Outdoor digital signage and other uses for outdoor TVs, such as open-air entertainment and information provision, are the reason why so many screens are now found in outdoor locations.
With the advent of commercial grade TV technology and protective LCD enclosures, it is no longer expensive to place a screen in an outdoor location, with the net result being an explosion in recent years of outdoor digital signage, information and entertainment screens.
Until recently, most screens used in outdoor locations were of a commercial grade. More durable and able to be left on for longer periods of time than consumer grade screens, most of these devices were protected from the elements using a waterproof or outdoor LCD enclosure.
It had become quite apparent in recent years, however, that there is a problem with using commercial grade screens outdoors. It has nothing to do with the weather as LCD enclosure provide all the protection necessary but the power of the sun, can create all sorts of problems for outdoor digital signage and screens.
Natural light causes the most obvious problem for outdoor digital signage screens. When there is a high level of ambient light which shines directly on the screen it has the effect of washing out the images and colours, making the content difficult to read.
To counter this problem, high brightness screens have been developed by several manufacturers that produce over twice the brightness of standard commercial grade screens.
The higher brightness allows the screen to be perfectly readable in bright conditions, the over of the high brightness backlight overpowering the natural light and permitting the image to be visible.
Brightness for TV devices are measured in nits of candelas or Nits with 500 nits being the standard strength for most consumer and commercial grade screens with high brightness devices being three ties more powerful emitting images at over 1,500 nits.
