The Ultimate Guide to LED Video Walls in Canada
Imagine yourself in Times Square, NYC for a moment. What comes to mind? Taxi cabs, bustling crowds, and skyscrapers adorned with video walls as large as the buildings themselves, each displaying some form of striking media or advertising. From our local shopping mall displays, to covering the entire side of buildings, LED video walls and digital signage are a constant presence in modern life. These large-format display systems are among the most eye-catching and effective forms of digital signage. Presenting messages and media in a massive format has never been easier or cost effective. In this article, we will be going through the many aspects of LED video walls. Including assembly, structure and maintenance, their place in digital signage and advertising, and a list of common applications/locations for the technology.
How LED Video Walls Work
The Overview
LED walls consist of modular, direct view LED (dvLED) panels. These panels are made up of hundreds of tiny LED light sources known as diodes that are mounted directly to the panel. The panels do not have bezels (the bordering between screen and frame commonly found on consumer TVs, phones and desktop monitors.) This allows them to be assembled into a seamless display of any size, OR any shape.
The brains of the operation would be the central controller. This controller will receive a signal from a video input source (Common connections are HDMI, DisplayPort, SDI, DVI, VGA etc.) which it then outputs accordingly to each panel to create a seamless image. The controller sends data to the video wall via standard CAT6 cable, generally through a single entry point. After that, the cable runs from panel to panel, the controller picks up the signal path and identifies each panel. There is no manual selection or configuration of each panel required. For a display so massive, you’d be surprised how “plug & play” it really can be!
The power for the wall comes from an external power supply system that diverts power across each row of panels.
The Panels
The key factor in LED walls is the relatively simple technology required to produce them. Each panel is essentially its own standalone system. This means each panel can be serviced individually if it malfunctions instead of tearing the entire wall down for a minor repair. This gives the system huge advantages over traditional large-format display systems like projection. Projectors often have lengthy and costly repairs that require the system to be inoperable for some time. With the ease-of-repair that these panels offer, that is no longer the case. We often include 1 spare panel for every 30 panels for rapid, on-site replacement in the event of failure.
Each panel consists of:
Chassis
Power Supply
Receiving Card
Main Board
4x LED Array Modules
Here at Evolution AV, we’ve installed a TON of video wall panels. The panels that we prefer to use are made from a lightweight polymer material. These panels weighs 14.7lbs, while some comparable panels in the same market weigh over 30lbs. When discussing large-scale video wall projects, this can save exponential amounts of weight across the project. This allows for different types of rigging systems to be used, increasing the variety of locations and applications for the video wall to be used in.
These panels can be configured in a variety of ways, they can be offset when connected side by side, as well as curved up to 15 degrees between panels. This allows for some truly unique configurations such as walls that appear to wrap around corners, or walls that appear waved.
Pixel Pitch & Resolution
The “business in the back” of Direct View LED Panels
Here’s something for our deep-level tech friends: Resolution for the LED video wall is determined by the “pixel pitch” of each panel. This pixel pitch is the distance between each diode on the panel, measured in millimeters. Pixel Pitch determines the viewing distance of the LED screen. The standard pitch of 3.9mm has a recommended viewing distance of 16 feet to 24 feet. You can view the screen closer up, however the viewer will start to be able to see the individual pixels at closer distances. Our 40ft wide video wall at Theatre Calgary boasts a near-4k screen resolution!
Finer Pixel Pitch is possible. Planar has developed the current finest pitch panel possible at 0.6mm. This provides extremely high resolution images at a close viewing distance. It is worth noting that 3.9mm is currently the best value pitch in terms of resolution and price. The cost goes up exponentially for smaller pitch panels. For whatever reason, stories like this don’t go over well at parties—but we still find it fascinating.
Damage and Repair
LED Panels are quite resilient. They can be placed in some really unique and unforgiving locations, which means they can be subject to the wear and tear of exposure to the elements. The propensity for damage or fault depends on time & location. For example, if an LED wall is placed outside in a region where cold temperatures are common, extreme weather can damage the panels. The MG7 Panel used by Evolution AV is rated from -30°C to + 60°C. Interior video walls (such as a school gymnasium scoreboard) can also be subject to damage from recreational sports in the form of flying pucks, basketballs, soccer balls, children, etc. Generally when Evolution AV quotes out a video wall, this can be factored into the service agreement of the unit.
Common Applications
While the customizable nature of video walls allows them to fit into any space or design, generally they are used for large areas that require bright, large-format displays. You name the spot, we’ll make it shine.
The most common areas we see video walls are:
Entertainment Venues
Outdoor Digital Signage
Houses of Worship
Gym Digital Scoreboards
Control Rooms
Performing Arts Theatres
More and more, video walls and other large-format displays are also being forethought in the architectural design process. With many buildings having integrated video walls upon completion, instead of being added in after the fact. Evolution AV is proud to have completed multiple LED video wall projects across multiple sectors.
Video Walls And Marketing
LED video walls are by far the most impactful form of digital signage. The sheer size and scale of them allows for content to be displayed on a much more impressive and eye-catching scale than traditional digital signage or print assets. This makes it no surprise that the market for these walls is growing so rapidly.
According to Fortune Business Insights, the global video market for LED Video Walls is forecasted to reach $36 Billion USD by 2026. There is heavy competition to compete in this space as it develops rapidly, with massive companies such as Panasonic, Toshiba, Samsung and NEC all being described as the prominent industry players.
The significant ROI when it comes to video walls is in the longevity of the product, and the advertising impact it has on potential customers. Samsung created a large-scale, 627 sq. foot video wall installed in the McCarran Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. In Samsung’s project report on the wall, it is said that Alliance Airport Advertising estimated the video wall on completion to provide between $500,000 and $1 Million dollars in gross advertising revenue for the airport each year.
This is supported by the relatively low cost of ownership for video walls. The up-front cost of a fully functioning video wall is in constant decline. The diodes have a lifespan of approximately 80,000 hours. This means that if the video wall is operational 24/7, the wall will last 9 years. If the wall is operational 8 hours per day, 5 days a week, this brings the expected life span up to 38 years. Most parts on the wall can be serviced easily and on-location.
Just like everything else tech-related, AV technology is advancing at a rapid pace. One of the benchmarks for this acceleration of innovation is the LED video wall. Versatile, effective, low-cost and user-friendly displays that bring media to life. Evolution AV is proud to present world-class results in the video wall space.