Mall of the Emirates Installs 54-Monitor Digital Signage Video Wall Powered by Matrox Mura MPX

Everything’s Bigger in the Emirates

Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates, has become famous for its skyscrapers and architectural innovation in general. The Mall of the Emirates is no exception, with 2.52 million square feet in gross leasable area, firmly placing it on the list of the largest shopping centers in the world. Its new Matrox-powered 54-monitor video wall located in the mall’s atrium fits in perfectly.

Prior to its installation, the largest video wall in the mall was a 4x4, portrait configuration—less than one third of the size of the new installation. Tasked with upgrading the mall's current video wall, ALMOE AV Systems and partner Mediasys, who provided local support, installed the 9x6 video wall. Comprising fifty-four 55” ultra-thin Samsung LCD monitors, the wall enables the visually pleasing and more-effective dissemination of mall activities and promotions.

Shopping for the Right Video Wall Solution

Mura MPX Series boards installed in a Matrox-validated 4U system capture and display the digital signage content on the wall. The Mura MPX boards are controlled remotely by OpenScreen’s Mura MPX Wall Controller Management software. Meanwhile, the video wall content is also managed remotely by a Scala Digital Signage Platform. This interoperability is one predominant reason why the user-friendly Mura MPX was chosen by ALMOE AV Systems.

Mura MPX Series’ overall ease of use is reflected by standard form factors, simple system integration, a straightforward installation process, and a wide range of control options, including third-party applications like OpenScreen’s software.

As such, Mura MPX Series constitutes a high-performance board class, but also an undeniably practical selection by ALMOE AV Systems. This is in large part due to its versatility as a viable solution within various sectors (including digital signage) and cost-effectiveness, another major factor in its selection.

Big Savings

Eliminating the need for separate solutions, Mura MPX Series boards feature a multi-functional design that facilitates video switching, signal conversion, and scaling. The first PCIe x16 Gen2 board class to feature both HD inputs and outputs, Mura MPX Series integrates up to four of each on individual single-slot, add-in cards. Boards can subsequently be combined within single systems to power small to larger-scale walls.

“The client had a clear understanding about the prices of other video wall processors on the market. Ultimately, a Mura MPX-based video wall controller was the most cost-effective choice,” said Gareth Armstrong, the contracts manager for ALMOE AV Systems.

Housed within a Matrox-validated 4U system, a mix of Mura MPX-4/2 and Mura MPX-4/0 boards (featuring four outputs each and two and zero inputs respectively) powered the 54-monitor video wall. The Mura MPX boards capture and display digital signage content that has been created specifically for the video wall.

The Shopping Center of Attention

ALMOE AV Systems worked after hours at a height of over 11 m off the ground to install the prominent video wall. Immediately visible to all who enter the atrium, it is a clear focal point for mall visitors.

“Shoppers can’t help but notice the video wall and enjoy all the massive, superior-quality visuals,” said Armstrong. “Mura has provided the Mall of the Emirates with a huge boost to its digital signage as well as to the overall experience of going to the mall.”