Vantage LED: Pixels

Showing posts with label Pixels. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Digital Signage, Need to Know: 'Tis The Season To Maximize Your LED Sign's Effectiveness.

The end of year Holiday Season is a prime time to maximize sales for retailers. While the future of the US economy may not hinge on every dime collected, as the media promotes, December does boast at least a 25% increase over the average monthly retail volume. And for some small businesses, strong December sales can be the difference between “ongoing” and “defunct”. Effective use of an on-premise LED sign by the business owner can add that extra boost that everyone is hoping for.

For churches too, the Holiday Season is prime time for LED sign usage- events, information, and spiritual messaging! This is their time to put that LED sign to work and recoup their investment by great communication and information sharing. Churches have different parameters for success than a retail operation but new worshipers, smiling board members, and a spike in Holiday giving makes everyone happy.

Here are five quick suggestions to maximize LED sign effectiveness during the Holidays, or really on any day:

Show- Don’t Tell. Drivers have seconds to view your message, that is a very short exposure time. Advertising is imagery and drivers may have the time to read words and translate them to your intended image. Or maybe they won’t have the time or focus. Just display an image. Attention spans are also short at 45 mile-per-hour, so be efficient and shoot your best shot. I always recommend professionally produced content.

Color Is Better. The impact of a full-color LED sign is 300 percent that of a single-color display with grayscale shading variations. With the price of full-color LED signs approaching the cost of a single-color display the extra cost is more than worth it. Go color, color is much more effective.

Brevity- Keep It Simple. In keeping with bullet point "Show- don’t tell", if you are using a text-oriented display message, “less is more”. If you’re selling hot dogs (for example), leave your creative writing skills at home and opt for “Delicious Hot Dogs .99” instead of “Come on in and sample our delicious hot dogs, only .99”. Like the Geico commercial, everybody knows this, but why do so many LED signs require messages that scroll on and on and on?

Be Community Friendly. So many LED signs are blinding at night and that can be a nuisance to drivers trying to drive safely. With all the normal Holiday distraction, being momentarily blinded by your LED sign is not the way to attract new customers. I know several LED signs around town like this and why the owners insist on annoying every night-time passerby is anyone’s guess. Also, why waste money when there is no traffic or minimal traffic- turn the sign on and off via your scheduling software. Use that software also to turn down the LED sign brightness at night. Remote network control is a plus- you no longer need to be at the office computer!

Political Correctness. And finally- relegate your political opinion, religious beliefs and humor to your online blog, church, or man cave. At best you’ll alienate ½ your customers with your political opinion. Watch your attempts at humor, as well, because you may not really be as funny as you might think and people are easily offended. Everyone already knows what the true meaning of Christmas is supposed to be so if you need to remind them, do it gently unless you are, of course, a church! Your goal is to increase sales and you need all of your customers to do that.

So, if you are using an LED sign to boost your sales or promote your organization- the Holiday Season is a perfect time. Be smart, and follow a few common sense ideas to make it work for you. Remember Santa is “making a list and checking it twice…” and he knows if you’ve been LED sign “naughty or nice”.

This blog post represents my personal perspective and does not reflect the opinion of Vantage LED, Inc. or SignVine, Inc. or any other person or organization. Thank you to Vantage LED for allowing me to pen a guest blog every 3 weeks. If you have constructive feedback please email me at michael@signvine.org. - Mike Prongue

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Digital Signage, Need to Know: Brand Enhancement Using LED Displays

It does not matter if your company is a multinational operation or you work alone in the backroom of a small shop, you already have a "brand" whether you like it or not. A brand is nothing more than the world’s perception of you and your business.

Some say that “perception is reality” and it is derived by those who use your products or services, travel by your storefront, hear what’s being said about you on the community “Coconut Telegraph” and know how your business behaves when the chips are down. Somehow, either by your deliberate efforts, or by lack of attention to the matter, your “brand” has already been created!

Yes, you can still influence the world's perception of your business, of course. And, you may as well start today, right now, after reading the rest of this article.

Branding has been called your “identity” and it’s the accumulation of all that you are. It’s the way you are defined internally and externally. If you have not worked to create and improve your brand, then you should consider some strategies which can help: .

1) Identity and Definition: Who are you? Where does your business fit into the marketplace? Think of your brand as a person, or even yourself, and define your values, appearance, dialogue and goals.

