LED displays countdown to 2013 in major US cities

LED displays are regularly used at major public events to inform and entertain the crowds, with New Year’s Eve always being a global celebration at which this type of technology is a common feature.

In some of America’s largest cities, LED displays were used in place of traditional clocks, to help count down to the end of 2012 and the start of 2013, according to Times Union.

Major LED displays were erected in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles to see in the New Year, with the hours, minutes and seconds ticking away until the big moment arrived.

In many places, the use of LED displays has become just as important as the presence of pyrotechnic effects and fireworks, although of course, it is far less transient than this ancient technology and can be put to use for other purposes afterwards.

With the veil of night pulled across urban centres, LED displays are a particularly effective format for advertising and audience engagement, which is something that US cities have appreciated and embraced for several years.

In New York, it was of course Times Square that hosted the biggest New Year’s event, with tens of thousands of people lining the streets to watch the LED displays tick down to the big moment. Last year, the large ball which descends from on high to mark the start of the New Year was also endowed with an LED makeover to improve its efficiency and it was still going strong this time around.

Similar events in Chicago and Los Angeles were also well attended and onlookers got to see in the New Year bathed in the bright light of LED displays of all shapes and sizes, which makes the market look promising for the next 12 months.