What Led walls are used for and how they work

There are several models of LED video walls available in the market, that have different technical characteristics depending on  IP protection degree (from 30 to 68), brightness (from 600 to 15,000 NIT), consumption (from 300 to 1000 W / m2) , type of LED (SMD or DIP) and its size (from 1010 to 3535), refresh rate (from 1920 to over 3840 hZ), access for maintenance (front and / or rear) as well as the pixel pitch (from 0.7 to 50 mm) and overall size (standard or customizable). In order to select the right LED video wall model, you must rely on a specialized and experienced supplier, such as MacroPix, able to support the customer in the most appropriate choice from a technical and commercial point of view, as the price varies a lot depending on the technical features and these depend a lot on the location where you want to install and on the communication needs.

In this regard, the fundamental question to answer is:
should the led wall be installed indoor, outdoor or behind a glass window?
If in the last 2 cases, what is the exposure (north, south, west, east)?
Once this has been determined, it is necessary to understand if there are limitations with available space or weight or power supply and if the led wall is to be installed on a wall, roof-top, ceiling, floor, on a self-supporting structure or by hanging.

The other characteristics that can determine the best LED video wall models are: what MINIMUM and MAXIMUM distance is the product viewed from? What types of visual contents will be displayed (video, photo, text)? Who is the target or typical user of the message?

What is an LED wall?

How do LED walls work?

What are LED walls used for?

Types of LED walls

How do LED walls differ from billboards and other traditional signage?

How much do LED walls cost?

What to consider when choosing an LED video wall

Conclusion

Digital signage is an efficient way of engaging your customers and improving sales. Using them, you can deliver custom videos, text, and images depending on the time of the day, the goals of a business, the location of the business, and the preference of your customers. However, digital signage cannot beat the power of an LED wall. Delivering the same content from a single digital sign in over 100 ways like they are a part of a single screen is an attention grabber. Several years ago, video wall technology was only available to a small segment like stadiums and events, casinos, and malls. So, what is an LED wall?

 

What is an LED wall?

 

LED-wall or an LED Video wall is a large screen made of light-emitting diodes that display visual content like videos, images, text, and other forms of graphics. It gives the feeling of a massive, luminous wall that has no junctions between the various modules that make it. Therefore, it allows the covering using videos and the digitization of any space in continuity. LED video walls initially were used as outdoor digital signage and had begun as monochrome. When RGB LEDs' color hit the market, everything changed.

 

Construction of the pixels

 

Because of the evolution of the LED market, there have been improvements in pixel densities. Therefore, the gap that once set LCD and LED apart is now getting closed. By painting every LED with black resin epoxy, the displays in the LED video wall achieve 'true black'. To eliminate reflectance and separate the illuminations, they add the shades between the lights.

 

Mounting

 

LED video walls comprise several LED displays that are displayed on a flat panel. Therefore, it is essential to have the average viewing distance in mind when installing the LED video wall. You need a finer pixel pitch if people are to watch closely. A pixel in LED video wall and one surface mount device (SMD) are equal. They calculate the number of pixels using pitch. The distance between each SMD LED determines the pitch.

 

How do LED walls work?

 

As impressive as LED walls are, one cannot help but wonder, how do they work? What makes them have that brightness and clarity? Below are the most critical factors that explain the working of the LED walls.

 

Design

 

They make LED video walls of multiple panels. Other smaller modules have RGB light on them. Typically, the panel size is about 500*500mm four panels make a square meter. The LEDs directly emit the light out while surrounded by a black plastic housing. Therefore, it has a high contrast ratio. It makes them suitable for outdoor advertising where there is high ambient light.

 

The image resolution

 

How far apart is each led on the panel? The marketing of typical LED panels for a video wall relies on its pixel pitch. Today, the standard LED pixel pitches for LED pitches like the one you would find in a church range between 3-6mm. Outdoor LED video walls mostly have a wider pixel pitch because the viewing distance is longer, and the difficulty distinguishing the individual LED from a distance. While large displays are expensive because of the smooth pixel pitches, the sizeable space allows more room for a wide space in between with no interference with the image. It all translates to, as seen above, the pixel density. When close, a numerically lower pixel pitch is required. Therefore, the pixel pitch you choose is a crucial factor in determining its cost. You calculate pixel density depending on how close the audience is. Consequently, you need a finer pitch if they are closer and a bigger one if the audience is at a distance.

 

Operating controls

 

The images in an LED wall are split. Either a software PC, video card, or hardware controller controls them. Both methods of operating have merits and demerits. While the hardware controller has a high performance and reliability, it does not provide room for flexibility. It has limited pixel resolution. Therefore, displaying multiple input sources using a hardware-controlled LED video wall is not possible. Conversely, they equip the software controller with multiple output cards, with some having video capture inputs. Therefore, they support various input sources and allow for full pixel resolution.

 

What are LED walls used for?

 

The uses of LED walls are many because you can design them depending on their intended use. Because of their captivating nature, seamless graphics transitions, and ease of customization, many industries adopt them in their day-to-day activities. Below are some uses of LED video walls.

