More and more digital signage displays are being utilised outdoors and in other hazardous locations, not just for advertising but also for information and communication. Of course, standard digital signage screens are unable to operate in the open air, as the weather would cause the screens to fail. The same is true of dusty locations, as dust is just as problematic as liquids if it penetrates a TV as it can lead to short circuiting, overheating and other problems.

Different types of locations require different levels of protection. While a distribution warehouse may only need to keep dust out of a display, a screen operating in a food production facility that is regularly washed-down will need to keep water out. While outdoor locations will need to keep both rainfall and other weather elements from the screen as well as any wind-blown dust or particles.

Fortunately, outdoor LCD enclosures used for protecting screens in outdoor and harsh locations, are manufactured to international guidelines, which indicate what type of environment the equipment can operate in.

IP rating

The European IP rating (ingress protection) is a numbered scale that describes protection from both liquids and solids. The first digit of the double-digit number denotes the effectiveness of the enclosure against solids. The higher the number, the more effective, and therefore, smaller the particles the enclosure prevents getting inside.

The second digit denotes its effectiveness against liquids. Again, the higher the number the more effective the enclosure is defending against liquids; with splashes on the lower end of the scale to full-scale power-washing defence on the higher end of the scale.

NEMA

Commonly used in North America, the NEMA scale operates a little differently to the European rating. NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) operates a single digit number scale going from 1 through to 13, with each number offering a specific type of protection. For example, a NEMA 2 enclosure is suitable for indoor screens just requiring protection from dust, while a NEMA 4 enclosure is suitable or outdoor use to defend against rain.

For most outdoor digital signage systems the minimum ratings to look for are NEMA 3 (NEMA 4 is preferable) and IP 54 (IP 65 is more comprehensive).

IP and NEMA Ratings for Digital Signage is a post from: Armagard

Since the rise of the LCD and plasma flat screen, TVs have found their way into a whole host of other applications, not just digital signage, but as many of the locations for these applications are not suitable for indoor technology, they require protecting.

Industrial Displays

Industrial locations find screens an effective method of communicating with workers. Often these noise levels in these locations make other forms of communication difficult so using screens provides a clear way of passing on information.

Industrial locations are full of dust, dirt and other airborne compounds. Screens operating in these sorts of locations require as much protection as outdoor digital signage displays. Dust affects a screen in many ways, including causing short circuits and overheating, but LCD enclosure’s IP rated housing (NEMA 4) provides as much protection against these elements as it does the weather.

Distribution Areas

Not only are some food distribution areas dusty, requiring protection for screens, in facilities that store food these areas are chilled, essentially being large fridges. Because of the low temperatures in chilled distribution hubs, LCD screens require heated or insulated protection.

LCD enclosures provide climatic systems that ensure the enclosed TV always operates within optimum temperature ranges.

Physically Demanding Locations

Some locations require physical protection for screens. For instance, TVs housed in institutions such as prisons may become vulnerable to physical impact, so the screens require some form of impact protection. Because of their solid steel housing and shatterproof screens, LCD enclosures provide ideal protection from impact forces. LCD enclosures have even been fitted in ape houses in zoos to allow the primates access to visual stimulus and the screen protection from the apes.

LCD Enclosures – Not Just Outdoor is a post from: Armagard

The growing use of such outdoor displays is due, in part, to the falling costs of LCD screens and the various options available for waterproofing and allowing exterior use.

Commercial grade screens in waterproof LCD enclosures are commonly used in outdoor locations; these are not just a cost effective alternative to using an outdoor or waterproof TV, as outdoor LCD enclosures offer far more all-round protection for outdoor digital signage than a waterproof TV.

One of the biggest problems with installing a screen in an outdoor location is not defending from the weather, this is quite obvious and few people would think of installing a commercial grade screen without any waterproof protection, and yet, it is all too common to see outdoor screens erected in unsupervised areas without any physical protection.

Physical protection is just as crucial as all-round weather protection for an outdoor screen as impacts – either accidentally or deliberate – can lead to a damaged, dead, or smashed screen.

LCD TVs are incredibly vulnerable to shock and impact. The screen itself is particularly fragile and even a gentle knock can lead to permanent screen damage while the sensitive electronics inside a TV can also be permanently damaged by an impact.

Indeed, vandalism is one of the biggest factors for damaged screens so ensuring any outdoor TV or digital signage is device is adequately protected is an essential prerequisite for outdoor digital signage.

LCD enclosures have the advantage here in that they are usually manufactured from steel so provide a rugged barrier that can withstand most types of impact. Combined with anti-tamper locks and a shatterproof screen this makes an effective and low budget solution for a vandal proof outdoor screen.

Outdoor TV Security – LCD Enclosure is a post from: Armagard

Digital outdoor advertising has many benefits over indoor systems especially when you consider the potential size of the audience and outdoor campaign can reach. However, there is a substantial investment in erecting digital screens in an outdoor locations and ensuring you get a return on this investment is vital in making the whole campaign worthwhile.

