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LED displays are proving a popular alternative to more traditional projection, LCD or plasma options. But what are the real advantages?
Projectors have long been the staple of any professional wanting to display large images for commercial purposes. And with the technological advances coming out of respected firms like Christie, the future of projectors appears bright. But the devices do have a major Achilles heel – their bulbs – which have to be changed frequently and tend to die at the most inopportune times. Perhaps this is why large scale LED displays are emerging as an alternative in the quest for large-scale images.
Italian LED manufacturer TecnoVision, partner Dubai-based AV specialists Avion and are supplying an increasing number of LED products to the region. Project engineer, Siam Mairaj at Avion, explains why LED displays win out more often than not, when compared to plasma, LCD and projection alternatives.
Technological advances
Gone are the days when LEDs were just used for traffic lights and car indicators. Advances in technology have decreased the size of pixels, enabling closer viewing distances as well as adding a processing element to the diodes, enabling their use in video.
“Ten years ago, we started with 20 millimetre pixels or more. You had to watch from 30 to 40 metres away to see the picture very clearly,” explains Mairaj. “The technology has improved through the actual pixels, and this has meant that the audience can now be closer in order to view the picture clearly. This has lead to LED televisions for the home to be developed.“
The screens have thus become usable in indoor and outdoor applications. Recent advancements have led to the development of 10 millimetre pixels for use in the outdoor market, allowing a minimum viewing distance of 10 metres.
“When we increase the size of the LED, using bigger pixels, we can view the screen from very far away,” says Mairaj. “We’ve reached a position where the technology has caught up with the requirements of the consumer and commercial markets in almost all applications,” he explains, excitedly.
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Lack of size restrictions
Because LED displays are made up of individual LEDs that are fitted onto cards which are then linked to others to ‘build’ each screen, there is no limit to their size.
Mairaj describes the process: “When making an LED video display, we start with the PCB (printed circuit board) and we have to determine how many pixels will be on each pixel card. For example, if we are working with 10 millimetre pixels, we have to calculate how many of the LEDs will be on that size card, and then we join the cards together to make the desired sized screen, with the applicable resolution.”
He says the lack of size limits means the screens are particularly attractive in commercial markets.
“We can make it as big as the client would like by adding more modules. That’s the biggest advantage really. It’s infinite; there are no boundaries, even with the processing engine. The engine is strong enough to control 1000 modules at a time.”
Low power output
“LED voltages are very low – which means low power consumption,” says Mairaj. He estimates the power savings, when compared to comparatively-sized plasma to be about 50 per cent. And low voltages also contribute to a longer life.
“They can usually go up to 60,000 hours without any problems. That means, if you’re operating it 24/7, it can go for six years.”
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