2) Customer Communication: How do you speak consistently to your customers and what do you say? What can you do to influence the customer perception and improve the relationship and lock them in for longer term? How do you respect their intelligence in your message and also create excitement?

3) Values and Originality: Don’t be afraid to be original, and stand up for what your company believes in. Don’t copy other brands- who wants a copy? Always consider what the company is about and what are the values that drive decisions and actions and promote that. Just putting your logo onto everything does not create a brand.

These items point to one key word- Communication. If you are in the Sign Industry then you already realize that it’s a proven fact that on-premise digital LED signs are highly effective in communicating with passersby. Studies done have proven that digital LED signs can generate enough new business to actually pay for themselves.

But are digital LED signs really the complete answer to branding? Of course not! Branding is the sum total of how your business is perceived but a digital LED sign is a great start to establishing a strong well-known brand, or repairing the brand image you currently have in your community. Here are 5 suggestions, or rules, of digital LED signs that must be followed for the branding “magic" to happen and to "Wow" those who pass by your location:

1) Quality Content

2) Consistent Messaging

3) Hardware Reliability

4) Warranty

5) Network Control

Quality Content- The fact that quality content is vital cannot be overstated. Professionally created custom slides and videos are mandatory to establish a credible brand. Ten years ago, it was okay to have ANY message on an LED sign as they were “new and cool” and simply owning one re-enforced your brand. That is not true today. Unless your entire audience is the 9^th grade class at your local JFK High School, do not use content created by a student from that school, no matter how talented. Using professionally created content can make a $10,000 sign as effective as a $30,000 sign, and vice-versa.

Consistent Messaging- Remember that customers are smart. They may not wish to think about the message you had on the LED sign last week, but part of their brain forces them to recall it when the new message is displayed. Don’t repeat the same thing over and over, but a certain consistency is important. It’s easy to spot the source of new TV commercials before it’s revealed to be Coke or Geico. The sound is similar, the colors may be similar, the way the ad “feels” is consistent. So, as your team formulates an integrated advertising campaign remember to be consistent and build the brand.

Hardware Reliability- Not all LED signs are alike. If your LED sign fails with regularity, you probably are trying to build a brand using bricks made of marsh mellow. Do your research before purchasing an LED sign. Use the Internet but also use the telephone- call some LED manufacturers and see which ones will speak with you. If you are perceived as that Taco Stand with the LED sign that flickers constantly and is blinding bright at night, your brand is in trouble.

Warranty- With a solid, long-duration warranty, one that is insured by a 3^rd party and is guaranteed to exist, even if the manufacturer does not, you can keep the LED sign looking “perfect”. If you have an LED sign and you have a small problem that may cost several hundred out-off-pocket dollars to repair, are you less likely to have it repaired? It’s only a couple LED modules that are out! Can’t you wait awhile? Sure you can wait but can your brand wait? Several thousand cars travel by your business daily and they see what you stand for- procrastination, if you delay repair. But with a great warranty it’s fixed for no charge or a token charge. Having a sign that partially works is like having a sales rep that wears torn blue jeans to call on customers. The warranty protects your brand.

Network Control- An LED sign is a tool- not a lifestyle. It should work for you, not you for the LED sign. Flexibility in changing the message is important. Do you have to do it from a computer at the office? Really? What happens if you need to change the message on the weekend? iPad platforms exist these days, and for the on-the-go businessman of 2014, being an “office lizard” is non-revenue generating annoyance. Do research on what is available- it’s far more than a gimmick, it is a mandatory access method.

Building a brand is a long-term effort that requires everyone understanding that everything they say and do impacts the brand. Good is quickly forgotten and bad is always remembered. Be careful, go slow, and use a quality, USA manufactured, LED sign to help jump start your brand name and image.

if you are a sign company, it's not good enough to just plant an LED sign into your customer's parking lot and leave it at that. You should champion these rules and educate the customer to help them create a strong brand.

This blog post represents my personal perspective and does not reflect the opinion of Vantage LED, Inc. or SignVine, Inc. or any other person or organization. The images for this post are mine and I retain all copyrights. Thank you to Vantage LED for allowing me to pen a guest blog every 3 weeks. If you have constructive feedback please email me at michael@signvine.org. - Mike Prongue

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

A year (plus) of Digital Signage information!

