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Outdoor digital displays provide businesses with an excellent opportunity to reach their target audience with vivid and dynamic visuals that cut through the visual noise. However, there are a few things you need to know before investing in an outdoor digital display.
We’ll discuss the key factors to consider when selecting an outdoor digital display and how to ensure you’re getting the most out of your investment. Read on to learn more about outdoor business signs and how they can benefit your business.
What are outdoor digital displays?
Outdoor digital displays are specially designed LED signs that are built to withstand outdoor conditions and operate nonstop, regardless of the weather. They are an effective way to capture the attention of potential customers and are capable of increasing brand recognition and boosting revenue by double digits.
Digital signage stands out in busy areas and can cut through the visual clutter, allowing businesses to get noticed. It also opens up more opportunities to connect with passersby, allowing businesses to share promotions and thank loyal customers.
When shopping for an outdoor digital display, it is important to consider the size, pitch (resolution), viewing distance, content, and durability to ensure you get the most value out of your investment.
The key components of a digital sign:
- Size vs. resolution
- Screen pitch
- Content management
- Weatherproofing
- Electrical requirements
- Support availability
Let's dig into each of those components, and why they matter when you're considering your options for purchasing an outdoor digital sign.
Size vs. resolution
The size of your digital sign makes a huge difference in what you can show at what pitch and have it be clearly read.
If you are going to install a small sign that will be seen from up close, you definitely need to consider a higher resolution (lower pitch). The opposite is true if you are looking for a billboard that will be seen from a long distance away. A display as large as a billboard can afford to be a larger pitch because no one will ever see it up close, and at that size, it will have enough pixels to create a clear picture.
So what’s the ideal size-to-resolution ratio? It varies depending on the project. You’ll need to answer questions like:
- How far is the sign from the viewer on average?
- How big is the sign?
- How close will people get to it?
- What do you intend to put on it?
Once you've dug into these questions, you can get to the root of what right size and resolution your digital sign needs to be to meet your goals.
Screen pitch
Pitch is one of those words that’s thrown around a lot about digital signage. But what does it actually mean? Pitch is the distance between the LED diodes. For example, on a 6mm display, there is 6mm between each pixel - the closer the pixels, the tighter the pitch. The tighter the pitch, the higher the resolution So a 6mm sign has a higher resolution than a 12mm because the pixels (the LED diodes) are closer together.
The resolution of your sign will directly influence what you can actually show on your sign. A high-pitch sign such as a 16mm might only be able to clearly show text, while a 6mm of the same size can show images and text and still be read.
If you want to know more, we wrote a blog all about pitch to help you ensure you get the right resolution for your business.
Content Management
The quality of hardware in your sign is essential for ensuring it functions properly and lasts for years, but the real power lies in the digital signage software. How you develop, update, and display content on your screens matters.
When looking at the content management for your digital sign, ensure that the software enables you to:
- Design and collaborate on your sign from within the software - instead of needing to use a separate software to design images to upload
- Schedule content for when it should display--and take it down when that promotion is no longer relevant
- Monitor the health of your sign
- Access the software from anywhere, at any time, not just directly through the sign
The content management system of a sign is the most easy part to overlook when you're thinking about pixels, screen size and resolution--but it's the one that will most impact your day-to-day use of the sign.
Cirrus provides our cloud-based digital signage software ScreenHub for free to anyone who purchases a Cirrus sign. It is the easiest-to-use outdoor software on the market and allows you to create, collaborate, manage, and monitor your Cirrus sign with the click of a button. ScreenHub makes it simple to keep your displays up to date and ensure maximum results for your business. If you’d like to try out ScreenHub and see how you like it, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial now.
Weatherproofing
Outdoor displays need to be rugged to withstand the elements. Whether it’s scorching sun or freezing cold, you must know your sign can stand up to the elements. We suggest you look for an IP65 rating to ensure your panels are sealed against dust and water incursion. This way, no matter how the elements hit your display, you can be confident it won’t go down.
We also recommend looking for solid-state hardware that relies on simple ventilation (space between the sign and the wall or surrounding sign). LED displays that rely on fans for cooling bring moisture and dust into the display and can cause your display to degrade faster than it should.
Electrical Requirements and Monitoring
If you don't pay proper attention to the electrical requirements of your digital sign, you could get a nasty shock (pun intended). Poor power can have far-reaching consequences. It can reduce the lifespan of your sign and also put you at risk of a fire. On top of that, using the wrong electrical can void your warranty, leaving you with costly repairs and a huge headache. To avoid this, it's essential to bring in a certified electrician to install your outdoor digital display; they will make sure your sign is set up correctly the first time around.
At Cirrus, we have implemented processes to protect your signage. Our Cirrus Outdoor signs will automatically shut off if they detect power issues. Additionally, our ScreenHub digital signage software has a health dashboard that will notify you of any potential power problems, ensuring that your sign is safe from any power-related issues.
Ongoing Support
You should ask about support when you are purchasing an outdoor LED display. While you will hopefully never need them, having responsive support is crucial to keeping your sign running and bringing in business. If your sign is down for an extended period due to overseas support or long wait times, you are losing out on business.
At Cirrus, for instance, we keep our support team in-house so they can work directly with our team to solve customer issues fast.
Ready to get an outdoor digital display?
Are you searching for the ideal digital signage solution for your business? Let Cirrus LED be the answer - we are dedicated to your success and have invested more than 12 years in research and development. Our LED signs are created with the highest quality materials and are assembled on the most advanced SMT line in North America, giving you the best possible value. Plus, with our Cirrus Complete warranty that covers both hardware and labor, you can be sure that your sign will last for many years. If you're ready to make an investment in an LED sign for your business, trust Cirrus LED for quality and reliability.
