Choosing the right screen for the job:
Many
people are unaware of the differences that set a professional display apart
from its residential counterpart. The frequent questions that arise without
fail: What are professional displays? Why
do we need them? Why are they more expensive?
Consumers
of audiovisual systems in the corporate world often question the feasibility of
installing professional flat panel displays (commercial displays) as opposed to
consumer displays (aimed at the residential market) in a commercial
environment. The decision makers in these audiovisual projects are often exposed to pricing from consumer
television promotions. These consumer screens are manufactured to be
aesthetically pleasing and cost-effective
in order to catch one’s eye and not hurt
one's pocket. When a professional solution is
then presented to the same individual, the price difference is often frowned upon.
Video
screens in commercial spaces are hardly ever used for entertainment purposes.
In 99% of cases, these screens and their surrounding components are business
tools that required a significant level of investment. These units could be
used in training rooms to display presentations, in meeting and video conferencing venues to show a remote audience, or
could run for long hours in public spaces while flashing colourful promotional
messages. Even in environments with an entertainment component, the purpose
would be to entertain profitable clients or provide personnel with a
well-deserved revitalising distraction.
Getting what you pay for
Professional
displays are designed by manufacturers to
be used in a commercial environment and usually include extra features.
Firstly, they are designed and built to a higher quality, with commercial
applications in mind. Possible product failure needs to be minimised or eliminated. The displays need to
be more robust, and therefore more
durable materials are used. Electronic
components and levels of engineering are of a higher quality than in consumer
panels - which invariably pushes up the cost.
Professional
display panels are also capable of being operated remotely by external command
protocols, usually via RS232 or Ethernet, from a central control hub. Most
high-end audiovisual components operate as part of a bigger system. The central
control element then communicates with these units over a network and
manipulates them individually by using different control signals and protocols.
Users would only interact with a single interface, such as a touch panel or
keypad. With the simple press of a button, an entire system can be shut down or
powered up, while other results can also be easily achieved based on
predetermined logic. Said logic is programmed
into a central processor that sends command macros to pertaining devices, which
professional screens are capable of receiving.
Another
feature that puts commercial displays in pole position
is their installed firmware. The on-screen display menu offers features that
are suited for commercial use. These features are mostly intended to be used by
AV installers or integrators during system configuration and support. Examples
would be the ability to customise automatic on/off-schedules or disabling
infrared remote controls in order to
prevent tampering.
Commercial
displays are often used for extended periods of time and are therefore designed for round the
clock-operation, or a large part thereof. Displays that are rated for 16- or 24-hour
cycles often need additional cooling management of the various components.
Fluctuating or increased thermal levels could easily affect the perceived
colour on a screen, which could, in turn,
affect colour-specific branding or monitoring.
Depending
on the brand or model, the architecture of professional displays may
incorporate the option for an OPS slot (Open Pluggable Specification). This
slot allows for a variety of optional cards to be inserted. These could be
computers (Android or Windows), HDBaseT-receivers or media players. Thus, the
OPS slot offers additional functionality such as on-board processing or the ability to receive alternative signal
formats over and above the manufactured specifications.
Professional
screens usually have extended warranty periods, as well as options to extend
these even further - in many cases up to five years. In conjunction with these
warranties, better after-sales service is offered compared to consumer
displays. The latter generally only offer
a one-year warranty which could be rendered void if they are used in a commercial environment.
Designed for a purpose
Modern-day
consumers are exposed to touch screens in almost everything that they do.
Interactive surfaces have been around for many years and are becoming more
topical by the day. Many commercial displays offer a standard interactive touch
surface, or an optional touch overlay can
be added at a later stage to make the display interactive.
The
threat of tampering is a serious
consideration in professional audiovisual systems. Whether the motive is
criminal or pure mischief, unsolicited
operation could easily result in an expensive system failing to perform or
operate as intended. Professional panels usually incorporate tamper-proof
controls or enclosures such as hidden controls, concealed USB ports or lockable
remote commands.
Most
professional displays also have various orientation options. This feature
allows the display to be used in either
landscape- or portrait orientation. Although not intended for normal use,
portrait orientation is popular for marketing campaigns or information kiosks.