-Deacon Wardlow

It's that time of year again. The days, weeks, and months have FLOWN by and we're all in the countdown scramble to finish, close, and clean things up before the year's end. We hope the blog articles have been informative and helpful for you all and we're thankful for your readership, feedback, support, and encouragement. This makes article #151 (not bad, 151 articles written since this blog was started in April 2012).

We hope you all have safe and wonderful (very likely hard-earned) time away from work coming up over the holidays. We'll be picking up the articles again from January 8th. So much has been written and said over the last year and a half, it's worth a breakdown. If you find yourself with a moment (or a client in need of some answers), check out the information below (broken up, as best I could, into categories for easier information sourcing). Click on any title to go to the article. You can also search (in the search bar above) by a specific topic, author, or subject you're looking for. If you're a Vantage LED partner (or want to be one) definitely go to our site www.vantageled.com and checkout Vantage University. We've got some great courses (videos, presentations, resources, and tools) coming out in the year ahead and plenty in there for immediate use.

Happy Holidays (whatever you're celebrating) and have a safe and happy new year. See you in 2014!

-The "geek speak specialists" at Vantage LED blogspot.

Digital Signage Sign Tech & Spec:

Digital Signage Content:

Digital Signage Sales 101:

Why LED Signage?:

Costs for Digital Signage:

How much can an LED Sign Cost?
Short term gain, long term costs (cost of a "cheap" LED Sign)
"Value Line" vs. Single Level of quality (i.e. why there aren't iPhone or Droid "lite" versions)
Is an LED Sign (or any Digital Signage) an investment or a purchase?
Selling the value of a Digital Signage Solution (LED Sign, LCD, or other)

Digital Signage 'How To':

Digital Signage 'Need To Know':

Please comment here or send questions or requests for information to deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), please check it out when you have a moment. Note all posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically noted.attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically noted.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Digital Signage Need to Know: Boiling Down the 7 Key Elements of Digital Signage

There are a million lists that define "Must Haves", "Absolute Requirements", "Sage Industry Advice" and "Never Dispute These Points" in our LED sign world today. Promises are made and assurances are given and specifications are sworn to and sealed with a few drops of the CEO's blood before the project is shipped.

So many claims, so little time. How does a Sign Company wade through all the hyperbole and overstatements and make the correct choice when selecting an LED display manufacturer?

It's hard to trust anyone or their claims made . Even Holiday Season claims are in doubt 'He's making a list, checking it twice, going to find out who's naughty or nice!" How did he do this? A phone tap or CCTV installed in a kid's room? No, more than likely just a way to try and control the behavior of an unruly child for 364 days per year.

But, borrowing from the spooky 1990's, American TV show the X-Files- "The truth is out there!"

In the LED Sign Industry, the holy grail of reasonableness regarding LED sign selection is called "The 7 Key Elements of Digital Signage". This list is embraced by the Digital Signage Federation and the list makes a lot of obvious sense:

1. Hardware
2. Software
3. Connectivity
4. Content
5. Operations
6. Design
7. Business

During a recent MSSA (Mid-South Sign Association) seminar mentored by Brian Gorg, Director of the Digital Sign Federation, he suggested focusing on just 2 of these elements rather than all 7. The assumption is made that top manufacturers all execute at a high level with respect to hardware having had many years to refine their product. What then to focus on?

Brian suggested that Software and Content were perhaps the top 2 of the 7 Key Elements. Adding to these 2 elements he further suggested that "Partnering" was an additional component to consider. The following is my review of these elements:

Software: Cloudware, Cloud-based software is the future. No need to store, edit, constantly update software and waste time with antiquated systems. What about simplicity? Plug and play is not quite a reality yet, but it's a lot closer than just a couple years ago. Speed? Reliability? Yes, and more yes!

There are superior choices available in the marketplace- do your research but state-of-the-art software is now a reality.

Content: Many end-users buy an expensive LED sign and then run poorly produced content. In the early days, when LED signs first hit the streets, their uniqueness and rarity brought a lot of attention to any business running any message. Even a gray-scale (monochrome) LED display used to attract a lot of attention even without animation or graphics. This is not so true today. Great content is must to deliver on the economic promise of the LED sign. What manufacturer provides content as part of standard offering?

