Ajumbotron,[1] sometimes referred to asjumbovision or ajumbo screen, is a video display usinglarge-screen television technology (video wall).
The original technology was developed in the early 1980s byMitsubishi Electric[2] (using the nameDiamond Vision) andSony, which registeredJumboTron as a trademark in 1985.[3] It is typically used insports stadiums andconcert venues to show team statistics, close-up shots of an event or even other sporting events occurring simultaneously.[4][5] The same jumbotron technology is used in outdoor public places, often for advertising purposes (such asTimes Square, for example).[6]
The jumbotron was invented in Japan during the early 1980s, but there is a dispute between two rival Japanese companies,Mitsubishi Electric andSony, over its invention.[2] In 1980, Mitsubishi introduced the first large-scale video board,[7] theDiamond Vision, which was a large screen usingcathode-ray tube technology similar to traditional tubetelevisions.[2] The first demonstration of the technology was during the1980 Major League Baseball All-Star Game inDodger Stadium,Los Angeles.[7]
The first Jumbotrons used cathode-ray tube based technology, in which severalsub-pixels were integrated into a module made of glass with a vacuum inside, with the shape of a block, in which each subpixel was individually controllable (addressable) with each subpixel acting as aflood beam cathode-ray tube[8] Eventually this technology was replaced with LED technology.
Panasonic had the Astro Vision which was based on Fluorescent Discharge Tubes. These were the only three players in the large-screen industry.
In 1985, the term "JumboTron" was coined by Sony for its large-scale video board.[7] The JumboTron was the brand name for the large-scale video boards originally manufactured by Sony and is recognized as one of the largest non-projection video displays ever manufactured. Sony creative directorYasuo Kuroki, who previously helped create theWalkman, is credited with the development of the JumboTron.[2] It was introduced at theExpo '85 held in May 1985 atTsukuba, Ibaraki. It had adisplay resolution of 450,000pixels, using a new proprietary Sony technology called the Trini-lite.[3] It was amicroprocessor-based light bulb developed by one of Kuroki's colleagues, chiefBetamax engineer Yuji Watanabe. Trini-lite technology allowed screen clarity andcomputer control, laying the foundation for the first Sony Jumbotrons.[2]
In December 1986, theSan Antonio Spurs unveiled the first indoor arena JumboTron scoreboard at the now-defunctHemisFair Arena.[9]
While the JumboTron and similar large-screen displays are physically large, they ranged from low to medium display resolutions. While the original Sony JumboTron in 1985 had a 450,000-pixel resolution, comparable tostandard-definition televisions of that era,[3] certain later models had lower resolutions. The JumboTron at the now-demolishedTampa Stadium inTampa, Florida, measured 30 ft (9 m) diagonally, with a resolution of only 240x192pixels, belowVHS resolution. Screen size since then varies depending on the venue. The display introduced in 1985 was 40 meters wide by 25 meters tall. Newer,LED-based large screens have resolutions that are an order of magnitude greater than the early JumboTron resolution at a fraction of the cost. For example, the much publicized center-hung video board in theDallas Cowboys'AT&T Stadium is 72 feet tall and 160 feet wide (22 m x 49 m), displaying HDTV at 1920 x 1080 resolution, 45 times more pixels.
The largest JumboTron in use was located at SkyDome (nowRogers Centre) inToronto, Ontario, and measured 10 m tall by 33.5 m wide (33 ft × 110 ft), with a resolution of 672 × 200 pixels, or 134,400 pixels.[10] Its cost wasUS$17 million; by comparison, a similar-sized LED system sold today would cost around $3 million. The Rogers Centre JumboTron was replaced in 2005 by aDaktronics ProStar as part of a stadium revitalization project.
Sony JumboTron was the first video board ever in Times Square. It remained that way for almost ten years.
Originally, JumboTrons solely displayed the scores of the games via numerical displays. This then evolved into instant replays being shown for the benefit of fans within the stadiums or arena, and in modern day, social media is heavily integrated, with fans being urged to post on various social media platforms to then have their content appear on the JumboTron screen.[11]
Sony JumboTron's were the world's first mobile screens and concert screens. Big Mo was the first portable video screen andGenesis used the first portable video screens for concert tours in the mid-1990s.[citation needed]
Originally, the JumboTron was not anLED display, sinceblue LEDs were unavailable at the time, and the only green LEDs available were of the traditional yellow-green variety, which were unsuitable for anRGB display. Each display consisted of multiple modules composed of 16 or more small flood-beamcathode-ray tubes (CRTs), each of which included from 2 to 16 pixels composed of red, green, and bluephosphors. Sony displayed one of the earliest versions at theExpo '85World's Fair inTsukuba.Eventually, JumboTron systems adopted LED technology as blue and pure green LEDs were developed.[12] LED-based systems have about ten times the lifespan of CRT-based systems, a key reason for the change.
AlthoughJumboTron was aregistered trademark owned by the Sony Corporation, Sony stopped manufacturing the devices under that name in 2001 and the wordJumbotron has since become agenericized trademark.[5] An Illinois-based company called Watchfire Signs filed for the US trademark in February 2023[citation needed].
Displays similar to the JumboTron include:
Media related toJumbotrons at Wikimedia Commons
The dictionary definition ofjumbotron at Wiktionary
Quotations related toJumbotron at Wikiquote
