5 important tips when selecting your LED screen

15 Apr.,2024

 

5 important tips when selecting your LED screen

1. CHOOSING THE CORRECT BRIGHTNESS

 

Choosing the correct brightness for your LED screen is critical to optimizing your viewer visual experience. A screen that is too bright will cause viewer discomfort, while a screen that is too dim will hamper the visibility of your content. Here is a simple guide to selecting the right brightness for your LED screen.

INDOOR
  • 500 to 1500 nits—is the most common brightness for indoor displays (TV screens, computer monitors, etc.)
  • 1,500 to 2,500 nits—is ideal for indoor displays located in a bright indoor environment or in direct sunlight

OUTDOOR

  • 2,500 to 5,000 nits—is perfect for outdoor displays to counter daylight
  • 5,000+ nits—is ideal for outdoor displays to counter direct sunlight

2. TRANSPARENCY VERSUS PIXEL PITCH

▶▶What is a pixel pitch?

Transparent LED displays are available in a variety of pixel pitches; the pixel pitch affects the transparency of the LED display. 

Higher Pixel Pitch

  • less pixel density
  • more transparent
  • lower resolution

Lower Pixel Pitch

  • more pixel density
  • less transparent
  • higher resolution

3. OPTIMAL VIEWING DISTANCE

Pixel pitch affects the optimum viewing distance as well as the visual performance of an LED screen. Generally, you can estimate the recommended pixel pitch for your project with the following formula:

Pixel pitch (mm) / (0.3 to 0.8) = Optimal viewing distance (mm)

▶▶See full chart of recommended pixel pitch for optimum viewing distance

4. VIEWING ANGLE VERSUS TRANSPARENCY

The transparency of your transparent LED screen changes according to the angle it is being viewed from. The sleeker your LED screen, the more it retains its transparency when viewed from any angle. 


5. WHY HIGHER RESOLUTION PANELS ARE NOT ALWAYS BETTER 

While resolution matters, higher resolution does not always means better! Higher resolution means more LEDs; therefore transparent LED screens with higher resolution will likely be more expensive and require higher maintenance. 

When selecting screen resolution, the determining factor should not be about getting the highest resolution, but in fact, how much resolution is sufficient for displaying your content. Consider the following when determining the best resolution for you. If your content is simple with minimalistic, abstract graphics, an LED screen with lower resolution is sufficient. If your content contains details such as logo, text and photos, higher resolution is recommended. It is important for business owners to consider carefully the LED pixel pitch density, transparency, and resolution that will be the most cost effective for your business needs—the ideal solution will always be a combination of these against cost.

Ultimately, there are many considerations when choosing the right transparent LED screen. ClearLED can help you determine the pixel pitch, size, and brightness that will be the most cost effective solution to meet your business needs!

Outdoor LED signage has become indispensable for organizations looking to offer relevant, easily updated information, alerts and advertising.

But before purchasing LED outdoor signage for your business, you must ensure you’re making a well-informed investment. Your digital signage is likely to last at least 10 years; careful planning will help ensure a successful experience, longer lifetime and lower cost.

Here are eight key factors to consider as you look for the best outdoor LED display screen to meet your needs:

1. Environmental ruggedness

Depending on where your outdoor digital sign is located, you may need to consider how it operates in hot or cold temperatures, as well as in rain, snow, wind, dust and humidity. Against these elements, the design of your screen and its enclosure is critical to the continuous operation and lifespan of the LEDs.

In terms of environmental factors, your first consideration should be removing heat from both the LED elements and their driving electronics. Ask any vendor about their thermal management solution and its ability to maintain LED temperatures within the elemental conditions you anticipate. To protect your signage from the elements, check that the enclosure design meets specifications for resistance to water, dust, humidity, etc. — whatever concerns apply to your location.

2. Support every step of the way

Can your potential supplier offer support and advice for the screen’s design and permitting process? Will they listen to all stakeholders and design a solution that fits their needs? Can they work with a customer project leader or recommend a qualified installer?

Hopefully, the answer to these questions is yes. You want a partner in this process, not simply a vendor.

3. Maintenance and servicing

Once your LED outdoor signage is installed, routine maintenance and servicing are critical to ensuring it always looks great and lasts as long as possible. Ask your vendor how often calibration is required — and how easy it is to accomplish — to ensure consistent image quality for years to come.

Similarly, establish how and when the screen will be serviced. Some vendors, such as Samsung, offer a network operations center (NOC) option to constantly monitor your sign and send a technician to fix any issues before you may even be aware of them. To avoid downtime, servicers will need easy access, too, so establish protocols for that.

4. A successful track record

How long has your potential LED supplier been in business? What are other customers’ experiences? Will the supplier be around in 10 years? Will they be responsive to any needs you may have after installation?

To ensure you get the best outdoor LED display possible, ask for references and referrals from their previous customers, especially for jobs done five or more years ago, to get insight into the provider’s integrity.

How to plan and deploy direct view LED signage

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5. Attention to safety

To local and state governments, your display brightness can be a major safety concern. A sign that’s too bright may distract drivers and make it difficult to drive at night. Check if your LED display has an auto-dimming capability to lower the screen’s brightness relative to surrounding light, which should minimize it at night, saving power and keeping drivers’ eyes on the road.

The materials used in the LED screen and its enclosure can also lower the risk of dangerous signage failures and assuage any safety concerns. Look for products certified by Underwriters Laboratory (UL), which imposes strict safety requirements.

6. Price and warranty

You may be tempted to choose the least expensive LED signage option, but you’re likely to get what you pay for. Low-cost suppliers use lower-quality materials — not military-grade components. Their design teams may not ensure the safety and longevity of your signage. And they may under-specify the screen’s performance to lower the cost.

Many signage suppliers offer a warranty, but check the fine print to make sure you understand the exceptions and limitations. Here’s where you may be better off going with a trusted brand, even if it costs a bit more.  Ultimately, smartly designed and well-built LED advertising screens will deliver greater overall savings.

7. Choose the best integrator

Your LED supplier may not always be the organization that physically installs the screen. In many cases, you may end up hiring an architect, consultant or project manager to oversee or carry out the installation. Is your LED supplier ready and willing to work with these managers?

You may also simply want to appoint an installer who can manage the entire project. Can your supplier suggest a qualified installer? Again, check their references and ask about the success of previous installations.

8. Visual quality

Outdoor signage is meant to draw the attention of passersby and communicate a message about your brand. The vividness of the image has a significant impact on how that message is received. Your outdoor LED signage should be bright and vibrant, and it should display colors accurately. Skin tones that look washed out, for example, will draw negative attention, so check the LED supplier spec sheet to be sure the display shows true-to-life color.

Another key consideration is pixel pitch, in other words, the space between RGB pixels. It’s important you choose a vendor that will match the right pixel pitch for the viewing distance. Over specifying the pitch may cost more, but if the pixel pitch is too large, the visual quality may suffer.

Establishing an outdoor LED signage solution can be a daunting task with many moving parts — and concerns about visual quality, cost, safety and reliability. Starting with these eight tips in mind, you’ll be prepared to ask the right questions and set your project up for success.

For an array of innovative display options, check out the full lineup of LED outdoor signage by Samsung, designed to weather and outshine all sorts of unpredictable environments. Whether it’s one screen or dozens, you can configure and tailor their messaging in real time using an integrated CMS, as explained in this free complete guide.

5 important tips when selecting your LED screen

8 things to consider when choosing your LED outdoor signage and provider