What’s the difference between a domestic TV and a Commercial Digital Screen?

When people look at the cost of a commercial grade screen for digital signage the first time, some ask; Why can’t I buy a TV from my high street or online and use that?

With regards to effective digital signage and getting the most from a display there’s no grey area, it’s always use a commercial grade screen, without question. Let’s find out why.

Firstly, you must consider what each screen is designed to do effectively. Domestic TVs are designed to operate for an average of 6-8 hours a day where the commercial displays can be left on 24/7 with 50,000 hours on average life expectancy. If you have ever weighed a domestic screen vs commercial grade you will instantly notice the considerable weight of the commercial screen. These are engineered to last and perform in a variety of customer and staff environments and equipped with heavy duty electronics and durable cooling systems wrapped in a durable frame.

Domestic TVs are not designed to hold static images for any length of time, you will see in all instruction manuals a clear warning against ‘burn in’ which happens when the image is almost burnt into the screen. Professional displays are fitted with commercial grade LCD panels that can handle all display formats such as static menus or image-based adverts 24/7.

TVs cannot be changed from landscape to portrait on demand, the beauty of a commercial screen is the flexibility in how to attach or fly the screen, for wall mounted or window-based displays. Due to the weight of the commercial screens, suitable professional fixings are required and supplied by Halo to meet all insurance requirements.

Now onto the most important difference, brightness. Ever wondered what makes digital screen adverts in shopping centres and shop windows pop? Consider this, a TV at home is designed for people to watch from 6-10 feet on average. Screen brightness is measured in Nits with the average for a good home screen is around 400 nits. When considering a screen for inside a fast-food business, such as a digital menu screen it would be best to start at 700 nits. Technology takes a big leap when placing a screen in a window. Sunlight readable screens use engineered LCD panels to enable passers by to see content in daylight conditions. Effective sunlight readable screens will start at 1500 nits and can go all the way to ultra bright 5000 + nits - that’s almost 10 times the brightness of a TV screen at home and capable of operating without losing brightness for days on end.

Protecting your investment is important. Making the right purchase at the start will save you money in the long run. Most domestic TV screens will have a 1 year guarantee in a domestic environment and no warranty for commercial use. Purchasing a reputable commercial grade screen comes with the protection of a 2 year warranty with more than 50,000 hours run time on an average per screen, that’s potentially years of use.

If you are looking for the most cost effective and professional screen solution for your business. Why not speak to our experts for some advice, we also offer a free design service.