Barcelona | AI on and behind the screen, the beginning dominance of software and the rise of e-paper: invidis identifies the ISE 2025 digital signage trends shaping the industry for the coming years. An invidis exclusive.
ISE 2025 has closed its gates – and what a fantastic show it has been. The invidis editorial and analyst team including Balthasar Mayer, Antonia Hamberger, Florian Rotberg and Stefan Schieker walked hundred thousands of steps on the show floor and held countless conversations – to identify the trends of 2025. Here are our top 10 digital signage trends that have shaped the ISE and will shape the industry in 2025.
1. AI in the engine room
The integration of AI and digital signage software is progressing unstoppable. Although AI features were not showcased front and center on the stands, it became clear during the conversation that manufacturers and software developers are constantly working on AI features for their signage applications.
At the forefront are the Remote Device Management experts from SignageOS, who implemented AI to monitor and control mixed-fleet screen networks. At Samsung, the device management of Smartthings Pro and VXT is enabled by AI. Companies such as Intuiface and Livesignage develop apps that automate content creation to some extent either through a ChatGPT interface or specially trained language models.
BOE demonstrated software at its stand that uses AI to restore old video and audio material. This software solution will be made available independently of BOE hardware.
Speaking of hardware. AI on device is also playing an increasingly important role, for example as high-performance NPU chips that enable completely new AI applications – such as those installed by Brightsign in its latest generation of media players, the XC5 series.
Apart from digital signage products, the industry is already working with AI behind the scenes in customer services, marketing and internal knowledge bases.
2. AI on the screen
But AI is also being used externally. Because artificial intelligence brings momentum to content creation. Not only can templates be created and content adapted – high-quality content also benefits from AI.
At the Dynascan stand, AI-generated content was shown on all screens. PPDS brought works of art from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam to life with AI, and at LG, visitors could send an AI-generated portrait directly to the large Kinetic LED wall (link to video recording).
Really large AI art was on display at Absen. The LED manufacturer showed the AI data artwork “California Landscapes” by Refik Anadol on a 4.2 by 6 meter LED wall. Absen told invidis that many visitors came to the stand primarily to see the content – a novelty for exhibitors that are otherwise more driven by technical highlights.
3. The rise of e-paper
It was already clear before the trade fair: E-paper displays were one of the hot topics at the ISE. Almost every manufacturer showed an e-paper variant, which drew crowds of spectators. At Samsung’s stand, a third of all displays shown were e-paper variants.
New products included 75-inch e-paper displays for outdoor use. But few of the showcased products are ready for rollout. The color-range for the large E-paper is not there yet, pricing is still a challenge and the industry still needs to learn how to handle the content for e-paper screens.
Worth mentioning: Sharp uses paper formats for its e-paper displays positioning e-paper as a complementary technology and replacement for printed posters.
Also worth mentioning: the dominance of the e-paper panel manufacturer E Ink. Everyone uses its technologies, primarily the Spectra 6 for indoor and Kaleido solutions for outdoor use; yet every manufacturer manages to give the displays their own twist.
4. Digital Signage is moving towards software & services
Invidis has already declared 2025 to be the year of software for digital signage – and this forecast was confirmed at the ISE. It was already clear from the hall plan – significantly more signage software providers were present at ISE with their own stands than last year.
And hardware manufacturers are also feeling that nothing works without software. “Software is no longer an accessory to hardware,” said Amit Chatterjee, Manager Pre-Sales Solutions Samsung. And Martijn van der Woude, VP Global Marketing and Business Development at PPDS, confirmed in an interview: “Software is starting to sell the hardware.” Almost all hardware providers now have remote device management solutions in their portfolio – in Barcelona, Vestel and Sony showed their corresponding products for the first time. Manufacturers want to offer the complete package – and of course generate recurring revenue after the display has been purchased through corresponding subscription/license models.
We have included more detailed information on the subject of digital signage & software in our current invidis yearbook, which you can download from our website.
5. Screens with depth
3D signage, holograms and immersive displays: The nomenclature of digital signage always causes discussions. Regardless of naming, the industry and end-customers are fascinated products and technologies with a 3D effect. Why? Quite simply: because it works. The wow factor is and remains great with three-dimensional images.
That’s why well-known 3D effects were shown, for example the LED rotor displays from Hypervsn. Corner screens with forced perspective were also on display, but significantly fewer than in 2024. Samsung demonstrated a special screen – with an oversized concave corner variant of The Wall, supported by projectors for additional shadow effects. Samsung also showed a “holodisplay” that used ground glass to make an object appear three-dimensional at a certain angle.
Ameria and Sony provided a small but fine 3D representation. Its spatial reality display was combined with Ameria’s touch-free technology. This allows users to manipulate the optically protruding elements with their hands.
