-Deacon Wardlow
Having hopped around the globe a few times and seen what’s out there for Digital Signage (specifically LED Displays), I’ve seen a lot of the good, the bad and the indifferent. As a kid, I loved Times Square in NYC. It was big, bright and amazing. The tech adult in me kind of kills the joy. I look at displays which have bad pixels, panels which are discolored, slow refresh rates which cause a slight “jitter” in image transitions and overall a mix of amazing systems and poorly produced displays which I’m surprised someone’s not asking for their money back.
Spotting problems with LED Sign systems is not usually a task for the layperson. I’ve brought my friends out to see some big displays (yes, they put up with my weirdness) and ask them what they see. They see an impressive sign. I ask them to then hold their hands up like they’re preparing to take a picture and look at sections of the display in isolation from the rest and suddenly they can’t unsee what I’ve shown them. I admit, I’m one of those people who looks for the wire when the magician is pulling a trick out of “thin air” however the world needs sceptics. Some companies try to pull tricks when it’s not a magic show you’re looking for.
How can you tell when you’re getting buried in “geek speak” vs. being given the straight truth? Here are a few bits you can run with to separate the good from the bad:
1. Take the salesperson out of the equation and ask to speak with a tech or engineer for the company. If they don’t have one, you should start raising the red flag. Techs and engineers are problem solvers by nature and you can’t solve a problem by holding back information. They’ll often tell you a lot more than you ever wanted to know, but you’ll get a straight story more often than not. Don’t let the salesperson reword anything or jump-in on the conversation.
2. Look at the documentation. Does the manufacturer lay everything out in an easy-to-understand format? Is there any “funny English” in the documentation or software help file? Do they have replacement guides covering every component in their system; when someone’s 80 feet in the air, they don’t often want to be on the phone and would prefer a simple sheet showing what has to be done, step-by-step.
3. Don’t let someone bury you in “geek speak” and numbers. When it comes down to it, an LED sign system is fairly uncomplicated. There are important technical details, but the system itself should be easy to explain. Why do they put conformal coating on a power supply or why do they NOT put conformal coating on? Why do they build the system the way they do? How long have they developed software for the system and how many changes have occurred over the years? If they don’t make their own software or engineer their build (from scratch), raise the red flag high.
After a brief conversation using these tactics with the manufacturer, you should get a clearer picture of what you’re really getting from them when you chose them as a partner. At the end of the day, it’s not their system which will go up in front of a business, it’s your business’ reputation and name people will associate with the system. Make sure it’s a solid solution which will benefit both the end-user and yourself. Dig deeper.
*I invite you to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at 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 stated.
-Deacon Wardlow
It’s the little things in life which can make a huge difference. Reaching into your pocket and finding a dime which makes for exact change at the coffee shop or being glad you paid that little extra to buy the nicer watch which has lasted for years when others have long been retired to the back of the catch-all drawer. Over time, electronic components have become more versatile, more reliable and cheaper. The difference between a high-end and a low-end capacitor can be a few pennies. It doesn't seem like much, but those pennies make a big difference to a manufacturer who buys hundreds of thousands of them.
if you’ve ever had to run a home DIY project, you’ve gone to the hardware store and picked out the bits and pieces you needed. Maybe you noticed a few different types of nails and you buy a bunch of the cheaper ones to save a few dollars on a project that is already going over budget. If you’ve been there, you’ve probably also noticed how those cheaper nails bent, wouldn’t go in easily, and (in many cases) just didn’t get the job done. You go back and spend a few dollars more and find the slightly more expensive nails really made a difference. The same thing occurs in manufacturing.
A manufacturer will look at the overall performance and the failure rate of a component. Component X costs 5 cents less than Component Y, but it’s prone to a 5% higher failure rate. The manufacturer looks at how many they’re buying, how important to the performance of the system that component is, and will decide whether it’s worth the cost savings to put the cheaper component in and put up with a few RMA replacements vs. the greater expense of the more reliable (and costly) unit.
How much attention to detail is paid by the manufacturer of choice? You have to ask them. How do they source their parts? How much of a failure tolerance does the manufacturer have? When they look at processes which could extend the lifetime optimal performance of the system (for example, conformal coating on power supplies), do they see the value added for the end-user or do they see an expense they don’t want to be burdened with?
When a manufacturer is pinching pennies, it doesn’t always mean those savings are passed along to you. They likely sell the same system at the same price (and often a higher cost) than the competition and you’re stuck playing a game of chance to see if the components will function for the projected lifetime of the system or if “Warranty Deadline” day comes and goes and things start falling apart well before their time.
