Using screens outdoors is increasingly becoming common. Outdoor digital signage is now a regular feature on many high streets and retail parks. The advantages of using LCD screens as a signage medium far outweigh any costs: the flexibility; ability to schedule content at specific times of day, such as lunchtime; the eye-catching nature of screens, in comparison to other media and the modernity and contemporary look of a screen which can raise a location’s profile.
While all these advantages do outweigh the costs involved, using a screen in an outdoor location does invoke costs in ensuring the device is protected but there are methods of alleviating this expenditure – without compromising on protection.
There are essentially two methods of ensuring an outdoor digital signage screen or other outdoor TV device. The first is to use a weatherproof or waterproof screen which can be placed in almost any outdoor location. These LCD screen are waterproof and can operate in a wide temperature range – ideal for most outdoor locations – although they do have a rather high price tag.
The second option for outdoor digital signage is to use a standard (or ideally a high brightness TV) that isn’t designed for outdoor use. You can then protect this TV inside the digital signage enclosure itself – ensuring the enclosure protects from the weather and temperature.
There are several advantages for using this method; firstly, it’s a lot cheaper a solution. Weatherproof and outdoor TVs can cost four or five times the price of a similar sized TV. Secondly, as outdoor digital signage screens have to have enough protection to deter vandalism and prevent theft of the TV, enhancing that protection to include weatherproofing is an easy step, especially with the prevalence of outdoor LCD enclosures.
Outdoor LCD Enclosure
LCD enclosures provide just that type of protection. These waterproof enclosures not only keep all the weather elements away from the enclosed LCD but also ensure a durable and rugged steel casing to deter vandalism and thieves – but the advantages of LCD enclosures don’t just stop there.
The key to outdoor digital signage protection is not just simply keeping water away from the screen but ensuring the screen is operating in the perfect environment and that is what LCD enclosures are best at. Inside the enclosure all the climatic controls, such air cooling, are included so the enclosed device will always be operating in the optimum conditions the screen was designed for.
