All About Video Walls
Video walls are used in universities, businesses, and personal use across the globe. These multi-unit visual displays are capable of putting out a lot of information in a huge way. Whether you are wanting one for advertising purposes or one to show high-resolution videos, there is an ideal setup for you.
All you need to do is know your goals with the video wall and understand what equipment you are going to need to purchase.
What is a Video Wall?
A video wall is a display panel that can be mounted on the wall. These video walls can be made up of several panels. For those who want a regular television sized screen for their wall, that is possible with using one unit. However, if you combine several panels together, they will work as one cohesive unit. This means that you can have a video playing on your wall that is up to the size of your wall.
There are a few different types of video walls. Some are made with different materials, like LED or LCD.
LCD panels are layers of liquid crystals. These displays are unable to produce their own light and therefore must have backlights behind the glass for illumination.
LED displays are light-emitted diodes that are a semiconductor light source. These screens create light of their own, as opposed to LCD panels. LEDs are ideal for indoor and outdoor use and maintain high-resolution visuals in either. They consume less power and require less maintenance than LCD screens as well.
How Much Does It Cost?
Video walls are highly customized designs that are tailored to each individual consumer and the area of installation. Because of this large variety, the price will depend on a range of different factors.
Screen type and the display size will obviously greatly impact the cost of the video wall that you want to have installed. The design of the screen, curved or flat, will also factor into those costs. As you get deeper into the requirements that you need, keep in mind that video processing requirements and the complexity of the installation will drive costs as well.
Professional installation is a must for these complex walls and how you want them installed matters. They can be free standing, wall mounted, or even mounted to the ceiling.
Overall, most companies will budget anywhere from $50K to $350K for the purchase and installation of their video wall design. The best bet is to shop around and get quotes while keeping quality of service in mind.
What to Consider Before Installing Video Walls
Before you get too excited about immersing yourself into a video the size of your wall, there are a few things that you should consider before investing in such a system. The biggest considerations, of course, are your goals for the wall. Keep those goals in mind as you go through these considerations.
Location of the Video Wall
While it would be great if we could just slap a video wall in a room and call it a day, there are some factors that need to be addressed to ensure maximum usability of your video wall. The space that you install the panels in can impact the quality of the display when in use.
Windows and natural light in the room affect the visual display by the way the screens emit light and retaliate that light to the ambient light in the room. Eye strain can occur when the display is so dim that it makes it difficult for the viewer to see. This can be combated with a high-density brightness display since it will not be affected by the surrounding light from the windows. This also works for those who are using their video wall outdoors.
The distance from the video wall to the viewer also makes a difference. For instance, if your video wall is placed high up on the wall, you may want to consider getting a bigger video wall so that the viewers will not have difficulty seeing a small screen.
For video walls that are closer to the viewer, the P3 display setting will help with the pixel pitch of the video display. This works for those who are at a maximum of 3-meters from the screens.
Appearance
Aesthetics are obviously important if you are buying a video wall, so professional or precision installation is ideal. Attractive screens that are centered perfectly on the wall can attract attention even if the initial content does not reel them in – at first.
Type of Footage
Like most televisions, video walls come in all sorts of screen types. If you are going to be playing videos or HD content, then this needs to be factored into your decision making. This will affect which back-end software and accessories you need as well.
If presentations are a major component of what you will be showing, then you need to make sure that the software supports presentation-building.
Operation
If multiple users are granted access to operating the wall, then you will need to get software that supports a multi-user workflow. This is especially true in office environments where, even if there is only one sole user, others should have access just in case.
Advanced Graphics
Displaying ultra-high resolution content requires specifications on the controller and a supporting engine that features 3D accelerated graphics.
Controller
Video walls and their uses can get quite complex. This brings us back to the importance of knowing your goals with the video wall before you start shopping. The controller will need to match your unit and the amount of required inputs and outputs that you need.
Conclusion
Video walls are a cutting-edge technology that allow you to bring attention to your business in a visually aesthetic way. Your message is bound to be memorable when it is displayed on a wall in high-tech LED technology that commands attention. Why wait? Get a consultation to get the details worked out ASAP, so you can have a futuristic visual display of your own.