When you say digital signage you often think of traditional signage displays and while these displays come in many different sizes, perhaps it's not enough. Perhaps you're dreaming of an impressive video wall. Well, the time for dreaming is over. Now it's time to act and what better way to begin than by learning more about video walls. Today's blog is all about understanding the basics. By reading more you'll discover:
What are video walls and when should you consider purchasing one?
A video wall is a large-scale display solution created by combining multiple individual display screens, such as LCD or LED panels, to form a single, large, and cohesive display surface. These screens are tiled together seamlessly to display high-resolution images, videos, or animations across the entire wall, offering an impressive and immersive visual experience. If you'd like to understand more about which options of video walls are out there, check out this blog. To sum it up, there are three options to make your dream wall come true: the massive traditional wall, an informal wall, or the "art wall".
Video walls are commonly used in various settings, such as control rooms, retail stores, conference rooms, airports, public spaces, and advertising venues. They can be used for digital signage, information dissemination, advertising, surveillance, and entertainment purposes. Video walls are known for their high brightness, large size, and ability to display content across multiple screens simultaneously, making them an effective and eye-catching communication tool.
Before investing in a video wall, consider factors such as budget, space availability, technical requirements, and content management. Consulting with an expert in the field can help you assess your specific needs and determine if a video wall is the right solution for your situation. If you'd like to know more about how to successfully introduce digital signage into your company, have a look at our blog post covering this topic.
LED walls vs video walls – a quick word
The terms "LED walls" and "video walls" are sometimes used interchangeably, but they refer to different display technologies. Here's a breakdown of the key differences between LED walls and video walls.
The first and perhaps most important diction between the two is that the display technology used is different. LED walls are built using LED (Light Emitting Diode) panels, where each pixel consists of individual red, green, and blue LEDs. The panels are assembled together to create a seamless and large-scale display surface. Whereas video walls cover a more general term and can refer to a large-scale display created by combining multiple individual screens, such as LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), LED, or even projection technology. These screens are tiled together to form a single, cohesive display surface.
Another important distinction to be made is regarding image quality and resolution. LED walls offer high brightness, wide viewing angles, and deep contrast levels, making them suitable for outdoor and large-scale installations. The resolution of an LED wall depends on the pixel pitch (the distance between individual LEDs), which can vary across different products. Smaller pixel pitches result in higher resolution and better image quality.
Regarding video walls, the image quality and resolution of a video wall depend on the underlying display technology (LCD, LED, or projection) and the specifications of the individual screens used. LCD video walls typically have higher resolution and smaller bezels, making them suitable for indoor and close-viewing applications.
In a nutshell, the main difference between LED walls and video walls lies in the display technology used. LED walls are a specific type of video wall that uses LED panels, while video walls can be created using various display technologies, including LCD, LED, or projection systems. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the choice between them depends on factors like the intended application, budget, and installation requirements.
For more information about the different types of displays out there that are compatible with MagicINFO, consider reading this article in which we discuss more about this topic.
Benefits of having a video wall installed
Here at MagicInfo Services by ScreenCom, we do not provide hardware installation services. However, we do have extensive knowledge and experience working with any type of signage display, including video walls. If you'd like to get an idea about how multiple devices can be turned into a video wall, below you will find a short YouTube video about how to install a video wall with a daisy chain. Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel if you haven't already done so. We regularly upload content showing how to use MagicINFO to make the most out of your digital signage projects. If you're interested in learning how to configure your video wall, check out our blog covering this topic.
Video walls are easily scalable turning into one immersive display
Now let's talk about the biggest benefit of having a video wall installed: the sleek look and feel. The latest technology developed by Samsung allows anyone choosing their hardware solutions is able to scale their video wall size up to 5x5, meaning up to 25 displays can be connected using simple daisy chain to create the world's first UHD video wall. Pretty impressive, no?
On top of all of this, the displays have UHD for an up-close immersive experience. Thanks to Samsung Color Expert technology, factory calibration is done to ensure there are no inconsistencies in color, maintaining the high quality of your content as it was designed. No need to worry whether your video wall will look good enough, as Samsung displays have a minimum accuracy of 90% local uniformity.
Nowadays, it is easier than ever to create and manage content for your video wall as Samsung displays already have a built-in player and are compatible with MagicINFO, the only digital signage solution you need to achieve your business goals. You can find more information about the different MagicINFO licenses and cloud subscriptions available on our website.