Much debate also exists as to "great" content. If you are an end-user, skilled in making world-classs pizzas, and your 9-year old gifted son, a master of Photoshop provides you with and example of "great" content, it may or may not be all "that great"! Professionally produced content, using USA designers and digital artists, is the way to produce consistent and high impact content!

Partnering: Trust is the key word. Is your manufacturer committed to making your Sign Company an outrageous success by doing end-user demos and not selling their LED sign directly to your customer and "allowing" you to install it? What about listening to your issues, responding quickly to changing business conditions and having engineering talent available to support you?

The 7 Key Elements of the Digital Sign Industry are comprehensive and are a good source of reference. The assumption that only 2 (or so) of the Key Elements are vital is based on the assumption (again) that you are working with a top supplier. First you have to identify and select a top supplier. If you are still importing or trying to find some miracle LED sign product that gives you world-class quality at a deeply discounted price then then you need to study all 7 Key Elements and perhaps another dozen or so before buying anything. There is a difference in suppliers.

The truth is still out there and is easy to find. The "Googler" awaits! But don't stop there. Call manufacturers and speak to real people. Ask to speak to and engineer and find someone to verify and validate how they support the 7 Key Elements.

Execute due diligence or discover the phrase "Caveat Emptor", let the buyer beware, the hard way.

Check it out!

These comments belong to me, Mike Prongue, and do not reflect the views, opinions, hopes or dreams of anyone else, anywhere else and this includes Vantage LED. I appreciate your constructive opinion which may be sent to me at michael@vantageled.com.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Digital Signage Need to Know- Custom Content -vs- "Stock" or In-House Content

“Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?”

This 1970 song from the Canadian rock group “The Five Man Electrical Band” was very popular “back in the day” and is really about intolerance and exclusion.

Today, the sign industry, with the help of a few aging hippies might re-write the tune to ask this question:

“Sign, sign, everyone has a sign
One on every street corner, burnin’ my mind,
Do this, don’t do that, who'll read the sign?”

You have to admit, there are many examples of very ineffective outdoor advertising messages in every city across America. Sadly, even "fumble fingers" typos can create chaos as evidenced by the above image from my Elementary School (decades ago).

Even the use of decent “stock content” instead of “custom content” allows a missed opportunity to occur. This issue is not unique to the LED sign industry and is merely an extension of conventional outdoor media messaging.

Why does a business (end user) make this mistake? I suspect it’s for one of two reasons:

They do not see the value of custom content or know the true cost of spending a few extra bucks for a professionally produced message to really squeeze every nickel of effectiveness from their LED sign investment. They think it's much more expensive than it truly is.

They are over-confident in their business’ ability to produce usable and effective in-house content or willing to risk losing sales with a stock message. And they do not look at the true cost of making their own slides or animation- it's not FREE.

Perhaps the business owner is proud of their new LED display but they forget it’s not the LED display itself that’s important, it’s the message. Bright, shiny and flashy does not guarantee an increase in sales. “WIFM- what’s in it for me?” is the question in each passerby’s mind and the LED display has to step up and answer that question to be effective.

The LED display is “on stage” and it has to deliver something great to be seen in the vast sea of other outdoor media. Remember 5 years ago when you could run any content on the LED display and be a standout? Those days are gone!

If the message does not “grab” the audience, the animation does not catch their attention, or if the colors turn them off then the LED display is not any better than a conventional sign.

As I wrote this, I thought about identifying the many rules of developing better in-house content:

Short and sweet. Not too wordy. Size of the characters appropriate for the distance viewed. Good color. Good animation. Correct message for the target audience. Correct grammar, spelling, punctuation. Call to action!

That's it. But really- who cares? I’m not an advertising design professional, so trying to provide usable detail on the rules of design and trying to evaluate which Adobe product is required to create the ad copy or animation is beyond my keen. I can’t do it either!

If you need to learn these basic rules and the other 100 that also exist, now is not the time to do so. Now is the time to find a way to provide custom content designed to “wow” your customer as he or she drives by at 50 mph- TODAY. Hire a professional content service that can deliver something "eye-popping" and unique.

Explore the market. Do your due diligence to identify a source for custom content to optimize the effectiveness of your LED display and make sure that the original investment in the hardware isn’t wasted by running an ineffective message.

Thank you Rick Ostman for the use of your LED sign image from our old K-6 school!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Digital Signage Need to Know: CMYK vs RGB and Other Design Factors for Digital Content on LED Signs.

