Outdoor Digital Signage – Importance of Commercial Grade Screens

Protective waterproof LCD enclosures are often deployed in outdoor locations for outdoor digital signage, information screens or as outdoor TVs. As an LCD enclosure can house almost any type of flat screen TV, it is often tempting to install a standard consumer TV, the type commonly used for watching TV in front room and living rooms but there are several reasons why you should avoids this temptation.

While LCD enclosures will certainly allow these standard devices to operate in an outdoor location, protecting them from rainfall and temperature by the weatherproof capabilities of the enclosure. And, while these may function perfectly well for uses such as outdoor TV viewing, they are not designed for outdoor digital signage or prolonged viewing and have several deficits in this area.

The first problem is with the time that outdoor digital signage devices are left on. Standard consumer grade screens are not designed for 24 hour usage and will struggle to operate permanently, leading to overheating, failure and a premature end to the life cycle.

High Brightness is Essential for Outdoor Screens

Commercial grade screens are designed with a far longer life, and more importantly, are designed to operate 24/7 without respite, with better cooling and more durable design. But they have other advantages for outdoor digital signage, over consumer grade screens too.

Flexibility is another asset to using commercial grade screens. With outdoor digital signage there is often a need to place screens in different orientations – Landscape, with the screen horizontal; and portrait, with the screen vertical. Few consumer grade screens allow any use other than landscape viewing.

Standard consumer screens are also restricted with the types of input sockets that they possess.  For a digital signage network, USB and Ethernet cables are often required and few consumer grade screens offer these.

When embarking in digital signage, particularly outside, upgrading to a commercial grade screen will provide a longer lasting system, that if housed in a good quality LCD enclosure should provide an outdoor digital signage system that should last years to come.