The idea of light reflecting off a screen hasn’t changed despite many advancements in projection technology. Let’s contrast projectors with LEDs, the newest kid on the block. Direct View LED Display is the name given to it formally. Significant advancements have been made in LED manufacturing during the past few years. The cost has decreased significantly due to this hitting economy of scale. Let’s examine some distinctions between conventional projection and LED to assist you in determining which would be the ideal option for you.
A video wall has more features and capabilities. It offers greater flexibility. It also adds a visual wow factor to the environment. A projector is limited in its uses. It can be used to project pictures, graphs, and videos. The cost is a major difference. Projectors are 200 times cheaper as compared to video walls.
Main Differences Between a Video Wall and a Projector
| Features | Video Wall | Projector |
| Uses | Seamless video walls brighten the environment and are used in boardrooms, shopping malls, arenas, etc. | A projector can be used to show information such as graphs, images, presentation videos etc. |
| Brightness | 1000 nits (average) | 300-500 nits (average) |
| Life Span | 5 Years | 10 years |
| Design | Customizable (Curve, Cylindrical, T-arch) | Standard |
| Content Quality | There will be a dimness when compared to the original content. | It retains the colour and sharpness of the original video wall. |
| Seamless | Yes | Yes |
| Power Consumption | 300W – 800W | 150W – 400W |
| Maintenance Cost | High maintenance costs | Low maintenance cost |
| Price | 15% – 200% lesser than video wall | Significantly higher |
Distinction in detail
Visibility
Compared to a projection display, LED wall panels are, to put it simply, brighter and more direct.
Every little bit of distance counts when you’re talking about bright, crisp visual content. Since LED walls generate their light, viewers see sharper, more vibrant images when using them. A projection screen receives the picture from projectors and reflects it to the eyes of the audience. So the image is not as bright or crisp.
In the first year of usage, projector brightness often decreases by up to 30%. High contrast is less possible, and saturated colours are more challenging to portray. An LED wall Display provides the audience with vivid, highly contrasted, rich colour.
Remember that ambient illumination will make it harder to view a projected image. Reflected projections look washed out in natural light. Ambient light does not affect LED images. LED panels are the obvious choice, especially during outdoor music festivals, ballparks, stadiums, and retail industry events.
LED walls don’t always need to be on full brightness, depending on the area. Your LED Display may use less energy over time and live longer than intended.
Clarity
The emerging industry standard for visual displays in homes and enterprises is an ultra-high definition (8K). Many projectors display in normal definition. They cannot display HD images at full resolution, LED wall panels enable HD, HDR and 8K.
What about pictures in a huge format? Projectors are unquestionably more adaptable when showing large images. Only the projection surface and projector power are constrained. You can construct a big LED wall by combining many LED displays to make it as large as you need.
Portability
Unlike projector screens, LED walls are more readily disassembled and relocated into a new location. As they are relatively light and thin. They are quicker to power up and easier to install. This means that you will have more freedom and fewer venue limitations.
There must be open space between the projector and the viewing area for projection display systems. A blank wall can be projected upon, but the quality of the image will suffer. Alternatively, you’ll also need to get a good screen to go with your projector. You must adjust the ambient lighting in the room for the best viewing. This can be achieved either by dimming or turning off the lights or by utilising blackout curtains. The projector must be high up in the back of a room or exhibition space. Any obstruction, such as low-hanging fixtures or low ceilings, becomes an impediment and severely restricts the layout.
LED panels’ modular construction allows for virtually endless design freedom. You can take your presentation anywhere you want to because the panels have their light source and aren’t affected by surrounding light.
Cost
LED walls will initially cost 15%–20% more than projectors for an image of the same size and quality. But LED displays have lower ongoing costs. This frequently offset the higher initial investment.
Regular projector bulb and light engine replacement can be costly. A single bulb alone can cost thousands of dollars. LED walls save money on energy expenditures because they need less maintenance and only use around half the power over time.
The price of LED wall panels will keep decreasing as demand for them rises. Audio-visual technology is developed continually to fully utilise their high contrast ratio and vivid displays. This further increases the cost. LED walls are a wise investment for your company because of their adaptability, simplicity, and high-quality output. It will satisfy even your picky clients and viewers.
Life Span
A projector has a lifespan of 5 years on average, whereas LED video walls have a lifespan of 10 years on average. With projectors, the light or bulb eventually becomes dull. However, with an LED video wall, this does not happen. The LED video wall’s lighting can be changed even after a considerable time.
Uniqueness
To keep the audience interested, you need to present them with a quality image that shines out and is not harmful to their eyes. Therefore means brightness and contrast should be properly set. Everywhere, there is a need to improve attendance and provide attendees with value. It is crucial to create an environment that captivates the audience, is distinctive, and piques their curiosity. This is made possible by sophisticated systems, such as LED video panels. They are more effective and efficient because they don’t require extensive training. Most manufacturers also offer support and training for using the device. Thus making the entire setup and use process relatively easy and trouble-free with little to no additional expense.
Arrangement And Set-up
Compared to projector screens, LED displays are significantly simpler to set up and start up rapidly.
The uses and locations for projectors are constrained. A sizable screen and an open area between the screen and the projector are required. The projector must be connected to a video source and set prominently in the rear of the room or display area.
Anything that blocks the path of light, like low-hanging light fixtures or low ceilings, should be eliminated. A blank wall can be projected upon, but the quality of the image will suffer. So you’ll also need to get a good screen to go with your projector.
This severely limits the possible arrangements for the Screen. LED panels give you more freedom and creativity when setting up the graphics. They may be combined to create many other shapes, including cubes, pyramids, etc. Due to its modular design, you have countless possibilities when setting up for a show, which enables you to be more imaginative and adaptable.
Additionally, since ambient light makes it difficult for projector-based displays to work properly, employing projectors is sometimes limited to specific locations, such as conference rooms and hotel ballrooms. By utilising blackout curtains or something similar, you must be able to reduce the lights and minimise ambient light. This can raise your expenses.