21:9 Fad or the Future?
Microsoft could, and probably should be, to blame for the sudden interest in large 21:9 meeting room and collaboration displays. After all, it was showcasing their Front Row for Microsoft Teams that got everyone excited about this new way of visualising content, shifting the dynamic away from the classic dual screen approach of having people on one screen and content on the other, to something much more flexible.
This week at ISE 2023 there are no end of displays, projectors and LED showcasing this layout and approach to how Microsoft see the best current MS Teams meeting room experience.
The question we ask at coodart is wider however, is there place for this more generally in collaboration spaces, or is it just limited to Microsoft Teams view of the world?
The first question that should be asked is whether 21:9 is actually any better even for MS Teams? In our opinion yes, and for the following reasons
these wider screens naturally are shallower top to bottom based on their width to height ratio, compared to the classic 16:9 display. This means that where to position a conference camera becomes a little more natural, especially for larger meeting spaces.
replacing dual screens where in room participants are either looking left at content or right at people is definitely something that can improve the user experience and comfort in the room.
our eyes are wide screen, we've progressed from 4:3, 16:9 so 21:9 is adapting more to the way our eyes see the world.
We’ll we see the wider canvas as something that can support more natural interactive collaboration and content sharing, possibly away from those classic meeting space. Whiteboarding and content sharing become much easier, and with width to spare, people standing next to each other have room to work.
The reduced height again, based on a wider display also allows simpler ergonomics for a wider range of people. Accessibility and easy of use becomes easier to achieve.
Beyond the meeting spaces, a large canvas naturally aids the display of complex and challenging data, without maybe the need to resort to video walls or much more costly LED, particularly if the space is limited or the complexities of installing other options is to be avoided.
Finally digital signage always enjoys going big, but again here, the single canvas can avoid the need for multi screens, signage players and licences.
Simplifying the creation and management of content, across a single display rather than multiple ones, will certainly aid rapid and fully featured signage, whether it be in landscape or even portrait orientation.
So what are the downsides?
with size comes weight, secure mounting and fixing needs to be considered, and the basic logistics of handling
resolution - with many of these display pushing 5k2k, getting devices configured correctly will be key to get the best out of them
potentially cost, but compared to video walls or similar size and resolution LED, the costs are likely to be favourable to either.
