From a hard set to a Planar LED video wall
EAR Professional Audio Video designed and delivered a curved Planar DirectLight Pro LED video wall for the Edward Jones National Broadcast Center in St. Louis, Missouri, replacing the studio’s fixed hard set with a backdrop that changes with every show. The wall went into service in October 2026 and is used for live streaming and recording, including podcasts, national network feeds and internal communications.
Twelve years on a hard set
EAR designed and installed the Edward Jones broadcast set in 2014, and it served the studio for more than a decade. A hard set, though, has one look: changing it means new construction. In early 2026 the Edward Jones video team asked EAR to create a new, modern set built around the latest technology, an LED wall, so one studio could look different for every program.
Choosing the right wall
EAR worked with Planar to model the options side by side: 0.9, 1.2 and 1.5 mm pixel pitch, flat and curved layouts, and XR configurations. Edward Jones chose a Planar DirectLight Pro wall in a faceted curve, with a pixel pitch selected specifically for its studio size and budget.
To shape the wall to the set, Advanced Mounting & Design (AMD) designed and built a custom curved frame. Each column of cabinets is angled toward the studio floor, so the wall faces the cameras more directly across their shooting angles, which helps reduce reflective glare and moiré patterns in the video. The curved frame also gives technicians better access for service and maintenance.
The system
- Planar DirectLight Pro 1.5 mm microLED: 36 cabinets, 9 wide by 4 high, about 19 ft wide by 9 ft high
- Faceted curve: each column turns 3.75 degrees from the next, for a 30-degree arc, on a custom curved floor-standing frame with cladding from Advanced Mounting & Design (AMD)
- Colorlight Z8t processor with 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 inputs, scaling and windowing, running 10-bit at 60 Hz, with fiber to the wall
- Spare LED modules on site, so a module can be swapped quickly to keep the wall on air
- Planar EverCare lifetime limited warranty and Planar professional services, with EAR setup and training
Installation
EAR managed the project across Edward Jones, Planar and AMD, from design sign-off through delivery and scheduling. In October 2026 the AMD crew built the curved frame on site, then a Planar field technician and EAR’s technical director and broadcast installer hung the cabinets and fitted the cladding, with a member of the Edward Jones video team on hand. The build was complete on October 23, 2026.
One studio, many looks
Where the old set had one look, the LED wall changes with the content: branded backdrops, market graphics, live data and video, switched in seconds instead of rebuilt. It holds up under studio lighting and on camera, and gives the Edward Jones team a single set for live streams, recorded programs, podcasts, national network feeds and internal communications.
A long-term broadcast partner
The LED wall builds on more than a decade of work at the Edward Jones broadcast center, where EAR has supplied and supported systems including Ross Video switching and XPression graphics, Utah Scientific 12G routing, EditShare shared storage, Sony cinema cameras and Shure podcast microphones.
Frequently asked questions
Why replace a hard set with an LED video wall? A hard set has one look and changing it means construction. An LED wall changes with the content, so one studio can host market updates, podcasts, interviews and internal programs, each with its own look.
What pixel pitch is right for a broadcast studio wall? It depends on camera distance and wall size. A common rule of thumb is pixel pitch times 10 for the minimum camera distance in feet: a 1.5 mm wall suggests cameras 15 ft or more from the wall. Most large studios can use 1.9 mm with cameras 20 ft or more away, while smaller studios typically get great results with 1.5 mm or finer pitch. Always use global shutter cameras genlocked to the video wall.
Who installs Planar LED walls for broadcast studios? EAR Professional Audio Video, in Tempe, Arizona, is an authorized Planar reseller that designs, delivers and supports LED walls for broadcast and corporate studios nationwide, including the Edward Jones National Broadcast Center in St. Louis.
Related: Broadcast LED video walls for TV studios · On-air 8K LED video wall · Recent projects
Sources: EAR project records; Planar DirectLight Pro. Photos: EAR, October 2026. Last reviewed by EAR Professional Audio Video, November 2026.
About EAR
EAR Professional Audio Video (Engineering & Recording, Inc.) is a broadcast and professional AV systems integrator and reseller in Tempe, Arizona, founded in 1978. EAR designs, installs and supports systems for government, education, broadcast and corporate clients, and is an awarded supplier on Arizona state contract CTR075309 and national cooperative contract 1GPA 22-02PV.
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