Not all screens are created equal and when it comes to digital signage careful consideration must be made when deciding which route to go. The screens act as the vehicle to display your messaging whether it is menus, promotions, specials, announcements or branding and the quality of these screens can directly impact effectiveness. While the cost savings of consumer or residential grade screens is enticing, the durability, features and professionalism of commercial grade screens tend to make them a wiser investment.
Made for Extended Daily Use
While gaming has slightly changed the narrative, consumer grade screens aren’t manufactured with the purpose of being used for more than a handful of hours a day. If they are, they are more susceptible to a shorter lifespan. Conversely, commercial units are developed to operate 24/7 or 16/7 (prosumer). Where consumer screens use plastics, commercial screens use metal. You can “feel” the difference just by carrying the units. With higher quality components and warming / cooling capabilities, these screens are meant for continuous use over a much longer period.
Visibility & Brightness
Screen brightness is measured in nits. The typical indoor screen that you watch your sports on measures between 150 and 300 nits. When it comes to commercial grade screens, they can range from 400-2500+ with the brightest often being used outdoors to combat indirect or direct sunlight (think digital drive-thrus). In addition, commercial screens have a greater viewing angle, meaning if you are unable to stand directly in front of the screen, it will be legible further to the side than that of a residential unit. All of this helps support getting your messages seen.
Designed for Portrait Use
The screen you bought from Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Amazon, you name it, is meant to be mounted on a TV stand or wall in landscape mode (horizontally). While it isn’t out of the question to mount a consumer screen vertically, these screens do not support portrait orientation from a playback perspective. Yes, you could design your menu (for instance) to adjust accordingly, however these screens are not manufactured to support this. Image retention and overheating will occur. Commercial grade screens are flexible when it comes to landscape or portrait and can be tilted to any angle within reason.
Warranties & Support
Every screen, whether commercial or consumer, has a manufacturer’s warranty. However, the former typically carry a 3-year warranty vs. 1-year warranty. In addition, a lot of commercial screen providers offer extended warranties, white glove options and/or advanced exchange plans. If you are using these screens for menu boards, hospitality or in retail spaces you’d like to minimize downtime. Going the commercial route accomplishes this.
Professional Look & Other Features
Commercial grade screens offer thinner bezels that are ideal for video walls and other digital signage installations like menu boards. Quite often, these screens have embedded operating systems (i.e. Tizen), additional outlets on the back to daisy chain screens, scheduling capabilities, etc. They also have a much greater track record than their residential counterparts of keeping the bezel sizes the same from generation to generation in case there is a need to replace one of the screens in the future. This is simply not a consideration for consumer models.
Summary
Yes, you can save a lot of money upfront with consumer TVs, however it is important to weigh that against the potential frustration you may be asking for down the line. If the difference in cost is too much to overcome, it would be a good call to buy an additional screen for future use if one fails on you. This way you ensure a seamless look for years. For businesses looking for peace of mind and a high-quality presentation for their digital signage, commercial monitors are the way to go.
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