Topic: The importance of selecting the right pixel pitch the first time.
During my college years, I worked on a deck building crew during the summers. My boss was a battle-hardened old carpenter who often muttered, “Measure twice and cut once. We didn’t bring the board stretcher today.” This adage is as true in commissioning AV systems as it is in carpentry.
Let’s be honest, Indoor DVLED walls are expensive. And they should be!!! The visual experience is second to none, and it’s not close. Companies are concerned with getting their brand image and messaging across clearly and impactfully, and DVLED walls deliver. Assuming, of course, that the right product is selected.
If a client is dropping six figures on a DVLED display, it is critical that the integrator gets it right the first time. Putting up video walls is labor intensive enough. The notion of ever having to take a wall down because the customer was dissatisfied with the end result would be disastrous. And really, when it comes to DVLED, the only conceivable reason a client would be disappointed would be due to selecting a pixel pitch that was too large for the application.
In the world of LCD displays or modern-day TV’s, most end users are primarily concerned with size and resolution. For example, a high definition (1080p) image will look the same—relatively speaking—regardless of image size, on a conventional LCD display from any reasonable viewing distance. The pixel density is so…um…dense…that any perceived “pixelization” will be negligible to the average human eye.
My friends, this is not so with DVLED. If you remember from my previous blog, Cabinets and Modules and Panels, Oh My, I described how DVLED pixels can be thought of as a grid of dots that make up an image. Think, Paint by Numbers. The more dots you jam into the same relative space, the clearer the image. Additionally, the closer you are to the display, the easier it will be to see the grid-lines. So, this would lead to reason that in order to produce a good DVLED image, you need the right amount of dots, in the right amount of physical space, that are viewed from the right distance.
Thus, I present to you the most important spec of all, when selecting a DVLED wall, the Pixel Pitch. Expressed in numerical values such as 0.7, 0.9, 1.2, 1.5, 1.9. 2.5, 3.7, 4.0 and so on, the pixel pitch indicates the center-to-center distance in millimeters of one pixel to the next. The smaller the number, the closer together the pixels are.
Now, I know we all love using handy math equations and standards in the AV industry, but unfortunately, selecting the right pixel pitch is a bit of an art. The most popular and generally accepted “standard” that is thrown around is Distance / 10. This means that to select the right pixel pitch, you need to take the distance in feet of the closest viewer and divide by 10. The quotient (aka. answer), should get you in the neighborhood of what an appropriate pixel pitch selection would be. For example, if the closest viewer is 10ft away from the display then the appropriate pixel pitch would be 1.0. Similarly, if the closest viewer was 25ft away the best pixel pitch would be 2.5.
Beyond this simple calculation, we need to go a little bit further and consider other factors like intended use, the type of content and the specific needs of the audience or viewer. In cases like retail or entertainment, where full motion video and large print will be the primary content and the average viewing distance and viewing range are very wide, pixelization is probably less of an issue. In an executive board room of a financial firm that will be using the wall to display smaller text, numbers and data or in critical medical imaging scenarios, it would be wise to opt for a pixel pitch that is perhaps a little smaller than the standard quotient.
Finally, let’s talk about cost. The smaller or “finer” the pixel pitch, the higher the cost. This means that a 220-inch video wall with a 2.5 pixel pitch could very easily end up costing more than twice that of a 3.7 pixel pitch of the same size. Similarly, depending on the type and quality of LED’s being used, a P1.0 could easily be two, three or even four times the cost of a P2.5 wall of the same relative size.
I’ve been around this game for a while, and I know we operate in a competitive landscape. It is sometimes tempting or even necessary to fit the solution into the budget. However, with DVLED walls, the repercussions of selecting a pixel pitch that is too large to fit into a customer’s budget could be dire. So, take heed. Or better yet, call me, and make sure you select the right pixel pitch the first time.
That’s all for now. Stay tuned for my next installment of Breaking Down DVLED:
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 other installments if you haven’t already:
Part 1: Got Spares? Topic: The importance of having spares when purchasing / commissioning a DVLED video wall.
In this episode of Exertis Almo’s Pro AV Podcast, Bruce Moses, Senior Account Manager of dvLED Products at LG, discusses everything you need to know about Direct View LED. From pixel pitch and viewing distance to budget considerations and maintenance, this episode provides a detailed introduction into the advanced technology behind LG’s dvLED.