Video walls can have touch screens to offer an interactive customer experience
You can also use video walls to create interactive customer experiences by choosing touchscreen displays. These interactive video walls captivate audiences, encouraging them to engage with the displayed content and fostering a deeper connection with your brand. Touch screens bring a whole other level of engagement where graphics and/or information is triggered upon the touch of the screen or a portion of the screen.
Multi-source
visualisation
Lastly, a video wall can be used for multi-source visualisation by displaying multiple sources of information simultaneously on a large, high-resolution canvas. This feature is particularly valuable in control rooms, command centers, or network operations centers, where real-time monitoring and analysis of various data streams are crucial. By leveraging a video wall controller, operators can combine feeds from multiple sources, such as surveillance cameras, live broadcasts, computer applications, and data visualisations, to create a comprehensive overview of the situation.
The flexibility of video walls allows for customisable layouts, resizing, and repositioning of individual sources as needed. This multi-source visualisation enhances situational awareness, facilitates collaboration, and enables informed decision-making in dynamic and data-intensive environments.
Conclusion
In today's blog, we learned what video walls are, touched upon some key differences between LED walls and video walls, and talked about the different uses of video walls and the benefits of having a video wall installed.
In conclusion, installing a video wall offers numerous advantages that can greatly enhance communication, engagement, and collaboration in a variety of settings. From captivating audiences with high-quality visuals to providing multisource visualization in control rooms, video walls have emerged as a versatile and powerful display solution. With their scalability, flexibility, and the potential for creating interactive customer experiences, video walls cater to the ever-evolving needs of businesses and organizations. As technology continues to advance, video walls will undoubtedly remain at the forefront of innovative display solutions, making them a valuable investment for those seeking to elevate their visual communication and overall user experience.
You have reached the end of today's blog. For more information on how to use digital signage and MagicINFO to level up your project schedule a meeting with one of our MagicINFO experts.
Video walls can be simple or complex depending on what you want to use them for. This article will define what a basic video wall is, the components you need to buy and tips for designing appropriate content.
What is a video wall? Our video wall definition
In short, a video wall is a collection of screens that are combined/tiled together to create one large display. Typical display technologies used include LCD, direct LED tiles, rear-projection and laser displays. The purpose for using video walls varies depending on the industry. Industries where video walls can be used include; corporates, hospitals, retailers, government offices, churches, schools, casinos and hotel receptions.
Most video wall installations are going to be LED for a few reasons:
- no seams on the wall
- high brightness
- flexibility in design e.g. curved screens for stone column
Because of their size and clarity, video walls have a WOW factor that makes them very effective for marketing messages and branding. It’s important to note that the content displayed is key in reaching messaging goals for the video wall. And in order to optimize the content displayed, content management software is needed.
The software enables users to change the content, adjust the content layout, and update content schedules. It provides a richer set of control features including multi-user access and reporting.
That’s what this article is about i.e. video walls with content management software. Surprisingly, only 13% of the video wall systems installed have content management software. Such projects run the risk of showing poor content, which makes the video wall a very expensive decoration.
How does a video wall work?
A video wall is a collection of displays aligned so content can be displayed over the displays continuously. Video walls works by using a specific type of hardware setup to display content without interruption. This also requires software to help plan and configure the content.
Benefits of a video wall
But why should you even use a video wall? Below are the top benefits of a video wall.
- Grabs attention
- Employee time
- Different types of content simultaneously
- Suitable for a wide range of industries
- Flexible installation
- Support content customization
- Increase sales
- Improve customer experience
- Consumers prefer them
1. Grabs attention
Because of their large size, video displays are able to command attention. They are hard to ignore by customers, employees, or visitors, which makes them an ideal tool for an organization’s branding or informational campaigns.
2. Employee Time
Video walls can help perform tasks an employee normally would. It can free up employee time so they can work on more pressing tasks. This is done by displaying important information that staff would typically have to answer: For instance:
- Large malls can display maps on video display
- Parks and stadiums can display frequently asked questions
- Hospitals can display services offered online
3. Different Types of Content Simultaneously
A video wall that is powered by content management software is designed to display different types of content simultaneously. For instance, a campus can use a video wall to display maps, school events, and useful information like weather, news and social media.