It is not possible to change the orientation of consumer displays, as the
cooling vents don’t allow for it and natural airflow would be insufficient -
thus placing the screen at risk of overheating.
Screen
protection is a key feature offered by commercial displays. When a static image
is left on
a display for an extended period,
it can ‘burn in’ as a fixed shadow-like effect on the screen, even when powered
off. This is known as image retention.
Most professional screens offer image orbiting, which is the ability to slowly
and imperceptibly rotate the image so as to
reduce this effect.
Consumer
displays are simply not designed for the demanding environments often encountered
in a commercial space, and aren’t adequately durable. An example of this would
be public areas where the display is used for digital signage while running for long hours or receiving constant
interaction from public users. The Flat Display Mounting Interface (FDMI) or
VESA Mounting Interface Standard (MIS) is the international standard for wall
brackets and stands to be attached to digital displays, as established by VESA
(Video Electronics Standards Association). VESA-compliant mounts ensure compatibility
with any display, regardless of its manufacturer. All professional display
casings are designed with this standard
in mind. Consumer panels don't always meet these standards and, in some cases,
offer their own aesthetically sleek
design stands instead. These are easy on
the eye but not very functional when one has to achieve an alternative
installation design.
Why does one need a professional display?
The answer to this question
depends largely on the application or intended use for a display product. In a
digital signage application such as displaying a promotion or a new product
range, the user may be tempted to use a consumer television. It is important to
remember that these carry risks such as malfunction, poor picture quality or
reduced functionality that may affect the image the brand intended to portray.
In a guest post on the digital signage website Sixteen-Nine, Irfan Khan (CEO of
digital signage platform Skykit) writes that 55% of people looking at digital
signage remember what they see. Digital signage is one of the most successful
ways to raise brand awareness and drive sales. It is, therefore, important to
ensure that the investment includes a professional display product as an important
business tool. A vibrant image, combined with well-designed digital signage
content, already provides a leading edge.
In
contrast, there are many risks associated with using a faulty consumer display
in a commercial environment. If the application is a control centre, a failure
could have serious consequences - especially in a mission-critical environment
that requires 24/7 operation. The design consultant would need to consider
in-depth control room architecture and use high-quality video wall displays.
During
events such as video conferencing, presentations and training, or in a
collaboration environment, the failure of a screen will waste time and could
damage the reputation of a brand or compromise
a company’s credibility. If the video conference is held with a remote branch within a company, the cost could be measured in a few hours lost, but when the
receiving audience forms part of the paying clientele, the damage could be immeasurable.
Furthermore,
if a vendor sells advertising space and time slots on a digital signage
platform and a screen fails, it could result in lost revenue or even penalties
owed to the advertiser who paid for exposure. Damage control and time to
rebuild relationships also form part of the losses. A failing consumer display
could limit sales when used to market one’s own
products and services. In the same article, Khan says that “19 percent of
consumers claim to have made unplanned, impulse purchases of products they’ve
seen advertised digitally”. If the signage display fails, the lost opportunity
could directly result in lost revenue.
Why
do professional displays cost more?
There are a number of
reasons why the price of a professional display is higher than for consumer models. For the professional environment, the LCD panels are the prime selection from
the manufactured stockpile. If even the
slightest slight defects are detected, they are used to manufacture consumer
displays at a lower price. Only the best panels are
graded for professional use. Commercial displays have better
specifications (including calibration options) and are made from higher-grade materials and components. These
high-quality products are produced in much smaller quantities, adding to the
cost of manufacturing. The pre-production process also includes extensive
research and development in order to stay
ahead of technological developments. Professional-grade
displays come with a much better warranty and after-sales service, whereas
consumer displays usually have a shorter warranty period and often need to be
shipped back to the original service centre for repairs. This could leave the end user without displays
for extended periods of time and turn it
could turn into a costly exercise for the
institution.
The
challenge is to avoid being pennywise and
pound foolish when selecting displays for
your professional audiovisual installation.
In the immediate term, commercial screens
are definitely more expensive than
consumer displays, but the total cost of ownership could prove to be a lot less
when calculated over a number of
years. Ultimately, professional displays play a critical role in
the screen market, especially when used for specialised applications
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