PixelFLEX Shines in the Rooftop Experience at Beer Park

Located on a 10,000-sq.-ft. deck overlooking the Fountains of Bellagio, Beer Park at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino provides an exciting rooftop experience. With over 100 eclectic beer options, including 36 beers on tap, the developers of the flagship location wanted the outdoor atmosphere to be a shining example of how to best enjoy the Las Vegas life. In this environment, they now needed a high-definition video display to be a focal point in the dynamic audio/visual design, so they worked with the design specialists at Ponto Solutions who chose a FLEXUltra 1.9mm LED video solution from PixelFLEX.

"The restaurant/bar design market is a big industry for us, and we were very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the developers of Beer Park," says Matt Abbrederis, Ponto Solutions. "They really wanted this location to be a premier entertainment experience through an environment that's exciting and upbeat. They also wanted to be able to draw people in off the Las Vegas strip, so we put together a complete audio/visual package that would help them accomplish all their goals, which ultimately included the high-definition FLEXUltra LED video display."

A dynamic, high-definition and curve-able LED display, FLEXUltra allows boundless opportunities to create an unforgettable video experience with each frame manufactured specifically for the installation. Utilizing the ideal tile size for deployment of both 16:9 and 4:3 video ratios, FLEXUltra has a 160° horizontal and vertical viewing angle which offers one of the highest off axis viewing angles in the industry, and the fully front-serviceable panels allow for quick and easy onsite installation and maintenance. With a 3869Hz refresh rate, FLEXUltra panels are now available in numerous pixel pitch options ranging from 1.2mm up to 4.0mm.

Abbrederis continues, "In our initial design concepts, we wanted to wrap the LED video around the entire center bar to resemble the NHL center-ice or NBA center-court scoreboards. Since this was the inaugural Beer Park location, we ended up first installing a 4-panel LCD wall. After things got up and going, they saw the need for the LED video, so we flew them down to Nashville to show them the PixelFLEX technology. Once they saw the FLEXUltra solution for themselves, we got approval to swap out all the LCD panels with the 1.9mm LED technology, and they love it."

Ready to begin the installation of the new LED video system, Abbrederis knew that the numerous challenges of living in the Las Vegas desert might present a series of obstacles. Wanting to ensure the longevity of the system, they next created a custom enclosure and mounting rack to match the specs of the FLEXUltra LED video display.

"This is an outdoor environment and in Vegas that's a bit unique," explains Abbrederis. "You have high winds blowing sand, 120° summer heat, spring and fall rain storms, and then it even gets cold in the winter with snow every once in a while. Needing a way to best protect the system, we worked with PixelFLEX and a local fabricator to create an outdoor enclosure, with a custom mounting rack, that allowed us to easily install the FLEXUltra LED."

As the integration of the new system could now move forward, the goal was to make the rooftop design as flexible and truly unique as possible. Keeping both the experience of the guests and the management team in mind, Abbrederis created an easy-to-use audio/visual package which is conveniently controlled through a handheld tablet.

"The LED video wall is now being driven by a Crestron system which gives us a great level of flexibility," adds Abbrederis. "On the HD LED video wall, we can now use it as one large display, or we can break it up and show up to four different pieces of video content at once. We then have an audio system that can intelligently read the decibel levels throughout the space to give us a nice and even distribution of sound across the entire rooftop with no hot spots. The complete A/V system is then controlled off a tablet that the employees can use to change the channels, break up the video and audio zones, and then also adjust volume in fully integrated operating system."

In an ever-evolving world of consumer engagement, Abbrederis believes that LED video technology is a key design element for an innovative and modern customer experience. Looking at the technology from both a performance and functionality perspective, he is quick to note its multiple advantages for a more successful and memorable visual display.

"In this application, reliability was certainly the key, and the overall reliability of LED video is much greater than other large format displays," Abbrederis admits. "Additionally, the imagery of the LED video is seamless so that you don't have varying colors, and the installation is a lot easier because you are essentially using one big mount instead of individual mounting LCD displays. Plus, if one LCD display goes out, you have to replace the entire display. With LED technology, should you have a panel failure, you just pop it out and place in a new one, so it minimizes your down time and you get a better-quality display."

Ready to now showcase the new FLEXUltra LED video system to the developers of Beer Park, Abbrederis was excited to fully demonstrate how it would enhance the open-air atmosphere. While also understanding that the final result would ultimately be determined by the allure of the system on the guests, he is confident about the lasting effects of LED video technology in this type of entertainment environment.

"Once they saw the result of the new system, they knew why we were pushing an LED video solution in the beginning of the project," concludes Abbrederis. "The brightness, the clarity, and the technology all make a statement in your facility, which customers really appreciate. We started quoting LED video about 18 months ago, and what we have found out is that if you have a high-definition LED video display in your venue, guests are going to more significantly enjoy the experience."