[IFA 2014] CenterStage is not for your living room

Two things are virtually universal when it comes to display: we want it bigger and clearer.

Now, combine these two for something that virtually anyone on the planet will go crazy for, life-size display!

At the Samsung booth at IFA 2014, that is exactly what is happening right now, a true-to-life size display. Check the photo below.

This humongous thing is called, ‘CenterStage’, which consists of eight 46″ LFD (Large Format Displays) and one 85” UHD display. Regardless of who you are or where you are from, this will make you stop and stare, possibly for much longer than you’d anticipate.

Samsung has never been shy about showing off its LFD (Large Format Display) at big international events, and especially at IFA. For example, Samsung showcased 440 LFDs at IFA 2013, which was the largest installation in its history.

Talking about history, CenterStage was first introduced at IFA 2013 with one UHD TV and a beam projector. The first fully-furnished version appeared at CES 2014. Recently, Samsung invited the public to experience CenterStage first hand at the Samsung Living Atelier (11th – 15th June 2014, in NYC).

But looking at this giant thing, one must wonder:

Is this necessary? What is the point? What is it trying to say?

One obvious thing is that CenterStage is not for household use (unfortunately). IFA 2014 is one of the largest conferences for tech gadgets and digital appliances. Therefore, it is important that Samsung showcases its range of digital appliances and lets people experience them more conveniently.

‘Convenient’ is an extremely important word here, because according to Samsung research, consumers find appliance shopping confusing and uncomfortable, with 36% of the consumers stating that they are overwhelmed by the number of choices, and 77% saying the current in-store experience doesn’t provide enough product information.

Through CenterStage, Samsung has not only made it easy for people to find out about its products and provided a new experience, it has made people try it out willingly.

CenterStage was clearly a solution for many retails businesses. Samsung was not only able to show off its home appliances, but also show off CenterStage as a retail solution.

This becomes clearer if you take a look at what CenterStage can actually do.

CenterStage was designed so that consumers can see various products in more detail. Through the 8 LFDs and 1 UHD display, people can check out the entire range of Samsung home appliances in true-to-life size at UHD resolution, with exterior, interior and alternate views, plus a zoom function to see features up close.

The CenterStage also lets you filter product information to find the right appliance for individual needs using a side-by-side comparison tool that considers type, capacity, finish, color, price and more. It features a navigation menu, which allows customers to peruse multiple product categories (refrigerators, washers, dryers, vacuum, etc.)

Moreover, the “scene selector” feature populates the specified product and color options into a range of kitchen and laundry room settings – from modern to Mediterranean. This allows users to imagine how the appliances will look in their homes; products can be shown in lifestyle contextual views.

As if that weren’t enough, an intuitive and touch-screen interface has been integrated to leverage people’s familiarity with smartphone gestures and interactions in real-time response speed. And of course, people can easily save and share information to their smartphones and other smart devices.

As you can see, CenterStage blends the physical with the digital. And by doing so, it offers virtual access to every Samsung home appliance on the market; it’s a one-stop-shop for all appliance needs. Moreover, it utilizes visual graphics, and clear explanations of product features while providing a friendly yet entirely unique experience. After all, it is hard to just pass by the gigantic wall made of eight 46″ LFD and one 85” UHD display showing off its ability to display products in real life-size in UHD. Once you’ve experienced it, it is easy to understand how CenterStage can be a comprehensive solution for many retails business.

*All functionality features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.