4. Suitable for a wide range of industries
Traditionally, video walls, especially LED ones, have been used in retail for advertising and at events. Costs were high and content management wasn’t as evolved. Today, video walls are cheaper and more affordable for small and medium businesses. They are being installed in corporate offices, schools, government offices, hospitals, hotels, casinos and houses of worship. They are so diverse and thus are used across a large range of industries.
Check out our video wall examples post for some inspiration!
5. Installation is Flexible
LED video walls offer a lot of flexibility in design. For instance, they can be curved to fit around corners and columns. Additionally they can be shaped in architectural ways outside of the traditional rectangle or square install.
6. Support Content Customization
The content management software enables businesses to customize and personalize the content displayed on the screens.
Different content can be displayed at different times of the day e.g. a restaurant video wall can show different breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. The content also auto-updates e.g. when a calendar changes, the events listed on the video wall are updated.
7. Can Increase Sales
Retail businesses that use digital signage can improve their sales by 32%. Retailers can use a video display system to alert thousands of target customers about discounts and other great deals.
8. Can Improve the Customer Experience
An estimated wait time sign can combat customer dissatisfaction resulting from unpredictable waiting times. Leading service providers have been using this trick to keep clients waiting patiently. Thus, like those leading service providers, any business can use this system to improve their customer satisfaction scores.
42% of consumers are likely to purchase from stores with video displays rather than those without. The video displays give customers more information about the products, help to upsell complementary products and overall improve the ambiance in the store.
Video wall system components
While the display is the most visible part of a video wall, it isn’t the only element. Several other video wall system components collaborate to display those attention-grabbing images on display.
Some of the components are:
Hardware
The hardware refers to all physical components that make up the entire system. The most significant hardware are:
- Digital display
- Media player
Digital display refers to the screens. For instance to form one large display, screens can be tiled together. The screens can be LED or LCD. We recommend using commercial-grade screens with narrow bezels for seamless viewing and best content display.
LED screens have thinner bezels, the widest viewing angles, best picture quality, and more energy-efficient. They are however much more expensive than an LCD screen of the same size.
The media player is a device you connect to your screen. For example, the media player can be connected via an HDMI cable or VGA ports to the screen. It receives content from the software and displays it on the screen.
Software
Also known as the content management software (CMS), digital signage software is the central platform to allow users to manage their digital signage content.
Without going into too much detail, your software is the command center that lets you upload/create content and deploy it to your video wall. This is where you’ll manage the content displayed and the hardware used.
Content
This is undoubtedly the most essential aspect of a success digital display. It’s what the target viewers see and interact with. This content can be in the form of images, screenshots, videos, infographics, GIFs, memes, and presentations.
Designing your content
Video walls display information. Ideally, this would be to the right target audience at the correct time. Otherwise, this communication and advertisement channel will be less effective.
So how does one make sure that their video wall system plays its role effectively? Below are some video wall content design tips:
- Use high-quality realistic images/videos
- Like any visual, high-quality images and videos will easily command anyone’s attention than poor quality visuals. Even so, one should refrain from using heavily filtered pictures or videos.
- Keep text short and to the point
- As a rule, any text on a display wall system should be as concise as possible. A single line should contain a maximum of 5 words. Anything above five words will look cluttered and harder to read. Also, texts should be large and colorful enough for anyone to read without straining.
- Use the right screen brightness
- Lighting affects the visibility of the content displayed on the video wall’s digital screen. As an example, target viewers can hardly see content on a dim screen during a bright day. It’s important to adjust the screen’s brightness according to ambient light.
- Do not clutter the video wall
- While a single video wall system can display multiple types of content, it isn’t advisable to stuff it. A professionally designed video wall should contain an adequate white space to let readers view or read through the content easily and quickly.
- Test content often
- Testing content is the only way one can know if their content is appropriate, understandable, and actionable. Otherwise, your digital signage will not properly pass the desired message. To test your content, the content creator can run periodical surveys to gauge the content’s performance and impact. That way, content creators can discover and implement corrections to improve their ROI.
Video wall applications: what is a video wall used for?
Most savvy business owners first question when they see a video wall boils down to, “How can I use this technology?” The top video wall applications are:
Video wall installation: How to make a video wall
By far the most difficult aspect of the process is the video wall installation. For those looking for how to make a video wall, we have a great mini-guide below.
