Samsung spin-off wants to break away from the tyranny of 16:9 aspect ratio for displays

• Samsung subsidiary Solum showcases several 'bar' displays designed for nightlife and high-end retail spaces at ISE 2025
• A network display interface (NDI) for streaming high-resolution video can handle up to 8K and 65-inch screens, and be used to deliver live AI assistance in retail
• Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) could allow retail businesses to compete with online stores in real time

Solum, a digital signage company spun out of Samsung a decade ago, offered up a variety of eye-catching ideas for retail and commercial spaces at its booth at ISE 2025.

Showing that there’s more to digital signage than just 16:9 displays, Solum showcased a wall of options in unconventional shapes - for example, it has a display that is 35 inches wide but just six inches high.

These ‘bar’ displays are high resolution so they can present clear and vibrant text and images.

The ‘bar’ descriptor could also refer to its use case, as a spokesman explained these products are aimed at locations such as bars, clubs, or high-end retail locations looking to create a modern, cutting-edge aesthetic.

To illustrate this, Solum mocked up a wine shop with bottles in glass cases, with adjacent bar displays reflecting the look of the wine. It also showed off a Spectra 6 E Ink display with a wine advert that looked identical to print.

Solum also showed off its range of E-Ink electronic shelf labels (ESLs), which are more eco-friendly than print.

Thanks to E-Ink, a store could update these all at once, thus enabling brick-and-mortar stores to compete on price with online retailers through dynamic pricing changes in near real-time.

High power efficiency and resolution, low latency

TechRadar Pro was told a single rechargeable battery can power a shelf of ESLs, and that, if updated once a day, the battery would last for ten years.

To enable them to increase efficiency for multiple daily updates, the representative said they were exploring other technologies.

While he wouldn't be drawn on what these were, it seems likely they're considering wireless power solutions, such as the Wi-Charge technology we've written about previously, which would effectively permanently power the ESLs so they can be updated as often as needed without time or cost implications.

Another interesting technology on show was a large display designed for customer service, with an AI assistant able to respond to pre-set questions and a range of network display interface (NDI) displays.

NDI displays allow high-resolution video to be sent over a network with extremely low latency. One suggested use case was for sports stadiums to show the live game taking place at the time, but without crowd noise or commentary, for the benefit of those watching on screens in hospitality.

The NDI standard can handle video up to 8K, and Solum has compatible displays in 43-, 50-, 55- and 65-inch sizes.

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