could begin using their new sales center quickly."
Clarity Matrix design delivers benefits to the integrator
The design of Clarity Matrix, including the EasyAxis Mounting System, allows a video wall to be mounted very close to a wall (total depth less than four inches) which, in Toll Brothers' case, meant it would integrate very well with the architecture of the model condominium in the sales center. "Because it doesn't protrude into the space, it looks like a real window instead of a typical flat-screen TV array," says Dumaresq. "That makes quite an impact on the potential buyer because it gives the feeling of looking out a real window as they would see it in their condominium."
Further, Clarity Matrix and the EasyAxis Mounting System allow for the remote location of a number of elements of the system including power supplies and various controllers. This design keeps heat-generating elements away from the video wall – which reduces the likelihood of heat-related problems – and also keeps maintenance and other costs down. "If a particular panel needs attention for any reason, we can troubleshoot the problem in the rack room, which is much easier and less intrusive; and if a panel needs servicing, we can access it without having to power down the entire video wall," CEM's Olsen adds.
A graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology, Doug has been in the Technology industry since 1976 and actively oversees Fearing’s daily operations. Along with his wife, Lois, and three others, Doug started Fearing’s in a 600 square-foot facility in Portage, Wisconsin. In the 25 years since, the company has grown to over 30 employees with offices in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Doug likes to say he’s a “TV Technician with a dream� going back to his history with the family’s original business-Fearing’s TV and Appliance.
Doug values time with family, watersports, hiking, snowshoeing and skiing. In addition to being a devoted member of his church, Doug serves as Board President for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County, Board member of Schools for Haiti and Scripture Chair of the Gideons-Portage camp.
A graduate of MATC, Lois oversees Fearing’s daily book keeping along with various HR responsibilities.
Along with Doug, Lois is deeply connected to community outreach, serving as a Board member and Fundraising Committee Chairperson for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County. She also serves on the Schools for Haiti Fundraising committee. In addition, Lois’ ongoing passion and commitment to provide care for the elderly comes from her 10-year history of working in a Reedsburg, Wisconsin Nursing home.
Lois enjoys singing, hiking, sunny days on the pontoon, and spending time with her 4 grandchildren.
Ehren drives Fearing’s technology by continually seeking out trends to enhance capabilities while supporting Sales, Engineering and Installation teams. Throughout his years with Fearing’s, Ehren’s talent and vision have joined forces to create a wide variety of projects and strategic solutions that exceed expectation.
Ehren loves music, family time, movies, nature, sustainability efforts and electric vehicles.
With 10 years with Fearing’s and over twice that long in the industry, Ben continues to lead, coordinate, and develop the Commercial AV team.
By consistently delivering an outstanding experience and outcome, Ben contributes to the Fearing’s legacy of long-lasting partnerships that truly make a difference. Whatever the Commercial AV need may be, Ben and team deliver at the highest level.
Ben is an avid fisherman and photographer. He enjoys coaching his sons and other youth.
Chris has been with Fearing’s for 20 years and in the industry for over 2 decades. As a Certified leader in Sales Acceleration and trained in EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating Systems), Chris successfully utilizes his skills to lead the Fearing’s Salesforce. Chris and team are motivated and driven to develop new client partnerships while continuing to reinforce loyal long-term relationships with ongoing Service excellence.
Married for 19 years with 3 children, Chris enjoys skiing, hiking, fishing, boating, hunting, camping and golf. He’s also been actively involved as a Youth Football and Softball coach for his family and others.
