There has been an increase in the amount of outdoor waterproof TVs that are being manufactured in recent years. Driven by the rise of outdoor digital signage, perhaps the fastest growing sector in the out of home advertising industry, these outdoor screens are becoming the display of choice for those embarking on outdoor digital signage for the first time.
Outdoor LCD screens come with a high price tag, and they mark a significant investment for any purchaser, especially considering that it’s nearly impossible to calculate an accurate ROI (Return on Investment) for outdoor digital signage.
Quite often, these screens while well-suited for operation in all sorts of weather systems, being waterproof and with wide temperature ranges, can fall short of other protection that is just as necessary for use in outdoor locations.
Brightness
High brightness screens are essential for outdoor use. Sunlight can very easily overpower a screen’s brightness making it virtually unreadable, so any outdoor screen needs the ability to counteract the sun’s brightness. Typically, a standard LCD or plasma screen comes with a nit rating (measure of luminance) of around 500, and many LCD displays built for outdoor use have similar nit ratings; however, for outdoor readability, a screen should really have a nit rating above 1,200 otherwise on a bright, sunny day the screen will become unreadable.
Temperature
While many outdoor screens have a wide temperature range, often it is not adequate to cope with extreme variations some locations experience during the different seasons. Temperatures exceeding 30 degrees in summer and falling below zero in winter can easily disable an outdoor screen. Any screen placed outdoors needs to cope with the extremes that a location may have to endure, no matter how rare.
Physical protection
One aspect of protection often not afforded by outdoor screens is physical protection. Because outdoor digital signage is often left out overnight in unsupervised locations, the risk of vandalism and accidental damage mean the screen is incredibly vulnerable. Housing the screen in a protective digital signage enclosure is, therefore, essential; however, as outdoor digital signage, enclosures provide all the weather and temperature protection a screen needs for outdoor use, there is little need to invest in an expensive outdoor screen at all. Simply place a standard screen in an outdoor enclosure and ensure protection whilst saving money.
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