I didn’t sell DVLED video walls for a long time because I didn’t understand how to talk to customers about it.

My first formal training on DVLED was well over 10 years ago. What I remember most is how utterly confused I was walking away. It was a brand-new technology that was very expensive and promised to be the next wave in display technology. My expertise up to that point rested squarely within the confines of projectors and large flat panel LCD displays (LFD). I was comfortable in that world. I felt safe there! I certainly didn’t have the time to learn about a new technology that had hardly gotten off the ground floor.

Fast-forward to 2023 and DVLED is now KING of large format. If I’m not offering DLVED, I’m going to be left in the dust by my competition, and so are you! The good news is that DVLED is quite simple once you grasp a few simple concepts.

Whether you are a grizzled industry vet or a bright green newbie to the AV industry, my goal is to attempt to simplify the anatomy of a DVLED video wall and, hopefully, have you walk away with enough knowledge and tools to be semi-dangerous. If not dangerous, you should at least be able to carry a conversation with a prospective customer that is in the market for one of these exciting new video walls.

So, what is DVLED and how is it different?

Let’s start with the name! DVLED stands for Direct View Light Emitting Diode. You can google light emitting diode for technical information if you wish. For the purposes of this discussion, an LED is a tiny dot that lights up red, green ,and blue. When you put hundreds of thousands or millions of them together, they make a great, big, bright, colorful image.

What is a Pixel Pitch?

In the world of projectors and LFD’s, we talk a lot about resolution (720p, 1080p, 4K, UXGA, etc.). From 30,000 feet, this tells us a lot about how well defined our picture will be. Basically, the higher the resolution, the more dots or “pixels” that make up the image. The more dots you have in the same relative area, the better the picture.

Pixel Pitch indicates how close together the dots will be. For example, an LED wall with a pixel pitch of 10 means there will be 10mm from center-to-center from one dot to the next. A pixel pitch of 2.5 is 2.5mm between dots and so on. As of this moment in 2023, many DVLED manufacturers are offering pixel pitches as “fine” as 0.7mm. To give you a point of reference, a 100 inch, 4K traditional LCD TV will give you an approximate pixel pitch of .45mm.

But I digress. The title of this blog is Modules and Cabinets and Panels, Oh My!!! So, what are these three things? Here is a simple formula to help:

Modules + Cabinet = Panel

Modules are the square or rectangular sections of LED’s that make up the picture and are generally affixed to the face of the cabinet with magnets. The cabinet is the square or rectangular chassis that houses the electronics and provides structure to the wall. Each panel (modules + cabinet) is like a big, expensive Lego. The cabinet is the base-plate and the modules are the bricks. They can be linked together to form any size or shape. Just add your imagination and some modern video scaling technology.

I sincerely hope this has information has helped you to understand the basic makeup of a DVLED video wall. Exertis-Almo offers a wide range of DVLED brands and I am the Business Development Manager for Absen USA, a world-class, leading manufacturer of DVLED video walls that has solutions for virtually any application. Feel free to drop me a note on LinkedIn or come out to see us at one of our upcoming E4 shows.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for my next installment of Breaking Down DVLED:

Part 3: Perfect Pitch
Topic: The importance of selecting the right pixel pitch the first time

Part 4: The First Step in Installing a DVLED Video Wall is Admitting you Need Help
Topic: Commissioning Assistance and why it’s important

Part 5: First Things First
Topic: The importance of proper site prep and conducting a proper site survey

Check out my first installment if you haven’t already:

Part 1: Got Spares?
Topic: The importance of having spares when purchasing / commissioning a DVLED video wall.

About the Author

Tom Keefe

Business Development Manager

Supported Manufacturers: Absen

Part 1: Got Spares?

Topic: The importance of having spares when purchasing / commissioning a DVLED video wall..

My wife is very particular. When we were planning for our wedding, she suggested that me and my groomsmen wear black suits. I said…

The point is – she was right. As usual. The difference of one shade of black next to another is very plain to see to even the most untrained eye. She had me. I had to make the call to my groomsmen, saying, “Sorry fellas, you’ve all got to go out and get new black suits.”

LED Panels & Batching

It’s the same with LEDs and batching. One batch will not be exactly the same as another in terms of color and calibration, so when taken together on a large video wall and compared directly with another wall made up of another batch of LEDs, there will be noticeable color differences between the two.

To address this problem, dvLED manufacturers will often provide spare modules from the same batch. This way, when a pixel goes out or a module is damaged or in need of repair, the spare can be swapped in to replace the damaged unit. If you select a solid manufacturer with U.S. service centers, they will usually repair your damaged unit and send it back to you under warranty. Once you have the repaired module back, it now becomes one of your spares.

Now, let’s say you didn’t select a manufacturer that offered spares or, perhaps, offered spares but no U.S. service. What happens when you need to replace a damaged unit? Well, best case scenario, you will be forced to purchase a new module from a different batch to replace the damaged one. The problem is that this new module could very easily stick out like a sore thumb and your brand-new video wall will forever be imperfect.

Worst case scenario, the module you are replacing was from a discontinued model and cannot be replaced. Now your video wall just became a really expensive paper weight! Try explaining that to your customer…

Exertis Almo Has Great Options

Luckily, there are handful of terrific dvLED manufacturers that offer batched spares and support based within the United States. As a matter of fact, some will actually repair and send back your damaged module within 10 business days, in most cases. The point is, you can rest easy knowing that you have a plan in the event of a module failure so your customer will never have to deal with a video wall that is out of commission.

Exertis Almo is the leader in dvLED distribution and we only partner with the best, most reputable brands, because we recognize that your success is our success, and we never want to see any of our customers in a position where they are unable to support a product they purchase from us. We have members of our staff that are dedicated to supporting individual dvLED brands, and they are here to provide you with concierge-level service to help you navigate this new and exciting product category.

So, what’s the moral of the story? Make sure you work with a vendor that offers ample spares and supports their product here in the U.S. to ensure that you and your customer are protected. And to the guys reading this – black is not black. Dress accordingly.

Contact Exertis Almo for product info, inventory availability, or to start a quote.

Coming Up Next…

Part 2: Cabinets and Modules and Panels, Oh My!!!
Topic: The anatomy of a DVLED video wall

Part 3: Perfect Pitch
Topic: The importance of selecting the right pixel pitch the first time

Part 4: The First Step in Installing a DVLED Video Wall is Admitting you Need Help
Topic: Commissioning Assistance and why it’s important

Part 5: First Things First
Topic: The importance of proper site prep and conducting a proper site survey

About the Author

Tom Keefe

Business Development Manager

Supported Manufacturers: Absen