Make sure you’re being told, up front, what really goes into the system you’re investing in. Make sure neither you, nor the manufacturer are saving a few pennies now which will cost a lot of dollars to fix later. Usually the axiom “penny saved is a penny earned,” is a good one. In this case, the manufacturer reaps rewards and the buyer ends up with the risk. You’re investing in them by choosing the manufacturer as a partner, make sure they’re making the right decisions to ensure your investment and trust are well placed.
*I invite you to comment here and/or email me directly with requests at 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 stated.
-Deacon Wardlow
Jacob Marley warned Scrooge if he continued on the path he chose in life, things would not turn out well for those around him (not to mention things going south for Scrooge as well). There are towns in the USA where the ghost of Programmable LED Signs has come and gone. The warning was given and not heeded. Now these towns are becoming LED Sign graveyards with systems which half-work or are completely down. What happened? Short-term gains overcame long-term expectations.
There are a lot of manufacturers who can give you a song and dance and paint a beautiful picture of the future to come, yet the systems fail to deliver over time. The old saying comes to mind, the bitterness of a poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of a low price has faded from memory. A lot of companies are playing a short game, selling a “high quality product” at a premium price with an “economy line” product at a low price. What they hope you don’t notice are the details.
Always dig deeper. Companies should have ONE level of quality. Do you see an iPhone sold with the “economy line” series available? How about any of the game console companies? Reputable companies build their name around their product quality and don’t take chances associating themselves with a “cheap” series. All manufacturers should be able to streamline production to the level where the buyer can get the highest quality at the best price.
Where to dig? I’ve added some hyperlinks to previous blogs and resources to make research a little easier. How can you tell a cheap system from a cost-conscious build? Get the details. What are the frames per second? How is the refresh rate? What color quality does the manufacturer have and how is it achieved? How is the system protected from surges? What is the system warranty on parts? Does the company offer a 3rd-part warranted on-site service option for the lifetime of the parts warranty? What’s under the hood (controlling the display)?
Make sure a comparison is apples-to-apples on systems and not, as one friend recently said, “Apples-to-2x4s.” Quality systems with content properly managed will really help communities see the value in the medium. Poorly constructed systems which have high rates of failure and which are hard to manage lead to the nightmare towns with failed systems and towns/cities scrambling to restrict usage as quickly as possible.
Don’t let your choice of investment be short-sighted by a manufacturer with short-term goals. Dig deeper and make sure you’re getting the most for your money.
*Please comment here and/or email me directly with requests at deacon@vantageled.com. Vantage LED has white paper resources and more educational material on the website (http://www.vantageled.com), check out the site periodically as we’re constantly adding new material.
**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 stated.
- Deacon Wardlow
Is anything really free these days? When the word “FREE!” appears on an advertisement, is there some part of you which questions, “Ok, but what’s it really going to cost me?” I’m a partial pessimist on things like this and I often wonder where the catch or cost is. I can walk into my favorite ice cream shop for a “free” taste sample, but both the store and I know the chance is good I’m going to leave having bought something and you can rest assured those free samples have been factored into the cost of my cone.
“Free” software for a Programmable LED Sign is a dangerous thing. I’ve been around the block a few times with Electronic Message Centers (EMCs, LED Signs, EDS, etc.). I’ve seen a lot of manufacturers take the route of the generic control system (but the software is free for download). The software may be free to download, but it’ll cost you a lot of time and effort to learn it well enough to support it (you’ll find free support lacking with your free software), and an even larger amount of time to track down someone responsible when something in the software doesn’t work the way it should. All this time (money) wasted because a manufacturer wanted something “free” and didn’t want to spend more to develop their own software. That bit of free will cost you in the long term.
Another issues with the word “free” is it's often masked by the word “included.” Anything that’s included is paid for by you, it’s just not itemized. Make sure the real cost on non-standard add-ons is given to you up front and a manufacturer can show you what is really “included” and what’s not. Do customers need wireless radio communications “included” if they’re going to use a direct-connect cable? A good manufacturer (and their sales reps) will work with you to ensure an end-user gets what they need and doesn’t end up pay for an awning on a submarine.
The last bit on free I have is the “free” support offered by many manufacturers. That support isn’t free, it’s included in the cost of your message center. Things like this shouldn’t be labeled as “free” or “included” they should be standard. Finding a manufacturer who will stand behind and support their product line is a must. If they list something as “free” or “included” be wary because they may one day decide that option comes at a higher cost than you want to pay. Remember, the first taste is free, but one way or another you’ll end up paying.
*Please comment here and/or email me directly with requests at 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 stated.
