What Display Daily thinks: Given that Nvidia is a multi-trillion dollar behemoth, the leading provider of AI hardware, and top dog in Slicion Valley right now, you’d think that they would have more partnerships with display manufacturers.
It is interesting a lot of AI hardware for consumers is consumed by the notion of assistance or generative AI when the real value is in the eye of the beholder. Visual AI is probably the best friend the display industry has but it may not be easily apparent.
Local AI processing of visual data for recognition or manipulation in-camera is the low hangihing ng fruit of AI applications. If I wanted to give my smartphone displays a boost, I would be thinking about indirect associations with Visual AI applications as being a winner.
The tie-in between Visual AI and digital signage, automotive displays, medical imaging, and entertainment is pretty significant. It actually ties into the notion that smarter input on what to show on a display can lead to better value for the display. For instance, you have OLED digital signage, but if a Visual AI system could identify very specific moods or behaviors from an audience around the signage, the argument could be mae that the impact of the advertising could be improved and that OLED screen technology provides a vaeity of highly targeted nuances in terms of the impact it can create visually over LCD,
I guess all I am askihng for is, figure out how to use all those colors and nits in more ways than pictures of lizards and forests. Is it a missing opportunity? Is it big enough? Does Visual AI support for displays in certain applications create more value, bigger margins, and greater pull for premium display technologies? There might be something there.
You might want to talk to Nvidia and see if they have any ideas. I am sure they do.
Nvidia and The Sphere: A Marriage Made in Vegas
The Sphere in Las Vegas is a new entertainment venue with an impressive LED display inside and out. The construction cost a hefty $2.3 billion. Inside, there’s a huge 16K LED screen, and outside, the Exosphere features 1.2 million programmable LED pucks that create amazing visual effects.
In a blog post, Nvidia wants you to know that its technology is central to the Sphere’s visuals. About 150 Nvidia RTX A6000 GPUs power the display, allowing it to deliver high-quality images at three layers of 16K resolution and 60 frames per second.
| Nvidia Equipment | Description | Role in the Sphere |
|---|---|---|
| Nvidia RTX A6000 GPUs | High-performance graphics processing units | Powers the high-resolution visuals on the Sphere’s interior display, enabling 16K resolution at 60 fps |
| Nvidia BlueField DPUs | DPUs designed for networking and storage tasks | Ensures precision timing and synchronization of all display panels through DOCA Firefly service |
| Nvidia ConnectX-6 Dx NICs | NICs that provide high-speed data transfer and networking capabilities | Facilitates robust network connectivity for real-time media streaming and synchronization |
| Nvidia DOCA Firefly Service | Software service for network timing and synchronization | Provides sub-microsecond accuracy in clock synchronization across the network |
| Nvidia Rivermax Software | Media streaming acceleration software | Enables direct data transfers to and from the GPU, reducing jitter and optimizing latency |
| Nvidia A40 GPUs | Graphics processing units used in data centers for various computing tasks | Supports creative work at Sphere Studios, including 3D video, virtualization, and ray tracing |
Nvidia’s BlueField data processing units (DPUs) and ConnectX-6 Dx network interface cards (NICs) help keep the various display panels in sync. Using Nvidia’s DOCA Firefly service and Rivermax software, the Sphere can stream media in real-time and maintain precise timing for all its displays.
Sphere Studios in Burbank, California, is responsible for creating the content shown at the Sphere. The studio has a smaller version of the Sphere’s screen, known as the Big Dome, to develop and test their content. They also created the Big Sky camera system, which captures high-resolution images without needing to stitch multiple feeds together. The studio uses Nvidia A40 GPUs for their creative work, including 3D video and ray tracing.
