Outdoor digital signage is becoming an increasingly prevalent medium. Following on from the ubiquitous spread of indoor screens, the use of LCD outdoors, for advertising, promotion and branding as rocketed in recent years thanks to the falling cost of technology and the increase in the number of companies involved in the digital outdoor sector.
There are various challenges and an equal number of methods of deploying outdoor digital signage; however, there can also be a lot of hidden costs that can sneak up and bite people and make attaining a return on investment more difficult.
High Cost of Outdoor Screens
An outdoor screen is often the first choice for using a display in an outdoor location. These expensive outdoor LCDs may seem the obvious choice, after-all, and indoor screen can’t be taken outdoors and into the elements, or can it?
In fact, any screen can be used in an outdoor environment — just as long as it is protected. An outdoor LCD enclosure is a great method for protecting standard commercial screens in outdoor environments as they not only offer protection from the weather and elements but can help reduce the risk of other costs, too:
The Need for All-round Protection
Another hidden cost of deploying outdoor digital signage is the cost of replacement if a screen gets damaged. The weather elements are not the only hazards that an outdoor screen needs protecting from.
Damage caused by vandalism an impacts are an all too common problem. Any screen attacked that doesn’t have enough protection will most likely become permanently disabled. A steel LCD enclosure will offer all-round physical protection — as well as providing all the necessary weather protection too.
Screen Placement and Visibility
Another area where there can often lie hidden costs is in the siting of the screen. A badly located screen, a screen obscured by sun glare, or a screen positioned incorrectly won’t be effective.
It is important with any outdoor digital signage installation to conduct a survey to ensure you identify the correct location, this may introduce an added cost but it can make huge savings if more people get to see the content.
