Commercial Integrator 2023 - 10

AV BRAINS & BRAWN
Don't Assume You Know Outdoor LED
Even if you're an indoor LED specialist, the outdoor category presents a whole new set of
challenges and considerations. By Alan C. Brawn
When integrators work with outdoor LED displays, they must contend with several unique issues. These include designing for
the rigors of the environment, selecting the proper display to meet the specific use case, and doing all the prep work as it
relates to licensing, permitting and adhering to codes. Those issues are the difference between failure and success.
IT'S SAFE TO SAY that necessity is the
mother of all invention, especially technologically
speaking. This is also true when
considering trade-publication articles. As
you read the journalism in Commercial
Integrator, you will see stories that are
motivated by necessity. The topics might
involve new products, best practices
(business, design and integration) or
thought leadership, but the common
denominator is simple: the clear need to
write about them. File the following article
as one touching the common denominator
just noted. Allow me to explain.
Addressing Newfound Popularity
Back in the fall of 2022, I wrote an article
called " Direct-View LED: Know the
Unknowns. " With the LED display market
in ascendance, with double-digit growth
in both indoor and outdoor, the category
begged for coverage. The obvious
need for the article was to address the
newfound popularity of LED displays (or
DVLEDs, if you prefer). More important,
however, was to point out to the uninitiated
that LED displays are not simply
another display type in our toolbox. I
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Commercial Integrator JUNE 2023
sought to point out the unknowns and
potential " gotchas " that reside in LED
system design and integration - the ones
that don't reside in the traditional displays
we have worked with for decades.
The Iceberg Beneath the Surface
As noted in the first article, " Think
about an iceberg, where the unknown
two-thirds of it is beneath the surface,
unseen. What we don't know can come
back to haunt us. " Yes, not knowing
the unknowns can haunt us. But, in my
first article, one unknown was not fully
addressed. The 800-pound gorilla in the
room for the LED space is the outdoor
category because it is truly different
from indoor displays in several ways.
The core technology works the same for
both applications, but that is where the
similarities tend to come to a screeching
halt. Let's eradicate the possible false
assumption of sameness and, instead,
come to a more complete understanding
of the unique challenges associated with
outdoor LED.
Beyond the obvious consideration of
applications, viewer distances and what
pixel pitch to use, there are two major
areas we must consider when it comes to
outdoor displays. The first is the " robustness "
of the display (for lack of a better
word) in the outdoor environment.
The second, and most complex, issue
involves challenges leading up to and
including installation.
LED displays are manufactured to withstand
different conditions. An outdoor
LED display is built to withstand extreme
weather, including rain, high heat,
consistent sun and thick dust. A typical
outdoor LED display has a much higher IP
rating - for example, IP68, which is the
maximum rating we currently have - than
an indoor LED display screen. (The latter
might be IP rated, but it doesn't require
extreme protection or waterproofing.) In
basic terms, outdoor displays are made
to withstand environmental extremes,
whereas indoor displays do not typically
need such capabilities.
Outdoor LED displays often use " older "
core LED technologies, such as a dual
in-line package (DIP). This is because of
DIP's rugged design and its ability to produce
a lot of light. Indoor might require
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