The Top 7 Benefits of LED Video Walls Vs Projectors

Traditionally, churches have used large multimedia projectors as the preferred solution to their needs in sanctuaries across the United States. However, in recent years, indoor LED wall solutions have become the better choice for many reasons including the better ROI they provide over time. With church attendance numbers falling nationwide, it is becoming more important to provide additional production value via multimedia solutions. LED video displays are making that improvement more attainable than ever. The following points of consideration represent the top 7 benefits you can expect from moving to an LED display.

Benefit #1: Economics

Quite simply put, projectors are as expensive as ever, and LED video walls have reached the point where they can compete on price. The initial investment may be slightly larger than the initial investment for a professional-grade projector, but when longevity, ROI, and the cost of operation are considered, LED displays tend to make more financial sense in most circumstances. Be sure to compare electrical consumption numbers as well, since not all LED video wall manufacturers are making the same quality components, and not all projectors are installing high-quality power supplies. Consider an LED video wall with at least a 5-year warranty to be sure you are covered should any components fail, although failure rates are generally low. When they do occur, most component failures tend to occur within that 5-year time period, after which, most displays continue to perform without any issues.

Benefit #2: Longevity

Even the highest grade projectors available on the market cannot compete with the longevity provided by LED display solutions. Most LED displays of adequate quality will last 7-10 years. Warranties on industrial-grade projectors of the highest quality are generally capped at 3 years. This is because light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and power supplies on an LED video wall emit much less heat than projectors since all the brightness (and heat) of a projector is produced through a very small space, thus degrading electrical components at a much faster rate.

Note: Audiovisual integrators often dominate the LED video wall industry and they often do so with inferior products of short longevity brought directly from China. This allows for a large markup for their companies but leaves churches stuck with inferior products. This results in additional income for the integrators as they charge to service the displays when components fail. Avoid this by consulting a broker specializing in unbiased consultation.

Benefit #3: Brightness

Brightness also suffers on projectors because they are dependent upon flat white surfaces with an unobstructed line of sight and low ambient light. LED video walls are bright enough to compete with any ambient light, and since they emit light from the display itself, no line of sight is required allowing you to create a larger footprint in most cases. LED video wall brightness is measured in NITs and projectors are measured in Lumens, so to compare you will need to convert the measurement. For example, if you are comparing a projector rated at 2,000 lumens to an indoor LED wall with a 2,000 NIT rating, you will need to either divide the lumen rating by 3.426 or multiply the NIT rating by 3.426. Thus, in this case, the NIT ratings of the projector would be approx. 584 NITs vs the LED wall rated at 2,000 NITs. Note: LED video walls should be at least 600 NITs to ensure a high-quality image regardless of ambient light.

Benefit #4: Definition

Projectors are famous for touting the best possible definition, but these days, LED video walls have surpassed them in definition thanks to SMD technology. SMD (Surface Mount Diode) technology allows for all three diodes in an LED pixel (Red green and blue) are mounted in one small ultra-bright diode. This smaller pixel size allows factories to mount pixels much closer together creating the highest definition displays on the market, by far. To learn more about LED technology, visit our LED Education Center. https://guthmansigns.com/led-signs/led-education-center/

Benefit #5: Contrast

For any image or video to be considered high definition it needs to include a good level of contrast for the image to come across correctly at scale. Many projectors look “fuzzy” or “hazy” due in part to the fact they have to project onto a white surface for the image to be seen. White backgrounds do not allow for true dark tones, thus the image always looks somewhat out of focus. LED video walls include louvers and casings that are strategically designed with flat back ridges across the face of the sign to dissipate light so the image comes across with high contrast across the entire face of the display. The result is true dark tones and black backgrounds making the image crisp and legible at any distance.

Benefit #6: Maintenance

Projectors require regular cleaning and maintenance of the lens, bulbs, fans, and other internal components. These are often hung high up in the rafters or in other hard to reach places, making maintenance a costly project in and of itself. LED video walls are intended and designed to be zero maintenance electronics. However, if a component needs to be replaced, anyone with basic knowledge of hand tools can service one in a matter of minutes. Most factories also provide lifetime technical support packages for LED displays. Many companies that produce projectors are not known for their ease of technical support.

Benefit #7: Wow Factor

Churches nationwide are focusing on increasing the value they provide their members and attendees as a strategy to grow attendance. Video conferencing between churches, nationwide simulcasts, and live events, are bringing churches together in ways never before possible, but you need the best possible image quality and brightness to keep audiences engaged during these events. Creating a worship atmosphere that is dynamic, engaging, and stimulating to the senses is now more important than ever. LED video walls make this possible. With advanced production systems often included in any video wall project, churches ar enow able to level up their production value at a very low learning curve for volunteers and church staff to be able to use them effectively and keep the “wow” factor alive. Training and support packages are also made available through most factories these days, allowing for on-going training to occur as needed without any additional cost.