Digital Signage Screens Buyer’s Guide

How to choose the right digital signage screen

The best digital signage screens for your project will depend on how and where you intend to use it. There are number of options on the market today make it easier to find the right screen for your purpose. Determining what features you need ahead of time will help you make an educated decision and find the best screens for your signage.

What are you using the screens for?

How you plan to use your digital signage screens will determine what features your screen needs to have. First, you will need to consider the number of hours the screens will be in use. Higher end screens are rated for continuous use while others are only rated for a limited number of hours per day. The continuous use screens will cost more so if you don’t plan to use your screens 24/7 then the lower hourly rated screens could be best for you.

Indoor vs Outdoor screens

The location you will be using the screen is the most important and will have the greatest impact on price. Outdoor screens are much more expensive compared to screens used inside because they will be brighter and (of course) weatherproof. For indoor signage, if you are planning on using the screen in a very bright area like the front window of a store, you will need a screen that will be bright enough so the sunlight doesn’t make your content hard to see.

Can you use a TV for digital signage?

While you can use just about any screen for digital signage, consumer grade screens are generally not recommended. Commercial displays are designed specifically for long hours of use where consumer grade screens are generally only rated for 8 hours per day.

Additionally, commercial screens are built to operate effectively in more demanding environments. These screens contain components such as heat dissipation plates and cooling fans that allow them to be used for long hours with economical power consumption. Commercial signage displays are typically rated for over 50,000 hours of use and can be used in businesses that run for between 16 and 24 hours a day.

If you are using the screens for mission critical content such as restaurant digital menu boards, you will want to choose a high quality screen from an established brand.

Commercial LCD displays can be rotated

Commercial displays provide the flexibility to be hung either horizontal (landscape) or vertical (portrait). This flexibility allows businesses to use displays in a way that fits the space requirements and desired look and feel of the environment. Consumer displays are not designed to hang vertically, both form a visual design as well as an engineering point of view. The bezel (frame) on a consumer display is usually not even all the way around and will look odd when turned vertical. The bezel on commercial displays are uniform all the way around and will generally be thinner allowing the content to be the focus.

Check the warranty

The warranty on a commercial display is 3 years (some manufacturers are expanding this to 5 years) on-site parts and labor, and have no restrictions for the environment that you are using the display. Some manufacturers will void the warranty of a consumer grade screen if used in a commercial environment. Consumer models vary in length of warranty, and typically require you to pack up the monitor and send/bring it someplace for repair.