-Scott Hofheins

There is a reason why we talk about content so much on this blog. Content is the driving force behind your viewers ability to notice your sign, retain the information, and act. You want them to do this quickly and without confusion or delay. This is why investing in a content creation service who specializes in LED signs, or training your own in-house designers on outdoor content is worthwhile. The days of text only signs are going away, making way for full color advertising machines, ready to take whatever you can throw their way.

What is CMYK and why won’t it work on an outdoor LED sign? Why do some signs look great and others look blurry and hard to read? Content for print media is different in many ways than content for digital media. Additionally, content on an outdoor LED sign is different than content on an indoor Digital Sign (LCD Monitor). Knowing how to handle these differences is key to providing a dynamic readable message on an outdoor LED sign.

CMYK vs RGB

This is a common difference that comes up a lot when designers familiar with print media are working on digital media. The bottom line is this: CMYK is for print media, and RGB is for digital media.

CMYK: Stands for “Cyan (blue) Magenta (red) Yellow and Kent (black)” These are the colors of the ink that printers mix together to created printed media.

RGB: stands for “Red, Green, and Blue”. These are the colors of light, that mixed together can create all the different colors we see on TV Screens, HD Projectors, and of course outdoor LED signs.

Any content made for digital displays of any type is being converted to RGB in one way or another. CMYK works for print media because you are ‘coloring’ the paper with ink. This ink will reflect light to produce a certain color. However, displays are physically producing this light to create colors, so they work in terms of Red Green and Blue. When mixed together in equal values they create white light. When they are all off, they create black.

In most cases you need to physically change the ‘color pallet’ of any files you send to a digital device from CMYK to RGB. This embeds the correct color information into the file so there is a direct translation value for the colors in the file, and the corresponding Red, Green and Blue light values.

DPI Value

This is another common term used in print media. It stands for Dots Per Inch and measures the amount of data the file contains “per inch” of the printed page. This is an important value in print media because a print with 300 dots per inch is going to be higher resolution than a print with 72 dots per inch.

However, it means absolutely nothing for digital media. Digital media is being displayed directly on a display with a set number of pixels that will not change regardless of how large the display is in inches. Saving content used for digital media with a high DPI only increases the file size, not the quality of the file.

Content Pixel Resolution

Monitors are typically 1024x768 or higher. This means 1024 pixels wide by 768 pixels high. However, outdoor LED signs are much larger and viewed from a distance, so they don’t need that many pixels. They range from 16x48 pixels all the way up to digital billboards that push 200x400 pixels.

Designers who feel comfortable with web design, or print media won’t usually have a hard time with billboard content. However, most outdoor LED signs are not billboards and have a lot less space to work with. Knowing how to use this space effectively can mean the difference between a viewer saying “Wow, that’s a great deal!” or “What did that sign say? I couldn’t read it.”

Font Size and Style

Font’s take up a certain number of pixels depending on their size. Sizing these fonts correctly according to the size and pitch of the sign is important. Fonts that are too small won’t be readable, or appear blurry.

Font style is important as well. The quick readability of a font is important and there are some that are good for LED signs (thick and bold) and other that are not (fancy and thin). Knowing how to use a variety of font styles while maintaining readability is extremely important for LED sign content.

These are just a few of the factors that designers need to take into account when creating content for outdoor LED signs. There are many others including pixel pitch, road speed, color matching, viewer distance, and a host of others that must be taken into account. This is why I feel the investment in a content service or an in-house designer is worth the cost. It’s not enough to just have funny quotes and smart text on an LED display anymore. Viewers expect dynamic, colorful content that is readable and memorable. Let a pro handle it, and give yourself a little more time to focus on what you do best, operating, building and expanding your business.

-SH

I hope this post has been informative and helpful. As usual, I welcome ALL constructive comments. Please feel free to comment and add anything I’ve missed, or additional tips you may have regarding this topic. Please visit www.vantageled.com for many other resources, white papers, and of course: Great looking LED Signs!

**All posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Digital Signage Need to Know: What is Pixel Pitch and How Does it Relate to LED Signs?

-Scott Hofheins

Pixel Pitch (or dot pitch) is a term used on a daily basis in our industry. It is a core specification that will determine the clarity, effectiveness, and cost of an LED sign. Although Pixel Pitch is also used in any type of digital display (computer monitor, LCD TV, etc...) it is still not a common term for the general public and can sometimes be difficult to understand it’s role.