As a top-quality choice for any kind of new build or replacement, dvLED is quickly becoming a go-to product in the Pro AV world. With simple installation and maintenance compared to traditional video walls, dvLED is being rapidly integrated in a variety of spaces.
“It’s a technology that’s been around for decades, but now, with the affordability and flexibility and range in product and pixel sizes we can apply it in almost any application,” explained Moses. “Whether it’s in Times Square or a super high-end home theater, we’re seeing direct view applied.”
Compared to standard video walls and LED displays, dvLED allows for more flexible decisions regarding pixel pitch, which determines the distance between each pixel on a display. While most users prefer a standard 4K resolution, dvLED encourages customers to choose their pixel pitch based on the expected viewing distance of a display. By catering to viewing distance, LG’s dvLED technology ensures that customers do not waste pixels when investing in a display, but instead, take the viewing distance into account.
136″ All-in-One DVLED Display: Bright, Brilliant, Breathtakingly Large Images
Along with unique options for pixel pitch, LG’s dvLED comes with a cost-conscious price tag. LG’s all-in-one products are delivered in a single flight case, including the mount, and with simple installation and maintenance, dvLED is now a less expensive investment compared to standard video walls. In the event of a malfunctioning panel on a video wall, this replacement involves a team of people with a full shut-down of the display. With dvLED displays, a panel replacement can be completed by a single person in a matter of minutes.
Moses discusses the impressive web OS technology incorporated into LG’s dvLED, along with the display’s ease-of-use and efficient maintenance. As a convenient built-in operating system, web OS allows users to access applications for menu boarding, digital signage, wayfinding, analytics, and much more.
Did you know Samsung’s The WALL comes in a 2K or 4K Display?
Check out this interview by Gary Kayye, Director of THE rAVe Agency, featuring Samsung’s Senior Manager, Shari Sentolowitz discussing The WALL All-In-One Display.
Power on an awe-inspiring viewing experience with The WALL All-in-One! Simply choose your size and resolution, and you’re assured of a complete, easy-to-install, brilliant solution.
The Wall from Samsung is the epitome of innovation. It constantly delivers new avenues to create unparalleled visual statements. Redefining the LED paradigm once again, The Wall now solves the biggest challenge of industry, drastically improving installation. The Wall, let it transform your business. A deep black background blankets the screen with perfect uniformity, creating a seamless canvas for purer black levels with enhanced depth that delivers unparalleled contrast and immaculate detail. Colors leap to life with spectacular vibrancy to recreate scenes as if you were there in real life. Narrower wavelengths produce RGB colors two times purer and more accurate than conventional LEDs. Available in 3 sizes.
Direct-view LED is a fantastic story of concept, evolution, and refinement… but someone needs to tell the tale.
Direct-view LED technology began its story on the biggest stages. Between pixel technology which offered only wide pitches (ergo further away viewers) combined with a cost-of-entry which was prohibitive to many spaces, direct-view technology was only realistically available in arenas, billboards, and certain high-profile spaces. Initial displays had poor power-balancing between their red, green, and blue elements resulting in massive power consumption. Initial dvLED also had limited viewing angles due to the early pixel-shader styles, which created discoloration and loss of image if you looked at a display from an oblique angle.
As direct-view technology has refined, so have the needs to implement it. The newest direct-view models boast fine pixel pitches, with robust and ruggedized pixel technology. Displays can run 24/7, while not emitting enough heat to require costly HVAC. Displays are light-weight, often requiring nothing more than a plywood backing for mounting, and a small handful of standard 110V circuits to power. This once mysterious and complex technology is now so modular and stable that many manufacturers now offer mobile cart options which sport full HD resolution, plugging into standard wall outlets.
In order to realize the full benefits which dvLED has over alternative display technologies, the conversation will need to eventually change. Direct-view technology deserves a new narrative from spokes-people familiar with the ease at which a variety of parts can quickly become a beautifully uniform and truly seamless display.
The best avenue to creating these technology evangelists is a simple certification, which can be earned in as little as three days. For many manufacturers, becoming certified requires an understanding of how data and power works with the technology, often including hands-on exercises. There are educational offerings out there to help installers get comfortable with the technology before jumping into a certification course. Almo Pro AV is offering a full dvLED installer education track at each stop of their 2020 E4 Experience. Certification in dvLED can be a powerful tool to becoming an ambassador, telling the story of a technology that does not require extraordinary mounting needs, complicated site-surveys, or extreme power handling capabilities.
