Outdoor Digital Signage – The Resurgence of Plasma

For many years now, since the emergence of the flat-panel TV, LCD screens have led the way. Overtaking plasma in both the home entertainment and digital out of home market (Dooh), LCDs are now the ubiquitous choice for almost any AV application.

But things are beginning to change, especially thanks to the growth of both outdoor digital signage and high definition (HD).

Plasma screens have always had a couple of advantage over LCDs in that they are brighter and have a wider viewing angle. This makes them great for digital signage, and outdoor digital signage; however, due to their vulnerability to screen burn in the early days, especially when left on for prolonged periods, the Dooh market began to lose favour with plasmas.

The technology, however, has moved on and plasmas are every bit as reliable as LCDs for use in digital signage. Furthermore, with modern HD plasmas the quality and brightness of the image easily surpasses that of LCD.

Plasma Enclosure

With this extra brightness and the wider viewing angle of plasmas it makes them a great choice for outdoor digital signage] where LCDs often struggle to counter the brightness of the sun.

Obviously, you can’t simply take a plasma screen outside otherwise the weather will disable it the first time it rains. This is where the plasma enclosure comes in.

Similar to LCD enclosures, plasma enclosures offer a similar level of protection. They are waterproof and prevent dust from getting inside and other weather elements such as snow and hail. Furthermore, plasma enclosures contain climatic systems that ensure the screen is operating at exactly the right temperature.

Commonly, a plasma enclosure will also have some measure to carry heat away from the screen, especially if it is to be erected in a location where the sun is beating directly onto it.

Finally, for physical protection plasma enclosures are manufactured from steel or other hardy material to prevent damage from impact or accident.