Sep. 30, 2024
Consumer Electronics
When choosing between consumer and commercial displays, many people make the mistake of considering just the price. Of course, price is important since you don&#;t want to be buying a display you can barely afford. However, your choice solely based on price is a decision that people often end up regretting later.
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If you don&#;t want to be in a situation such as this, then you&#;d do well to consider the pros and cons of both types of screens.
Before we delve into a discussion on their pros and cons, let us first understand the category of screens used in residential settings and the ways in which they are differ from displays used in a commercial setting. A primary feature of these displays is that there are designed only for viewing TV. This means that they are bought to install at home and watch video formats such as TV, streaming services, BluRay, etc.
Generally, these types of displays are used for a few hours during a day rather than being switched on for the entire day. Following are some of the pros:
Consumer TVs often benefit from the emergence of new technology, especially in the premium class. Examples of this are the Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) and High Dynamic Range (HDR) technologies.
A flat light-emitting technology, OLED is considered as the pinnacle of picture quality. This is because it gives screens ultra-wide viewing angles and great color saturation. On the other hand, the HDR technology significantly enhances the picture quality of display units by improving brightness and expanding contrast ratio.
One thing that gives these displays an edge is the in-built &#;smart TV&#; capability. This means that they can include a suite of applications that allow users to stream content, update social media, or integrate their display units with Alexa or Google Home.
These screens are generally designed for use with consumer-grade devices. Some common examples are a BluRay player, streaming appliance, and AV receiver. This gives them Consumer Electronics Control (CEC), which is a protocol designed to implement interoperability between the devices. For example, turning on your BluRay player causes your TV to power on automatically to the correct input.
These screens are available at a wide variety of price points and feature sets. This ensures that you find one that fits your needs at a preferred price point.
With the pros of consumer displays discussed, let&#;s look at some of their cons:
Most of these screens have a 90-day warranty for parts and labor from the date of purchase. This is fine most of the time because out of the box mortality rates are generally low. However, getting support after this point may be difficult.
They often lack extended features that are available with professional displays. Examples of this are RS232 and Ethernet control and monitoring.
One thing that is common between consumer TV manufacturers is that they are always chasing the next trend. Because of this, a model bought in March becomes obsolete by August.
A major disadvantage associated with these displays is that there are designed for use at home. These displays can run continuously for a maximum of 8 hours which makes them unsuitable for a professional environment. Using this kind of TV in a commercial environment will void your warranty and could reduce the life of the display due to over-usage.
The Pros and Cons of Commercial Displays
While they look like a typical flat panel TV, commercial displays are designed for heavy use, corrosion resistance, and high heat. Some common applications of these are Subway Kiosks and displays in restaurants. Moreover, unlike displays used in a residential setting, professional displays are designed for network connectivity. Following are some of the pros:
One of the best things about commercial displays is that they are designed for extended usage. Designed and built with extended usage in mind, commercial screens feature better components than consumer displays. Also, some models come with active cooling. Often, these displays can be switched on for an entire day. Additionally, warranty support and advanced replacement options are available.
Commercial displays come with extensive capabilities for control, monitoring, and management. This makes it possible for a site or campus to manage assets, change content, and track usage.
An IP rating is a rating that designates a device&#;s capability of preventing the intrusion of dust or moisture. Displays with this rating can be used outdoors or in difficult environments.
Often, they come with extended feature sets. Signage platforms, touch-screen capabilities or wireless display options are all features that can be found in some professional displays. In addition to the above, there are many other advantages, such as connections that comply with the VESA standard, compatibility with PCs and AVs, many connectivity options, wide viewing angle, landscape and portrait display orientations, and control locks that cannot be tampered.
While professional displays have several advantages, they are not free of cons. Following are some cons associated with them:
Due to the additional steps taken to add robustness, commercial displays can cost more than a consumer display of the same size. However, this is not always the case.
Compared to trendy consumer displays, these screens tend to be more conservative in design. However, there are some manufacturers like Samsung and LG that offer stylish units for these displays.
Unlike your TV in your home, these screens are usually relegated to a single task, like signage. Due to this, the number of inputs can be limited to a couple rather than a few.
It may seem like a blast from the past but there are instances where a built-in tuner is required. Most consumer displays today do not come with a tuner. However, a few limited ones come with this capability.
Both of these types of screens have their fair share of pros and cons. However, if you&#;re looking for an affordable option and only need displays for use in your home or a small office, then consumer displays might be a better option. Otherwise, choosing a professional display is a no brainer.
We have already listed the reason to choose professional displays over residential ones. However, the three biggest reasons to go for professional displays is their extended feature sets, widespread applications, and long hours of operation. This makes them ideal for any business out there.
If you&#;re still undecided whether to go for consumer or professional displays, then you would do well to get in touch with us. At Hugh&#;s, we have a team of experts that can perform a need analysis of your business to come up with the most appropriate display that fits your need and budget.
At Hugh&#;s, our team of experts will provide you with your screen&#;s consultation, installation, and maintenance. Additionally, they can create custom content for your digital signs to help you communicate your message effectively to the intended audience.
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After deciding to adopt digital signage to boost your business, at some point you&#;ll need to decide on which kind of screen is right for you: consumer or commercial digital signage displays.