And while careful planning of the content, locations, estimates of potential audiences etc etc can go along way to helping you calculate the return on investment; hidden costs, unforeseen circumstances can often see these plans come to nothing.

Damage and Breakdown

One are where costs can unexpectedly dramatically increase is in the event of damage or breakdown. Replacing or repairing screens can not only add dramatically to running costs making that return in investment (ROI) get ever increasingly further away but also if the screen is down its not increasing awareness or providing advertising, further impeding your chance of getting a ROI.

Damage Risks

There are several common reasons why outdoor digital signage is prone to unexpected failure but the main two are:

• Insufficient protection from the elements
• Deliberate tampering or vandalism

Whilst most outdoor digital signage systems are protected from the weather (usually to NEMA 4 or IP65) often this protection is centred on waterproofing and rainfall and not enough attention is given to the potential extremes of temperature, both of which will disable a screen or at the very least shorten its operational life.

Another common cause of outdoor digital signage breakdown is vandalism which sadly all to common as outdoor screens are often left unsupervised.

Prevention is better than cure

Preventing your outdoor digital signage from failing if the temperature changes unexpectedly or if it is attacked by vandals can be easy to do if the screens is housed in an adequate enough LCD enclosure. Many of the outdoor LCD enclosures not only offer the optimum climatic conditions for the screen to operate within the enclosure but with anti-vandal measures like toughened shatterproof glass and solid steel construction they can withstand the most determined of vandals.

Outdoor Digital Signage – Averting Disaster is a post from: Armagard

However, as an advertising media digital signage is not without its drawbacks and limitations especially when you compare it to other forms of advertising already in use.

Unclear ROI

Perhaps the biggest limitation with digital signage and one of the main reasons people are put off investing in this new advertising media is the difficulty in working out a return on investment. Unlike traditional forms of advertising such as directory listings or newspaper advertisements, a quantifiable figure of increases sales can’t be easily worked out. With a newspaper or directory advert you can quite easily discover if the increase in sales stems from the campaign and you can evaluate the increase in profits with the costs of advertising.

With digital signage, things are a little more unclear. With a large initial outlay and with many digital advertising systems on site – it can be unclear if any increase in revenue can be attributed to the signage screens.

Untargeted narrowcasting

Narrowcasting is similar to broadcasting in the way it is viewed. Unlike a TV broadcast that is distributed everywhere and anywhere, a narrowcast system is viewed just by the people that happen to be walking past the screen. And like broadcasting, there is no way of telling if these audiences are part of your target market or not.

However, more targeted advertising can be attained by taking advantage of captive audiences such as those in point of sale queues in-store or by targeting areas where it is likely your target audience will be visiting.

Digital Signage is vulnerable to theft, vandalism and accidental damage

With such a large initial investment, damage, whether it is accidental or deliberate will make the headache of assessing a ROI even more difficult if damaged screens have to be replaced or repaired. However, by ensuring the screens are adequately protected should go a long way in reducing costs of implementing digital signage. Steel protective digital signage enclosures will defend against impacts and vandalism attempts and these LCD enclosures also act as weatherproof systems enabling the digital screen to be used outside as outdoor digital signage.

Limitations to Digital Advertising is a post from: Armagard

Getting your message across is the key aim of any marketing strategy. Raising awareness of products and brands is vitally important to many businesses and thanks to the advance in flat-screen technologies such as LCD and plasma screens and their plummeting costs – digital advertising has never been easier.

Many digital signage campaigns can be implemented in standard TV systems but there are some elegant and functional digital signage systems that provide an eve ore eye-catching and therefore more successful ways of providing digital advertising.

One such method is the use of the digital signage poster or digital advertising display. These are not only aesthetically more attractive than just placing a flat screen TV on the wall, but they offer an all-in-one digital signage solution as they contain media player hardware already wired to the screen. This enables media content to be uploaded simply and quickly by using a flash drive or USB stick.

Digital advertising displays and digital posters can also be networked together so multiple displays can be synchronised together. Content on a networked system of digital posters or digital advertising displays can also be instantly altered or adapted.

The only downside to these digital posters and displays is that they are mainly for indoor use only. However, for outside purposes, LCD enclosures are a possible cost effective solution that saves you having to invest in an outdoor LCD TV as they allow standard LCD devices to be taken outdoors.

LCD enclosures, digital posters and digital advertising displays provide simple, cost effective, fuss-free methods of digital signage, out of home advertising and interactive marketing.

Digital Signage Posters and Advertising Displays is a post from: Armagard

Similar to other digital LCD and plasma systems; outdoor digital signage implements these technologies for the purpose of:

*    Brand awareness
*    Marketing
*    Information
*    Advertising
*    Enhancing customer’s experience and behaviour

While digital outdoor signage can reach a lot larger audience than those LCD TVs implemented inside, ensuring the display is protected from the weather and other potential hazards is a particular challenge, unique to outdoor applications.

