Anybody embarking on an outdoor digital signage campaign will be aware of the IP
and NEMA standards governing the use of such technologies in the open air. IP 65 and NEMA 4 are the most common ratings issued for outdoor digital signage and TV systems. NEMA National Electrical Manufacturers Association produce their NEMA ratings system for the American market whilst the European IP Rating (Ingress Protection) was developed by the EU for the European market. Both these systems allow consumers to establish what hazards the outdoor digital signage or outdoor TV system is designed to cope with. Strictly speaking the two ratings systems cant be compared as they involve different criteria to achieve the standards. However, generally speaking for any electrical appliance to operate outdoors where there is the potential of rain and other wet weather systems then NEMA 4 and IP65 are the minimum ratings required. For the purposes of outdoor digital signage, IP65 and NEMA 4 LCD TVs are being manufactured to enable the devices to be taken outdoors. However, so far the cost of these outdoor LCD TVs is extremely high compared with standard TVs and any ROI (Return on Investment) is highly unlikely for a considerable period of time despite the advantages of outdoor digital signage over conventional print media and even indoor digital signage. However, a far more cost effective method of outdoor digital signage is to use standard LCD TV and enclose it in an NEMA 4 and IP65 LCD enclosure.
These protective environments can house almost any size and make of standard plasma or LCD TVs from compact 20 to giant 70 screens. The cost saving with a standard TV in an IP65/NEMA 4 enclosure compared to a NEMA 4 / IP65 TV system can be quite dramatic and offers far more potential to make a return on your investment.