In the last two years, we’ve seen several manufacturers bringing wide-aspect 21:9  IFPDs to market, aligning with the requirements of new UC software formats such as Microsoft Teams Front Row. However, the rise of 21:9 isn't solely driven by new UC software standards. It is also driven by the limitations of the traditional 16:9 aspect ratio as the IFPD increases in size.

Jeff Boggess, director of product marketing at Avocor, explains: “At larger sizes, exceeding 86 inches, a 16:9 display becomes impractical for touch interaction. Our vertical reach simply has limits, leaving a significant portion of the screen underutilised. This is where 21:9 displays shine. Their wider format offers 30% more usable space, allowing for a more natural and effective interactive experience. With a 21:9 canvas, users can finally engage with the entire display, maximising its potential for collaboration and engagement.”

A wider canvas size can also be advantageous when sharing multiple items of content. This advantage is most evident during conference calls, allowing multiple applications to be viewed side by side, to facilitate faster, better-informed decisions.

Other benefits include:

• Digital whiteboarding: Traditional whiteboards adopt a wide format, so it makes sense for a digital whiteboard to mimic this layout for a more instinctive and familiar whiteboarding experience. The increased canvas size is also useful for providing larger areas for digital whiteboarding – and works perfectly with apps such as Miro, Zoom Whiteboard and Lucid, which allow users to keep scrolling and never run out of ideation space.
• Enhanced collaboration: The 21:9 aspect ratio can enhance collaboration experiences and meeting equality. In the case of Microsoft Teams Front Row, up to eight participants can be viewed side-by-side across the bottom of the screen when screen sharing. Arguably, seeing participants together at the same level can contribute to a more inclusive approach.

The 21:9 format also lends itself well to applications that require data manipulation – for example engineering, manufacturing or healthcare, where teams need to explore detailed imagery such as CAD drawings or X-rays. Zooming into scaled plans or making changes to production lines, for example, is made easier with the additional visual real estate offered by 21:9.  

What are the pitfalls of 21:9?

While demand for 21:9 appears to be hotting up, there are still some challenges which mean it isn’t right for every application.

For example, the greater width of a 21:9 IFPD format display may mean it is too big for a standard elevator or meeting room wall. This is where furniture companies have innovated to include a range of stands, trolleys and mounts to provide flexible installation options.  

Another consideration is that, as an industry, we haven’t yet standardised on 21:9 deployment for IT managers. Currently, several key software providers aren’t running 21:9 formats on Android; so if an organisation that uses 16:9 displays with Android also wants to use 21:9 displays, these will need to be partnered with a PC.

In the long term this issue will be fixed, but for now, it’s something that software providers are working on. And of course, not every application will scale natively to 21:9…yet!

Watch this (21:9) space!

While growth in the 21:9 market is growing, it’s at a relatively modest pace giving space for supporting products to catch up. With new innovations that continue to build on the 21:9 story, such as microphones that isolate the voice of the speaker, cameras that frame the presenter so participants can focus on one person at a time – the next chapter of 21:9 is coming. 

Stay informed!

ISE is the world-renowned annual tech show for the AV and systems integration industry, taking place in Barcelona, 4-7 February 2025. It will spotlight the latest unified communications solutions from leading manufacturers, including video communications, IPFDs and content-sharing tools.

To discover the latest solutions and innovations from the unified communications suppliers exhibiting at ISE, as well as the hottest industry trends, sign up now for updates.

Don't miss out – join our community today and stay at the forefront of unified communications technology.