The answer isn&#;t always going to be totally obvious, but in most cases, we recommend opting for a commercial digital signage display&#;especially if your digital signage is going to require long usage hours in bright environments. Sure, commercial displays aren&#;t always a requirement and they&#;ll cost more upfront, but they come with many benefits that justify a larger investment off the bat.
Choosing a consumer TV instead could run the risk of shelling out thousands of dollars in repairs or even having to buy full-on replacement screens if any die out completely.
Put simply, consumer TV displays are built for typical use in homes. Therefore, organizations that choose consumer TVs often have home-like settings: controlled lighting, temperature, and dust levels, and do not require long work hours for their hardware. On the other hand, commercial digital signage displays are specifically designed for use in different types of business environments. Most digital signage displays you see in professional settings are of the commercial variety.
But the difference between consumer and commercial displays goes much deeper than that. Here are four key areas of difference that might make you want to choose commercial digital signage displays instead of consumer ones.
The first major difference you'll notice between commercial digital signage displays and consumer TVs is the design. From an outlook standpoint, commercial displays are designed to blend in with their environment&#;think clean, industrial, minimalist designs. Consumer displays typically have more aesthetic flair and come with a TV stand.
Suggested reading:For more information, please visit commercial displays solutions.
The designs are also different when you factor in durability. Consumer screens aren't built for the wear and tear of prolonged, non-stop use and are easily damaged if dropped or hit by an object. Commercial displays, however, are specifically designed to operate around the clock and are built with encasings that protect from impacts, dust, heat, and other harsh conditions. If you need an outdoor digital signage display, a commercial display is pretty much your only option.
While both home TVs and commercial displays offer brightness levels ranging from 200 cd/m2 (nits) to 2,000+ nits to cater to different lighting conditions, it is important to consider brightness in conjunction with other factors. Commercial displays possess additional features, including sophisticated cooling systems, coupled with higher-grade power supplies, more durable components, and extended warranties, which contribute to their overall performance and extended lifespan. Therefore, when comparing two models with high brightness levels, such as around 2,000 nits, it is crucial to first consider the specific environment in which the TV will operate. This ensures that it will effectively serve you for a long time.
To wrap up design comparisons, it's important to note that consumer screens, at their core, are built to display cable TV, movies, and video games. Alternatively, commercial displays are designed to broadcast and stream all types of content&#;including web pages, dashboards, social media feeds, online videos, motion graphics, slides, promotional content, and more. That's in addition to everything a consumer display can do.
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While some displays (especially consumer-focused TVs) offer the convenience of built-in media players, creating a plug-and-play experience, professional displays often lack this feature. The all-in-one solutions typically fall short for complex signage needs or advanced applications. For those looking to deploy sophisticated content or set up multi-screen (video wall) signs, a more robust solution is necessary. This means finding a media player that not only supports multi-screen layouts but also boasts the computing power to handle demanding tasks seamlessly.
Consumer screens are pretty limited when it comes to input types. Typically, they focus solely on HDMI and USB ports, while commercial screens offer a wide range of inputs in addition to HDMI, including VGA, DVI, and RS-232 In and Out ports for enabling the daisy-chaining of multiple displays to build engaging video wall installations.
RS-232 control allows digital signage owners to control and monitor screens without a remote. This is a hugely important function considering that it allows the precise management of screen functions and features using a computer. Consumer displays rarely have this option, and if they do have it, it is extremely limited in functionality. Most commercial screens, on the other hand, support full RS-232 control.
The last thing you want to happen to your digital signage is for a prankster to start controlling your screens for their own amusement and at your business's expense, which can easily happen. All they need to do is use the infrared blaster on their mobile or simply press the buttons on the actual TV. Commercial screens protect against this kind of tomfoolery, though, with IR and front panel lockout, which essentially makes your display unchangeable to anyone but your staff.
Unlike consumer TVs, which are meant to be used intermittently, commercial digital signage displays are designed to run non-stop (or during commercial hours) without any problems, thanks to their powerful onboard cooling systems. Consumer displays are only meant to run 6-8 hours per day maximum. So if you're looking for a display to run content uninterrupted for extended periods of time, a commercial screen is the way to go.
On that same note, consumer screens aren't built to function as vertical digital signage displays due to their limited cooling systems. They&#;ll most likely overheat and experience damage in no time. Commercial TV displays, however, have no problem supporting portrait mode.
There's a reason that commercial displays cost more upfront than their consumer counterparts. They are built with higher-grade components that last significantly longer than consumer TV components. You can expect to get somewhere between 70,000-100,000 hours out of a commercial display running continuously.
In general, commercial digital signage displays come with a three-year warranty while most consumer TVs only come with a one-year warranty. On top of that, consumer screens sometimes come with fine print stating something along the lines that the warranty will be voided if the display is used for commercial purposes.
Most commercial display warranties feature post-sales support. This is a huge help for businesses that have problems during the installation phase. Additionally, commercial display warranties normally cover on-site service if repairs are needed. Consumer TV warranties typically only cover walk-in repairs, which is a big problem if you need to lug in a 60-plus-inch screen.
Obviously, commercial digital signage displays aren&#;t as easy to find as consumer displays, but they are still just a Google search and few clicks away. Most commercial TV displays are sold by resellers or digital signage company partners.
Need help finding a top-notch commercial display? Head over to our guide on the Best Digital Signage Display TVs to Buy in .
Outside of purchasing the necessary digital signage hardware, getting started with digital signage is as simple as signing up for TelemetryTV's 14-day free trial.
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