Buying an LED screen is not a decision you make every day. These screens are quite expensive and depending on the application, they could be very complex. Corporations or AV professionals looking for LED screens will go through the following steps:
1. Study the business: It is very important, before selecting any LED screen, to understand the business. At this stage, the AV professional, more than looking for a screen, should know the business details, such as profit, return on investment, type of LED screens and different applications. The AV corporations, before making a decision of whether or not to get into the business, are seeing LED screens in most of the outdoor events and it is very tempting to think about taking opportunity of the growing LED market and its benefits. At this business analysis stage it is a good opportunity to be informed about all the associated cost involved in the purchase of the screen.
2. ROI: During the return of the investment stage, we should analyze some additional considerations beside costs such as the possibility of getting funding, partners or strategic alliances. Many corporations work with traditional AVI (Audio, Video and Lighting) products but not everyone works with LED screens. The purchase of an LED screen will increase your market share and will help you to get larger events.
3. Purchasing indoor or outdoor: At the very beginning, it is not clear the difference between indoor and outdoor panels when talking about utilization or optimization. If there is unlimited budget, my recommendation is to purchase both, but if the budget is an issue, a decision has to be made. Purchasing indoor panels thinking that we are offering a better resolution is not the greatest idea, because indoor panels are very expensive and after a 30 feet viewing distance there is no difference between 6 mm indoor or 16 mm outdoor. At the same time, purchasing outdoor panels for short distance is not recommended.
4. Opportunity Cost: It is an economic term and basically the best choice available between several exclusive choices. If we picked to purchase LED screens, under exclusive decision or limited budget, we are losing the opportunity of profiting from alternative goods. For instance, we purchase either screens or projectors. We should analyze not only the benefits but also depreciations. LED screens depreciate about 20% a year. There are some exceptions as well, for instance, the LED screen installed in the Seahawks stadium in Seattle was working for the last 10 years and is still in good condition.
5. Panel Cost: Buying cheaper doesn’t mean that we are purchasing average quality and buying expensive doesn’t mean that we are purchasing a premium product. Nowadays the cost of LED is changing every week and we can get cheaper LEDs as we go. At the same time, it is confusing when different manufacturers offer screens with same LED brand at prices that are totally different. The difference between vendors with the same brand could be up to 100%. For that reason, it is important to know that branded LEDs could differ based on quality.
6. Life span: Most LED dices last 50,000 hours is good conditions and up to 100,000 in average conditions. In the particular case of LED screens, average screens last up to 3 years and premium screens last up to 6 years.
7. Technology: There is no secret here, the main raw material is the LED dice and the better the LED the better the screen. But it is also important the electronic and data communication. BNC cables are prefer to JR45 cables.
8. Utilization: If you are looking for LED screens for fixed or permanent installation, here there is no brainer because any screen, cheap or expensive, can do the job. But if you are looking for LED screens for the rental market, you better go with experience vendors.
9. Service: Local service is preferred to remote service. Also, when the technical service is offered in your own language the communication is much better.It is also important to have an excellent relationship with the manufacturer.
10. Nature of the product: Regardless the strategy or decision taken, picking an affordable or expensive screen, this LED screens are technological products and sooner or later will require maintenance.
Conclusion: Selecting an LED screen will take you time but it is well worth it. Rember that you are not only purchasing a product but also you are seleting a new partners, the manufacturer, system integrators, etc.
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