Planar LED Video Wall Delivers Function and Aesthetic for World-Leading Public Health Institution

Founded in 1916, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH) is the first institution of its kind worldwide and the largest school of public health in the world. It is part of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD.

Located in the school's Wolfe St. building is the Anna M. Baetjer room, a multi-purpose space that is traditionally used for lectures and a range of different types of academic presentations. Dedicated to alumna Dr. Anna Baetjer, a pioneer in the fields of occupational health and industrial hygiene, the room also serves as a key venue for accommodating visiting tours and hosting lectures, workshops, meetings and catered events, including receptions, and celebrations.

JHSPH completed a floor-to-ceiling overhaul of the room, updating both the design and the technology to a higher, state-of-the-art standard. A central feature to the renovation project is a 12 ½-foot-long, 5-foot-high Planar TWA Series LED video wall in a 3x2 configuration with a 1.2mm pixel pitch (TWA1.2) and a Clarity® VCS™ video wall processor from Planar.

Installed by audiovisual integrator CCS Presentation Systems, the Planar TWA Series is architected to support the highest pixel density and delivers a crisp, high contrast image using the highest quality black LEDs, providing a seamless video wall installation for the Anna M. Baetjer room. The Planar TWA Series also features excellent off-axis uniformity and maximum full color and brightness for vivid, high contrast imagery.

The Clarity VCS video wall processor is a flexible and easy-to-use video wall processor designed to capture, display and manage multiple sources on the video wall. Featuring multi-video wall support, the Clarity VCS processor allows users to create, resize and move windows to any location across the video wall, ideal for supporting multiple presentation formats.

Serving a dual purpose

The objective for integrating display technology as a centerpiece to the new, modernized Anna M. Baetjer room was to both enhance the audio visual capabilities and instill a 'wow factor' in the new space, according to Craig Stallings, A/V design executive with CCS Presentation Systems.
"Previously, the school had a projector and screen in the room, but it just didn't offer the features nor the impression that the room deserves," Stallings said.

The LED video wall was specified for the project after JHSPH representatives visited the Planar Showroom in Washington, D.C. and selected the Planar TWA Series based on clarity, seamlessness, vibrancy, flexibility and how it could integrate with the room's existing infrastructure. With the restoration complete, JHSPH is now using the video wall to support lectures, presentations, meetings, video conferencing and to serve as a showpiece for special events.