The number of LED video panels and video panel manufacturers in the industry is truly staggering. Manufacturers have to innovate at such a rapid pace in this market, so a solid product with a low margin of down time can be the difference between a rental fleet full of that product, or a rental fleet made of a better product that proved better in testing. In this saturated market, a manufacturer has to make a product that conforms not only to what the customer wants today, but that manufacturer also has to determine what the next thing is that the customer will need, and long before the need arises.
Taylorleds has brought a new video product line, Vapor, to the market that has some very interesting choices to produce a product that is strong, light and features some form and function changes that struck me as quite innovative. In the categories of Form and Function, the Taylorleds Vapor video panels bring some uniquely interesting product offerings that make this system a contender in your rental video fleet choices. Vapor has two indoor and two outdoor offerings, from 2.9mm pitch to 4.9mm pitch, solid for the gamut of events a production company encounters day in and day out.
Form
Vapor video panels have a distinct look from the rear, and a unique design overall — the Vapor LED modules have no frame. To keep the weight down and take a different approach to structure, Taylorleds came up with a strong, light and robust design for the Vapor line. The video modules mount to the panel plate like any other video panel, and the modules can be serviced, like any other video product. The difference is that Taylorleds’ strong design on the Vapor product line has created a new thinking on video product. The uniformity and flatness of the modules and the lack of an external frame on the modules puts the weigh-in weight for the Vapor Shine 2.9mm panel, for example, at 16.3 pounds.
Taylorleds’ Vapor panels have excellent usable features in installation and transportation. This line has multiple uses, from stacking and hanging (using Taylor Made stacking and hanging accessories) to a quick configuration switch to a video dance floor if desired, which shows the versatility that the company has engineered into this product. Magnetic assistance on the edges of the panels allows for quick installation; this is vital for keeping your panel configuration tight and uniform. Once you’ve lined up your Vapor panel to the next in line, easy to close lock handles that double as carry handles for transport snap together quickly and easily. Vapor panels are also designed so that there is a reduction in banging your panels together on installation; reliefs and bumpers are designed into the structure of the panel to help safeguard your gear while in its rental life cycle and assembled by amateurs and professionals alike.
Appropriately under Form, the Vapor line has two additional add-on shapes that can be just as easily configured as the regular panels, a circle and a triangle shape. These additional shaped accessory panels work seamlessly with the rest of the line.
Function
Form migrates to function on the Vapor LED panels with respect to their service portals. On each panel, four integrated access doors are placed into the panel structure. These doors allow you to pass a module through the opening for those situations where you absolutely cannot access the front of your display. Almost all manufacturers solve this problem, but the Taylorleds design is elegant — it’s small enough to fit an LED module from one side to the other, but it also has enough central space in the opening to actually get a hand through to make any adjustments or perform service as needed. It’s a very cool, very unique design.
The Vapor power and data pack is quick access — three quick-release handles hold the module onto the panel structure, and the module can be removed for service or configuration. Vapor also features an innovative curving side locking system for curvature for your panel configuration, allowing you to make quick work of curves, from 10° to -5° for a wide range of creative application. When you’re done and loading out for the night, Vapor panels come seven to a case, and the flight cases have been optimized to be truck-pack-friendly across the U.S. and the E.U.
The Vapor line has several product offerings, each ready to cover the entirety of the rental needs of most production companies. Vapor Shine 2, or VS2, is a 2.9mm pitch indoor panel; the Vapor Shine 3, of VS3, is a 3.9mm pitch indoor panel. Also in the line and covering the long line of outdoor events we see in the industry, the VG3, or Vapor Glare 3, is a 3.9mm pitch outdoor panel, and the Vapor series ends with the VG4, or Vapor Glare 4, Taylorleds’ 4.9mm pitch solution for outdoor rental and production.
Taylorleds is also about to release a 90° framing system that lets users create cubes, 3D and connect panels on 90° corners. I would assume that we will see more custom products and accessories from Taylorleds in the coming months.
Lightweight, thin and accessible — this is a great explanation of the Vapor series panels from Taylorleds. I highly recommend giving this line, with TUV-CE, RoHS, ETL and FCC certifications, a look. The structure and functionality alone merit a peek at this product.
Taylorleds Vapor Series
VS2: Vapor Shine 2 (Indoor Usage)
- Pixel Pitch: 2.97mm
- LED Type: SMD2121 Black
- Panel Size: 500mm x 500mm x 75mm
- Module Size: 250mm x 250mm
- Panel Material: Die Cast Aluminum
- Panel Weight: 16.3lbs
- Brightness (Nits): 1,200 Nits
- Grayscale Bit: 16-bit
- Refresh Rate: 3840Hz
- Viewing Angle (H/V): 140/120
- Certification: TUV-CE, RoHS, ETL, FCC
VS3: Vapor Shine 3 (Indoor Usage)
- Pixel Pitch: 3.9mm
- LED Type: SMD2121 Black
- Panel Size: 500mm x 500mm x 75mm
- Module Size: 250mm x 250mm
- Panel Material: Die Cast Aluminum
- Panel Weight: 16.3lbs
- Brightness (Nits): 1,200 Nits
- Grayscale Bit: 16-bit
- Refresh Rate: 1920Hz
- Viewing Angle (H/V): 140/120
- Certification: TUV-CE, RoHS, ETL, FCC
VG3: Vapor Glare 3 (Indoor/Outdoor)
- Pixel Pitch: 3.9mm
- LED Type: SMD1921 Black, Common Cathode
- Panel Size: 500mm x 500mm x 88mm
- Module Size: 250mm x 250mm
- Panel Material: Die Cast Aluminum
- Panel Weight: 9.5lbs
- Brightness (Nits): 5,000 Nits
- Grayscale Bit: 16-bit
- Refresh Rate: 3840Hz
- Viewing Angle (H/V): 140/120
- Certification: TUV-CE, RoHS, ETL, FCC
- IP Rating (Front/Rear): IP65/IP54
VG4: Vapor Glare 4 (Indoor/Outdoor)
- Pixel Pitch: 4.8mm
- LED Type: SMD1921 Black, Common Cathode
- Panel Size: 500mm x 500mm x 88mm
- Module Size: 250mm x 250mm
- Panel Material: Die Cast Aluminum
- Panel Weight: 9.5lbs
- Brightness (Nits): 4,500 Nits
- Grayscale Bit: 16-bit
- Refresh Rate: 3840Hz
- Viewing Angle (H/V): 140/120
- Certification: TUV-CE, RoHS, ETL, FCC
- IP Rating (Front/Rear): IP65/IP54
For more information, please visit www.taylorleds.com/zt/vapor
