A video wall can be a great way to update your business and present your content creatively to your customers. This multi-monitor setup creates the illusion of one large screen. This can help you showcase specific content or multiple content at once. This can be a tad confusing especially if this is your first time buying, but we will show you what is needed for your wall.
Video walls require a bit of equipment, but here are the main ones that are essential:
Video walls are a great addition to your business with them being used in many places, shopping centres, meeting/conference rooms and big events for example. Plus video walls are not constrained to just being indoors, and are very affective outside. They offer great advantages, being able to have that large, almost seamless screen opens up a lot of creative opportunities for you. They also can be used in artistic ways with placing the monitors in cool ways to show your creativity, video walls can also curve so use that to your advantage.
However, before you take the plunge on one, you have to think of a few things. Ask yourself; what do I need the video wall for? where am I going to put it? what size do I need and what do I want the video wall to show? Thinking of this beforehand helps with picking what type of video wall you want but also what equipment you need to make it run perfectly.
But just leaving it at the list probably leaves you with more questions than answers. So here's some information about the main equipment.
To monitors to run in a sequence, try using the daisy chain technique. With media players coming with many ports for many cables, getting them all jumbled up is easy. Find the most you grid style, then find the first screen you want to use. Get that screen all connected up and working to your media player then choose your next screen to connect to. Take the output cable from the first monitor you connected and input it into your second monitor. Then repeat this step with the rest of your monitors. After doing this your multiple monitors will all be connected to your media player and your set up is complete.
Although if you're using a bigger media player, it will most likely come with multiple outputs. This is different from the daisy chain technique as you can connect each monitor straight to your media player instead of linking all the monitors together. This has a slight advantage over the daisy chain technique as if any problems with a screen does happen it is easier to get behind the wall of screens and check out if it has anything to do with its cable connectivity.
Now if you took our advice before and asked yourself what size you want your video wall to be. This should be an easy piece of equipment to buy. But if you didn't think about that question before buying, then you need to have a quick think before your delivery comes.
Naturally the size of your screen will define the size of your mounting hardware, so if you've gone for a large video wall with 9 screens, 3x3, which is the most popular video wall size. You will need a large mount to fit all your screens comfortably. The range of LCD screen display is 4" being the smallest and 120" being the largest size that you can get, measuring your wall and your screen can easily point you to your perfect wall mount. Measuring your monitors and the wall you're going to be putting the monitor on is an important step that you cant miss. You will need the height and width of your monitor, leading you onto finding the right amount of space for your video wall.
Our advice is to do your measuring and draw up a little diagram of the room/area you want your video wall placed. On your diagram you should draw out how many screens you want with the grid style you desire. The most popular style is 2x2 (4 screens), 3x3 (9 screens) and 4x4 (16 screens). Another piece of advice is to think about is the best height of the monitor when installing. By doing this your not only thinking about the maths behind video wall mounts but thinking about what is the best viewing option for your audience. Drawing this out gives you the chance to see if your video wall will actually work in the area you want. That's why its important to do this before buying.
If you feel you need a bit of help working out whether a video wall is right for you and the area you want it in. Send us a live chat to voice your worries and someone from our team will get back to you.
When installing your wall mount you have to remember to leave enough space so that any engineers can get behind the mount easily if anything does go wrong. A factor that can contribute to any problems rearing its head, is overheating of the monitors. Installation of a heating management device alongside installing your video wall can cut done that being a contributing factor and stop any headaches from forming later on. Heating management can stop your screens from messing up, as a video wall without any heating management can cause your screens to lose its colour accuracy and shorten its life span. Leading to you having to dig up some money for new monitors, so that heating management can save you some cash.
A video wall controller is very important, it is what posts your content on your video wall. The processor controls the image, the colour temperature and the brightness of the screens connected. If you are looking for a large video wall with multiple screens. The processor has the ability to divide and spread the video signals to the multiple screens you have set up. This is an essential piece of equipment to your video wall so don't forget it. Without it you will have your multiple screens all showing something different. That's good if you what you want your video wall to show multiple videos or photos across your screens. However, if you're looking to take full advantage of your video wall capabilities. Your shopping list really should have a video wall processor.