Video walls are a set of screens that work together to create one continuous and impressive display. You may want a video wall to relay information, create an immersive display, interact with your audience, or for presentations. They are difficult to create for those that are unfamiliar with the process. However, following the tips in this guide should make it easier.
1. Have a Clear Vision
You need to create a draft project document that highlights its important points, goals, or objectives. Some points to consider include:
- The purpose of the video wall, what you plan to display
- Location: is it near WiFi, internet cable, electrical outlet, near a water fountain?
- Size: the size that would accomplish what you want to achieve
- Layout: for instance, in a 4 TV video wall project, do you want that in 4×1 or 2×2 video wall layout?
2. Measure Everything
If you decide on a DIY video wall, you are likely to mess up the measurements. Here’s what you should include:
- Display size: people only consider the screen size but overlook display size. Measure the bezels and width
- Clearance: the space behind the display and support structure
- Frames, supporting structure, walls
- Distances: to power supply, internet connections, between displays
- Space allowance: for media players, internet or WiFi adapters
- Weight: consider supporting structures, cables, video wall controller
3. Select Your Hardware
The most important digital signage hardware element is the video wall panels. If they are for digital signage, you want high-quality video wall displays like an LG or Samsung video wall. Using Samsung for illustrative purposes, a single display unit costs $2,000 to $6,000.
When choosing a video wall TV, remember that a thin bezel TV for video wall will look the best. They create an illusion of a seamless video wall, especially if you choose a multiple panel set-up, such as a 3×3 video wall. Another thing to consider is that LCDs are better at close-up viewing, and LEDs look better at further distances.
Video wall mounts come in various types; make sure you get the right one for your displays. For instance, the Peerless video wall mount can only accommodate 46’ to 55’ video wall TVs. A simple Peerless 2×2 mounting kit for 46’-55’ screens costs $534.
Digital signage media players allow you to control and show content on digital signage displays. Most media players come bundled with video wall software free of charge.
If you have a simple project such as a 2×2 video wall mount, a simple $299 Xhibit Mykro media player will do. For a bigger set-up like a video wall grid, you need more computing power. A desktop computer that has several display ports will be more suitable as your video wall processor. Alternatively, you can go with video/matrix players or video wall controllers. They are devices that allow streaming of a single video source to multiple screens.
It would help if you had digital signage software or content management software (CMS) to control and display content on your video wall. Although some software is cloud-based, you can choose an onsite solution such as Mvix software.
5. Create a Plan
Video wall signage is not cheap. Create a detailed project draft that lists down all materials before you start. Let others run through the draft to ensure you cover everything, preventing oversight that could prove costly down the road.
You are likely to overlook some design features; why not create a wall schematic? The wall drawing will give you a rough idea of what the video wall will look like.
6. Construct Your Wall
A grid-style video wall is the most complicated set-up as it requires a lot of configuring and installation.
- Displays and mounting – match your screens to the right mounting and adjust according to the grid. Bigger set-ups will be bolted to the floor, smaller ones to the wall.
- Accessibility – If you decide on an LCD or DIY LED video wall, leave some space for installing cables and media players.
- Software installation – install and update the software and load it with content.
- Audio – connect the media player to external speakers. Be mindful of the speaker placement to improve acoustics.
7. Customize Your Displays
With your digital signage video wall up and running, you need to create customized content for display. Before you do so, you need to develop digital signage content through research, content creation, and distribution. Some innovative digital signage content ideas of:
- Live social media feeds
- FAQs
- Emergency, News, traffic, weather alerts
- Quizzes and games
- Motivational messages
Like any other electronic, you should regularly clean your video wall screens to get rid of dust and dirt. Ensure you update the software to keep it running smoothly. Support needs to check the displays to catch any degradation quickly and prevent downtime. Additionally, keep the video wall display off for at least two hours daily.
You need to keep your content fresh and interesting through updates. Fortunately, there are plenty of digital signage apps that simplify creating and updating rich content.
Worth the Investment?
Are video walls worth the investment? The short answer is yes. When used, this technology can increase an organization’s brand identity and streamline visitor experience. A video wall system can foster good first impressions, support self-service, and free up employees. When video display signage are designed professionally, they tend to deliver the best benefits. Unlike amateurs, professionals will align the system for enhanced visibility, and set up the system appropriately. With an expert’s input, a video wall will not disappoint.