Solid Rental Solutions demonstrated that impressive depth can also be achieved with great design with an installation in which several partners were involved. LED panels arranged in layers, combined with spotlights and artificial fog, created a great showcase that was also diligently shared on social media.
6. LED attacks LCD strongholds
It is well known that LED is taking over more and more of the LCD market. The market researchers at Futuresource expect that by 2028 LED will represent half of the entire visual solutions market.
This trend could be clearly seen at the stands of the visual solutions manufacturers. At least half of the stand space was dominated by LED. And all-in-one LEDs were offered everywhere – even by the projector specialist Panasonic. Pre-assembled modules and other features such as foldable screens are intended to make handling as easy as possible for users and integrators.
The small things make the difference: stands, control boxes for lowering the LED wall or simply a single order number for all parts of the LED wall.
In addition, LED applications were shown that are still considered to be the domain of LCD. LED totems and pylons in standard sizes were on display at many stands. PPDS showed an LED for QSR menu boards that did not require an LED controller to simplify installation.
7. Digital signage and IoT
The merging of IoT and digital signage is getting closer – both in terms of general sensor products and high-tech sensors for special applications. Last year at Infocomm, Samsung presented its Smartthings ecosystem for the first time for the ProAV industry. This year, the manufacturer showcased dozens of B2B sensors exemplary for thousands of third party sensors compatible with Smartthings Pro.
On the other side of the scale, sensor specialist Nexmosphere showed new B2B sensors for pick-and-lift applications. Also new is the integration with the Samsung VXT platform.
The increasing integration and connection of digital signage software into other applications will be accelerated by the compatibility with the Internet of Things – and thus help digital signage to create a broad user base – from retail to building management.
8. More durable hardware
Green signage, the big topic of recent years, was not really visible at ISE 2025 – but it certainly remains relevant – such as energy efficiency and extending the lifetime of displays. Even if sustainability aspectsare not at the top of priority in certain parts of the world at the moment, everyone is striving for reduced operating and lower CAPEX. One way to do this is to use the hardware for longer.
Manufacturers support this: Brightsign now offers a five-year guarantee on its media players. Sharp’s new displays are equipped with slot-in PCs so that they can be upgraded efficiently. SoC tend to limit the usage of screens due to limited updated and security support.
Remote device management, which can significantly increase the lifespan of displays, also played an important role. Almost every manufacturer now offers its own RDM platform, including Sony. Freemium models such as Philips Wave are intended to motivate customers to actually use the platforms.
9. Transparent digital signage
Transparent screens are fascinating – even at the ISE. Specialists such as Muxwave did not disappoint and brought their latest solutions, which are getting better and better and are increasingly able to combine lightness and luminosity. The large screen at the Southern Access of the trade fair was also active during the day and in the evening, showing ISE promotions and digital art works.
But the challenge for this type of screen has also become clear. Outdoor screens of any technology have to adjusted to the surrounding light conditions. The Southern Access Screen, for example, lacked luminosity in broad daylight – not a technical issue but a lack of coordination between the Fira and the technical specialists, as invidis learned.
What the transparent displays are still lacking are real life use cases. Here, too, the transparency displays have to be perfectly integrated into the environment in order to develop their full potential.
Here, Lang AG pushed ahead and created the showstopper of this year’s trade fair: a waterfall made of transparent Muxwave fabric, combined with an LED wall and physical props. This created a jungle scene that offered just the right mix of immersion and technology.
Other exhibitors also created suitable use cases. LG solved the challenge by cooperating with design companies and having its transparent OLED integrated into luxury furniture. Samsung scattered its transparency products across the entire stand to complement other products or to clearly demonstrate their use in museums, for example.
10. Pixels in the sky, robots on the ground
Anyone who came to Hall 8.1 of the ISE was confronted with the future. Not because of the drone demonstration – these have long been established in the event business as a spectacular fireworks replacement and as light show professionals.
Somewhat more unusual were robots and robot dogs that ran around between the stands, performed two-meter jumps (dog) and shook visitors’ hands (robot). And ISE Managing Director Mike Blackman was accompanied onto the stage by a robot dog at the closing press conference.
The two Unitree solutions that Lang AG brought to the trade fair can be controlled remotely like drones. The use case for ProAV is not yet clear, but this was the case for drones for a long time either.
Trade shows exists to demonstrate future technologies in order to show innovation and inventiveness. And avatars are not limited to screens – the future killer applications could well be avatars on robots. Who would have thought that drones start to replace fireworks as pixel in the skies just a few years after they debuted at ISE? Many things are possible, the ISE in five years will show it.
