Using LCD for Digital Signage

LCD TVs (Liquid Crystal Display) are a relatively new concept. While the TV showrooms are full of them and no longer do many manufacturers produce the old CRT (cathode ray tube) devices, they have really only been with us for a few years and it was only last year that LCDs first outsold CRT  (with a 50% share of the 200 million TVs sold worldwide).

However, LCDs have exploded in more places that just our living rooms they are now to be found in a multitude of places from shopping malls, colleges and schools to hospitals, prisons and even the sidewalk.

The use of LCD for digital signage and advertising was a natural step as the technology got cheaper, flatter and more reliable and for the first time TV’s could fit on to walls and take up only as much space as a painting.

Flat screens such as LCD and plasma also have the advantage of being less vulnerable to glare than the curved CRT screens which means that TV’s, for the first time, could be sited outdoors in natural light.

LCDs are not naturally waterproof though and for any outdoor digital advertising consideration must be taken in protecting the digital outdoor signage device from the elements.

Weatherproof LCD enclosures are available and they offer ideal protection against the weather. Often sealed to international guidelines such as NEMA 4, they protect the enclosed display device from rain, snow, wind etc. Mostly made from solid steel, many of the display enclosures will protect and outdoor digital signage from vandals and thieves too.

Often these digital signage enclosures will also contain additional heating and cooling systems allowing the enclosure to cope with any temperature extremes brought about by the seasons.