Everything You Need to Know About Digital Signage Video Walls

It’s a tough time to operate a brick and mortar business. ShopperTrak, an analytics company specialized in shopping and retail, investigated foot traffic levels at retail stores between 2010 and 2015. The research found that foot traffic was down by 57%. Why? Because of the sheer number of choices available to customers online and offline.

So, how are brick and mortar businesses innovating and drawing traffic? A clear choice is to implement technology that leaves a lasting impression on every customer. For every person that walks through the door, video walls are one of the best options.

Digital displays already engage customers more than traditional signage, but the video wall multiplies that advantage immensely. Utilizing multiple screens linked together, video walls create a nearly seamless display that can be as large or small as you want. With any technology, there is a question that always needs an answer – how hard will it be to manage? Some providers only offer a single aspect, like mounting or design, of a video wall solution.

 

This was the concern of Westminster Savings Credit Union (read the case study here) when implementing video walls at two new locations. So, they looked for a partner that could be a one-stop-shop and take the hassle out of this implementation. They chose Kuusoft because of our expertise in all aspects of the video walls we’re going to cover today.

Everything to Should Know About Digital Signage Video Walls

TVs

One of the first decisions that need to be made with a video wall solution is about TVs your wall will be made of. There’s a wide array of televisions on the market, but they are roughly into two variables: TV grade and display type.

The main TV grades on the market are consumer and commercial. Consumer TVs generally offer a slight price advantage compared to commercial-grade but using any tool for a job it was not for comes with issues. In addition to possibly lacking the necessary ports, most consumer televisions have asymmetrical bezels (the frame of the TV). Using these TVs, the bezel width variance will create uneven lines and distort the video wall. Commercial TVs may cost slightly more. However, they have been specifically designed to have minimal, even lines in-between the monitors (as well as other features) that a commercial video wall needs.

LED (light-emitting diode) and LCD (liquid crystal display) are the two types of displays available for modern televisions. There are many differences, but it boils down to what environment you want to put your video wall in. LED TVs are bright and much easier to read at a distance, making them better for outdoor use. While LCDs are perfect for indoors since they have significantly better image quality and resolution.

Westminster Savings wanted an impressive indoor display to communicate important marketing information, financial news, and community engagement. Therefore, LCD TVs were an ideal choice for their video wall.

Mounting

Making the video wall as seamless as possible and ensuring that it is securely fastened is where wall mounts come into play. Now, there is an immense amount of wall mounts on the market. On one end, you have cheap options with limited or no adjustment ability. On the other, you get mounts that allow you to “pop-out” individuals displays as needed.

With the many varieties available, it’s impossible to categorize them into a few sections, but it’s truly a “you get what you pay for” scenario. Cheap mounts almost always mean more time fiddling with placement and often poor results. In the meantime, premium versions are easy to use and precise.

With a desire to ensure a stunning video wall, Westminster Savings opted to get the very best for their two new locations. They asked Kuusoft to design a custom, easy-maintenance hydraulic mounting system.

Software

Last but definitely not least is the software that your video wall will run off of. There’s a huge array of video wall software out there with features ranging from simple static image display to customized animations. Which software you use will heavily depend on how you plan to use your video wall and what hardware you’ve chosen. It’s absolutely critical that you ensure your chosen software will utilize all aspects of the TVs you have chosen while your entire platform is compatible.

When developing the Westminster Savings video wall solution, Kuusoft engineers ensured that their video wall could display everything. From the weather and stock tickers to custom animations highlighting all services offered by Westminster Savings. Custom software by Kuusoft allows Westminster Savings to easily display whatever they wanted with easy remote control access that allows mealtime updating of information.

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