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So you’ve heard of - and perhaps seen - these massive media displays showing sports, artwork, signage, maybe several sources simultaneously. (Think four quadrants each showing a different football game.) These are video wall installations, and here are the top five most frequently asked questions we get from customers interested in this technology.

1. How big should my video wall installation be?

The short answer: it depends. To answer this, we need to consider not only the wallspace where it will be located, but how far the audience will be sitting or standing from the display. It needs to fit both the wall and the room, and be the appropriate distance from the viewers given the type of content displayed.
The rule of thumb for viewing distance is:
- 8 x image height for general viewing
- 6 x image height for detailed viewing
- 4 x image height for close inspection

2. How bright does my video wall need to be?
Are there windows or other light sources near where the video wall will be installed? Brightness is the most common specification for these products, particularly crucial in environments with high degrees of ambient light. Just think about trying to watch TV during the daytime, when sunlight is still coming through the windows in the room; the display looks dull and the picture unclear due to all of the sunlight in the room. For a frame of reference, if a computer screen’s brightness is X (150-250 nits, the unit of measure for brightness measured by a photometer), then a typical commercial flat panel is 3X, and an exterior display is 10X.

3. Should my video wall be HD? 4k? More?
So much of today’s content is moving - or has already moved - beyond HD. To fully appreciate the beauty of the content, the display’s pixel density, or resolution, needs to be up to par. As a rule, 4K (or “ultra HD”) resolution is the recommendation for video walls.

4. Where can I install a video wall? 

Video walls can be installed into a wide variety of environments, both indoors and outdoors. The most important consideration is the product’s rating: operating a video wall in excess of the rating will often result in overheating, and heat management is the main factor in prolonging a video wall’s lifespan.

5. What technical things do I not even know I don't know? 

Generally speaking, you’ll want a display with a high contrast ratio, meaning you’ll see the darkest blacks and the brightest whites. Aspect ratio is simply another expression of screen size, and optimal results occur when the aspect ratio of the display matches that of the content being shown.

Knowing how you plan to use the display and what type of content you want to show will determine what other enhancements you can add.  For example, mosaic collages - multiple LCD display tiles arranged in any position - create a stunning presentation for art, and make a strong statement in a setting like a lobby or commercial entryway. In collaborative work environments or interactive public spaces, touch technology makes for an effective and intuitive feature, where the display responds to the touch of single or multiple users.

Video wall installation images courtesy of our partners over at Planar.