Processors can come in a hardware and a software version. Hardware is the typical version of a controller that has been around since the begging. Its a physical electronic device with several video processing chipsets. So basically you can connect your multiple monitors to your hardware with no hassle. A software version is the new processor that works through networking. It can be used on a pc or laptop. The software version is more up to date with the years as its much easier to run your video wall through your computer. However, this version is typically used for smaller video walls, a maximum of 16 displays. So if your thinking even bigger than that, hardware is most likely your best bet.
However, if your not wanting a large, powerful video wall and just looking to present your images on a smaller scale. A multi-video card will do the job nicely. But with video walls continuing to grow in popularity and size, the processor is the best route to go down.
Just like the processor, a media player can help show your content. It can broadcast your videos, slideshows or any type of signage to your monitors. A media player is so handy as it can be hid away very easily, either in a storage cabinet, the ceiling or can be placed behind the monitor. Placing it behind the monitor is the best place. We believe this as the device needs to be close to the video wall for it to work smoothly. Additionally, it allows you to get to the device easily if any problems occur with the device and you can fix it quickly to carry on using your wall in no time.
Think about what kind of media player will suit your needs. If you're looking for a large video wall for that big conference room you have empty. You will probably need a media player with many imports to connect all your screens and be able to broadcast your content so everyone in the room can see your work.
If you going for a smaller video wall, with a more simplistic look for your business. Then graphic boards will be more helpful to you then a video wall processor. To be able to use graphic boards smoothly you will need a desktop to get your video wall up and running. Take our advice and use high tech professional video cards. Using this lets you bring your video creations and images to life in a high resolution standard on your monitor. For a graphic board to work you will need to use multiple video cards that can be inserted into your computer. By doing this it allows you to use your computer as your video player. This does have a benefit as, by using your computer, it can cut down on the cost of video walls and creates more space for other monitors.
Curved video walls are the different and affective way to present your content. Other then your normal and somewhat boring flat and rectangle video wall. LED can make this curve happen and make it happen seamless. Curved video walls are very adaptable to your area. This can help with planning where you can place your video wall as it doesn't limit you to where you can set up. Leaving you more space to create. Curved video walls are more practical for advertising then for your meeting room. Because trying to hold a video conference in a large room, with a curved monitor, is a bit tricky. So we would say to stick with your regular flat, rectangle design. However, if you're wanting to broadcast any new information or showcase your brand new product. Curved can be a creative way to capture your audience.
If you're on a tight budget, curved video walls can seem like an expensive purchase that's out of your reach. But, don't be put off just yet as a curved video wall can still be created on a lower budget. Using flat LED cabinets faceted together at slight angles can achieve your desire of a curved video wall. But if your really wanting an affective curved video wall and don't mind spending your money. Then flexible LED modules can be bent to satisfy your curved video wall needs that is smoother than the flat LED cabinets.
Outdoor video walls are really great to advertise your business and anything from your business. But you're probably wondering how they actually work outside. The LED cabinets are constructed to an IP65 waterproof rating. Basically means that its protected from any jet of water from any angle, so you video wall will be safe outdoors. The monitors are tested in depth so they can ensure everything is working perfectly.
For the video walls to work perfectly outdoors, the brightness will have to output as much as 5,000+ nits to be able to work directly under sunlight. You should also connect you video wall to an ambient light sensor, so when the weather is brighter your screen will adjust its brightness to suit the weather. You may want to play with your white point as well. 6,500 kelvin is the normal tone of the white point. Although in the summer time its better for the white point of your images or videos to be a warmer tone.
Now if you're worried about if your video wall will actually survive outside for a good amount of time. It can seem like a big problem, especially with it being exposed to many different types of weather and heat temperatures. But problems to do with temperatures are really minor and even if they do affect your video wall, your audience wont even notice. So don't worry about it too much. However, if its a thought on your mind that you cant shift. Really the only way you can try to fight this issue is to buy higher quality, long lasting diodes. Or you can shift your calibration in your display before your colours have the chance to change due to a temperature change.
If your looking to have a really large video wall, an outdoor LED curtain is best. Now this is for really large video walls, video walls that you want to cover the side of a building. This LED curtain has a slim cabinet of 56mm. The LED strips can be placed on the curtain horizontally and vertically. So if you're wanting everyone to see you advert or your creative content. Then a LED curtain is the way forward with a viewing distance of of 20 to 3000 metres.