As Almo Professional AV prepares to celebrate 10 years in operation as business unit of Almo Corporation I feel grateful and proud to be part of this great organization. Looking back to 2009, at the origination of the division we had no vendor partners and no customers while today we have thousands of loyal customers and amazing partnerships with approximately 50 of the most desired manufacturers in the industry.
While many key factors have contributed to our mutual success with our customers and vendor partners, one key driver is our intentional strategy to keep our line card relatively narrow and focused compared to other distribution companies. When it comes to displays and projectors we aim to partner with a wide range of vendors to support the demand in the marketplace, however in other product categories we have chosen to partner with only a small number of manufacturers that we feel to be the best in class. This strategy has helped Almo to remain important to our existing partners as well as enabled us to better support a more narrow set of vendors.
With this, you won’t see very many new vendor partnerships announced by Almo each year. However, when it makes sense for a new partnership in the eyes of Almo and the potential vendor and we feel the partnership will bring value to our loyal customers then we will move forward with a new product offering. The last six to nine months we have found ourselves in a situation where there were several new partnerships taking place including D-Link, Ecler, VDO360, and Vivitek.
If you have had the opportunity to attend any of our recent E4 Experience events you likely heard our keynote speaker Gary Kayye talking about the emergence of AV over IP solutions. If you think about it, all sorts of professional A/V products now have a network port and can live on an IP network. The addition of D-Link now gives our customers the ability to include the networking solutions (i.e. switches, wireless routers, etc.) along with the rest of the gear they are sourcing from Almo for their given project.
Ecler, while probably not a familiar name to you here in the United States has been providing high quality commercial audio solutions in Europe for over 50 years. Through our partnership as the exclusive distributor in the United States Almo can offer our customers high quality proven products including loudspeakers, amplifiers, DSP, mixers & more at competitive pricing all while helping dealers to maintain healthy margins on their projects.
When it comes to soft codec based video conferencing, Zoom has taken the world by storm so it’s only natural that manufacturers are offering products that integrate with soft codec platforms. One of the challenges is including different components from different vendors that may or may not be tested or certified by Zoom potentially leading to support issues post installation. One of the things that attracted us to VDO360 was their single SKU, single box ZoomRoom kit that includes the camera, audio conferencing, PC, tablet controller and all required cabling, leaving out only the display.
While we were already well served with our existing projector manufacturer relationships, the addition of Vivitek adds a little more depth to our line up and will provide our customers with quality projector hardware at price points that may have not been previously available, with strong programs to enhance dealer’s margins.
Please visit www.almoproav.com or contact your Almo Account Manager for additional details on these solutions. Next stop, InfoComm 19. Register with code ALM123 for a free pass.
I was recently asked my opinion on guiding principles for content prepared for close-up viewing versus long distance. My immediate response was that there was a category missing there. The Almo Content Design team looks at viewing distance as three different categories, not two. We design for 3 feet/1 meter for close up viewing screens, such as wayfinders, 10 feet/3 meters on informational screens and greater than that for retail/outdoor.
The “10-Foot Rule” demands legibility and clarity to ensure content at a distance is delivered accurately within the moments it takes for a simple glance. When my team works on informational screens such as menu boards or employee communication screens this is an important consideration that will drive font and icon sizing, color contrast and animation principles. We are careful to use timelines instead of cramming the screen with too much at once. In fact, our mantra is “less is always more when it comes to design on informational screens.”
When you’re working on content for touchscreens, design principles follow mobile app design guidelines. Consistency within the overall user interface (UI) becomes extremely important. Every day we all interact with a touch screen UI that breaks consistency rules. For example, an ATM where the “OK” button changes location from prompt to prompt not only confuses the viewer, it slows the interaction.
For larger screens, especially outdoor, the rule tightens. The message must be legible, of course, but more importantly it must be concise. The “5-Second Rule” isn’t really five seconds anymore – it’s less. Color, contrast and concise messaging become key.
Do you have any “rules” you follow when determining your digital signage designs?
Leave me a comment and let’s start a conversation. And stay tuned for more of my expert advice as I come back each month with a brief thought on a single aspect of digital signage.
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