People and businesses across industry sectors rely on video walls for lots of things.
During the design process of the project the system integrator must have a clear picture about the type of application and the intentions of the end-user. Why does the customer want to set up a new video wall and what do they want to use it for? There are major differences depending on the application areas such as to use to display advertising information, display training materials for universities, display interesting content in conference centers, display movies for leisure or to use for process supervision and control.
So, whether you work in advertising, events or mission control, it’s important that you find a high-quality video wall solution that fits the needs of your company.
When trying to decide which video wall solution is right for your business, you’ll need to take a pause and think about exactly what you want. There are many different types of video wall, from the small and simple to the large and complex. So, to make the buying experience all the smoother, it’s helpful to keep a few key things in mind.
And don’t forget to think about video wall controllers either, because they surely bring out the best of your video wall! What You Need to Think About When Choosing Between Video Wall Solutions
Video walls can be used in all manner of locations, and each one you come across will be equipped with different sets of features and functions. While it’s great to have the choice, it can be overwhelming when you’re faced with so many options, particularly if you’re not entirely sure what you’re looking for.
To help make life that bit easier, check out this checklist of crucial things to consider before making your purchase. Purpose of Installation
As mentioned above, video walls can be installed just about anywhere you need them, whether that be indoor or outdoor, in retail environments, or mission-critical control rooms. As such, the purpose of your installation should be one of your first considerations.
Thinking about purpose isn’t just handy for helping you determine the location of your video wall. It will also give you a deeper insight into a number of other factors you’ll need to think about, including size requirements, brightness and resolution requirements, and the operation period of your video wall.
So, what are some of the most common purposes of video wall solutions and why do they matter when you’re at the start of your buying journey?
Open Air Information Display
In open-air settings like Times Square and beyond, video walls are often used for advertising and live events streaming. This brings with it practical considerations. For example, you’ll have to shop around for a video wall solution that is weatherproof and
easily viewable even in direct sunlight. Then, to ensure your display catches the attention of passers-by, you should also make sure your wall can support the most vibrant of images, the widest of viewing angles and the right brightness for the perfect visual experience.
Information Displays Inside Buildings or Department Stores
Whether displayed in a department store or a reception area, information displays in buildings will need to be crystal clear and large enough to be spotted from a distance. So, aim to find a wall that is of an appropriate size for your needs and supports Native HD, Full HD, and Ultra HD resolution.
Walls for Movies
People go to the movies for a high-quality, totally immersive viewing experience. Ideally, then, any video walls installed in movie theaters should come equipped with image enhancement capabilities, which can improve color saturation and contrast in real time. This will help make the visuals come alive and the details far more vivid.
Information Displays for Control and Supervision Rooms
The smooth-running of mission control and supervision rooms relies on everyone in those rooms having eyes on the same ever changing data. That’s why video walls that are easily customizable and adaptable to the requirements of the most fast-paced control environments are best-suited to the task, as are those that can support multiple source inputs.
Size Requirements
Once you know what sort of video wall makes the most sense for your needs, you’ll need to think about how big you want your display to be. Now, you mustn’t simply opt for a video wall that fills up all of your available space. While the amount of space you have is a crucial factor, there is additional nuance involved in measuring up your size requirements.
The main thing you’ll need to think about is the aspect ratio of your display. Depending on how much varied information you need to have available on your wall at any one time, you might have to opt for a design that is less wide or tall than the space available. Remember that any images that appear on-screen may be distorted and lose detail if forced into the wrong aspect ratio.
Brightness and Resolution Requirements
Your brightness requirements will vary dramatically depending on where you choose to place your video wall and what exactly it is being used for. As an example, a video wall in a darkened mission control room won’t need to be anywhere near as bright as one positioned outdoors in direct sunlight.
The brightness of LED video wall screens is measured in nits. So, for outdoor settings, you should look for a display that is
anywhere between 5,000 and 10,000 nits, while indoor settings should be around 1,000 nits as an absolute maximum. A good level to aim for in indoor settings is around 600 to 700 nits.
Now, it’s all well and good discussing brightness. But, if the resolution of your video wall isn’t up to par, the images displayed won’t have detail. You should, therefore, aim to invest in a video wall that supports HD resolution visuals. And, if necessary, it should also be able to upscale your source inputs, so that anything of a lower resolution can be stretched to fit the wall’s available pixels.
Operation Period
Whether your wall will be in operation 24/7 or for a shorter operation period will also be a major factor in your decision. For companies that need their display to work around the clock, investing in something reliable and durable will be of the utmost importance.
Get a device that can cope with as many input devices as you’re likely to need and can promise fast and efficient functionality, no matter how long it’s been running. It is also a good idea to invest in a solution from a manufacturer that can offer ongoing technical support. This will likely prove to be necessary if things go awry during the installation or at any time beyond.
Choosing Between Video Wall Solutions
Once you have a better insight into your requirements, it becomes that much simpler to shop around for a video wall that will work well for your business. There will certainly be one that fits your needs, whether that be for outdoor advertising, indoor mission control, or eye-catching information displays.
However, to be sure you don’t lose your way when you’re on the lookout, take a look back at this comprehensive checklist and overview. It contains all of the most vital considerations you’ll need to keep in mind, and will give you a benchmark against which to measure the appropriateness of the products you’ve been eyeing up.