subject: What Goes into Protecting Outdoor Digital Signage [print this page] As outdoor digital signage expands as a concept, more and more people are aware of the need to protect LCD screens in outdoor locations. Whilst waterproof outdoor TVs are an obvious choice for an outdoor campaign, commonly outdoor LCD enclosures are being implemented by more and more installed because of the cost savings.
Outdoor LCD enclosures protect, not just the device from impacts and vandalism but also ensure they are sealed in from the weather but there is more to protecting and LCD outside than just preventing water from getting in.
Air Circulation
To waterproof a screen or allow a TV to be taken outdoors you can't simply seal the screen in a water tight enclosure as this will prevent air from circulating and the screen will overheat very quickly.
Here poses a problem, how do you allow air through whilst ensuring rainfall and other weather elements do not penetrate the enclosure and damage the LCD? The answer is in the clever use of air chambers which allow air to enter through the bottom of the enclosure, but are shaped to prevent any splashes of water from also working its way up.
High Temperatures
Another aspect of an LCD enclosure is ensuring the correct temperature is always maintained inside at all times. High temperatures caused by high ambient temperatures, very powerful and bright TV screens, or even direct sunlight can cause overheating that can cause permanent failure of the screen.
In hot climates, or areas where the summer heat gets excessive, additional circulation fans may not always be a solution for preventing overheating. More complicated methods, such as air conditioning, which has to be used although this can add significant costs. A far more cost effective alternative ideal for areas where extreme temperatures are only experienced sporadically and for brief periods is to use a cut off switch that temporarily turns the device off in hot climates.
The Cold
While overheating is vital to counter, when temperatures are at the opposite extreme it can also lead to LCD failure and the end of the outdoor digital signage.
Extreme cold can cause condensation to freeze and expand which can cause damage to the LCD so the temperature inside the enclosure has to be maintained above a minimum. This can be achieved by either ensuring the LCD enclosure is insulated using the heat generated from the screen itself or by adding internal heaters for when temperatures get very cold or is permanently so.
In areas where ambient temperatures can reach both extremes it can be extremely challenging as they both have to be countered to ensure the optimum temperature is inside the enclosure at all times.
Screen Protection
Another important aspect of an outdoor LCD enclosure is protecting the screen itself. As the screen is the only part of TV device that has to be viewed, it can also be the most vulnerable. Traditional glass cannot be used in front of the LCD as it is too brittle. Not only will glass be easily broken by an impact but also it can be a hazard leading to injury if there is an incident.
Shatterproof screens are usually deployed on an LCD enclosure and these normally can withstand most impacts but the screen comes under threat from another source too: the sun.
Sunlight can cause terrible problems for an outdoor digital signage campaign. The brightness of the sun can make the screen virtually unreadable which can only be countered by boosting the brightness of the screen itself. This can result in additional heat being emitted from the display so additional cooling has to be added too; although, transflective technology is now increasingly available and these screens use the sun's own power to boost the screen image saving power and preventing the need for additional cooling.
Neither of these methods, however, will prevent sun-glare, another common problem caused by the sun being reflected off the screen. This has probably been experienced by most people at some point on their televisions at home during a bright sunny day and while anti-reflective glass can counter the problem or at least lessen the effect it can reduce brightness, and therefore making the problems of screen washout even greater.
LCD Enclosures
So protecting LCD screens in outdoor environments is not as straight forward as you may first have thought and ensuring that any screen to be used as outdoor digital signage is protected from all the elements above is the task of the LCD enclosure manufacturer so ensuring they are building a quality and well-thought out enclosure for you is vital to ensure the success and longevity of your campaign.
