Retail

Case Study: LG in Best Buy Vendor Pad Interactive Dolby Vision Experience

Challenge / Need

VIZIO set out to launch its new 100″ Quantum 4K Smart TV featuring Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos across over 500 Sam’s Club retail locations nationwide. The company wanted to give customers a true cinematic experience inside the store—something that would highlight the full potential of Dolby Vision’s color, depth, and contrast.

The challenge was that traditional media players couldn’t deliver true Dolby Vision playback, nor could they integrate GPIO interactivity to allow for customer engagement. VIZIO needed a solution that combined authentic Dolby performance with hands-on interaction in a retail environment.

That’s when they turned to CE Labs—and their newly developed CE460 Retail Media Player, the only Dolby Certified media player in the retail fixture industry.

Project Requirements

• Provide true Dolby Vision playback for large-format 100” VIZIO displays
• Integrate GPIO control with three stainless steel push buttons (Play / Volume Up / Volume Down)
• Develop custom scripting for synchronized control of TV and soundbar
• Include automatic looping and standby reset functionality
• Ensure consistent playback performance across 500+ store locations
• Partner with PD Instore to give hardware dimensions and requirements to design and build the physical fixture for the TV and soundbar

CE Labs Products & Solutions Provided

• CE460 Retail Media Player (Dolby Vision Certified)
• CEX Series 3m HDMI Cables
• Custom 3-Channel Button Harness
• CE Scripts Software for Playback Automation

Fixture Partner: PD Instore – designed and fabricated the physical display fixture housing the TV and soundbar.

Services / Customization

Using CE Scripts, CE Labs’ proprietary scripting platform, CE Labs engineers created a fully interactive retail experience.

Custom Script Functions:

• Push-button event control (Play / Volume Up / Volume Down)
• File playlist execution
• Video and audio synchronization
• Volume calibration for retail acoustics
• Media Start / Stop / Pause triggers
• Automatic looping and standby mode
• Soundbar activation and sleep management

Harness Assignments:

• Harness 1: Play Demo Content
• Harness 2: Volume Down
• Harness 3: Volume Up

How the Challenge Was Solved

The CE460 Media Player was engineered specifically for the retail environment and tested in partnership with Dolby Laboratories to achieve official Dolby Certification—making it the first and only Dolby Vision-certified retail media player on the market for retail fixtures.

CE Labs configured a dual HDMI routing setup for full Dolby Vision performance:

• HDMI 1 (TV) → VIZIO Elevate Soundbar (SL512X-0806)
• HDMI 2 (TV) → CE460 Media Player

Through scripting, CE Labs enabled flawless interaction between the TV, soundbar, and GPIO buttons, while PD Instore’s fixtures provided a polished, durable structure for nationwide installation.

Each unit was preloaded, tested, and shipped to ensure every store operated with the same Dolby Vision fidelity and performance.

Outcome

The VIZIO Vendor Pad rollout became a nationwide success, with over 500 Sam’s Club locations featuring the CE460 and PD Instore fixture combination. Customers were able to walk up, press a button, and instantly experience true Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos content—hearing and seeing the difference.

The CE460’s robust scripting and automation made maintenance nearly nonexistent. The system automatically reset to standby mode, looped content, and ensured seamless transitions for every interaction.

Together, CE Labs and PD Instore delivered a turnkey retail demonstration solution that transformed how Dolby Vision TVs are showcased in-store.