October 8, 2005 Here’s yet another version of one of the world’s favourite games – “mine’s bigger than yours.” Daktronics announced yesterday it has been awarded a contract to design and build the world's largest high definition (HD) light emitting diode (LED) display for Dolphins Stadium in Miami, USA. The display will measure approximately 15.2 metres high by 41.8 metres (636 sq. m) and will best the current record holder, the Turner Field screen in Atlanta which measures 21.6 by 24.1 metres (521 sq. m). The project is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2006 baseball season and although it will be the largest in the world when it is first switched on, the record will fall again later in the year when Tokyo Racecourse will open its 11 metre by 60 metre screen (660 sq.m). Of course that’s just the high definition record – the biggest video display in the world has stood for five years at 4 Times Square, New York and measures 27.4 metres by 36.5 metres for an even 1000 square metres.
Daktronics will actually provide two large ProStar video displays for Dolphins Stadium, each with true, physical pixel resolution exceeding the 720p high definition television standard of 720 pixel by 1,280 pixel resolution. The largest of the two displays will be the largest of its kind in the world. Both ProStar screens will incorporate an even wider aspect ratio than the 9:16 wide screen ratio of HD television, and will give fans a wider, more panoramic view of the action. With their superb resolution and super wide format, the displays will also have the ability to show multiple images simultaneously.
Behind the east end zone, a display will be installed on the existing scoreboard structure. The display will measure approximately 50 feet high by 137 feet with a true resolution of 736 pixels high by 2,112 pixels wide. Full-screen images shown on this display will be comprised of more than 1.5 million pixels, made from more than 4.6 million red, green and blue LEDs.
Apart from NFL football, the stadium is likely to become an even bigger sports and entertainment destination in the future with the massive HD screen facility The venue already hosts a wide variety of events, including Miami Dolphins football, Florida Marlins baseball, the FedEx Orange Bowl and will be the site of the 2007 and 2010 Super Bowl games. The Stadium has played host to three NFL Super Bowls (1989, 1995 and 1999), two MLB World Series (1997 and 2003), and numerous concerts from entertainers such as U2, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Elton John, Billy Joel, Chicago, Genesis, Gloria Estefan, Guns & Roses, The Who, Hall & Oates, Rod Stewart, Paul McCartney, and the Three Tenors.