 

Amusement parks

 

LED walls can provide clear graphics with seamless transitions. They are used to providing an exhilarating moment in amusements parks. You can use them as video displays to the public who have gathered to have fun. It can be through counting the laps covered by a person, delivering visual messages, and many more uses.

 

Church

 

The other area the LED video walls have found enormous uses nowadays is within the church. You can fit them in strategic locations where everyone can view and access them. LED video walls provide visual communication for the hymn that congregants are singing, the verse they are reading, and other notifications within a place of worship.

 

Business

 

Perhaps the most prominent application of LED walls is in advertising. We have applied them in both indoor and outdoor advertising services. Outdoor LED video walls capture the attention of prospective customers. They can work under any amount of light by tweaking their pitch. Since they do not have bezels, there is a smooth transition between frames. The advertising using the LED walls can be indoor or outdoor.

 

Shows, cinemas, and events

 

LED walls are a darling to music artists. They are used to give captivating visual flashes during night concerts. In addition, to allow the audience to view the artist, they stream the artists' movements and dances, engaging the audience with a next-level experience.

 

Types of LED walls

 

There are several types of LED video walls. Below are the three most common types of LED video walls.

 

1. Direct View LED video walls

 

These are the video walls that have traditionally been used at large in outdoor displays. Today, they have the required resolution for the indoor displays. Direct View LED video walls to have no bezels and have a narrow profile. Therefore, they deliver a seamless experience with various options for mounting.

 

2. Indoor LED video walls

 

They make indoor LED displays from surface-mounted LEDs. Therefore, they can deliver images at a high resolution and may be designed into various curved shapes. Today, Indoor LED video walls are the go-to technology in education, entertainment, and indoor advertisements.

 

3. Blended Projection video wall systems

 

These can generate images of any shape using the output of multiple projectors. The shape can be of any size with a higher resolution compared to that of a single projector.

 

How do LED walls differ from billboards and other traditional signage?

 

LED walls are an advanced form of digital signage compared to billboards and other traditional signages. Below are the differences:

 

Interactivity

 

While billboards and other traditional signages provide static signs, the LED video walls have a technology that helps you give your audience an interactive experience. LED walls leave a lasting impression of the brand in a user's mind.

 

Content flexibility

 

You cannot change your message in traditional signages and static billboards. Conversely, you can vary the message in an LED video wall depending on the audience's needs.

 

Effectiveness and interesting changes

 

Because they are captivating and they can change the messages, LED walls are effective in advertising. You can use the graphics to show how to do something or use a product. In contrast, because the billboards are static, their messages often become outdated and irrelevant. You also have to part with some money, replacing the billboard frequently.

 

Software flexibility

 

You can adjust software-controlled LED video walls easily to cater to situations like the time of the day. It does not affect their illumination beauty. The message in billboards and other forms of traditional signage does not allow for such accommodations.

 

How much do LED walls cost?

 

The cost of an LED video wall depends on various factors, like in any other customized technology. The features that an LED wall has are also a determinant. These factors include:

 

• What are the requirements for video processing?
• The options to set up the LED wall. They may be free-standing, wall, or ceiling mounted.
• The type of application. It may be indoor or outdoor, and each has varying requirements for pixel density.
• The size of the display. How large do you want your LED video wall to be? It affects the number of materials to be used.
• How complex is the installation process? Will you end up hiring a technician to install and make the configurations?
• The design. Do you want the LED wall to be transparent, flat, or curved?

 

All the above factors have a direct bearing on the cost of an LED wall. Most companies usually set aside between $50-$350k for the Led wall project.

 

What to consider when choosing an LED video wall

 

The size

 

We can customize LED video walls to almost any size based on the requirements of a user. Therefore, you need to ask yourself, "What is the right size for LED video wall for my use?" You must select the right size of the LED video wall for your use.

 

The pitch

 

Also referred to as dot pitch, the pixel pitch determines graphics clarity on the LED wall. To have clear graphics, you need a smaller pitch (less space between the pixels). It is because there is a higher pixel density and better screen resolution. If you have a small audience near the LED wall, a lower pixel pitch is ideal. If you have a large audience distant from the wall, you can use a high dot pitch.

 

The use

 

You also need to consider if you will use the LED indoors or outdoors. Indoor LED video walls have a lower pixel pitch, while the pixel pitch of the outdoor Video walls has a higher pitch. In addition, they usually weatherproof outdoor LED video walls. They are also brighter compared to indoor video walls.

 

Possibility of renting rather than buying

 

As we have seen above, LED video walls can be pretty expensive. Therefore, you need to evaluate the pros and cons of buying against those of renting. If the use is for a short period, like tournaments, rallies, and crusades, you will go with renting but if you are a business person in need of regular advertising, having your LED wall is probably the right choice. You also need to consider the aspect ratio of the LED video wall.

 

Conclusion

 

The world of advertising has been rapidly changing since RGB colors. Due to their inadequacies, traditional forms of advertising are slowly being faced out by technology like LED video walls. Before you settle on purchasing an LED video wall, consider the above factors as they can save you some costs.