LED screens

[Christopher_M]

Hi Viktor

 

I run a company in the UK that installs LED screens for major events all over Europe. Along with our mother company in Sweden, we have an extensive inventory of LED product from all sorts of suppliers - as with all products, different manufacturers have a different approach; some are better than others, some are cheaper, some do niche things very well...

 

Technology is this field is advancing rapidly - screens are getting brighter, higher resolution, lighter and more power efficient. However, the purpose of LED screens is to provide big, bright displays and as such, resolution is less of an issue. That said, in the corporate environment, there are screens with a pixel resolution of 3mm - awsome but very expensive. At the other end of the scale, large outdoor displays (big concerts and spectaculars) will have a resolution of 25mm. But when you are installing a couple of screens at 50sqm each, brightness and price are the keys, not resolution. It is important therefore before you take the investment step to understand your market (unless you are wealthy enough to be able to afford to cover all bases).

 

There are of course, crossover products, conveniently called indoor/outdoor screens (!). These are not only waterproof, but bright enough to be used outside (ie at least 4,000 nits) and also high enough resolution to be used inside where the close-approach distances will be smaller. (Note: the closer the audience is to a screen, the less able the eye & brain is to resolve the pixellation - that is why you need higher resolutions for shorter throws).

 

As to which is "best", think it would be inappropriate to advise you, not least because it is hard to define "best" in this context. Chromatek 6mm has a fantastic processor and some would say it is the gold standard at that resolution. However, it would be rubbish in a touring environment. Barco is extremely well accepted around the world, as is Lighthouse, and the likes of Toshiba and Unitek are gaining ground across Europe. There are many other manufacturers as well - Daktronics in the US, Saco in Canada, and Panasonic and Mitsubishi also make product. The list goes on...

 

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

 

Christopher