Your display buyers guide from visunext

Professional displays (also: public displays) offer you numerous possibilities in the field of presentation. In our display buying advice, we'll tell you what's important in a professional display.

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1. Why a professional display?

Display's can be used in a wide range of applications, however in this we focus on displays for commercial use. We would like to give you an overview of the most important features and functions of Public Displays, also known as Professional Displays. Thanks to your control options and software solutions, you can also use these displays in the professional sector for a variety of applications that go far beyond conventional TV displays.

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2. Display application area

The various Public Display product groups offer a solution for a wide variety of applications. Whether in the conference room, as an information terminal, in reception areas, as a video wall or as outdoor advertising - public displays offer flexible installation features. We differentiate between indoor displays that are used in closed rooms or halls, and outdoor displays that you can use outside thanks to greater brightness and weather resistance. In the following, we introduce the most common applications of indoor and outdoor displays:

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3. Display Technology

Professional displays mainly work with the LCD technology. In the past, plasma technology was considered superior in terms of price / quality ratio and quality of LCD technology, but has almost completely disappeared from the market today. Plasma was too expensive and consumed more power than LCD. In the future, OLED technology could also play a bigger role if price levels go down. An advantage compared to LCD panels is the high-quality image - as each individual pixel illuminates, the result is a uniform, homogeneous and high-contrast image. Below, we will introduce you to the LCD and OLED display technology in detail.

LCD - Liquid Crystal Display

LCD technology is the most widely used in public displays. LCD (Liquid Chrystal Display) generate their images using liquid crystals that are illuminated by fluorescent tubes. Nowadays, most displays use LED lighting, so instead of fluorescent tubes, light-emitting diodes illuminate the liquid crystals. Basically, we distinguish between two different types of LED lighting: Edge LED or LED backlight.
With Edge LED displays, the LEDs are only mounted on the edges. Mirrors ensure that the entire surface of the display is illuminated. Although Edge LED does not allow for even brightness distribution, the flat Edge LED displays are also very reasonably priced.
In displays with LED backlighting, several small LEDs illuminate the screen over a large area over the entire surface. With the "Local Dimming" function certain areas of the image can be blacked out and others illuminated - thus creating a very high and dynamic contrast ratio.

OLED - Organic Light Emitting Diodes

So far, the OLED technology is not widely used in displays. Unlike LC displays, OLED displays do not require backlighting. The organic light-emitting diodes are self-luminous.
OLED screens consist of a single layer of organic substances that light up due to voltage. The current regulates the brightness.

 

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4. Display brightness

If you want to use your Professional Display in a conference room and for interactive applications, up to 500 cd / m² is sufficient to prevent the user from being dazzled while working on the display. For video wall solutions, the light output of your display should be between 500 and 1000 cd / m² while for an outdoor display a brightness of up to 3000 cd / m² is possible. The brightness of a normal TV is about 350 cd / m².
For individual signage solutions in different environments, the required brightness may vary depending on the lighting and the amount of light. A brighter display can be dimmed - so in case of doubt, opt for a brighter display with dimming function.
Below is an overview of the required light output in various applications. If you are still unsure or have any questions, our experts will gladly advise you on the right luminosity and much more.

Luminosity	Application
approx. 350-450 cd/m²	rooms with controllable light conditions
from 500 cd/m²	Normal ambient light conditions
approx. 700 cd/m²	High ambient light, but no direct sunlight (eg lobby)
from 700 cd / m²	Very bright environment, direct sunlight (shop window, outdoor)

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5. Display Resolution

The resolution describes the number of pixels that produce the image. The higher the pixel density, the sharper the picture. For public displays up to 70 inches, a Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) is usually sufficient. 75 inch Full HD models usually have no touch surface. If you want more interactivity with a touch screen, you should prefer Ultra HD resolution. Often the term UHD is used synonymously to 4K. Ultra HD, however, is the generic term for all resolutions with a very high number of pixels. These include Quad HD (3840 x 2160), which is 4 times the Full HD resolution, and 4K (4096 x 2160). With a 4K display, you should make sure that the connected PC can work with a 4K display. Below we compare the most common resolutions for you:

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6. Display Format

The required format for your display comes from the resolution. Since the Full HD resolution and the UHD or the 4K resolution are most widespread in displays, the most common aspect ratio is 16: 9.

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7. Display operating time

Most product groups offer you a 12/7 (12h per 7 days) or 16/7 (16h per 7 day) use, so they can be easily handle long shifts each day of the week. Some models are even suitable for 24/7 continuous use, so you can use these displays around the clock. This is interesting for use in shops, for example, if the display should also play content on public holidays.

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8. Display Features

Portrait mode

• for vertical imaging (e.g. signage applications in fashion stores)

Dicom mode

• for presentations of medical content (X-rays)

Touch function

• for interactive work and more efficiency

Daisy chain function

• for looping through a signal for video walls

Integrated media player

• for digital signage applications or simple content playback

Specially encapsulated displays

• for outdoor applications or dusty environments such as production halls

24/7 continuous use

• for shops e.g. when used on public holidays

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9. Display Connections

The most popular display ports include HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort and VGA. The most widespread is the HDMI connection. For a 4K display, an HDMI port is usually designated for the playback of 4K content and will be marked separately. For 4K playback, the HDMI input must support the HDCP2.2 standard, which is the case with the separately marked ports. In addition to the ports for the image display, you can also usually find USB ports (type A and B), 3.5 mm jack for audio playback along with LAN ports and RS232 interfaces for integration into control systems and Internet access. Some displays also offer a WLAN function (integrated or optional)

 

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10. Display Accesories

Digital Signage

For digital signage use, you will need digital signage software to create and control the content on the display.
With a digital signage player, you can play various content permanently on a display. You can set up different intervals or play orders to display the content as you see fit. The Digital Signage Player is available as an integrated solution (for example Samsung's SOC system) or as an external variant, comparable to a media player.
Another trend in digital signage is HDBaseT solutions for public displays. These enable secure content transmission using a single network cable, especially for signal transmission distances of up to 100 meters.

Mounting Systems

Most displays are mounted on the wall, which makes them easy to intergrate into the design of the room. A popular wall mount, for example, is the DELUXX Smart Mount G100L. In other applications, the display could be mounted on the ceiling. Even for special requirements, such as use on sloping ceilings, there are practical ceiling brackets.
In addition to permanent installation, there are also mobile stands for displays. Trolleys for example, offer maximum flexibility in installation e.g. in the department store or in front of store shelves. They offer the helpful feature that different people can easily adjust the display to your height at the touch of a button. In order to protect your display against external influences such as dust or rain, we also offer display cases.

Sound

Display speakers provide the right sound to your picture. They can be installed directly on the display and are useful for point of sale installations, as they are much more space-saving compared to free-standing speakers. A touch display for a school or conference room solution often features built-in speakers that deliver responsive sound.

 

On to the display search!

Did we give you a closer understanding of the most important options and criteria in our display buyers guide? If you now know which properties your Public Display should have, you will find solutions for a wide range of applications in our shop. Our experts will gladly advise you on the optimal display for your individual application. We wish you a lot of fun with your Professional Display!

If you are of the opinion that a projector + screen combination is more suitable for your project, we would be pleased to advise you on these options. In our projector buyers guide and our screen buyers guide you will find all the important information to help you find your perfect projection solution!

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