Waterproof and weatherproof TV systems such as outdoor LCDs are available and provide a solution for outdoor signage applications but while they protect against the weather elements and are often sealed to NEMA 4 or IP65, there are other considerations that need to be considered with an outdoor digital signage system.

Many outdoor systems are often left unattended, which means security is certainly an issue. Ensuring the device is secured from vandals and thieves is incredibly important especially when you consider the costs of weatherproof TV systems.

However, standard LCD systems can be used outdoors and can be adequately protected, not just from the weather elements but also from attempts at vandalism and theft. And by using standard LCD TV systems, huge costs savings can be made as off-the-shelf LCD TVs are now tumbling in price.

This is made possible thanks to an LCD outdoor enclosure. These steel cabinets allow slim line TV systems like LCD and plasma to be safely used in outdoor locations. Not only do they offer the same NEMA 4 and IP65 protection as bespoke weatherproof TV’s, they do so at a fraction of the cost.

They  are also manufactured from solid steel with anti-tamper measures such as  anti-shatter screens and security locks making them a faar more cost effective and secure solution.

Choosing a Digital Signage System for Outdoor Use is a post from: Armagard

Digital posters are a form of LCD digital signage or digital out of home (Dooh) advertising that is becoming increasingly popular in recent months. LCD digital signage is the use of standard LCD or plasma TVs as a means of relaying corporate information for marketing purposes.

The digital poster, as it is often called, is perhaps the easiest and most cost effective method of digital signage as it is simple, cost effective and is easier to provide a return on investment.

A digital posters is basically an LCD TV that is encased in an LCD enclosure, whilst most digital posters are intended for indoor use, some LCD enclosure are manufactured for outdoor use too, meaning the digital poster can be placed outside.

At its most basic level a digital poster can be the same as a digital photo frame where images are displayed for a set amount of time before being replaced. However, when video and sound are introduced the digital poster can take on a new life and can attract a far larger audience.

Most LCD enclosure type digital posters have room for digital signage players in the enclosure so the media can be controlled from within the device although for more complicated implementations, digital posters can be networked to a single multimedia player box or PC system.

For outdoor use, the LCD enclosure that protects the digital signage system needs to be waterproof to defend from the weather systems. Many of these LCD enclosures are rated to International and European rating systems such as NEMA and IP ratings.

Benefits of a Digital Poster for LCD Digital Signage is a post from: Armagard

The company, who supply protective enclosures for LCD TVs, computers, printers and touch screens say the success of the company is due to the burgeoning digital signage market and the company’s presence in European and US markets.

‘We are fortunate that we have still been able to expand this year and having a presence in Europe and the US meant that we haven’t been solely reliant on the struggling UK market,’ said a spokesman for the company.

The global digital signage market is continuing to expand and the value in the US alone is expected to reach $3.5 billion by 2011.

Armagard’s LCD enclosures and outdoor digital signage systems allow the use of conventional LCD and plasma displays to be used in outdoor environments. Weatherproof and solidly built from mild steel with shatterproof polycarbonate screen, Armagard’s LCD enclosures are lockable, secure and can protect against theft and vandalism.

Armagard’s LCD enclosures are sealed to European and USA guidance ratings (IP54 – IP65 and NEMA 4) ensuring their waterproof and weatherproof qualities and coming from Europe’s leading supplier of display, computer and printer protection an Armagard LCD enclosure is guaranteed for five years.

Press Release – LCD Enclosure and Outdoor Digital Signage Manufacturer Continues to Grow Despite Recession. is a post from: Armagard

Both outdoor TVs and LCD enclosures that house conventional indoor TVs but provide a protective outer enclosure are becoming increasingly more common.

Of course, outdoor digital signage provides challenges to the technology that is not normally relevant for indoor TV systems. Rain, snow and wind blown debris are common elements outdoors and are also elements that can permanently damage sensitive electronics such as LCD TVs.

Fortunately a rating system has been developed in Europe that can provide guidance to the type of protection that an outdoor TV or LCD enclosure can offer.

The IP rating (Ingress Protection) provides consumers with a clear indication of the type of protection the LCD enclosure of outdoor TV offers. The IP rating comes int eh form of a double digital number the first digit indicates the amount of protection against solid bodies (such as dust) that the enclosure offers whilst the second digit indicates the liquid protection offered. In both cases, the higher the number the more protection is offered.

The most common IP ratings used in outdoor digital signage are as follows:

IP54 – These enclosure offer adequate dust protection ensuring that any dust that does enter does not interfere with the device whilst it also offers protection against liquid splashes. These enclosures are better suited for industrial or factory applications.

IP65 enclosures are even greater dust protection and are completely dust tight whilst it also offers protection against directed or falling water (including rain). These enclosures are ideal for outdoor use.

IP66 enclosure are similar to IP65 enclosures but they offer protection from high powered water jest (such as a power washer or jet wash) and are ideal for wash down environments.

IP Rating for Outdoor Digital Signage is a post from: Armagard