I’ve listed some common questions about LED signs below. You may feel like they move off the subject, but I promise it will make sense at the end.

What is Pixel Pitch?

At it’s core, it is a measurement of how close each pixel is to another on a display, typically measured in millimeters. The lower the Pixel Pitch, the more pixels you can fit together on a display.

Great...so what is a pixel?

A pixel is a single point of light on display, consisting of (3) individual colors: Red, Green and Blue. When each is lit at the same full intensity, the pixel produces white light. When they are at different intensities, shades of colors are produced.

A display contains thousands of pixels, laid out on a grid. The actual number of pixels high, and the number of pixels wide is call the “Native Resolution” of a display. The computer monitor I am using to write this post is 1600 pixels wide, by 900 pixels high, or 1600x900. An HD, LCD Television would be 1920x1080. Notice the “1080”? This is where the HD 1080p classification comes from. It designates that the display is 1080 pixels high.

What does that have to do with LED signs?

They use pixels just like LCD TVs and Monitors. However, LED signs are outdoors, large, and fighting sunlight so they must use physical Red, Green, and Blue LED’s instead of liquid crystals. Additionally, they use significantly less pixels than monitors or LCD TV’s (unless you're in Las Vegas) because they are viewed from a distance.

We call the “Native Resolution” of an LED display it’s Pixel Matrix. Typical digital billboards will have matrixes like 168x584 or 216x763, while typical commercial displays would include smaller matrixes like 32x128 or 48x96. The larger the matrix, the more information you will be able to fit on the sign.

What does the Matrix have to do with Pixel Pitch?

The more pixels you can fit into a sign (higher matrix) the higher the resolution will be, and the closer you can be to the display and still clearly see the image or text. Believe it or not you may be more familiar with Pixel Pitch than you realize. Do you know why Apple’s “Retina” displays are so crisp? Because they have been able to squeeze more pixels into the same amount of space. This is done by decreasing the Pixel Pitch. In fact, pixels are so close to each other these days that they are now measuring them in PPI (pixels per inch).

How does Pixel Pitch affect an LED sign?

The same way it affects a computer monitor, but on a larger and more noticeable scale. Pixel pitches on LED signs may include 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12.5mm, 16mm, 20mm, 25mm. Most commercial outdoor LED signs will stay in the 16mm - 25mm range.

16mm and lower pitches are typically used for smaller signs to fit more pixels into a smaller area and maintain a quality image. However, they can be used for larger systems where the intended viewers will be close to the sign.

The 20mm pitch is a good middle ground for many sign owners who need to have a little of both worlds. A larger sign, but with the viewers a little further away.

25mm and sometimes 32mm pitches are commonly used for digital billboards. You may see a 20mm or 16mm on smaller billboards, or where the sign is closer to the viewers.

How does “Virtual Resolution/Pixel Sharing” relate to Pixel Pitch?

The simple answer is: it doesn't really. It’s like comparing ounces to inches. They both work together in the real world, but are not directly related. However, I am a big fan of Virtual Resolution technology when done correctly. Deacon Wardlow posted a great article about it awhile back.

Virtual Resolution technology allows a sign to share the other pixels around it to smooth out lines and graphics providing a higher quality image and increased clarity at closer distances. When this is done correctly, the actual video signal size will be double the pixel matrix of the sign. For example, a 64x144 sign would use video data sized at 128x288.

This will make a 20mm sign using virtual resolution look better than a standard 20mm sign. However, a 10mm sign of the same physical size will always look better than a 20mm sign (even with Virtual Resolution). This is because a 10mm sign physically has more LED’s, they are physically closer together, and it has a higher “Native Resolution” than the same sized 20mm.

Remember, Pixel Pitch determines how many pixels you can fit onto a display. The more pixels you have, the higher resolution the display will be when viewed close up. However, larger signs viewed further away do not require a low pixel pitch. Keep in mind that Virtual Resolution technology is great, but is not directly related to pixel pitch so make sure you compare apples to apples. I hope this post has been helpful, and for those looking into buying an LED sign I encourage you to educate yourself as much as possible; I promise it’s worth the effort.

-SH

**All posts/thoughts/writings are strictly the viewpoint of me and me alone and do not reflect nor speak for Vantage LED’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, etc. unless specifically stated.