Digital Signage – Why Viewing Angle is So Important

There are a whole host of challenges in placing a screen in an outdoor location; sunshine, the weather, temperature, not too mention location and networking the screens together. And while all these aspects to outdoor screens are highly important, there is one area that can often get overlooked but is highly important and shouldn’t be underestimated – the angle.

Obviously location is a key aspect of maximizing viewership, but with outdoor digital signage, location can be restricted due to planning regulations and the need to keep thoroughfares clear.

But by optimizing viewing angle you can make the most of the location you have and increase viewership.

When it comes to the angle of a screen, there are two key points to consider. The angle the screen is facing and the natural viewing angle of your audience.

Audience Viewing Angle

The audience viewing angle is the natural angle that people’s eyes will fall upon when approaching an object (such as an LCD screen). Depending on the size of the screen, there will be a zone of about 15-25 feet from the sign where the content will be readable, so the sign needs to be viewable in this area.

A tilted angle can increase view time

Obviously eye-level would be the best position for the screen and would maximize the viewership as your audience approached; however, this is not always possible, especially with ceiling mounted digital screens (which have to be high enough so people don’t bang their head).

Screen Tilt Angle

To maximize the effectiveness and length of viewing time of a screen mounted high up, the screen angle can make huge differences. A flat screen, that may be clearly viewable at a good distance away, will become difficult to see closer in, and therefore, will probably be not as effective as a screen that is tilted to meet the audience’s viewing angle.

Viewing angle and screen angle – This screen may be unnoticed

LCD Enclosures – mounting options

LCD enclosures are a very versatile method of mounting digital signage displays. Commonly they are used for outdoor screens as they protect against weather elements but because of the versatility in the mounting options they are also ideal for ceiling mounted digital signage in that the display can be tilted to the optimum angle – increasing view time and viewership.

* For a more in depth look at the importance of viewing angle visit Bill Gerba’s blog at Wirespring.