Using screens as out of home digital advertising is becoming an increasingly popular advertising and marketing tool. Many shopping malls, retail parks and stores now have screens installed as part of their in-house marketing.
Indoor locations are not the only places where digital signage screens are installed for advertising, more and more outdoor locations are being used making outdoor digital signage one of the fastest growing mediums.
There are many challenges in using screens in outdoor locations, particularly when you have to consider the environmental elements that can damage or disable a screen.
Protecting the screen in an outdoor location is therefore vital but understanding what type of protection is required requires some thought and an assessment of the outdoor location it is to be installed in.
Type of Environment
Not all outdoor locations are the same and different locations present different challenges for protecting LCD screens and there are also drastic seasonal variations at some locations.
The first thing to consider is waterproofing. Any outdoor screen, no matter where it is placed, will require waterproofing. Even the hottest and driest areas on Earth are still susceptible to some rainfall so no matter where the sign is to be situated in an outdoor location ensuring the water can’t penetrate the outdoor digital signage enclosure.
Temperature is another aspect that needs to be looked at carefully; both the highest ambient temperatures and the lowest need to be catered for. In some locations that means that the digital signage display has to operate in extreme heat of the summer whilst still being able to function in the freezing temperatures of winter.
Solutions
One of the simplest and cost effective methods of protecting screens in an outdoor location is to use an LCD Enclosure. These digital signage enclosures can contain everything required to ensure the screen will operate no matter what the ambient conditions.
These LCD enclosures contain circulation fans, heaters, air conditioning not too mention waterproofed housings that ensure no ingress of any outdoor elements.
LCD enclosures are also rugged offering protection against vandalism and impacts – another important factor in using outdoor digital signage in unmanned locations.
